Policies

Appointment Policies

Little Grins Dental strives to be on-time, efficient and respectful of your time. When your appointment is scheduled, a room is reserved, your records are reviewed and special instruments are prepared before your arrival. You can expect Little Grins Dental to be prompt unless we are providing emergency treatment for another patient.

Due to our limited number of available appointments, we ask that you contact us before your scheduled appointment to reschedule or cancel. If we are given enough notice, we can offer your appointment time to a family that is on the waiting list.

If you miss or reschedule within 24 hours of your scheduled appointment, Little Grins Dental will require a $60 deposit in order to reschedule your appointment. The $60 deposit will be refunded at the next appointment. If a consecutive appointment is missed or is rescheduled with less than a 24 hour notice, then an additional $60 deposit will be required to reschedule. In that situation, only $60 total will be refunded at the next appointment and not $120. If a third appointment is missed or rescheduled with less than a 24 hour notice, then it will be necessary to categorize that patient as inactive and will only be scheduled from the waiting list.

Payment Policies

Little Grins Dental is a general dental practice where dental insurance is welcomed and accepted. Payment for professional services is due at the time dental treatment is provided. Every effort will be made to provide a treatment plan which fits your timetable and budget and gives your child the best possible care. If payment is not received from your dental insurance company within 45 days from the date of service then you will be responsible for payment for all dental services provided. All balances over 60 days are subject to a 5% service charge. Delinquent accounts over 90 days will be forwarded to a collection service and you will be responsible for all related costs.

Child Custody Agreements and Court Orders

Little Grins Dental understands that many families may have child custody agreements or court orders regarding the fiduciary responsibility of a child’s medical and dental care. However, Little Grins Dental will not become involved in any custody or financial responsibility disputes. The parent or guardian that brings the child to Little Grins Dental is legally responsible for the payment of all fees regardless of any custody agreements or court orders.

Inclement Weather Policy

If Springfield Public Schools are closed, we will be closed in the AM. We will make a decision about PM appointments by 10:30am that day.

Insurance Plans

Little Grins Dental will process insurance forms electronically which enables the claim to be paid within 30 days of receipt. We recommend you verify your annual maximum with your insurance company. Once you exceed your annual maximum, payment in full is expected at the time of service. Co-payments are collected at the time of visit.

Payment for services from in-network dental insurance companies (DeltaDental Premier, DeltaDental PPO, MetLife, Assurant PPO, Aetna PPO, United Healthcare, and Humana) will go directly to Little Grins Dental. Any overpayment or refunds will be handled accordingly on a case-by-case basis.

Families with Other Dental Insurance Plans

Little Grins Dental can file an electronic claim for most dental insurance companies not listed above. In those situations, full payment is collected at the time of visit and the reimbursement money from your insurance company is sent directly to you. Please keep in mind that we file those dental insurance claims as a courtesy to our families. We do not have a contract with dental insurance companies that are not listed above and therefore are not responsible for what benefits they pay on a claim. The insurance reimbursement that is sent directly to you may not cover the entire cost of treatment provided at Little Grins Dental since we are not enrolled in their dental insurance program.

We do not accept MO HealthNet, Medicaid, or Discount Card programs of any kind in our office. If you need assistance finding a MO HealthNet Provider, please visit the MO HealthNet Provider search page.

Families without Dental Insurance

Little Grins Dental offers a payment plan through CareCredit. CareCredit is a GE Money Company card that allows you to finance treatments with special financing, low monthly payment options, no up-front costs and no-prepayment penalties. This payment plan is accepted by over 90,000 providers and will allow you to continue treatment without delay due to financial constraints. You can apply for CareCredit online, or the Little Grins Dental team can help process your application in person.

We accept cash, checks, Visa, MasterCard, and Discover. Personal checks are processed electronically and will withdraw from your checking account on the date of service.