Yes we do. We are “in network” with Delta Dental. Our Delta Dental patients are covered 100% for normal and customary preventative care (every 6 month cleanings with our Hygienists). For basic restorations (such as fillings), Delta Dental covers 80% of the cost and our patients only need to pay 20% during their office visit. For major restorations (such as crowns), Delta Dental pays 50%, so our patients pay the other 50% during their office visit.

If you have insurance with a different company, we will file the insurance claim for you so that you will later be reimbursed by your insurance company. This means that you are responsible to pay all fees at the time of your office visit but your insurance company will pay you back in 4 to 6 weeks.

Yes we do. We will send off the paperwork for all of our patients who are covered by dental insurance. We still require that our patients pay for their dentistry up-front, during their office visit. Our patients then only need to wait 4 to 6 weeks for reimbursement from their insurance company.

Yes we do. We use Care Credit. Our patients can choose to be pre-approved on-line when at home, or can get approved during their appointment time. Care Credit offers a no interest loan, 12 months same as cash, for use with accounts of $500 or more. We also accept major credit cards.

Typically, a first visit consists of a prophylactic cleaning by our Hygienists, a comprehensive exam by Dr. McAllister, and 4 bite-wing digital x-rays for a cost of $200. After the first visit, regular 6 month cleanings costs $115. Remember, most insurance companies will cover most, if not all, of the cost these regular, preventative Hygiene visits.  These are costs for the average patient who does not arrive at our office with major dental concerns. If dental problems are noted during the first visit, a treatment plan will be developed and all treatments and costs will be discussed with our patient.

A checkup is absolutely needed! Not having insurance means that preventive maintenance and regular cleanings are a must for you. Due to the expense of operative dentistry, getting your teeth cleaned twice a year and having small cavities filled is far less expensive than waiting for a tooth ache to come along, which may require a root canal or a crown. Visiting your dentist on a regular basis for check-ups and cleanings allows you to maintain a healthier mouth and contributes to your overall health. Small cavities can be filled before they become too deep and require major operative dentistry. Note these comparisons: Regular 6 month cleanings over a year period may cost you about $230 per year. On the other hand, the person who has a small cavity that goes unnoticed, since there is usually no pain associated with a small cavity, runs the risk of the cavity traveling all the way to the nerve inside the tooth, which would then require a root canal and crown at a cost of approximately $2,000. Case studies have shown that, in the long run, people who visit their dentist on a regular basis spend far less money than those who wait for something to start hurting before making a dental appointment.

Many people share your fear of the dentist, you are not alone. Some people have had discomfort or pain in the past when visiting the dentist, others are fearful because they do not fully understand what procedures are being done inside their mouth. Whatever the reason, be sure to share your fear with Dr. McAllister as there are many things he and his staff can do to make you more confident and comfortable about your visit. First, it may ease your mind to know that the team at McAllister is highly trained in the latest dental techniques and has experience and success treating a wide variety of dental concerns. In addition to our knowledge and skill, we use state-of-the-art equipment and advanced laboratories. In today's dentistry we have anesthetics than can numb the area where a shot is given and the shots are extremely effective in getting you numb. Dr. McAllister can also prescribe either a mild sedative or administer nitrous oxide (laughing gas) for his patients who can't get themselves to relax. We will make your visit to McAllister Dentistry as relaxed and comfortable as possible.

Yes, bleaching really does work, although results do vary from patient to patient. Just as your skin contains millions of pores, your teeth contain millions of what are referred to as tubules. Over time, these tubules absorb particles that will cause your teeth to discolor. Smoking and coffee drinking will accelerate this discoloration process. When a bleaching solution is applied, the chemical is absorbed into these tubules, bleaching out the discoloration and whitening the teeth.

A custom fit bleaching system from Dr. McAllister is more effective than the over the counter products. The over the counter trays are designed to fit in a mouth but are not custom fit to your teeth so it is difficult to prevent the bleaching chemical from settling on and irritating your gums. Since the chemical will irritate to the gums, the over the counter solutions are made considerably weaker, therefore less effective. The trays made by Dr. McAllister are custom fit to your teeth which are more comfortable and will prevent the chemicals from getting on your gums allowing Dr. McAllister to prescribe a much stronger and more effective bleaching solution.

We recommend bringing children with you at two or three years of age, when their teeth are in. Children are able to become comfortable with seeing Dr. McAllister and his team, and dental problems can be diagnosed early before they affect the development of the child's permanent teeth.

The main reason that children are more likely to have new cavities is because their teeth are still developing and are therefore less mineralized (or softer) than adult teeth. Your child's teeth will not be fully developed until late teenage years. Until then, you should do the following:

1. Observe your child's brushing to make sure that the biting surfaces and the areas where the teeth meet the gums are being brushed well enough to remove food, sugars and germs. This will prevent decay from forming and help maintain healthy gums.
2. Have your child floss regularly. You can even purchase special flossers made in fun designs to interest your child.
3. Dr. McAllister and his staff can apply sealants to all the permanent back teeth to help prevent cavities.

Develop a regular fluoride program with Dr. McAllister and his Hygienists. Fluoride is applied to your child’s teeth during every 6 month dental visit and we can recommend at home fluoride rinses for daily use.

Sealants are an excellent procedure for the purpose of preventive dentistry. Sealants are a polymer resin that our Hygienists brush on the chewing surface of your child's permanent teeth. Your child's teeth have many grooves and fissures on the chewing surface and if sealants are not used, food particles can accumulate in these grooves and lead to decay. The sealants act as a protective coating over the tooth enamel. This procedure is painless and relatively inexpensive and considerably less expensive than filling a cavity.

When a tooth receives trauma, such as from injury or tooth decay, the living tissue inside the center of the tooth begins to die. As this tissue dies, it decays and becomes infected. If left untreated, this infection can travel into the jaw bone. An extraction could be an immediate solution, however there are many clinical reasons why one tooth extraction can lead to a domino effect of bone loss or more teeth being lost in the future. A root canal allows the dentist to remove the dying tissue by creating an access hole through the top of the tooth. Once the infected inner tissue is removed, the canal is filled, and the tooth will remain functional for many years to come. Dr. McAllister uses modern anesthetics and techniques that make a root canal an easy and relatively comfortable procedure.