Florida Dental Access Guide

4

Find a dentist and make an appointment.

Finding the right Primary Dental Provider (PDP) is one of the most important decisions you’ll make about your child’s dental care. This is especially true if you require special accommodations because not all dental providers have the training or experience to be able to accommodate a patient with special needs. Pediatric dentists are often better equipped to deal with dental issues in children that require special needs because they have more experience.

PEDIATRIC DENTISTS

-Vs-
What’s the difference?

GENERAL DENTISTS

Pediatric dentists limit their practice to treating infants and children through adolescence only.
General dentists can treat people of all ages. They can treat children but do not have the additional training to receive the specialization in pediatric dentistry.
Pediatric dentists are required to complete special training in child development and psychology, special needs care and sedation.
General dentists training is focused on adult teeth rather than baby teeth and the dental needs of children.
Pediatric dentists are more equipped to treat children with special health care needs.
General dentists can treat children with special health care needs but lack the continuing education in pediatric dentistry.
Pediatric dentist’s office is more kid-friendly and fun with activities and games.
General dentist’s office is an adult-centered environment and typically without kid games and activities. This can be intimidating and scary to children.
Pediatric dentists use kid-friendly terminology and smaller tools.
General dentists may not carry child-sized tools.

Finding the right dentist is important.

It might take more than one visit to find the perfect dentist. You want to find someone you can trust. You want to be a collaborator in your dental care, participate in the decision-making, and become a partner in care.

PATIENTS ARE CARE PARTNERS

Your relationship with your child’s Primary Dental Provider should include the following components:

Partnership

Collaborate and participate in the decision making with your dentist when possible. Set goals and expectations for care together.

Communication

Speak up about your dental needs and preferences and ask questions.

Respect

Your values and priorities should be values and respected.

How to find a dental provider

1. Identify a provider in your network.

  • Call your Medicaid dental administrator (DentaQuest, LIBERTY, MCNA Dental) or use their online search tool to find a provider in your network.
  • If you need something in particular, tell them over the phone. For example, if you have a child that has special needs and requires special accommodations, you want to ensure that the provider you choose can appropriately accommodate the individualized needs of your child. For this reason, it is important to be specific about the particular needs when calling your dental administrator and dental provider.

2. Ask around or research the provider online.

  • You may have family or friends that use the Medicaid dental network to access dental care for their family. Ask them if they have providers that they like or would recommend.
  • Look up the providers on the internet. Sometimes you can find reviews of the providers from other patients in your community.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) is a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in every day activities, including medical services. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities on the basis of their disability in programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance, including health programs and services. These statutes require medical care providers to make their services available in an accessible manner.

3. Pick a provider.

Call the providers office and ask the appropriate question to help you decide if the dentist is the right fit for you and/or your family. Keep the following in mind:
  • Is the provider accepting dental Medicaid as well as new patients. The Medicaid provider network can change quite often. Ask before you travel to the office to ensure that the dentist is an active Medicaid dental provider.
  • Does the provider have available appointments that work with your schedule? If you have more than one child in need of dental care, can the office accommodate the children to be seen on the same day? Sometimes you can’t take more than one morning or afternoon off work.
  • How many days a week does the dentist see Medicaid patients? Some offices only take Medicaid patients once or twice a week, excluding weekends.
  • Think about the location of the office. How far is it from your home or your job? How are you going to get there? Do you need transportation?
  • Is the office and its dental services available in an accessible manner? For example, if you use a wheelchair, is the office wheelchair accessible and has appropriate dental chairs?
  • If you are looking for a dentist for your child, does the provider have training in pediatric dentistry? Pediatric dentists are often better equipped to deal with oral issues specific to children with and without special health care need because they have more experience, and usually can better accommodate your child making a visit to the dentists more fun.
  • Is the office staff respectful, kind, and helpful?

4. Give them a try.

This is a chance for you to meet the dentist and the office staff and asses the environment to see if it’s a good fit. For example, you can see how the dentist and the staff interact with your child and how your child responds. This is also a chance for you to ask additional questions. Keep in mind that you can change your dentist at any time. Sometimes it can take more than one visit to find the right dentist.

Make an appointment

When you are ready to make your dental appointment, makes sure you have your Medicaid Dental Plan identification card and be ready to explain what you need.
  • Ask if you need to fill out any forms or paperwork before coming to the appointment.
  • If this is a new visit, ask about the process of transferring your dental records to the new office. Do they have record transfer authorization forms for you to fill out or send to your former dentist? Do they prefer the records to be sent via email, hard copy, or something else? Sometimes you can download your dental records via a patient portal. This could save a lot of time. Be sure to ask your new dental office about their preferences of initiating this process.
  • It is good practice to keep copies of all your medical and dental records. Ensure that you request a copy of the records for yourself or make a second set of copies for your records.
  • Ask what to do if you need move or cancel your appointment.

DID YOU KNOW?

As a parent or a legal guardian, you have a legal right to your child’s health records under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). You can see and receive copies upon request of the information in their medical or other health records or request this information to be transmitted to a designated entity or a person.

Each state has its own laws about how to make formal requests and how that request must be carried out. You'll most likely need to:

> Make the request in writing
> Give them time to comply

The toolkit is a project of the The Florida Oral Health Alliance.

This website is managed by Florida Voices for Health, a coalition of community organizations, businesses, and individuals working to create a health care system that works for every Floridian.

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