FAQ


Do you take my insurance?
If you have dental insurance, we will try to make sure you can get the most of it at our office. We work with most plans that allow you to see any dentist you wish. Most of these plans are PPO’s.

This is the question we hear every day. More than half of our patients have dental insurance, and we are happy to help them use it to its fullest.

We can work with any dental insurance that doesn’t make you choose a dentist from a panel. Insurance plans that do that are mostly HMO’s. We believe that patients on these types of plans frequently do not the get the type of care they require and deserve, and recommend that our patients switch to a PPO plan if one is available.

If you have a PPO plan, chances are you can use it at our office.

The insurance companies on this list are just SOME of the insurance plans our patients have.  Ask us how we can help you use yours!

Do you have early or late hours?
Yes, we do! We can see you as early as 7:30 am, or as late as 7 pm. Many of our patients choose to see us before or after work or school. Whether you work in Manhattan or Westchester, dental visits can be conveniently scheduled.

Do you see children in your practice?
Yes! Dr. Polevoy is one of the few dentists in Westchester whom you can trust with dental care at any age. We see patients as young as two, but our very valued senior patients feel just as much at home.

I don’t have dental insurance. How much is my first visit going to be?
Many of our patients do not have the luxury of dental insurance. That doesn’t mean you should neglect your dental care. We have various offers for our new patients to introduce them to our practice – please call us at (914) 218 – 2808 to find out! We also offer interest-free financing from Care Credit and CitiHealth Card to those who need it. Our office is one of the few in Harrison that participates with all of the most popular dental financing programs.

I have a 2 year old son. When should I start bringing him to a dentist?
We recommend that children start seeing us between 2 and 3 years of age. Our goal is to make them comfortable with dentistry, and to intercept any early problems that may be developing.

I need a second opinion. How much would my visit be?
Whether you need a second pair of eyes to look into your situation, or just need a quick consultation, your visit would be free of charge. Dr. Polevoy would sit down with you and discuss your case in detail, and offer helpful suggestions. We recommend that you bring with you any X-rays you may have, as they will aid greatly in his consultation.

Do I have to go to more than one doctor to get dental implants?
There are very few dentists who can both place the implants and make and attach the teeth into the implants. Dentistry represents less than .5% of dentists qualified to do all the steps of implant dentistry from start to finish. It is not necessary to go to more than one doctor for this service and usually the result is more predictable when one fully trained doctor does the procedures needed to restore a patient to full comfort, function, and cosmetics.

What are the benefits of implants?

Dental implants are an alternative for:

  • The patient who cannot function comfortably with conventional dentures.
  • The patient who has lost teeth and wants to avoid removable partial dentures.
  • The patient who needs a crown or fixed bridge but doesn’t want to damage his or her adjacent healthy teeth.
  • The person who wants to have the dental solution that is the closest to what Mother Nature created.

Who is a candidate for dental implants?
Because of recent advances in implant technology, more and more people are implant candidates – although many people may be told they are not. The only way to know for certain is to be evaluated by a practitioner who has received advanced training in implant dentistry. Typically, if a patient is healthy enough to undergo fixed bridgework procedures or routine extractions, he or she can also undergo dental implant procedures.

What does the dental implant procedure involve?
Most implants can be placed by a trained dentist in one or two office visits. Further visits will also be needed to fit the replacement teeth, which fasten to the implants. In addition, it is possible that some bone structure will have to be added to the patient’s jaw or that other adjustments may have to be made. Tested methodologies now exist that can effectively and safely add bone where needed. This process can delay the placement of the implant for a period of months. Most insertions can be performed under the same local anesthesia used for routine fillings. Medication so the patient can sleep during the procedure is available with oral conscious Sedation or IV sedation. Temporary teeth are usually placed until permanent replacement teeth are made so that patients can lead normal lives during the interim.

How long does an implant last?
Implants have remained in patients’ mouths for 30 years or longer. We recommend a preventive maintenance program to help insure the long-term success of your implants and teeth.

How much does an implant cost as compared to other forms of dentistry?
The cost of implant dentistry is comparable to that of fixed bridgework or other advanced dental procedures in most cases.

Do implants require any special care?
Dental implants and accompanying replacement teeth should be cared for in the same way as natural teeth. Although they cannot get decay, they are still subject to gum disease in the same way natural teeth are.

Is there any chance of rejection of the dental implant?
The body doesn ‘t reject a dental implant as it might a soft tissue implant such as a lung, heart or kidney. Dental implants are made of titanium, which is compatible with the body.

How long will I be off work?
Generally we recommend the day of the implant placement and the day after. Most of our patients are back to work the next day after implant placement. It’s an individual decision.

What will happen without treatment?
When yu lose your teeth, you gradually lose the bone that supportsed the teeth. As this bone shrinks, problems with a lack of support lead to increased discomfort, mobility, lack of retention of dentures, and sharp, painful ridges, movable gums and sore spots. The tongue also enlarges to accommodate the space. With tooth loss, a five-fold decrease in function occurs and the diet shifts to softer foods. When bone is lost, the incidence of numbness to the lower lip or even fracture of the jaw increases. In addition, this progression will affect our ability to provide the treatment we could have before so much bone loss. It could require more implants or more extensive treatment. Or,it may be possible that we will not be able to provide the same treatment we recommend now. At its worst, the bone loss could be so severe that the only way for the person to have teeth of any kind would require a hip graft (taking bone from the patient’s hip).

Do all patients who want cosmetic makeovers get the same kind of teeth?
Absolutely not! Each person has a look they want for themselves and they have facial structure and skin tones that guide us in making individual selections that vary in size, shape, and color for each person.

Do I have to get my teeth capped to get rid of spaces between my front teeth?
In most cases capping to correct spaces isn’t necessary. Today with beautiful, natural looking porcelain veneers (also called porcelain facings) we can easily make dramatic cosmetic changes to remove spaces, fix cracked teeth, do minor tooth straightening, and change the color of your teeth. In many instances, little or no tooth structure needs to be removed to create the smile of your dreams.

Is “tooth whitening” safe?
Bleaching procedures are safe and approved by the American Dental Association. Bleaching does not wear away any tooth structure or make a tooth more susceptible to staining.

Is gum surgery essential if I have periodontal (gum) disease?
We have found, many times, surgery is not necessary following a conservative course of periodontal treatment. This type of care typically includes a series of nonsurgical gum treatments. Even when surgery is required, it often is needed only in a few areas of the mouth and results can be greatly enhanced by nonsurgical preparation.

If periodontal disease is such a problem, why doesn’t it hurt?
This is, unfortunately, a very good question. Periodontal problems can become quite serious and extremely advanced without any pain whatsoever. That is why it is so important to be attentive to the warning signs – bleeding gums when brushing and flossing, swollen gums, receded gums, teeth changing position, pus or swelling around gums – to name a few.

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