Important Policies

We see all patients on an appointment basis so that we can give each person the proper time and attention. Please call for a convenient appointment:

In Sedro-Woolley: 360-856-6358
In Bellingham: 360-738-9791

Office Philosophy
We strive for excellence in every aspect of your dental care, and we will always respect your appointed time.

We make every effort to stay on schedule ourselves. Since we rarely are late, we appreciate your understanding if we are delayed because of an unusual dental emergency.

If you have a dental emergency, we will make every effort to see you the same day you call.

48-Hour Appointment Cancellation Policy
We understand that last-minute schedule changes are sometimes unavoidable. Please note that when you make an appointment, you have engaged the services of at least three professionals. Patients often think that the doctor has other patients to see. Usually that is not true. When appointments are missed, three things happen:

1. Treatment is delayed, which may further complicate the condition.
2. The doctor and staff must wait for the next scheduled patient to arrive before they can resume work.
3. Another patient who needed treatment could not be seen, because we did not have enough time to make appointment arrangements.

Because of these reasons, we require at least 48 HOURS notice for schedule changes to avoid a missed appointment charge. Appointment cancellations are accepted during business hours. Please note we cannot accept cancellation messages left on the office voice mail over the weekend or after hours. All after-hours messages will be addressed on the next business day.

Our number one concern is your dental health. Providing services in a timely manner is critical to accomplishing that goal. We appreciate your understanding and consideration regarding our appointment policy.

If for any reason you cannot keep your appointment, please call us as soon as you can:
Sedro-Woolley: 360-856-6358
Bellingham: 360-738-9791

We need at least 48 hours’ notice so that this time may be given to another patient.

IMPORTANT: A parent or guardian must accompany all patients under 18 during the consultation visit.
Please alert the office if you have a medical condition that may be of concern (i.e. diabetes, high blood pressure, artificial heart valves or joints, rheumatic fever, etc.) or if you take any medication (i.e. heart medications, aspirin, anticoagulant therapy, etc.) If you are required to pre-medicate before a visit to the dentist, please inform us.

What to Expect at Your Dental Exam

CE Family Dental’s complete dental examination includes:  

1. An oral cancer screening, palpation, visual, radiographs.
2. A screening and examination for periodontal diseases.
3. A detailed charting of cavities, existing restorations (fillings and crowns), and other tooth conditions.

We perform an oral cancer screening to detect pathological changes in the tissues lining the inside of the mouth. While the vast majority of pathology in the mouth is benign, we may find pre-cancerous and cancerous changes in the oral tissues, which are best detected at an early stage when they can be successfully treated. Tobacco and heavy alcohol use are major risk factors for oral cancer.

A thorough soft tissue examination will include a visual inspection and finger exploration of the tongue, floor of the mouth, palate, salivary glands, inside of the cheeks and back of the throat. The tongue will be moved to allow for the inspection of its sides and base; the face, head, and neck will also be examined, and any enlarged lymph nodes identified.

In a periodontal disease examination, your dentist or hygienist will use a periodontal probe to measure the band of gum tissue that surrounds the tooth to detect gum disease at the early stages, when prevention is most effective.

The third aspect of a complete dental examination is the inspection of every tooth surface for the presence of new decay and the status of existing restorations.

Dental radiographs (x-rays) may be part of your routine dental visit and will assist the dentist in locating disease, cavities or bone loss that cannot be seen by the eye.

If you wish to inquire about an appointment, please  contact our office.

Payment Policies

• We now offer Quality Dental Plan, an affordable new way to manage the expense of dental care.
• If your treatment requires several visits, you will be given an estimate and asked to make financial arrangements with a member of our business office staff.
• We accept VISA, MasterCard, checks and cash.
• Financing available with interest-free options.
• We also accept most insurance plans. Dental insurance is intended to cover some, but not all, of the cost of your dental care. Most plans include co-insurance, a deductible, and other expenses, which must be paid by the patient.
• In our efforts to keep the cost of your dental care down, we request the patient portion of your fees to be paid at the time of your treatment.
• If you have dental insurance, please bring your plan information and insurance card with you to your first visit.
• Please note that dental insurance is a contract between you and the insurance company. As a courtesy, we will bill your insurance company, but in no way does this guarantee they will pay. Any treatment provided by CE Family Dental is the patient’s responsibility. We will work with you to ensure you receive the maximum benefits to which you are entitled.

If you have any questions regarding payments or your insurance coverage, give us a call and we’ll work with you to find the answer:
Sedro-Woolley: 360-856-6358
Bellingham: 360-738-9791

HIPAA

Healthcare providers must comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) privacy rules, part of a broad band of legislation Congress adopted into law in 1996.

HIPAA privacy rules regulate the maintenance, transmission, security and privacy of personal health information. The rules define this information as individually identifiable Protected Health Information (PHI).

The HIPAA privacy rules apply to all PHI, whether it is written in records, discussed orally or communicated electronically. Health care providers that submit or receive electronic transactions (including claims) through a clearinghouse, a vendor, or via the Internet, or if paper claims are submitted to a billing service for conversion to electronic transactions, the provider is a covered entity under the HIPAA rules.

Under these rules, health care providers must have in place a written privacy policy, and must appoint a staff member to be a privacy officer. Under HIPAA, patients have the right to access their records, request corrections and an accounting for any unauthorized use of their PHI.

Health care providers are required to:

• Protect against unauthorized use of patient information and threats to security.
• Maintain necessary safeguards to protect confidentiality.
• Ensure employees are on a need to know basis with a patient’s health information.
• Work to reduce the chance of inadvertent disclosure.
• Obtain written consent from patients before disclosing any Protected Health Information under non-routine circumstances to most third parties, including the patient’s employer.