Answers to some of your questions:
Do you accept new patients?
Do you guarantee patient satisfaction?
How do you service dental emergencies?
What should I expect on my first visit?
What is your financial policy?
Is there any insurance requirement?
Do I need microdentisty or microendodontics?
What if I already have another dentist?
What are the costs for root canal treatments?
Do you treat children and elderly patients?
Other questions or concerns ›
Do you accept new patients?
Yes, we accept new patients. In fact, over our combined 30+ years of dental practice, some of our long-time patients have kept referring close friends and relatives to us, many of whom come from all around Montreal in addition to the Westmount and NDG areas.
You’re welcome as well and will receive, as all patients, our utmost care and dedication to your oral health. Feel free to make an appointment today.
Do you guarantee patient satisfaction?
Although, as health practitioners, we cannot guarantee 100% success rate on all cases, we guarantee to abide by the highest standards of the profession.
Some conditions may require more than one visit at the clinic, or the assistance of another specialist to complement our treatment. Ultimately, we’ll follow up as needed and go the extra mile to ensure your oral health by committing to 3 core priorities everyday:
- We focus on the well-being of the patient first and foremost.
- We source and apply the right competence required for each case.
- We strive to deliver high quality treatments by keeping updated with modern dentistry approaches, such as micro-surgical root canal procedures.
How do you service dental emergencies?
Our offices are open Monday to Friday. If you’re experiencing pain or are in an emergency situation, every attempt will be made to see you on the same day at either our Westmount or NDG dental clinic.
Please be assured that we try our best to stay on-schedule to minimize your waiting time. Due to the fact that our practice provides emergency services, various circumstances may lengthen the time allocated for a procedure. We appreciate your understanding and your patience in this matter.
What should I expect on my first visit?
You can arrive for your appointment a few minutes early and prepare for your initial consultation by filling out some routine paperwork. Your first visit will then consist of a review of your medical and dental histories, followed by radiographic (x-ray) and clinical examination. On that basis, we will explain your diagnosis, your treatment options, and we’ll take the time to answer any question you may have.
As determined on a case by case basis, some treatments can be completed at the time of this consultation. Other cases may require that you schedule a subsequent appointment, so we can allocate adequate amount of time to complete the specific treatment you need.
Please assist us by providing the following information at the time of your initial visit:
- Your referral slip and any x-rays, if applicable
- A list of medications you are presently taking
- If you have dental insurance, please bring your insurance card.
Please notify the office prior to treatment if you have a medical condition that may be of concern (i.e. diabetes, high blood pressure, heart murmur, artificial heart valves and joints, rheumatic fever, etc.), if you are taking any medication (i.e. heart medication, aspirin, anticoagulant therapy, etc.) or if you have allergies to any medications (i.e. sulfa, penicillin, aspirin, etc.).
What is your financial policy?
Our goal is to provide the best dental care possible at the most reasonable cost. Payment for care is due at the time of service unless other arrangements have been made in advance. To facilitate this, we offer a variety of payment options, including cash, Interac, VISA and Mastercard. If, at any time, you have questions regarding your account, please contact us. A simple telephone call will clear up any possible misunderstanding.
Is there any insurance requirement?
You would benefit to have dental insurance. But insurance is not required if you don’t already have one.
Your insurance plan will reimburse part of the fees of the dentist. In general, it is an agreement between your employer and a third party (the insurance company). This type of contract can vary hugely. There are a multitude of ways to design a plan and determine the level of reimbursement.
In Quebec, most plans cover between 50 and 80% of dental care and are based on the price guide of the Association of Dentists of Quebec (ACDQ) of the year. (This guide, as its name suggests, is a guide and does not act as law governing of practitioners’ fees).
Do I need microdentisty or microendodontics?
Microdentistry refers to a novel approach that enables skilled practitioners to diagnose and treat dental diseases with high precision and accuracy.
Likewise, microendodontics is a mircosurgical application to root canal therapy that helps visualize and address difficult conditions – or early signs of future complications – that would otherwise remain undetected or untreated with standard methods.
Assisted by a Dental Operative Microscope (DOM), which provides magnification and resolution up to 10 times greater than ordinary microscope, the dentist is able to apply treatment into deeply-rooted and focused areas of concerns.
While many cases do not require that high level of technology and expertise, microendodontics is indispensable to helping save and restore the few intricately affected teeth that would otherwise need to be extracted down the road.
What if I already have another dentist?
Perhaps your current dentist has just told you that you need a root canal, but he or she would rather refer you to another practitioner?
You are in pain and you can’t get an appointment soon enough?
Pain can be quickly relieved with:
- A partial root canal (to relieve pain on an emergency basis)
- A complete root canal treatment (or re-treatment)
Dentists have been gladly referring patients to Dr. Pizem for the past 20 years. Whether or not a partial or complete root canal treatment is needed, once the procedure is completed, a detailed report will be forwarded to your dentist.
You may also call us or email us if you simply need advice.
If your dentist tells you that your tooth needs the special touch of an expert, please call us for a consultation appointment. In order to give you a fair quote, we will need to examine your tooth and take an x-ray to assess your root canal treatment level of risk and difficulty.
What are the costs for root canal treatments?
The vast majority of endodontic treatments performed on front and back teeth presenting wide canals with apical constrictions and readily accessible canal entries do not require expensive technology. For such root canal procedures of average complexity, our fees match those of the current Quebec General Practitioner Dental Fees Guide.
Please note that the above fees cannot be honored in a blindfold manner. There are many factors that influence the degree of difficulty and risk of endodontic treatment. Thus, we need to examine your tooth and take one x-ray or more, as this mandatory step will enable us to assess your root canal treatment level of complexity. A fair quote relies on that specific examination.
The 270+ clinical cases displayed in Dr. Pizem’s EndoMontreal blog were all presenting exceptionally complicated preoperative conditions. Achieving a predictable outcome would have been difficult or even challenging for any experienced and highly skilled practitioner. For such intricate root canal procedures – requiring more time, extensive experience, and state of the art technology to perform – our fees are higher than those of the Quebec General Practitioner Dental Fees Guide.
Do you treat children and elderly patients?
Yes, we treat patients of all ages. However, minors will need to be accompanied by a legal guardian. The same applies to seniors who routinely require assistance.
Also, while our facilities are equipped to accommodate most special-needs patients, we advise you contact us in advance to ensure other arrangements are taken if necessary.
Other questions or concerns:
Once your dental review is completed, we’ll take the time to explain the nature and extent of your dental problem and help you make a decision regarding the various options available to you.
Certain conditions may fall outside of our area of competencies, if which case we can help you benefit from our excellent network of dental experts recognized by the Order of Dentists of Quebec.
Should you need further advice or clarification before making an appointment, feel free to get in touch with us. We’ll be glad to assist you.