Q. What should I expect during my appointment?
A. One of our team members will compile your medical and dental history during your first visit. We will then examine your teeth and gums, screen you for oral cancer, make X-rays of your teeth as needed and complete a TMJ (temporomandibular or jaw joint) exam. After we review your dental profile, we will discuss a diagnosis with you. If treatment such as a root canal (endodontics), braces (orthodontics) or oral surgery is needed, we will plan to treat you in our office or refer you to a specialist. We will discuss your options for treatment and fee payment and help you determine the best plan to fit your needs.

Q. What does “painless dentistry” mean?
A. Painless dentistry is a means of ensuring your total experience in our office is as stress-free and pain-free as possible. We will discuss treatment options that may require no local anesthetic and whenever possible, alleviate pain by the means most comfortable to you.

Q. What if I have an emergency?
A. Please call our office as soon as you determine that you have a dental emergency. We will be glad to work you in to our schedule if you have a dental emergency during regular business hours. After hours, over the weekend and during holidays, please call our office for the doctor’s emergency contact number.

Q. Can the dentist whiten my teeth?
A. There are several methods available for bleaching the teeth: in office, overnight or daily. Power bleaching is done in our office. One session generally lasts one and a half to two hours, and you can read or relax during the treatment. For daily bleaching, we make an impression of your teeth and create a mouthguard that fits your bite. Each day, you fill the mouthguard with a small amount of bleaching gel and wear it 30 minutes to one hour during the day. The daily bleaching process takes approximately two weeks.

Other over-the-counter daily bleaching products are available, but it is important to use any bleaching product only under the supervision of a dentist. To achieve the whitening results you desire, the ADA recommends that you seek the professional advice of a dentist, including examination and diagnosis of the cause of tooth discoloration, before you begin any bleaching program.

Q. Are payment plans available for my dental treatment?
A. We offer several different payment options. Our desire is to help you find a payment option to fit your budget. To that end we offer:

Cash or Check
Receive a 5% accounting reduction by paying in full at time of service. For services requiring multiple appointments, our financial coordinator will work out a financial agreement that fits your needs.

Credit Cards
We accept most major credit cards including MasterCard, Visa and Discover. We accept these cards to allow you the most convenience in taking care of your account.

Dental Insurance
As a service to our patients, Kokomo & Family Dentistry of Kokomo, PC offers electronic claims processing. We work with your insurance company to provide the most accurate estimate of your co-pays with the information they provide. Only the estimated patient balance is due at time of service.

Payment Plans
We have made arrangements with the CareCredit company to provide Payment plans. This allows you to complete your dental work without delay and make relatively small monthly payments. You can apply on-line from our website.

Senior patients over 65 years of age receive a 5% senior courtesy.

Q. What exactly are Veneers?
A. Porcelain veneers are very thin pieces of porcelain that actually bond to the tooth. In fact, the porcelain bond to the tooth is nearly as strong as the natural enamel bond in teeth. Porcelain bonded to enamel is one of the most successful restorations available today in dentistry.

Q What is Power Bleaching?
A. Power Bleaching is a chairside whitening procedure. This means they can only be performed in the dental office. Power Bleaching utilizes a special frequency light that activates a whitening solution on the teeth. The actual process is accomplished in 1 hour, but will usually take 2 hours from start to finish

Q. I hate the dentist, how is your office different?
A. Nobody likes going to the dentist, including us. This is why Dr. Jarrell designed a new dental office, where going to the dentist is (believe-it-or-not) a pleasure! With treatment rooms featuring nitrous oxide (laughing gas), flat screen televisions, headphones, and massage mats on the patient chairs, this is not your father's dental office. Our patients feel pampered each time they visit us. Come see for yourself.

Q. Porcelain inlays and onlays are mentioned a lot. What are they exactly?
A. Porcelain inlays and onlays are modern, conservative dental restorations. Essentially they take the place of silver fillings, but they provide more strength to the damaged tooth and have the added benefit of looking just like the natural tooth. In comparison to crowns or 'caps', inlays and onlays require less removal of tooth structure and replace only what is needed (i.e. old fillings and decay). The porcelain inlay/onlay is a conservative, aesthetic, and long lasting treatment for remplacement of silver fillings. They can last 15-20 years or longer.

Q. What is that black line I see around the gumline of my crowns (or other people’s crowns)?
A. The black indicates that there is metal underneath the white porcelain. The black line you see around the crown was probably not there when the crown was placed. Over time, chronic inflammation of the gum tissue causes it to bleed easily and perhaps recede from the metal, exposing it. No longer is it necessary to have metal in crowns or that unattractive dark line. When indicated, Dr. Jarrell uses all porcelain crowns.