Our Philosophy

We love kids…and we believe that all kids deserve high-quality healthcare.

We also believe that kids respond best to an environment that caters to their unique needs. That’s why we take the time to make kids feel welcome – from toys to play with and movies to watch, to the way we talk to them and explain our procedures. We know that there is a lot at stake – our perceptions of dental care are molded when we’re very young and can last a lifetime, so it’s crucial that we make your child’s experience as positive as possible, setting them up for a lifetime good dental care habits.

We are partners in your child’s dental health and we take that very seriously! At our office you will find that we take time to get to know your family and your specific needs. We will help design a home prevention plan that includes good oral hygiene and diet practices that you can implement with ease and success. Our goal is to help educate our families and prevent dental problems. As a team we can prevent dental decay and help keep your child smiling for life!

Explore more at Ridgeview Pediatric Dentistry…

A bit of preparation and attention to a few key details can help put your child at ease.

The first visit is an opportunity to familiarize your child with the dentist and office setting, as well as a chance for the dentist to make a preliminary examination of your child’s teeth.

Dr. Mudd and her team are trained to put children at ease and to minimize any possible discomfort. If your child feels relaxed and comfortable, a positive association with the dentist – and dental care in general – will likely develop.

Getting your children off to a good start with a caring, competent dental professional sets the stage for good dental care habits that can last a lifetime.

Schedule and Appointments

Each appointment is reserved exclusively for your child. We understand that on occasion you may need to reschedule an appointment due to emergency or illness and we will do our best to reschedule for a time that works best for you. Please notify our office at least 24 hours in advance of your scheduled appointment time if you find you will not be able to keep the appointment so we can schedule another child who needs our care.

  • Toddlers and preschoolers should be scheduled in the morning when they are well rested and better able to cope with dental treatment. School age children with significant treatment needs will also do best with a morning appointment. We realize that sometimes appointments may be required during school hours. Dental appointments are often an excused absence and we will gladly provide a written excuse for your child’s school if needed. You can help your child minimize how often they miss school for dental care if you follow our recommendations for routine care and prevention of decay.
  • We strive to see all patients on time and understand that your time is important. There are times however when our schedule becomes delayed in order to accommodate an injured child or an emergency. If we have advance notice that we will be running behind we will do our best to contact you ahead of time so you may have the opportunity to reschedule. Please accept our apology in advance should this occur during your appointment time. We will do the exact same for you if your child is in need of an emergency visit.
  • Be sure to keep our office phone number handy so you can call if you are running late. We may need to reschedule your appointment if you are more than 15 minutes late.
  • Again, please contact our office at least 24 hours in advance if you find you cannot keep your appointment so we offer the time to another family.
  • We reserve the right to collect a $50 deposit for families who have missed or cancelled an appointment without 24 hour notice two or more times.

Please feel free to ask our staff or call our office with any questions. We are happy to help in any way we can.

We have an open door policy! Parents are welcome and encouraged to accompany their child in all areas of our office and treatment rooms.

  • When you accompany your child for treatment, please be a silent observer and allow us to establish communication and trust with your child.
  • We encourage older children to come back to the treatment area by themselves so they can build autonomy and trust in the dental experience.
  • Please refrain from using your cellular phone in any treatment areas as this can cause unwanted distractions to our young patients.

Our primary goal is to provide a positive and safe dental experience in a comfortable and enjoyable setting. If you ever have any concerns or ideas of how we can make your family’s experience better, please let us know!

Thank you for choosing Ridgeview Pediatric Dentistry! We make every effort to provide you and your child with a positive dental experience. Please remember that payment is required at the time of service.

  • We will gladly help you receive your benefits from your dental insurance company. As a courtesy to you we will file all claims to your dental insurance, however, you are responsible for all charges or payments due for services we provide. We strive to give you the most accurate estimates our resources allow, yet it is crucial you understand that as your child’s dental care provider our relationship is with you- not your dental insurance company.
  • In an effort to better assist you with your dental insurance, please provide our office with accurate insurance billing information at least 48 hours prior to your child’s appointment. If we do not have the correct information you will be responsible for 100% of the fees at that visit and insurance will not be billed for that day.
  • At Ridgeview Pediatric Dentistry we follow all guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry in regard to the frequency of all x-rays, cleanings, fluoride treatments, and restorative care. As a specialist, Dr. Mudd considers these guidelines to be the standard of care for your child. These guidelines are not dictated by your insurance benefits and it is solely your responsibility to understand whether your insurance plan will reimburse you for services. Insurance benefits may vary with the age of your child. Please verify eligibility and benefits with your insurance prior to your appointment.
  • Facts about dental insurance:
    • Most insurance companies ONLY PAY A PORTION of the fees incurred.
      • Many patients think that their insurance pays 90%-100% of all dental fees. This is not true! Most plans only pay between 50%-80% of the average total fee. Some pay more, some pay less. The percentage paid is usually determined by how much you or your employer has paid for coverage, or the type of contract your employer has set up with the insurance company.
    • Our office does not determine your dental benefits.
      • We are considered an in-network provider for the majority of PPO insurance plans in our area. Our fees fall within the acceptable range for most insurance companies. Some insurance companies use a different fee schedule which does not comply with the standard and cost of care in this area and you will be responsible for any cost differences. Any necessary adjustments to our fees will be applied to services according to our office contract with each insurance company.
      • You may notice that your dental insurer reimburses our office at a lower rate than our actual fee. Sometimes they state that the fee was reduced because ours has exceeded the UCR or usual, customary or reasonable fee. This statement can be misleading. As a preferred provided with your insurance company, we have agreed to accept your insurance companies fee, which we do not control and they determine. We are always happy to help you sort out this information and better understand your dental insurance. Please call our office if you have questions about the fees and reimbursement rates.
    • Don’t forget about your deductible and co-payments.
      • Here is an example of how deductibles are applied:

*For this example, assume that the billed fee was $150 and that this is the usual, customary and reasonable fee (UCR) that your insurance reimburses.

Example:

$150 was billed and is the UCR

$50 deductible is required by your insurance (usually a yearly amount) to be paid by you

The deductible is subtracted from the fee, leaving $100. The plan then pays 80% for this procedure. That means that the insurance company will pay the provider 80% of the $100. Therefore, of the $150, the insurance company will pay $80 and YOU will be responsible for the deductible and 20% copay for a total of $70.

  • If this seems confusing, it is because it can be! Please feel free to contact our office for questions regarding your benefits and how the fees might be reimbursed by your particular insurance policy.
  • If you’d like, we can submit a dental pre-determination to your dental insurance for an estimate on your child’s treatment. This may take 4-6 weeks to be returned to our office. You may also check with your insurance carrier to get any estimated benefits. Please keep in mind these too are only estimates, and are not a guarantee of payment or coverage.
  • Most importantly, remember that your insurance coverage is an agreement between you and the insurance carrier. We make every effort to provide you with an accurate estimate. Final responsibility for any unpaid balance will be yours.
  • We recognize that sometimes an account balance may be incurred. If your balance is not paid in full within 30 days after receipt of statement, an interest rate of 1.5% monthly (18% annually) will accrue.
  • For your convenience, we accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express, cash and personal checks. Please contact our office if you are interested in information about Care Credit.
  • If you have trouble making your payment, please contact our office to discuss payment options. If we have not received payment or you have not contacted our office within 90 days, further action may be taken with a collection agency and additional fees may be incurred.

We are committed to the dental health of your child. Thank you in advance for your understanding and adherence to our financial policy!

We will take reasonable steps to provide free of charge language assistance services to people who speak languages we are likely to hear in our practice and who don’t speak English well enough to talk to us about the dental care we are providing.

Tomaremos acciones razonables para proporcionar servicios de asistencia linguística gratuitos a aquellas personas cuyo lenguaje escuchemos frecuentemente en nuestro consultorio y que no hablen un inglés lo suficientemente bueno como para hablar con nosotros sobre el servicio odontológico que suministramos.