Dental Care: Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What insurance do we participate with?

  • Metlife
  • Aetna
  • Delta Dental
  • Cigna
  • Anthem BCBS
  • Teamsters Local
  • Pequot Plus
  • BCBS Fed

It is the patient’s responsibility to know their plan. Please check on any plan provisions that may restrict coverage.

Q: What is a crown?

A crown is a permanent covering that fits over an original tooth that is either decayed, damaged or cracked. Crowns are made of a variety of different material such as porcelain, gold, acrylic resin or a mix of these materials.

Q: What is a root canal?

A root canal is a procedure that extracts decayed pulp from the central part of the tooth and replaces it with a strengthening filler.

Q: What is the difference between a composite (white) filling and an amalgam (silver) filling?

Lafayette Dental Group is currently an "amalgam free" office. Composite fillings are a mixture of glass or quartz filler in a resin medium that produces a tooth-colored filling. Dental amalgam is a stable alloy made by combining elemental mercury, silver, tin, copper and possibly other metallic elements. Less tooth structure is removed when the dentist prepares the tooth, and this may result in a smaller filling than that of an amalgam. Composites can also be "bonded" or adhesively held in a cavity, often allowing the dentist to make a more conservative repair to the tooth. 

Hi Dave (Dr. Richardson),

I just wanted to extend my heartfelt thanks and appreciation for the excellent work you and your staff recently completed in one afternoon's visit. You exceeded my expectations by being able to successfully perform three fillings and one porcelain/ceramic crown in one short appointment! Having the option of completing that much work in one session was excellent from not only a "pain free" perspective but also from the significant time savings. It's great to know you and your staff are such dedicated folks! Thanks again, and please say hi to Sandy for me.

Best regards,

Tom Quinley