You will be under the care of a team of highly trained and caring professionals when you visit our sophisticateddental officeinDuluth, GA. They are dedicated to providing the highest quality and most beautiful dentistry available; all in a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere. We take the time to listen to what you are saying, and strive to meet your individual needs in a proper manner. We share with you the options available in todays dentistry, thus providing you with the information needed to make an informed decision. At the heart of our practice is a total commitment to our patients overall health and satisfaction with their dental treatment. We take great pride in providing a comfortable, soothing atmosphere for you to get great dental care and maintain optimal oral health.
Our Team goes above and beyond the minimum requirements for a dental office published by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to provide the safest dental environment for you as our patient and our team members during and beyond the Covid-19 Pandemic.
We will e-mail patients a form to fill out concerning any symptoms of the virus the patient may have or people they may have come in contact with who either have the virus or are symptomatic. In additional prior to coming in, we will call to do one more pre-questionnaire.
In our treatment rooms we have HEPA filters with negative ion generators as well as some ultra violet lights. For our hygienists, we have special mirrors that go into the mouth when having a cleaning performed. These mirrors have 20 suction ports to gather and virtually eliminate any aerosols (spray from the dental procedure) that otherwise would be discharged into the air in the treatment room. In the doctors treatment rooms we use a high-speed evacuation tube to collect aerosols. When treatment requires it, we also have devices that go into the mouth with built-in suction ports to capture the aerosols. With certain procedures we may request that you rinse with Colgate Peroxyl to lessen the bacterial load within your mouth.
Every room is thoroughly cleaned between patients and disposable barrier materials are placed on all surfaces our team members might need to touch. This is not related to the Covid virus but all the floors in our suites have a tile that contains silver ions which kill bacteria by preventing their replication. Team members in the treatment rooms wear protective jackets and N-95 or KN-95 masks with an overlay of level 3 surgical masks as well as face shields to protect both you and ourselves from contact with the virus.
Our goal is to make you feel welcomed and comfortable throughout your visits with us. This is why we strive to provide a modern, attractive, and comfortable environment for you to receive your preventive dental care and treatment. We have invested in the latest advances in dental technology, includingadvanced sterilization techniquesto ensure your safety. We also know that your time is valuable. Laser dentistryis also a fantastic way for us to deliver a variety of dental treatments precisely and efficiently, with a high level of comfort. When used on gum tissue, the recovery time is also greatly reduced, since there is little to no bleeding or swelling, and no stitches are required. If you would rather not have shots before your treatments or numbness after your are done, then laser dentistry is for you.
A graduate of Emory University School of Dentistry in Atlanta, Dr. Al Nortonin Duluth, GA, has provided the finest in restorative and cosmetic dentistry for more than 30 years. He is an Associate Fellow of the World Clinical Laser Institute and former clinical instructor to other dentists concerning the use of dental lasers.
A member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, he is a former clinical instructor in cosmetic dentistry at the acclaimed Nash Institute. Additional post-doctoral training at the prestigious Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies (LVI) brought him the added distinction of having been recognized as a Preferred LVI Doc in cosmetic dentistry.
Dr. Norton resides near the office with his wife Andrea and their two Silky Terriers, Chloe and Chelsea.His personal interests are reading, exercise and fitness training, eating his wifes gourmet cooking, attending auto racing events with his son and grandson and day trips with his wife and family.
From the moment you arrive at ourOSHA-compliant dental practiceinDuluth, GA, youll see and feel an atmosphere unlike most others. Our friendly and knowledgeable personnel are here to serve you and make your entire visit as comfortable as possible. Feel free to ask for a tour of our facility.
We are proud to offer up-to-date equipment for patient treatment in a very clean environment. Our steam/pressurizedunitfar exceeds the US standards for equipment of this type. We have weekly testing done, by an independent laboratory to be certain it is functioning properly. In addition, due to an elaborate air filtration system, you will not sense any of the smells usually associated with a dental office.
Our office team will help you relax in our reception area with a refreshing beverage. Make yourself at home while watching television or reading a current magazine. We encourage you to bring your computer or other Wi-Fi enabled device, as we have complimentary Wi-Fi throughout the office.
At Dentistry at Sugarloaf, we take several precautions to ensure your safety as our patient. Our team keeps up-to-date on the latest sterilization procedures and research. Our office complies with and exceeds OSHA standards for safety. We also have two sterilization centers where we can maximize efficient sterilization and minimize the chance of contamination through human error. All instruments and dental drills are heat sterilized after usage on every patient. (Some offices only disinfect dental drills - we sterilize them EVERY time.) Many items are disposable and all counter tops are wiped with hospital grade disinfectant between patients.
You may remember the TV program by Barbara Walters several years ago that highlighted the sterilization problem (Dentistrys Dirty Little Secret). This is a topic of concern to many people, and rightly so. We need to be concerned about the health of our families when we visit the dentist. Just so you knowDr. Norton has installed highly effective autoclaving equipment for instrument sterilization.
Most autoclaves use the same water over and over to make steam, and then kick the door open for the drying cycle. This provides a dark, warm, moist environment, ideal for germ life. Our Lisa sterilization unit uses fresh, distilled water for each cycle, and dumps the once-used water into a waste tank for subsequent disposal. Lisa keeps its door shut, and dries the sterilized instruments while vacuuming all the air out of the chamber. It operates in a vacuum for both the sterilizing and cool-down cycles. We also use nothing but distilled water in our Laser and all other equipment that requires the use of water.
We are proud of the measures we take to ensure your safety, protection, and overall health. This is why we are so committed to preventing cross-contamination and infection. We feel it is of the utmost importance to guarantee that every possible measure is taken to assure our patients safety.
In addition to a built-in sensor on Lisa, which confirms proper sterilization, Dr. Norton also has independent tests run weekly as double confirmation. You may rest assured that our state-of-the-art technology includes the very latest in sterilization. If you have any questions at all about our procedures, please speak up. We would be glad to provide you with additional information.
We are occasionally asked why we dont participate in a particular insurance plan, or if we would consider participating in a certain plan. There are many insurance plans that restrict your choice of doctors to those on a specific list of participating offices. The participation agreement between those plans and the providers requires the provider to deliver care at a discount to those patients covered by that plan. For some plans the discount is small, for some it is not.
We believe that dentistry is a service, not a product. For us, the manner in which that service is provided and the attention to detail makes all the difference. We do not participate in plans that require us to heavily discount our treatment prices and encourage us to make up the difference in volume. We cannot be a volume practice and still provide the level of care and service that built our reputation. Our reputation has been built by using high-quality materials and technology and by providing exemplary customer service. We cannot be a volumepractice and provide that level of care and attention to our patients.
We believe that money should not stand in the way of your having a healthy mouth. If you need extensive dental care and are concerned about cost, we are happy to offer financing throughCare Credit.We participate in their program that provides 6 months or up to 12 months for large cases interest free as well as extended interest bearing plans.
Many companies offer their employees a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and/or Health Savings Account (HSA) to assist with medical/dental co-payments. Let us know if you have one of these accounts so we can help you maximize your health benefits.
Aflexible spending account(FSA), also known as aflexible spending arrangement, is one of a number of tax-advantaged financial accounts that can be set up through a cafeteria plan of an employer in the United States. An FSA allows an employee to set aside a portion of earnings to pay for qualified expenses as established in the cafeteria plan. It is most commonly for medical expenses but often for dependent care or other expenses such as dental. Money deducted from an employees pay into an FSA is not subject to payroll taxes, resulting in substantial payroll tax savings. One significant disadvantage to using an FSA is that funds not used by the end of the plan year are lost to the employee.
The most common type of flexible spending account, themedical expense FSA(alsomedical FSAorhealth FSA), is similar to a health savings account (HSA) or a health reimbursement account (HRA). In addition, funds in a health savings account are not lost when the plan year is over, unlike funds in an FSA. Paper forms or an FSA debit card, also known as a Flexcard, may be used to access the account funds.
Most cafeteria plans offer two different flexible spending accounts; one is for qualified medical expenses and the other is for dependent care expenses. A few cafeteria plans offer other types of FSAs, especially if the employer also offers an HSA. Participation in one type of FSA does not affect participation in another type of FSA, but funds cannot be transferred from one FSA to another.
Ahealth savings account(HSA) is a tax-advantaged medical savings account available to taxpayers in the United States who are enrolled in a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP). The funds contributed to an account are not subject to federal income tax at the time of deposit. Unlike a flexible spending account (FSA), funds roll over and accumulate year to year if not spent.
HSAs are owned by the individual, which differentiates them from company-owned Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRA) that are an alternate tax-deductible source of funds paired with either HDHPs or standard health plans. HSA funds may currently be used to pay for qualified medical and dental expenses at any time without federal tax liability or penalty. However, beginning in early 2011 OTC (over-the-counter) medications could not be paid with HSA dollars without a doctors prescription.
Withdrawals for non-medical expenses are treated very similarly to those in an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) in that they may provide tax advantages if taken after retirement age, and they incur penalties if taken earlier.