Dr. Carla Guzmn Stappenbeck grew up in Virginia before earning her bachelors degree from Harvard University and her Doctorate of Dental Surgery from the University of Maryland. She then obtained a certificate in pediatric dentistry from the prestigious residency program at Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center where she had the opportunity to serve as chief resident. By training at one of the nations top childrens hospitals, she gained extensive experience treating people with special needs and medically compromised patients.
Dr. Carla is a board certified pediatric dentist and earned the Pugh Award for scoring in the top three percent on her board examination. She is a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry and a member of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the College of Diplomates of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry, the American Dental Association, Georgia Dental Association, and the Southeastern Society of Pediatric Dentistry.
Dr. Carla enjoyed her years as an associate in private practice in Pennsylvania and is now excited to call Pooler home. She is looking forward to becoming active in the community. Along with her husband, Charles, Dr. Carla has three adorable children and two active German Shepherds.
Our office, as well as the The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Dental Association (ADA), and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) all recommend establishing a 'Dental Home' for your child by one year of age. Children who have a dental home are more likely to receive appropriate preventive and routine oral health care.
You can make the first visit to the dentist enjoyable and positive. If old enough, your child should be informed of the visit and told that the dentist and their staff will explain all procedures and answer any questions. The less to-do concerning the visit, the better.
It is best if you refrain from using words around your child that might cause unnecessary fear, such as 'needle', 'shot', 'pull', 'drill' or 'hurt'. The office makes a practice of using words that convey the same message, but are pleasant and non-frightening to the child.
Payment for professional services is due at the time dental treatment is provided. Every effort will be made to provide a treatment plan which fits your timetable and budget, and gives your child the best possible care. We accept cash, personal checks, debit cards and most major credit cards.
PLEASE UNDERSTAND that we file dental insurance as a courtesy to our patients. We do not have a contract with your insurance company, only you do. We are not responsible for how your insurance company handles its claims or for what benefits they pay on a claim. We can only assist you in estimating your portion of the cost of treatment. We at no time guarantee what your insurance will or will not do with each claim. We also can not be responsible for any errors in filing your insurance. Once again, we file claims as a courtesy to you.
You may have noticed that sometimes your dental insurer reimburses you or the dentist at a lower rate than the dentists actual fee. Frequently, insurance companies state that the reimbursement was reduced because your dentists fee has exceeded the usual, customary, or reasonable fee (UCR) used by the company.
A statement such as this gives the impression that any fee greater than the amount paid by the insurance company is unreasonable, or well above what most dentists in the area charge for a certain service. This can be very misleading and simply is not accurate.
Insurance companies set their own schedules, and each company uses a different set of fees they consider allowable. These allowable fees may vary widely, because each company collects fee information from claims it processes. The insurance company then takes this data and arbitrarily chooses a level they call the allowable UCR Fee. Frequently, this data can be three to five years old and these allowable fees are set by the insurance company so they can make a net 20%-30% profit.
Unfortunately, insurance companies imply that your dentist is overcharging, rather than say that they are underpaying, or that their benefits are low. In general, the less expensive insurance policy will use a lower usual, customary, or reasonable (UCR) figure.
Pediatric Dentist in Pooler, GA serving infants, children and teens in the surrounding cities of Savannah, Rincon, and Port Wentworth, GA. Pediatric Dental Website Designed by (a sister company of Dentists4kids.com)
Reviews
Rating 4.9 out of 5 based on 250 reviews
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newest oldest highest lowestChad Gatewood
a year ago
I can not say enough great things about this office. Dr Carla and her staff are so great with kids, they know how to make a dentist appointment fun and ease the anxious minds of little ones. Courtney is also amazing, she is so helpful and such a please to work with. She went above and beyond to help me with my insurance questions and to schedule an appointment quickly for my child that had tooth pain.
Janie Durden
a year ago
Everyone here is amazing and so friendly! My two year old cried the first time (to be expected) and was perfectly fine the second time because of the patience of the staff! Definitely worth the wait!
Kala Frazier
2 years ago
Love the staff! My 4 year old daughter feels comfortable enough to go to the back alone. That says a lot.
Felicia Lewton
2 years ago
The staff are extremely kind and show compassion for my twin girls every time they have a check up. I highly recommend the Dentist and staff members.
Sarah Justice
2 years ago
Excellent staff!!! Dr Carla and all of her staff are amazing! I have a daughter that is extremely fearful and they worked a miracle to keep her calm and do the work.
Richard Brittain
2 years ago
The service, the care, and the treatment of us were top notch.
Marci Schell
2 years ago
Always love the staff and Dr Carla is top notch!! My kids love going to the dentist because of this office!!
Tina Arnsdorff
2 years ago
Everyone here is so great! Friendly and cute atmosphere! My little one loves it and so do i!
Sarah Spencer
2 years ago
We love Pooler Pediatric Dentistry!
Sarah Lundy
2 years ago
I have extremely low expectations for medical practices. They are typically chaos and disorganized with grumpy employees however, this practice is the complete opposite. They are friendly (Donna at the front desk) well organized and you are seen when you have an appointment. Imagine that.... You are actually seen at your appointment time and don't have to wait an hour. Dr Carla is a hoot and knowledgeable. Thank you for an unexpected amazing visit. My 3 children ask me when their next appointment is. The only concern is the quality of movies show. They are not the best. Well done and thank you
Shannon Hadwin
2 years ago
The best pediatric dentistry office ever!
Stacy Smith
2 years ago
We love Dr.Carla and her staff. My kids are always excited about going to the dentist.
Ashley East
2 years ago
Dr Carla and her staff are always very friendly and professional to our family!!! My girls look forward to coming to their office for their cleanings!!!
Michelle Coursey
2 years ago
My kids absolutely LOVE coming here! They are wonderful with my children. My daughter said I want to go to the dentist every day to have my teeth cleaned.
Kelsey Castro
2 years ago
Dr. Carla and her staff are absolutely! They know what they're doing with keeping the kids distracted while they work on them. The energy is amazing in this office and my kids LOVE going to dentist now!
Kaleigh Perry
2 years ago
Dr. Carla and Jamie are absolutely amazing! They always go above and beyond for my son and cure my mommy anxiety :) The rest of her staff are nice every time we come in, thankful for them!!!
Talina Brooks
2 years ago
My son has had previously bad experience at the dentist, but not here . He did superb today . We were in and out fixed a cavity in 20 minutes . It was awesome
Candise Williams
2 years ago
Always provides 5 star treatment
Brittani Kelly
2 years ago
Very clean, professional and thorough. Dr. Carla and her staff are phenomenal! They got all four of my kids in and out in less than an hour. This is the norm. You never wait for long periods of time.
Latoya Trotter
2 years ago
Everyone is very friendly. I love Dr. Carla and her team.
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