Welcome! We’re so happy to see you are interested in becoming a patient at Richmond Dental Clinic. For our first-time patients, we recommend you schedule one of our comprehensive oral examinations, which includes x-rays. During this thorough one-hour dental exam, the dentist will assess the overall health of your teeth and gums. They’ll also provide recommendations for the required treatment, including providing their insights into how frequently you should schedule cleanings. Our transparency and openness with patients are a source of pride for our team. The dentist will take the time to explain their rationale – the where and why – for any treatment recommendations. 

What if I’ve recently had a comprehensive exam with my previous dentist?
That’s OK! But, as we don’t have a previous history with your teeth, we need to perform an initial exam to confirm the state of your oral health and whether or not you require any treatment. If you have insurance, we recommend you confirm with your dental insurance provider that you have coverage for another new patient exam before you schedule an appointment.

What if my issue is with only one specific tooth?
If you need a dentist to examine only one specific problem, such as an aching or broken tooth, you can schedule an exam accordingly. This type of appointment will only address the tooth of concern. During this exam, the dentist may require x-rays to determine the source of the problem or gauge the status of the tooth’s inner health or status below the gum line.

Does this new patient examination include teeth cleaning?
No, it does not. Unless you’ve booked a new patient exam and a cleaning appointment as a back-to-back, 2-hour appointment. Otherwise, a new patient exam by the dentist does not include a cleaning by a hygienist. We want you to get the appointment you need and strive to ensure we are booking you for the desired treatment when you first contact us. If you have questions about your appointment, please don’t hesitate to ask extra questions to get the information you need. 

Can I bring or transfer x-rays from my previous dental clinic?
Please do. The more information we have for your first appointment, the better. However, you should note that x-rays older than nine months may not present an accurate picture of the current state of your teeth and bone, which changes over time. To ensure they have the most current information possible, our dentist may take new x-rays of your teeth. 

It is recommended that you visit the dentist at least twice a year. These visits should include a checkup and a cleaning, though depending on your teeth, your dentist or hygienist may recommend more frequent visits. Critical to maintaining good oral health – healthy teeth and gums and preventing problems – you should keep a schedule of regular dental exams and cleanings.

Beyond these important factors for good dental health, our Richmond dentists also perform other important tasks to help you maintain a healthy, happy smile:

• Review your medical history: To care for your teeth, our dentists stay on top of the status of your medical history – medical conditions, new medications, and your overall health. 

• Examination of diagnostic x-rays: Essential for detecting problems such as tooth decay, tumours, cysts, and bone loss, x-rays help to identify tooth and root positions.

• Assess the presence of gum disease: Your dentist checks not only your gums but also the bone around your teeth for any signs of periodontal or gum disease.

• Assess for tooth decay: Using specialized instruments, we check all of the surfaces of your teeth for decay.

• Remove plaque: A sticky, almost invisible film, plaque forms on the teeth and is made up of saliva, food debris, and living bacteria. Potentially causing periodontal disease, these bacteria continually grow and produce toxins that inflame the gums.

• Remove tartar: Plaque left on a tooth’s surface long enough to become hardened and attached is called tartar (or calculus). It forms above and below the gum line, and the dentist or hygienist can only remove it with special dental instruments.

• Teeth polishing: Polishing lets us remove plaque and stains aren’t removed during brushing and scaling.

• Screen for oral cancer: Our dentists check your face, lips, tongue, throat, neck, tissues, and gums for signs of oral cancer.

• Examine existing restorations: If you have fillings, crowns, or another type of restoration, we’ll check the status.

• Provide recommendations for oral hygiene: We review the aids and tools of oral hygiene with you and recommend those most appropriate for your case (i.e. fluorides, rinses, electric toothbrushes, special cleaning aids, etc.)

• Review your dietary habits: What you eat and your oral health is connected. We help you to make the best dietary choices to support your dental and oral health.

We do a lot to help you maintain the healthiest smile possible! Much more than just assessing for cavities and polishing your teeth. To ensure we give you the very best dental care, be sure to schedule regular checkups!

A trip to the dentist causes anxiety for a lot of people – we get it! That’s why we take such pride in having among the friendliest, most empathetic dentists, hygienists, and staff anywhere. We want you to feel as comfortable as possible with every aspect of your visit. So, if you feel stressed or anxious about your visit with us, we recommend coming in for a free before your first appointment.

When you come in for a consultation, this is a great time to talk to the dentist about any treatment you think you might need. Be sure to ask questions about our office and the procedures we offer to get a better feel for our clinic and our staff.  If you’re still feeling reticent, please read our reviews to find out about the experience of others.

If you’d like more information about managing anxiety and fear at the dentist, please read our post. If you have any questions at all, feel free to give us a call or send a message through our website.

When you get your teeth cleaned at Richmond Dental Clinic, you can expect it to take about one hour. This appointment includes scaling, polishing, and/or fluoride treatment. If it’s been a while between cleanings or if you visit the dentist very infrequently, cleaning may take more than one visit to do a thorough job. If you’re one of our returning patients, an appointment for cleaning may also include a check-up or x-rays. As a new patient, your cleaning appointment will be just that unless you’ve requested a back-to-back 2-hour appointment that also includes your initial, new patient examination.

Yes, we have! Our on-staff periodontal specialist – Dr. Michael Landzberg – works select days of the month from Richmond Dental Clinic. Our group of offices also has an oral surgeon who works from our Waterview Dental location. 

An advantage for our patients is having a specialist on staff lets us better customize treatment to your needs.  With your records kept in one place, it facilitates not only treatment but easy coordination between dentist and specialist!

After they assess your oral health, and if the dentist recommends specialist treatment, they will organise the referral for you.

Yes! For your convenience, we are among only a few dental clinics in downtown Toronto that allow direct billing. If your dental insurance is through a Canadian provider, inform our receptionists before your appointment so we can arrange direct billing to your insurance company.

If your dental plan allows ‘assignment of benefits’, we can direct bill your provider. They will cover you at your eligible coverage amount; you pay the difference. If your plan does not allow it, you will pay the total amount for your treatment on that day. We’ll help submit your claim for you so your insurance can reimburse you directly. Get to know your dental insurance coverage before you come in to avoid any surprises!

For more detail, check out our post diving further into dental insurance.

I’m not a patient. Can you still submit a dental estimate for me?

Due to privacy reasons, if you’re not one of our patients, we cannot submit a dental estimate for you. However, we can provide you with the procedure codes we use for certain dental treatments, such as new patient visits, x-rays, and cleanings. You can contact your insurance provider and quote them the procedure codes to confirm your coverage.

If you wish to become a patient but want to check your dental coverage first, give us a call, and we can give you procedure codes to get you started!

What is secondary insurance? If you have a secondary insurance plan, it will be another dental plan that covers the remainder after what is paid out by your primary plan. For example, if your primary plan covers 80% of your treatment, your secondary picks up the remaining 20%.

If you have secondary insurance, you can typically be listed under a spouse or parent's insurance plan or even a second plan under your own name.

In addition to your primary plan, if you have secondary dental insurance, let our receptionists know when you check in for your dental appointment. In order to bill your secondary dental insurance successfully, we require the carrier name, group/plan number, ID/subscriber number, and the full name and date of birth of the secondary policyholder.

If you have questions about your dental insurance coverage, we encourage you to contact your insurance provider to confirm.

No. We cannot direct bill to travel insurance, health spending accounts, or insurance companies based outside of Canada. We’ll require you to pay in full at the time of your treatment. We’ll provide you with a receipt to submit for reimbursement.

As it’s considered a cosmetic procedure, most insurance providers do not cover whitening treatment. We recommend you confirm with your insurance company if they cover whitening.

What is the cause of tooth discolouration?

Tooth discolouration is caused in two ways: extrinsic (stains to the tooth’s exterior) and intrinsic (discolouration from within the tooth).

Stains on the outside of the tooth tend to be superficial and are caused by the various substances that come in contact with your teeth – coffee, tea, red wine, and tobacco, for instance. Internal discolouration, on the other hand, reflects the state of the tooth from the inside and can result from treatment procedures, exposure to excessive fluoride (fluorosis), and using certain antibiotics.

Whitening methods can’t necessarily manage all kinds and degrees of tooth discolouration. Some  discolouration requires restorative procedures such as veneers, bonding, and others. To learn more about the reasons for your dental discolouration and staining, make an appointment with us to discuss the best whitening treatment for your teeth. 

You can read more about whitening here.

Richmond Dental Clinic follows the current Ontario Dental Association fee guide. It is our goal to do all we can to provide our patients with high-quality yet affordable dental care. 

It is recommended, and we encourage you to ask questions about your dental care and treatment, including pricing. We want you to know what to expect and avoid any unpleasant surprises down the line. 

It’s important to understand that hunting for a bargain in dental care can be dangerous. The priority, as you search for a dentist, is their level of expertise, knowledge, and technological capabilities – quality over cost. Don’t take any chances with your dental care or that of your family. Please consider visiting our practice to experience what it is that sets us apart from the others!

In every aspect of our practice, we do our best to not just meet but exceed your expectations for dental care. Part of that is reserving your time for you and you alone. In return, we ask that you take the same consideration with our time and provide us with at least two (2) business days’ notice with any changes to your appointment or to cancel. This time allows us to accommodate other patients waiting to see us in a timely manner. We appreciate your cooperation, as do our other patients. And we thank you for your understanding! 

We accept payment by Visa, Mastercard, Debit, Amex, and cash.

If you’re one of our patients and want to pay any outstanding balances, please feel free to come by the office or pay over the phone. NOTE: phone payments are credit card only.

Currently, we offer a discount for patients aged 65 and over.

When left untreated, many dental problems can cause a great deal of discomfort and pain. If you experience a dental emergency outside of office hours, we offer extended evening and Saturday hours to better assist you in a dental emergency – usually within an hour of your call.

If you are visiting the area on holiday, are a new patient, or are one of our patients of record, call or message us if you have an emergency during office hours. We will strive to address your dental emergency that day, in most cases, within the hour. If we cannot see you at our Richmond Dental location, we will triage you to one of our sister locations at Waterview, Parkview Dental, Cityview Dental, or Urbanview Dental.

No time to talk? Message us via our website instead! Click the little blue message button to your right and send a text message. It is sent to our reception staff immediately during our office hours.

If you are one of our patients of record and experience an emergency after office hours, leave a message on our emergency hotline, and the dentist on call will return your call again, often within only half an hour.

You have our commitment that your dental emergency will be well-taken care of at Richmond Dental Clinic.

Click here to learn more about what you can do in the event of a dental emergency.