An emergency visit at our Independence office begins with the $89 exam and X-rays. You know that figure before you dial. Treatment is a different matter, since no one can put a price on a tooth before seeing it. Call (859) 555-0147 and we hold you a same-day slot, Monday through Thursday. Call before you come; walk-ins aren't seen.
The $89 covers the emergency exam and the X-rays needed to diagnose the tooth, for patients paying without insurance. Treatment is priced separately and quoted to you in writing before any work starts.
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The $89 emergency exam: what it covers
Two things: the emergency exam and the X-rays needed to diagnose the tooth. Our dentists look at the tooth that hurts and the teeth around it, check the gum and your bite, and take whatever images the problem calls for. A small film shows a single root. A wider image covers both jaws when the pain won't settle on one spot or swelling has spread.
The X-rays do the real work of an emergency visit. A cracked molar, a dying nerve and a wisdom tooth jammed sideways can feel identical at 2:00 AM. The pictures tell them apart, and the diagnosis decides the treatment.
If you're paying without insurance, the $89 is what you pay for that diagnosis. If you have PPO or traditional dental insurance, your plan is billed for the exam and X-rays instead.
Why we don't price treatment over the phone
Because it would be a guess, and a guess that's wrong in either direction does you no good. Two people call the same morning and say a back tooth is killing them. One needs a filling. The other one's root is split under the gum line, and a surgical extraction is the answer. Same words on the phone. Very different work. Our toothache relief page explains how many things a toothache can turn out to be.
The same goes for a tooth that broke. A chipped corner might be smoothed in a few minutes. The same tooth with a crack running into the nerve needs a root canal and a crown. Nothing said on a phone call separates those two cases. The X-ray does.
So this site carries one price, the $89, and no list of treatments with numbers beside them. That isn't us being cagey. It's us refusing to quote work we haven't diagnosed.
How you get your price: exam, diagnosis, written quote
The order never changes.
- Exam and X-rays. You're seen, the tooth is examined, the images are taken.
- Diagnosis. Our dentists tell you what's wrong in plain words, what your choices are, and what tends to happen if you wait.
- Written price. The cost of the treatment you choose goes on paper and into your hand before anything starts. You read it. You ask questions. Nothing begins until you say yes.
Most emergency treatment happens at that same visit once you've agreed: a broken tooth repair, including a CEREC crown made in one visit, an emergency root canal or an emergency tooth extraction. If a tooth needs a second appointment, that's on the written quote too, so you see the whole picture at once.
Dental insurance we accept in Independence
We accept PPO dental insurance and most traditional dental insurance plans. On those plans, the exam and X-rays go on the insurance claim, and the written treatment price shows the portion we expect your plan to pay and the portion that's yours.
Call with your card handy and we check before you arrive. That call takes a minute, and it means you know where you stand before you sit in the chair.
This office does not accept Medicaid or HMO dental plans.
Paying over time: Cherry, LendingClub and CareCredit
If paying the written price all at once isn't what you want, Cherry, LendingClub and CareCredit are all accepted here. Each one is its own company with its own application. Ask about them on the phone or at the front desk, and we point you to where to apply. Whichever you use, the written price stays the same.
Frequently asked questions
Does the $89 include treatment?
No. The $89 covers the emergency exam and the X-rays needed to diagnose the tooth, for patients paying without insurance. Treatment is priced separately after the diagnosis, and that price comes to you in writing before anything is started. If you decide against treatment that day, the $89 is still what you owe for the visit.
If I call, can you quote an extraction or root canal?
Not as a number, because we haven't seen the tooth. On the phone, what we can explain is how the visit works: exam and X-rays first, then a diagnosis, then a written price you approve before anything happens. Call (859) 555-0147 and we'll also check your insurance while you're on the line.
How do I know if my insurance is accepted?
Call with your insurance card in front of you. We take PPO dental insurance and most traditional dental insurance plans, and we verify yours before you arrive. If a plan isn't one we work with, we say so on that call rather than at the desk, so you can decide what to do with the information.
Can I pay for emergency treatment over time?
Yes. Cherry, LendingClub and CareCredit are accepted for treatment at our office. Each one has its own application, and none of them changes how we treat the tooth. Ask when you call, and we tell you where to apply. The price on your written quote is the same whether you pay at the visit or through one of them.
What if I don't want the treatment you recommend?
Then it doesn't happen. The written quote is an offer, not a commitment. You can take it home, think about it, or ask what happens if you do nothing for now. The exam and X-rays are already done, so the diagnosis is yours either way. More answers are on our emergency dental FAQ.