Policies

Infection Control

General Company Policy

Southside Children’s Dental Center maintains strict compliance of the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) standards. Our employees are provided with the proper information, training, and equipment necessary to ensure their protection and our patients’ protection against infection control hazards. This program applies to all tasks in our office where our staff or patients may be exposed to hazardous substances or to blood borne pathogens under normal working conditions or during emergency situations.

We are committed to the safety and compliance of our staff and patients. All instruments are steam sterilized and packaged after each use. All disposable items are properly discarded as hazardous waste, which is collected and processed properly. Every surface is treated with an antibacterial solution between each patient use. We welcome questions and comments regarding our infection control policies.

An outline of our overall OSHA program follows:

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)

MSDS provide specific information on the chemicals our staff may be exposed to and/or may work with on a daily basis including instructions for chemical spills.

Standard Operating Procedure Sheets

(SOPS) outline and explain the protocol for every job our staff are required to perform.

Chemical Labeling

All hazardous chemicals used in our office will be properly labeled and updated as necessary.

Non-Routine Task

When a staff member is required to perform a non-routine task additional training is provided to inform them regarding any hazard that may be possible.

Training

All our clinical staff have been trained and certified in accordance with Texas State regulations regarding annual OSHA training and state mandated testing. Our clinical staff members are also tested and certified in Nitrous Oxide Monitoring and Radiology.

In compliance with OSHA regulations, all employees including full, part time, temporary, and students will be formally educated about the occupational risk of exposure to blood borne disease via blood and body fluid contact upon initial assignment and annually thereafter. Upon recognizing the risk, this training program will also teach methods to help minimize risk.

The program will address the following issues:

Universal Precautions as Outlined and Described by the State of Texas

An infection control program based on Universal Precautions is presented annually to all employees. Employees are required to adhere to the following:

Financial Policy

We attempt to give you an accurate estimate of your total fees prior to the beginning of treatment. However, due to the nature of dental treatment, there are situations when the treatment may change. We will do our best to inform you about changes to the treatment plan as quickly and accurately as possible.

Total payment for service rendered is due at the time of the treatment. Unfortunately, at this time, we are unable to make payment arrangements. In the past, this has proven to be time consuming and ineffective for our practice. In order to make payment arrangements as convenient as possible for you, while at the same time maintaining operations of our office in the highest standard of care, we do offer six payment options.

1. Pre-Payment

Some patients prefer to pre-pay towards their child’s dental treatment. We will be happy to assist you with your pre-payment up to three months prior to the treatment. When you have pre-paid for treatment, your check out time is reduced and you are able to give full attention to your child who may be sedated. Please insist on a receipt with every payment you make.

2. Cash/Money Orders

Cash/Money Order payments are always welcome. Total payment for the service rendered is due at the time of service. Please insist on a receipt upon payment.

3. Care Credit – Patient Payment Plan

You may pre-qualify online at www.carecredit.com or we will be happy to assist you in the office. For those who qualify, care credit is an easy and convenient way to pay for all your health care needs. No interest will be charged if at least the minimum monthly balance is paid on time and the promotional balance is paid in full by the end of the promotional period.

4. Credit/Debit Cards

We accept most major credit cards (MasterCard, Visa, Discover, and American Express). In addition, we also accept debit cards that have a Visa or MasterCard logo on them.

5. Private Insurance

We will gladly accept, and as a courtesy, bill your dental insurance if we can verify coverage. Prior to treatment being done, you should receive a written treatment plan that has been explained to your fullest satisfaction. Please understand this is an estimate made to the best of our ability based on the information your insurance carrier is providing to us. If you are required to pay a co-payment or deductible, it will be due at the time service is rendered. If there is a balance after the insurance payment, you will be sent a statement.

6. Texas Medicaid – MCNA – DentaQuest – Delta Dental

We welcome our patients who are qualified for Texas Medicaid and will gladly check for eligibility in our office. If you require assistance in obtaining Texas Medicaid please click on the link provided.

Regarding parents or guardians who are divorced, separated, or single:

The parent or guardian noted as the responsible party on the initial new patient form for the child’s account is financially responsible. If the child has a secondary insurance, we will be happy to file, provided we are given all applicable information that we are able to verify. However, we are not in a position to mediate payment arrangements between parents or guardians.