Patient Information Center

Your first appointment is a consultation — Dr. Cappetta will review your records, examine the area of concern, discuss treatment options, and answer all your questions. Here's how to make sure it goes smoothly:

Your preparation instructions depend on the type of anesthesia you'll be receiving. Please read the section that applies to you carefully.

IV Sedation or General Anesthesia Patients

Nitrous Oxide or Local Anesthesia Only

Getting your home ready before your surgery makes recovery so much easier. Here's a complete shopping guide — buy these things a day or two ahead of time so you're not scrambling after your procedure.

Here's the honest truth: dental insurance is not the same as medical insurance. It deliberately covers the less expensive and most routine services like cleanings and exams, giving the illusion of "100% coverage". But the second you need complex care, reality hits, and it totally drops the ball as far as coverage goes; a well-orchestrated placebo. It's more like a discount program with an annual spending cap — a helpful benefit, but one with real limitations.

Most plans work like this: you and your employer pay monthly premiums. In return, the plan pays a percentage of certain procedures — but only up to a fixed dollar amount per year.

Annual maximums typically range from $1,000–$2,500/year — a number that hasn't changed meaningfully since the 1970s. A single surgical procedure can consume most of that benefit in one visit.

Most medical plans contain a dental exclusion clause — meaning procedures performed inside the mouth are classified as "dental" by your health insurer and excluded from coverage, regardless of surgical complexity.

Exceptions where medical may apply:

Routine wisdom tooth removal in an otherwise healthy patient will almost always fall under dental insurance only, even though it's surgery.

When a procedure qualifies for both, the plans follow a specific payment order called coordination of benefits — not a simple split:

Some patients have two dental plans — one through their own employer, and one as a dependent on a spouse's plan. This is called dual coverage and can meaningfully reduce out-of-pocket costs.

Combined payments will never exceed the total cost — insurers coordinate to prevent overpayment. But dual coverage can eliminate or dramatically reduce your share.

When patients hear "out-of-network," they often assume it means "not covered." In the vast majority of cases, that's simply not true.

Most PPO dental and medical plans include out-of-network benefits — your plan still pays, even when the provider hasn't signed a direct contract with them.

The coverage percentages are typically identical. The difference is what fee schedule the percentage is applied to. In practice, your out-of-pocket is often only slightly different — and we'll always give you a clear estimate so there are no surprises.

Use the search tool below to find your insurance carrier and see whether Apex participates directly, accepts your out-of-network benefits, or has no coverage arrangement with your plan.

Some plan types only cover care within their specific provider network. If you see someone outside that network, those plans pay nothing at all.

If Apex Oral Surgery is not contracted with your plan and your plan has no out-of-network benefits, the full cost of treatment is the patient's responsibility.

We handle the heavy lifting. Our team is experienced in both dental and medical insurance billing, and we use that to ensure you receive every dollar of benefit you're entitled to.