Frequently Asked Questions

1) Have any golf balls hit the building? Yes, as a matter of fact we've had a few misdirected balls hit the building, and we have the scars to prove it, but none have broken windows or really caused any problems other than hitting the 12 patients who were late for their appointments. Generally they tend to be a reminder of our wonderful view of the golf course, and to not be late for your appointment.

2) Will my insurance cover this? There are thousands of different insurance plans, which are based on the different benefit packages purchased by employers. We are familiar with hundreds of different plans and maintain a coverage book in our computer which helps us track the different policies we've had contact with, but it is an excellent idea to take a look at your individual benefit package to determine coverage for certain procedures. If you'd like to know exactly what your plan would cover for a certain procedure we would be happy to send a pre-authorization to your insurance company upon request.

3) What do I do if my temporary crown comes off? This is probably the most common problem. Your provisional is supposed to come off easily and some foods may dislodge it. Stay away from sticky foods, especially gum, candy, etc., you know, all the good stuff. It is important for the provisional to be in place, so if it does come off or becomes loose please call the office for an appointment to recement it. If your provisional crown or bridge does come off, you may rinse it out and reapply it with a small amount of Vaseline inside the provisional. This is not a substitution for recementing it in our office, but this will allow you to keep it in place until we can see you.

4) Power or manual toothbrush for children? Parents often ask which is better for their child a power or manual toothbrush? A recent study by Garcia-Gody et al from Tufts University, Boston suggests that a powered brush may provide safe, superior cleaning capability. In addition, parents expressed higher satisfaction scores with the powered brush. Among the children, 88% of the powered-brush users gave their brush the maximum score, compared with 22% for the manual brush.

5) Is the Sonicare toothbrush really better than other toothbrushes? You bet it is. The Sonicare toothbrush is clinically proven to remove 80% of coffee, tea, and tobacco stains for naturally whiter teeth in 28 days. It removes significantly more plaque than a manual toothbrush and is effective and safe to use with braces and implants. And it's clinically proven to reverse gingivitis and help shrink periodontal pockets. This is the brush to use if you don't floss until the day before your appointment.

Do you have a question not answered here? Contact Us.


Viewpoint Dentistry
Dennis L. Higgins DDS PS
90 Columbia Point Drive
Richland, WA 99352
(509) 946-9313

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