Medicine Wheel Dental FAQs.


Does Medicine Wheel Dental accept dental insurance?

Medicine Wheel Dental does not accept insurance as payment directly. As a courtesy to our patients we submit all dental claims to your insurance company asking them to send available benefits (payment) to the patient directly. To ensure you are eligible for this type of insurance filing, you will want to make sure that you have “out of network benefits”.

What Forms of Payment does Medicine Wheel Dental accept?

Medicine Wheel Dental accepts almost all forms of payment. We accept:

  • All major credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express)
  • HSA (Health Savings Account) Payments
  • Cash
  • Check (with valid proof of identity)
  • Cashier checks
  • Money orders
  • 3rd party payments (with proper written/signed authorization)
  • Care Credit

Does Medicine Wheel Dental offer payment plans?

Payment plans are available through Care Credit dental financing. Upon application approval Care Credit offers payment plans with 0% financing for up to 1 year. Or up to 60 months at Care Credit’s current rates.

Are anesthetics still commonly used at Medicine Wheel Dental?

Anesthetics are used when needed with most dental procedures. Medicine Wheel Dental has the ability to order preservative free anesthetics for those patients whom are highly reactive to the more commonly used anesthetics. Medicine Wheel Dental also offers the option of Nitrous Oxide (“laughing gas”) for our patients that find themselves more apprehensive. In addition to these options, we also have a rescue remedy / desert crisis homeopathic calmer available.

Is Medicine Wheel Dental accepting new patients and what does the new patient comprehensive exam include?

At this time Medicine Wheel Dental is accepting new patients. During the new patient exam you can expect to be in our office for approximately 1.5 hours.

Our comprehensive exam includes:

  • Any x-rays or oral photos that need to be taken
  • A full oral examination will be completed
  • An oral cancer screening is completed
  • A  jaw/bite body alignment evaluation
  • We take the time to understand more about our patient’s specific needs and what works/doesn’t work as well as material sensitivities.

You can also check out our new patient resources area to download new patient paperwork and gather information about our practice.

Do I need to have x-rays taken in order to do an examination?

To provide you with a comprehensive evaluation and diagnosis, recent dental x-rays are a necessity. Patients are welcome to bring previous x-rays to their appointment.

Medicine Wheel Dental will determine what x-rays are necessary. We do suggest a full mouth set of x-rays (18 individual films) every 3-5 years (depending on the patient and their dental history) with check up bitewings annually (most offices will do every 6 months).

Our protocol and extensive annual examinations ensure that Medicine Wheel is always keeping our patient’s best interests in mind while providing strong preventative care.

We do offer digital x-rays. Radiation exposure (already low for dental x-rays) is minimal with this new state of the art technology.

At what age will Medicine Wheel Dental see children as patients?

At Medicine Wheel Dental our most important objective for children is that they have a positive dental experience. In the earlier years (1-5 years old) we find that this is usually accomplished by a pedodontist (pediatric dentist) as they are more set up for this specific task. Typically we find that around 6 years old and up we are able to assist in their oral treatment needs, but have found even children 6 & above still require the care of a pediatric dental office.

What is Holistic Dentistry?

Holistic Dentistry is an approach to dentistry that promotes health and wellness as a primary concern within the dental field. This approach encompasses both modern science and holistic understandings. It is sometimes called “Biologic” or “Biocompatible” dentistry. Holistic Dentistry acknowledges and deals with the mind, body, and spirit of the patient, not just his or her “teeth”. Holistic dentistry is partially based on the notion that what affects the mouth affects the body, and vice versa. A holistic dentist also works with other practitioners in the holistic health care field thus offering a comprehensive and integrative approach for you and your family.  Holistic dentists try to minimize your exposure to harmful radiation by using equipment with a low emission of radiation, limit the number of x-rays taken and using alternative methods for diagnosis while being up to date in the use of the newer biocompatible restorations.

Some of the basic principles of holistic dental health practices are:

  • Avoidance and elimination of toxins from dental materials using accepted treatment protocols
  • Prevention and treatment of dental malocclusion (bite problems=physical imbalance)
  • Prevention and treatment of gum disease at its biological basis
  • The early emphasis on immune system support during care
  • Microbiological control of  infections using effective protocols & natural ingredients

While every holistic dentist will have his/her own approach, beliefs, and techniques to co create overall health and wellness, the primary goal for all holistic dentists is to obtain a better standard of health using your oral care as a gateway. Medicine Wheel Dental looks forward to sharing its approaches with you.