Summer Scheduling
Catch Up Family Oral Health Before School Starts
By Amy Morgan
Summer days once seemed to stretch forever, but now the clock is counting down to the return of school and schedules. Take advantage of a less crowded calendar to catch your family up on their dental checkups and cleanings. And don’t forget college students. Now is the perfect time to take care of their oral health, including wisdom teeth removal, before they head out of town. Starting orthodontia? Get initial appointments out of the way and make sure your teen is accustomed to the bands before donning a mouthguard for their fall sports season.
The professionals at 7to7 Dental & Orthodontics know how difficult it can be to find time for appointments during the school year, so they created extra space to accommodate families this summer, said Elyse Ramos, 7to7 Dental’s Director of Treatment Coordinators. In her three years with 7to7, Elyse has risen from new hire to being in charge of recruiting and training 25 advocates who work one-on-one with patients helping guide them through their dental experience.
Treatment coordinators serve as “dental translators,” making sure patients understand a doctor’s recommendation for their oral health plan. They also help find the most affordable option to cover any out-of-pocket cost.
“The biggest part of the coordinator’s job is to educate the patient about why the doctor’s recommendation is needed,” Elyse said. “What are the benefits? What will happen if we continue to put something off? Right now, we’re encouraging parents to get their kids’ comprehensive exams in, so if there’s anything else they need to have done like a filling or orthodontia, we have time to do that before school gets busy.”
No matter what the need, Elyse or one of her coordinators can help a patient discern the best solution. 7to7 Dental partners with a number of third-party financers to help a patient make a plan that allows them to take care of their oral health without breaking their budget.
“Financing and credit are scary words. I love to offer our partner company options,” Elyse said. “We can break the cost into monthly payments, often with 0% deferred interest. Even if you don’t have the best credit, it will never affect you negatively to see if you qualify. I always tell them there’s no harm in trying.”
Elyse reminds patients not to delay scheduling an appointment if their insurance covers two cleanings a year. It would be a shame to miss out on the benefits they’ve worked hard for! For those without coverage, 7to7 Dental created their own membership plan to make sure dental care would be affordable for the entire family. See below for details.
The professionals at 7to7 Dental & Orthodontics care about your oral health and are available 7 a.m.- 7 p.m., seven days a week, for dentistry for the whole family and emergencies. 7to7 Dental is a local business grown in 15 years from the practice of one dentist and six staff, which now employs 300 San Antonio community members. Co-Owners Tiffany Winburn, D.M.D., and Justin Coke live in Stone Oak with their families and are part of the community.
