Allen D. McCorkle,
D.D.S
25 South Kent
Street
Winchester, VA 22601 <MAP>
(540) 667-4880
E-mail: admccork@shentel.net
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Allen D. McCorkle,
D.D.S |
Welcome To Our Office!
Dr. McCorkle and his
wife, Gayle have four boys. Dr. McCorkle grew up in Arlington, VA. He studied
Electrical Engineering at Virginia Polytechnic State University. There, he
received a BS degree and earned membership in HKN, an honorary electrical
engineering society. He obtained his dental education at the Medical College of
Virginia and received recognition for excellence by the American Society of
Dentistry for Children.
The United States Navy Dental Corps selected Dr. McCorkle for a General Dental Practice Residency before sending him to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. After serving in the Navy, he enrolled in the Pediatric Dental Residency at the Medical College of Virginia for the additional two years of education required to specialize as a Pediatric Dentist.
Dr. McCorkle moved to Winchester, VA in 1981. He is a Member and Fellow in the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Dr. McCorkle is a Diplomate in the College of Diplomates of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry.
While Dr. McCorkle is committed to his personal Christian faith, people and children of all faiths are welcome. One of Dr. McCorkle's favorite Bible verses is Ephesians 2:8-10:
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Our Mission
Our top priority is to make sure that both you and your child have the knowledge, attitude and skills you need to keep your child's teeth healthy for the rest of their lives. To this end, we have designed a program of care and education for healthy teeth for you and your child.
The information on this website will help you understand more about our office and get the most from our program.
Pediatric dentistry consists of preventive services, behavior management, oral facial injuries, restorative dentistry, hospital dentistry and orthodontics. We care for people from birth to 21 years, and handicapped patients of all ages. We refer some patients to specialists in other areas of dentistry and medicine, as needed.
We give your child high quality dental care at a reasonable cost. Because we take responsibility to continue learning as much as we can for your benefit, occasionally the office will be closed so we can participate in continuing education programs.
Good habits and behavior can result in your child growing up with a healthy mouth.
Therefore, we invite you to make it your aim to encourage your child to manage his/her worries, keep appointments, and help your child master what he will learn about dental care.
Our purpose is to help your child obtain and maintain a healthy mouth. This requires a team effort between you, your child and us.
When To See the Dentist
Research shows the best time for the first dental visit for your first child is around twelve months of age. Preventing decay is easier and less costly than fixing decay.
Scheduling appointments for succeeding children and future visits can be determined based on the experience of the first child.
Please understand that missing some school for dental care is inevitable as most of our patients are school age. We have found that infants, toddlers, and preschoolers do best in mid-mornings. Early mornings and late afternoons work well for school age patients. However, we will do our best to work around your schedule to arrange the most convenient appointments.
We strive to see you at your appointment time. Because we give you, and every child, the time he needs there may be delays. We will try to advise you if we are running behind schedule.
When you cannot keep your appointment, please notify us as much ahead of time as possible. This allows another child to use your time. There is no charge for broken appointments when we have advance notification. Make sure to allow time to find our office. If you are late, we may not be able to see your child. If you have an emergency, call us immediately at 540-667-4880, even if it is after working hours. We see patients with urgent needs directly. If Dr. McCorkle is out of town, our service will have information to address your specific needs.
How To Use Insurance
Even if you have insurance, the responsibility of payment for treatment is still belongs to the parent or guardian. After diagnostic and preventive treatment, payment is due for the visit. We ask that you have your insurance company reimburse you for covered services. We suggest you bring a completed and signed claim form, along with an addressed and stamped envelope with you to your visit. Then you can attach our standard yellow insurance form to it and mail them both immediately to your insurance company who will reimburse you directly.
For extensive treatment, we pre-authorize planned treatment costs with your insurance company so you know how much your policy will cover. You pay only your portion at the beginning of treatment. Provide us with a completed form with your signature designating benefits payable to us. Then we will file for your insurance portion of payment at the completion of treatment. The receptionist can assist you with insurance or payment questions.
How to Pay
Payment is expected after each appointment as treatment is provided, whether you have dental insurance or not. Payment can by made by cash, check, MasterCard, Visa, Discover, or Pulse Card. The parent bringing the child to our office is legally responsible for payment of all charges. We cannot send statements to other persons. We provide an estimate of fees before each visit. Be sure to let us know when you have concerns about payment at that time.
The Preventive Disease Control Program
Preventive visits prevent decay. They allow us to find problems early and keep them from becoming extensive problems.
Usually preventive visits are scheduled every six months. Occasionally an interval of three to twelve months may be suggested. We mail reminder cards to your child, or you may schedule your next visit while you are at the office.
During the physical oral exam, we inspect the facial form, musculature, the bite, structures of the neck, oral mucosa, gums and teeth. Since a hands-on experience is one of the best ways for learning and improving skills, both you and your child will participate in the program.
A complete oral examination may require x-rays. Which x-rays are taken depends on your child's needs. We only take x-rays when the benefit your child receives far outweighs the risk. We use high-speed film and lead shielding so that the radiation your child receives is very small. The dose is so low that potentially harmful results have been impossible to detect for dental x-rays in several studies.
We use thorough infection control procedures to avoid spreading illnesses. Let your children know that this is why we wear a face mask, gloves, protective glasses, aprons and a coat. Our procedures are constantly being updated according to the American Dental Association and the Center for Disease Control.
Our reception room displays brochures to help you learn more about keeping teeth healthy. Our office is available for visits from school classes, or our staff can visit your child's class.
