This procedure will be performed using local anesthesia. There are usually no restrictions after the procedure concerning driving or returning to work. A doctor is available for consultation at all times should a problem arise after your treatment.

Continue all medications for blood pressure, diabetes, thyroid problems and any other conditions as recommended by your physician. If there is a question, please call our office prior to your appointment.

Please eat a light, but healthy breakfast or lunch as applicable.

If you have been advised by your physician or dentist to use antibiotic premedication because of mitral valve prolapse (MVP), heart murmur, hip, knee, cardiac or other prosthesis, or if you have rheumatic heart disease, please make sure you are on the appropriate antibiotic taken 1 hour before your appointment. If there is a question, please call our office prior to your appointment.

If you can take ibuprofen (Advil) or naproxen sodium (Aleve), it does help reduce inflammation when taken pre-operatively. We recommend 2 tablets of either medication 2-4 hours before endodontic therapy.

It is possible that your tooth will be tender for 3-7 days. This is due to the previous condition of your tooth and manipulation within the root canal during treatment. There is no cause for alarm since this is a perfectly normal reaction. Any prescribed medication is intended to reduce any distress.
The tooth will feel much better if these suggestions are followed:

• Rinsing with warm salt water solutions will help speed the healing process by stimulation circulation in the area. (One teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water). Repeat the rinsing on the hour while the tooth is uncomfortable.
• Do not use the tooth for chewing.
• If slight swelling develops, use the rinses as above. Over the counter Ibuprofen 400-600mg every 4-6 hours will usually take care of most moderate discomfort. If you are allergic to Ibuprofen or Aspirin products take Tylenol (Acetaminophen) 650mg every 5 hours.

Discomfort following visits in no way affects the successful outcome of treatment.
It is normal for a thin layer of temporary filling to be worn away and a slight depression is noticeable. Should the temporary filling come out (or if in doubt,) call our office.

Endodontic treatment for this tooth has now been completed. Your root canal has been sealed. However, if the outer surface of your tooth is sealed with ( we will tell you) a temporary filling or does not have a crown, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR DENTIST FOR AN APPOINTMENT, HE OR SHE MUST PLACE A PERMANENT RESTORATION to protect your tooth against fracture and decay.

The tooth may be slightly tender for several days as a result of the manipulation during treatment. It may be necessary to take an over-the-counter pain reliever or three 200mg ibuprofen tablets (600mg) or the prescribed pain medication every four hours and bathe the tooth with hot salt water. Swelling may occur and is possible after the root canal. IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM PLEASE CALL OUR OFFICE.

You may be mailed a card asking you to phone our office for a re-examination appointment after a period of time (usually after 12 months.) X-rays taken will permit us to review the healing process following your treatment. It is important that endodonticlly treated teeth be re-examined regularly, since a small percentage do not completely heal.

Your dentist will be informed that your treatment has now been completed and a progress report will be sent after re-examination.

You have just had a consultation for endodontic surgery.  Upon discussion of risks and alternatives, you elected to have an endodontic surgical procedure.  If you have any questions between now and the treatment date, do not hesitate to call or e-mail us. Please read the following information and instructions before your appointment.

Important:  Do not take any aspirin, Advil, Motrin, or Aleve products for at least 7 days prior to surgery. These products may thin your blood and interfere with the surgical treatment. Tylenol is an acceptable alternative if pain medication is necessary.

Plan to take the rest of the day of surgery off. You will need to avoid any heavy lifting, exercise, or excessive talking following surgery. Plan on using an ice pack on and off the surgery area for six hours after leaving the office. Thorough post-treatment instructions will be given orally and in writing.

Eat a light, healthy meal prior to the surgery. You will not feel like eating after the surgery because you will be numb for several hours. Plan on eating soft foods for the rest of the day; however, do not suck through a straw or smoke. The suction created could loosen a suture and stimulate bleeding.

In preparation for the surgery, women should remove makeup from the face and lips to avoid contamination of the surgical site. Men should trim mustaches to the lip.

7 to 14 days after the surgery, you will need to return to the office for removal of sutures and evaluation of healing. Periodic checkups will follow as directed by the doctor.

When deemed necessary, a sample of the irritated tissue surrounding the root may be sent for examination. The laboratory will bill separately for this procedure. Please have the patient and insurance information completed on the enclosed lab form before surgery. Costs vary for this procedure, but the average is $195-295. The results will be sent to this office. We will inform you of the results of the examination upon receipt from the laboratory at you post-op follow up visit.

Following any surgery you may experience some:
• Bleeding
• Swelling
• Discomfort
This is normal and should not be a cause for alarm. By following these instructions you will minimize problems.
You may use ice for 10-15 minutes out of each hour for the first six hours to hold down swelling. If you swell, it will peak about 24 hours after the surgery and be gone in four to five days. Stop the use of the ice after six hours. Do not use heat packs at any time.
• Keep the area quiet for the first 24 hours.
• Minimize lip movements and talking.
• Eat softer foods and chew away from the surgery site.
• Do not pull your lip back to look at the sutures or stick your tongue into the surgery area.
• Do not rinse vigorously or brush your teeth for the first 24 hours.
If bleeding occurs after the first hour, try applying pressure with a wet tea bag directly to the incision site. Pressure should be continuous for 20-30 minutes. If bleeding does not stop, call the office.

Do not use dental floss at the surgery site nor brush directly on the site until the sutures are removed. You may start brushing the other areas of your mouth 24 hours after the surgery.

We will remove the sutures in three to seven days.

Warm salt-water rinses will help speed up healing and keep the area clean. Use one heaping teaspoon of salt in one glass of warm tap water. DO NOT start the warm rinses until 24 hours after the surgery.

Take any prescriptions as directed.

Feel free to call the office if you have any questions or concerns. We can be reached through the answering service: 510-895-1470.

Your health is our number one concern. For your safety, we utilize the very latest techniques in sterilization. We are dedicated to always staying on top of the latest sterilization techniques recommended by OSHA. You can be assured that, from the water lines to the instruments used in your treatment, everything is thoroughly sterilized for your safety and protection.

As part of our very strict sterilization policy all instruments, including the handpieces, are heat sterilized. Whenever possible, we utilize disposable products. In every operatory we use surface disinfectants and plastic barriers to ensure a protected environment. We constantly monitor our practice and procedures regarding infection control. Our sterilizers are biologically monitored every week to ensure proper sterilization procedures by an independent outside testing facility.

During every procedure, we wear protective, disposable barriers such as gloves and masks that are replaced after each patient’s treatment. To protect the environment and the public, we regularly have our hazardous waste handled and removed responsibly by a certified bio-hazardous waste removal company.

Our patient’s safety, as well as our own, is of extreme importance to us. When you visit our office, you can feel confident that your health is protected to the best of our ability.

Endodontic Financial Policy

Patients with Dental Insurance:

As a courtesy to our patients with insurance, we will contact your insurance company and estimate what your initial copayment will be. If treatment is completed in one visit, your copayment must be received in full at that time. Please keep in mind; this is only an estimate and coverage verification does not guarantee payment. It also does not guarantee the estimated cost given to you is the total amount due. 

Patients without Dental Insurance:

Patients who do not have any dental insurance are required to pay in full by the completion of treatment. If treatment is completed in a single visit, full payment is due at that time.

Credit Card on file:

All patients are required to have a credit/debit card on file. This will be for any balance remaining on the account after the insurance company makes payment. A financial agreement will be filled out and signed on the day of your initial appointment.

Refunds/Remaining Balances:

If your insurance company pays more than the estimated copayment amount given to you, you will be sent a refund check. This check will be sent to you within one week of receiving payment from the insurance company.

If your insurance company pays less than the estimated copayment amount given to you, your credit card on file with be charged the remaining balance. If the balance is $100 or less, the full amount will be charged. If the balance is over $100 it will be split into two equal payments and separated 30 days apart.

Care Credit

For your convenience, we do offer an interest free financing plan. Care credit is a line of credit exclusively for your healthcare needs. Once approved, payments can be broken down into a 6 month payment plan. Please visit www.carecredit.com for more information and details.

NOTE:  If your insurance company does not reimburse us after 2 submissions, you will be responsible for the remainder of the balance since we were unable to collect from them.

Insurance Benefit Information

Your endodontist wants you to understand how dental insurance works and how to make it work best for you. You should also understand how the treatment your endodontist provided works with your dental plan.

The contract your employer negotiated with your insurance carrier defines your dental benefits. Please read the benefit or insurance plan booklet provided by your employer so that you better understand your benefits. Various dental plans cover endodontic procedures at different payment levels and, as a result, your payment portion may vary.

This section answers frequently asked questions about dental benefits. If you do not find the answers to your questions, contact your plan or benefits administrator who can explain the details. If you see an insurance term with which you are not familiar, please see the glossary of terms.

1. What is a “UCR” and how is it determined?

“UCR” is the term used by insurance companies to describe the amount they are willing to pay for a particular endodontic procedure. There is no standard fee or accepted method of determining the UCR, and the UCR has no relationship to the fee charged by your endodontist. The administrator of each dental benefit plan determines the fees that the plan will pay, often based on many factors including region of the country, number of procedures performed and cost of living.

2.Why was my benefit different from what I expected?

Your dental benefit may vary for a number of reasons, such as:

• You have already used some or all of the benefits available from your dental insurance.
• Your insurance plan paid only a percentage of the fee charged by your endodontist.
• The treatment you needed was not a covered benefit.
• You have not yet met your deductible.
• You have not reached the end of your plan’s waiting period and are currently ineligible for coverage.

3. Why isn’t the recommended treatment a covered benefit?

Your endodontist diagnoses and provides treatment based on his or her professional judgment and not on the cost of that care. Some employers or insurance plans exclude coverage for necessary treatment as a way to reduce their costs. Your plan may not include this particular treatment or procedure, although your endodontist deemed the treatment necessary.

4. How do in know what my payment portion will be if my insurance does not cover the entire fee?

Your payment portion will vary according to the UCR of your plan, your maximum allowable benefit and other factors. Ultimately, the patient portion is not known until the insurance check has been received by you endodontist.
5. How do I understand my Explanation of Benefits (EOB)?

Your Explanation of Benefits (EOB) contains a wealth of information. The EOB identifies the benefits, the amount your insurance carrier is willing to pay and charges that are and are not covered by your plan. The statement includes the following information: UCR, co-payment amount/patient portion, remaining benefits, deductible and benefit paid.

6. How long does it take for a claim to be paid?

The time for a dental insurance carrier to process an insurance claim varies. At least 38 states have enacted laws requiring dental insurance carriers to pay claims within a timely period (ranging generally from 15-60 days). If you want to file a complaint about a delayed payment, contact the insurance commissioner in your state. He or she wants to know if your insurance complaint does not pay within the period allowed by your state law. A link to the names and addresses of commissioners is posted on the American Association of Endodontists’ web site, www.aae.org.

7. Will my endodontist take my insurance?

Most endodontists fall in one or more categories, and there may be more options than are described here. Some endodontists sign contracts with dental insurance carriers and agree to accept or “take” the payment offered by the insurance company as payment in full, even though it may not be the same amount as the endodontist charges for the procedure. These endodontists are Participating Providers in your plan.

Other endodontists do not sign contracts with dental insurance carriers, but still accept or “take” insurance company payments. These endodontists are not contractually obligated to accept your insurance carrier’s payment as full compensation and are not Participating Providers. In this instance, you may be responsible for a payment portion over and above the percentage provided by your insurance company.

Still other endodontists are not Participating Providers and do not accept payments directly from your insurance carrier. In this case, your endodontist will ask that you be responsible for the entire fee, but will assist you in filing your claim to receive insurance benefits directly from your insurance carrier.

8. What if I still have questions?

Your endodontist will do his or her best to answer all of your insurance questions. Please keep in mind that there are many insurance plans available and that your employer chooses your plan and your benefits. If you believe your benefits are inadequate, you may want to discuss the matter with plan administrator and explore appropriate alternatives.
[sws_divider_bar1 barsize=”500″] [/sws_divider_bar1]

Glossary of terms

Assignment of benefits – Authorization from the patient to the insurance carrier to forward payment directly to the endodontist for covered procedures.

Claim – Statement sent to an insurance carrier that lists the treatment performed, the date of that treatment and an itemization of associated costs. It serves as the basis for payment of benefits.

Contract – An agreement between your employer and your insurance carrier that typically describes the benefits of your dental plan.

Copayment – The part of the fee you owe the endodontist after your insurance carrier has paid its portion

Coverage – The benefits available to you under your plan.

Customary fee – The fees your insurance carrier will pay for the specific procedure performed as opposed to the actual fees submitted for a specific endodontist procedure to establish the maximum benefit payable for that specific procedure.

Deductible – The amount you are responsible to pay before the insurance carrier will allow your benefit plan to pay the endodontist.

EOB – Identifies the benefits (the amount your insurance carrier is willing to pay) and charges covered by your plan.

Participating provider – An endodontist who signs a contractual agreement with the dental insurance carrier to provide care to eligible members.
Patient portion – The dollar amount that you will be responsible for paying if your insurance payment does not cover the entire fee.

Preauthorization – A statement from your insurance company indicating whether the required endodontic treatment will be covered under the terms of your plan.
Predetermination – An administrative procedure that required your endodontist to submit a treatment plan to your insurance carrier for approval before treatment begins.

UCR – A term used by insurance companies to describe the amount they are willing to pay for a particular endodontic procedure.

Notice of Privacy Policy

John J Jaber DDS A Professional Corporation Notice of Privacy Practices

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION.

PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY. THE PRIVACY OF YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION IS IMPORTANT TO US.

Our Legal Duty

We are required by applicable federal and state law to maintain the privacy of your protected health information. We are also required to give you this Notice about our privacy practices, our legal duties, and your rights concerning your protected health information. We must follow the privacy practices that are described in this Notice while it is in effect. This Notice takes effect when signed, and will remain in effect until we replace it.

We reserve the right to change our privacy practices and the terms of this Notice at any time, provided such changes are permitted by applicable law. We reserve the right to make the changes in our privacy practices and the new terms of our Notice effective for all health information that we maintain, including health information we created or received before we made the changes. Before we make a significant change in our privacy practices, we will change this Notice and provide the new Notice at our practice location, and we will distribute it upon request.

You may request a copy of our Notice at any time. For more information about our privacy practices, or for additional copies of this Notice, please contact us using the information listed at the end of this notice.
Your Authorization: In addition to our use of your health information for the following purposes, you may give us written authorization to use your health information or to disclose it to anyone for any purpose. If you give us an authorization, you may revoke it in writing at any time. Your revocation will not affect any use or disclosures permitted by your authorization while it was in effect. Unless you give us a written authorization, we cannot use or disclose your health information for any reason except those described in this Notice.

Uses and Disclosures of Health Information

We use and disclose health information about you without authorization for the following purposes.

Treatment: We may use or disclose your health information for your treatment. For example, we may disclose your health information to a physician or other healthcare provider providing treatment to you.

Payment: We may use and disclose your health information to obtain payment for services we provide to you. For example, we may send claims to your dental health plan containing certain health information.

Healthcare Operations: We may use and disclose your health information in connection with our healthcare operations. For example, healthcare operations include quality assessment and improvement activities, reviewing the competence or qualifications of healthcare professionals, evaluating practitioner and provider performance, conducting training programs, accreditation, certification, licensing or credentialing activities.

To You Or Your Personal Representative: We must disclose your health information to you, as described in the Patient Rights section of this Notice. We may disclose your health information to your personal representative, but only if you agree that we may do so.

Persons Involved In Care: We may use or disclose health information to notify, or assist in the notification of (including identifying or locating) a family member, your personal representative or another person responsible for your care, of your location, your general condition, or death. If you are present, then prior to use or disclosure of your health information, we will provide you with an opportunity to object to such uses or disclosures. In the event of your absence or incapacity or in emergency circumstances, we will disclose health information based on a determination using our professional judgment disclosing only health information that is directly relevant to the person’s involvement in your healthcare. We will also use our professional judgment and our experience with common practice to make reasonable inferences of your best interest in allowing a person to pick up filled prescriptions, medical supplies, x-rays, or other similar forms of health information.

Disaster Relief: We may use or disclose your health information to assist in disaster relief efforts.

Marketing Health-Related Services: We will not use your health information for marketing communications without your written authorization.

Required by Law: We may use or disclose your health information when we are required to do so by law.

Public Health and Public Benefit: We may use or disclose your health information to report abuse, neglect, or domestic violence; to report disease, injury, and vital statistics; to report certain information to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA); to alert someone who may be at risk of contracting or spreading a disease; for health oversight activities; for certain judicial and administrative proceedings; for certain law enforcement purposes; to avert a serious threat to health or safety; and to comply with workers’ compensation or similar programs.

Decedents: We may disclose health information about a decedent as authorized or required by law.

National Security: We may disclose to military authorities the health information of Armed Forces personnel under certain circumstances. We may disclose to authorized federal officials health information required for lawful intelligence, counterintelligence, and other national security activities. We may disclose to correctional institution or law enforcement official having lawful custody the protected health information of an inmate or patient under certain circumstances.

Appointment Reminders: We may use or disclose your health information to provide you with appointment reminders (such as voicemail messages, postcards, or letters).

Patient Rights

Access: You have the right to look at or get copies of your health information, with limited exceptions. You may request that we provide copies in a format other than photocopies. We will use the format you request unless we cannot practicably do so. You must make a request in writing to obtain access to your health information. You may obtain a form to request access by using the contact information listed at the end of this Notice. You may also request access by sending us a letter to the address at the end of this Notice. We will charge you a reasonable cost-based fee for the cost of supplies and labor of copying. If you request copies, we will charge you $0.50 for each page, $35.00 per hour for staff time to copy your health information, and postage if you want the copies mailed to you. If you request an alternative format, we will charge a cost-based fee for providing your health information in that format. If you prefer, we will prepare a summary or an explanation of your health information for a fee. Contact us using the information listed at the end of this Notice for a full explanation of our fee structure.

Disclosure Accounting: You have the right to receive a list of instances in which we or our business associates disclosed your health information for purposes other than treatment, payment, healthcare operations, and certain other activities, for the last 6 years, but not before April 14, 2003. If you request this accounting more than once in a 12-month period, we may charge you a reasonable, cost-based fee for responding to these additional requests.

Restriction: You have the right to request that we place additional restrictions on our use or disclosure of your health information. In most cases we are not required to agree to these additional restrictions, but if we do, we will abide by our agreement (except in certain circumstances where disclosure is required or permitted, such as an emergency, for public health activities, or when disclosure is required by law). We must comply with a request to restrict the disclosure of protected health information to a health plan for purposes of carrying out payment or health care operations (as defined by HIPAA) if the protected health information pertains solely to a health care item or service for which we have been paid out of pocket in full.

Alternative Communication: You have the right to request that we communicate with you about your health information by alternative means or at alternative locations. (You must make your request in writing.) Your request must specify the alternative means or location, and provide satisfactory explanation of how payments will be handled under the alternative means or location you request.

Amendment: You have the right to request that we amend your health information. Your request must be in writing, and it must explain why the information should be amended. We may deny your request under certain circumstances.

Electronic Notice: You may receive a paper copy of this notice upon request, even if you have agreed to receive this notice electronically on our Web site or by electronic mail (e-mail).

Questions and Complaints

If you want more information about our privacy practices or have questions or concerns, please contact us.

If you are concerned that we may have violated your privacy rights, or you disagree with a decision we made about access to your health information or in response to a request you made to amend or restrict the use or disclosure of your health information or to have us communicate with you by alternative means or at alternative locations, you may complain to us using the contact information listed at the end of this Notice. You also may submit a written complaint to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. We will provide you with the address to file your complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services upon request. We support your right to the privacy of your health information. We will not retaliate in any way if you choose to file a complaint with us or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Contact Officer: John J Jaber D.D.S
Address: 299 Juana avenue, Suite A, San Leandro, CA 94577