Family & Cosmetic Dentist in Lake Mary, FL

Yes. If you call us during office hours and you're in pain, we do everything we can to see you the same day. An emergency exam is booked for a full hour so there's time to find the cause and treat it, not just medicate it. Severe swelling or more complex cases sometimes need a follow-up visit, and we'll tell you that honestly up front.

Yes — Saturday 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM, which is rare for a dental office. Dr. Polakhare keeps Fridays and Saturdays open on purpose, because that's when most practices are closed and when a weekend toothache has nowhere else to go. Weekday hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Sharp or throbbing tooth pain, facial or gum swelling, a broken or knocked-out tooth, a lost filling or crown, an abscess, or bleeding gums that won't settle. If it's keeping you up at night or getting worse by the hour, treat it as an emergency and call us. If you're not sure, call anyway — we'd rather talk it through than have you wait it out.

For emergencies, yes — walk in any time we're open and we'll fit you in. Calling first still helps, because it lets us prepare for you before you arrive and gives you a realistic idea of the wait.

Call the office and leave a message. If Dr. Polakhare is in town and able to come in, she will — that includes holidays. We can't promise it every single time, but a real person will get back to you rather than an answering service telling you to visit an emergency room.

Yes — we work with most dental insurance plans, in or out of network. Call us with your plan details and we'll check your benefits before your visit. Patients without insurance are welcome too, and you'll get a written estimate of your out-of-pocket cost before any treatment starts.

Plan on about 60 to 90 minutes. That's a comprehensive exam, digital x-rays, and — if Dr. Polakhare finds you're ready for one — a cleaning. Then you sit down together and go through everything she found and what your options are. Nothing gets done without your say-so.

Every six months for most healthy adults. If you're managing gum disease or you've had a run of cavities, we may put you on a three or four month recall instead. Florida no longer adds fluoride to public drinking water, which is a real factor in decay here, so we also talk about fluoride treatment at cleanings.

We don't charge a cancellation fee. We do ask for a courtesy call if you can't make it — a full hour is blocked out and held for you, and a heads-up lets us offer that time to someone who's in pain.