Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dr. Sue accepting new patients?

Yes, we are actively growing our practice! We are accepting new adults and families with children of all ages. We love problem-solving challenging situations with our adult patients, and we love providing prenatal and infant education to parents and caregivers to prevent those challenging problems from happening in the next generation.

How do I become a new patient?

Just call our office and we will ask you some questions to help you choose which way of starting at Strong & Healthy Smiles is best for you.

Just curious and want to check us out? Choose our free consultation: Come in, meet the Smile Team, tour our office, and talk with Dr. Sue about what you are looking for in a dentist while sitting in a comfortable conference room, not a dental chair.

Heard great things about us and just want to get started? Choose our most popular option: the comprehensive dental health assessment: All the above (but in a dental chair), plus a full exam (you've never had an exam this thorough before!) and necessary X-rays. At a separate visit, we'll sit down with you, show you what we found (the magic of digital images taken of your own teeth with a miniature camera: it's an aerial tour of your smile - you see what we see!), talk about treatment and prevention options and come up with a plan that's right for you, meeting your short-term and long-term goals.

Already in trouble? Have a nagging concern? Choose our emergency visit: We'll get you right in (you may need to wait a bit once you are here, but we’ll make every effort to see you on the same day you call during our regular office hours), take an X-ray, and do a limited exam of the problem. Dr. Sue will make recommendations for treatment, prescribe needed medications, refer you to an appropriate specialist if needed, or reappoint you for treatment or a full assessment, depending on your need.

Can I get my teeth cleaned?

Have you been seeing a dentist regularly for cleanings? If so, we may be able to do a cleaning on the day of your first appointment. If it's been a few years, we'll want to get to know you, your concerns, and the condition of your teeth and gums better to let us determine what the best "next step" is for you, and make it a comfortable experience for you!

How do I get X-rays from my old dentist?

Simply call their office and ask them to forward them directly to: Dr. Sue Keller, 40 Main St. Suite 204 Florence, MA 01062. Generally, we only need previous x-rays unless you have a significant history. They may request that you send or fax a letter with your signature on it to them to authorize the release of records. If it is easier for you, you can also sign a form at our office and we'll fax it to your old office and request the transfer for you. Some of our patients have told us they feel a bit sheepish about calling their old office—we’ll be happy to make that easy for you!

In either case, it's good to allow about 2-4 weeks for the records to be prepared and sent. It's also good to give them a call a week after the request to be sure that it is on the priority list. We can do that for you if you are too shy to call!

Why do I need to have X-rays taken?

Dr. Sue may be super, but she's not Superman and she doesn't have x-ray vision! We can only see the surface of the teeth with our eyes and cameras; x-rays give us detailed information about teeth above and below the gum line, size and condition of the nerve canal and pulp chamber, bone health, cavities, and other things that help us predict which treatment options may be best for your specific situation. Without X-rays, we're literally drilling blind! (And we won't do that to our patient family!)

Do I need dental insurance?

No. In fact, many of our patients do not have a dental benefit provided by their employers. Preventive care at Strong & Healthy Smiles is very affordable, and treatment is an excellent value and can be financed over time.

Most dental insurance is capped or limited to $750 to $1500, so it's really only meant for preventive care and some maintenance treatment--a few fillings or a crown, for example.

Do you take my insurance?

We do process claims for all insurance policies for our patients. We are a network provider for Blue Cross/Blue Shield Dental Blue and Delta Dental Premier. We do not accept Mass Health as payment for treatment.

How much does my insurance cover?

On the back of your dental insurance card, there is a phone number there for you to call your insurance representative. We can provide you with a questionnaire to use when you call your insurance company to learn more about your specific benefit plan (each insurance company has many different plan options and even within the same employer, there can be several plans to choose from). The more you know about your coverage, the more we can help you maximize your insurance benefit!

Can I pay with a credit card?

We accept all credit card payments, Mastercard, Visa, American Express, and Discover to make it easy to get the care you need.

Can I make payments?

Absolutely. We have several payment options available, and we also work with a company that allows our patients to make monthly payments for more extensive treatment plans.

CareCredit helps our patients complete their dental treatment and meet their dental goals sooner, while staying within their own personal budgets by making monthly payments. Several of the plans are interest-free.

There's no catch: We pay the interest for you. You get the treatment you need now, and we get to help you create a strong & healthy smile. That's a win-win for both of us!

Is your work guaranteed?

Yes! If after your new patient comprehensive assessment you decide that Strong & Healthy Smiles is not the right office for you, we will refund your exam fee and prepare a copy or disk of your x-rays for you to forward to another office that is a better match for you. Just let us know how we could have served you better.

When you have completed the treatment recommended by Dr. Sue and keep your regularly scheduled maintenance visits, follow your custom home care program, and use all prescribed or recommended products, Dr. Sue's work is warrantied: 10 years for crowns, 5 years for fillings (temporary treatment or less ideal alternative care excepted), with a percentage of the value discounted for each year of service (e.g. a crown that fails after 5 years will be replaced at 50% the cost of a new crown; a filling that fails after 3 years will be replaced at 60% the cost of a new filling or will receive that credit towards the cost of a crown).

Quality work that is well maintained lasts, or we'll put our money where your mouth is! Predictable, long-term solutions are our goal for your smile. Dr. Sue additionally works with a team of respected and caring specialists should you require more specialized treatment to provide the highest level of dental care available in the Pioneer Valley.

Money is tight, and the economy is making me nervous. What if I can't afford all or part of your suggested treatments right now?

No problem. We will create a customized preventive care program just for you to keep you in holding pattern until things change in your life. We can prioritize treatment and do temporary care to keep you out of pain and prevent future problems. We will work with you! Just be up front with us about what you can do now and what you realistically plan to do in the future and we will make sure your plan keeps your options open so you can meet your future goals.

We can divide your treatment into phases and help prioritize must-do procedures (things like disease control, restoration, and reconstruction, if needed). These phases can be spread out over months or even years. Or, we can help you finance your treatment so that you can have your treatment done now and pay for it over time. We want to help you have a strong and healthy smile!

Will it hurt?

Our focus is providing comfortable care for our patient family. We welcome anxious patients! We will do everything we can to make your treatment at Strong and Healthy Smiles the most comfortable care you've ever received at a dental office. Our office is designed for your comfort, our team is happy to provide extra TLC. We love to explain the details, and if movies and music aren't enough, we've got "laughing gas" and sedation medication that make dental treatment comfortable. Dr. Keller also has some special techniques for hard-to-numb teeth.

But I'm REALLY afraid of the dentist, are there other options?

Some patients want to go beyond just “getting through” treatment or using medications to facilitate care. They are ready to let go of a negative past that restricts them. We can recommend several wonderful therapists in the area who use EMDR and EFT energy-based therapies to heal past traumas and release long-held negative experiences and beliefs in a very short time (often one to five sessions) compared to conventional “talk” therapies.