Patient FAQ's

There are many times when our patients require urgent or emergency treatment and therefore require an appointment as soon as possible. When patients give advanced notice of their need to cancel a scheduled appointment, this time can in turn, be allocated to those patients in need. In this way, the office can best serve the needs of all patients.

Bearing those special needs in mind, we require a minimum 2 business days if an appointment that is reserved for you must be cancelled or changed. By not extending us this courtesy, it can adversely affect many other patients, specifically those who may be suffering and in pain. If less than 2 business days notice is given to cancel an appointment or in the event that no notice is given and you do not show up for your scheduled appointment, a $30.00 fee* will be assessed. *Exceptions will be made for illness, weather, or personal tragedy.

In the rare event that a patient shows a pattern of short notice cancellations or no shows, we will ask the patient to find another office that better suits their needs, and our administrative staff will help to transfer the records to their new office of choice. Please note that insurance companies do not cover fees for broken appointments, therefore payment is the responsibility of the patient.

We ask that you provide payment the same day that we provide dental care. For your convenience, we accept Visa, MasterCard, debit and cash payment. Personal cheques cannot be accepted.

Patients with dental insurance benefits are personally responsible for payment of all dental services. We will assist in submitting your insurance claim electronically to your benefit plan and/or prepare manual claim forms for you submit on your own. You will be reimbursed directly by the insurance company as we do not accept payment from the insurance companies.

For information about dental benefits, please see: https://www.oda.on.ca/you-your-dentist/dental-benefits-explained91

The use of cell phones and other hand held devices is welcome in the reception area, but is not permitted during your dental visit. Please abstain from using these devices while in the dental chair and please turn them off or set them to vibrate.

If you are a new patient and you have had a full set of x-rays taken within the past year, we ask that you have your x-rays transferred to our office. If you have not had x-rays taken within a year, a full set of x-rays may be taken on your first visit.

Depending on both your general and oral health, you may only need x-rays once every year. Other people will require more frequent x-rays due to continued treatment, diet, oral hygiene, and/or health related issues. Consult with your dentist or hygienist and together come up with an x-ray schedule that is right for you.

There are many products and procedures available to brighten your smile. It is important to understand what is causing your teeth to stain, as well as the risks and benefits of whitening your teeth. Your first step should be to schedule an examination and cleaning of your teeth. At this time, your dentist or hygienist can review your oral health, as well as make recommendations for any dietary changes or tooth bleaching products or procedures that will work for you.

At Stratford Dental, we offer Opalescence 35% professional at-home tooth whitening system.

This is a common question asked by many first time parents. We recommend that parents schedule their child's first visit to the dentist around the age of 3 years. At this time, all of the child's primary teeth are usually present. Establishing a fun and friendly dental experience at an early age is important in developing an anxiety-free attitude towards dental care.

More info to follow.......