Cleveland TN Dentist Accepting Delta Dental

Peterson Family Dentistry is in-network with almost all major PPO insurance plans, which includes most Delta Dental policies. The office is at 9325 Apison Pike #119, Ooltewah, TN, about 30 minutes south of Cleveland via I-75. If you live in Cleveland, Charleston, or McDonald and you have Delta Dental coverage, the Apison Pike office is a 30-minute drive that many of our Cleveland-area patients have been making for years.

The reason most patients give for that drive is straightforward: they want continuity with one experienced dentist across the decades, and they would rather go a little farther than rotate between practices in Cleveland that may not stay open under the same ownership for long.

A Cleveland-Area Patient Base That Has Made the Drive for Years

Our Cleveland-area patient base spans Bradley County: Cleveland, Charleston, McDonald, and the rural communities along Highway 64 and Lee Highway. Most have been with the practice for at least 5 years. Many have been with us since long before the office rebranded to Peterson Family Dentistry. Some were students at Lee University or Cleveland State Community College who kept coming back after graduation and moved their families to us.

Honest Drive Time: About 30 Minutes from Cleveland to Apison Pike

From the Cleveland area, take I-75 south to Exit 11 (Ooltewah / Georgetown). Turn east on Ooltewah-Ringgold Road, then right on Apison Pike. The office is about a mile south on the right, in the medical-and-professional plaza at 9325 Apison Pike, Suite 119. The drive is about 30 minutes in normal traffic and 40 minutes during weekday rush hour. Patients coming from Charleston and the north end of Bradley County add 10 to 15 minutes.

Many Cleveland-area patients combine their dental visit with an errand on the I-75 corridor: groceries at the Cambridge Square Publix, lunch in the Ooltewah-Collegedale area, or a stop at the Outlet Mall on East Brainerd Road. The team can schedule longer back-to-back appointments so a single trip handles cleanings, exams, and any restorative work that fits the visit.

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Insurance and Delta Dental Coverage

The practice is in-network with almost all major PPO dental plans, which includes most Delta Dental policies you would carry through a Cleveland-area employer or as an individual. Coverage varies plan by plan, so the office checks your specific benefits before treatment. If your card has the Delta Dental logo, call (423) 396-4222 with your member ID before your appointment and the front desk will pull your benefits, tell you what is covered, and give you an estimate of out-of-pocket cost.

How We Verify Your Plan Before You Drive Down

Driving 30 minutes for a visit and finding out at the front desk that your plan does not cover the procedure is a bad day. To avoid that, the office handles benefits verification by phone before your visit. Call ahead with your insurance card information and a list of treatment you think you need, and the front desk will give you a benefits summary before you put gas in the car.

PPO, Premier, and Dual Coverage

PPO plans (the deeper-discount network type used by most employers) pay the highest percentage. Premier plans, individual plans, and marketplace plans are also commonly accepted. If you carry two plans, the office bills the primary first and the secondary for the balance. Many Cleveland-area households where both parents work for different employers carry two plans and use both at the same visit.

About Dr. David Peterson, DDS

DR DAVID PETERSON DDS

Dr. David Peterson, DDS, has been in private practice for 21 years and has treated about 25,000 patients over his career. He earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree at Loma Linda University School of Dentistry in California and has accumulated more than 800 hours of continuing education beyond dental school. The practice retention rate is 90 to 95 percent year over year.

21 Years of Continuity for Long-Distance Patients

For a patient driving 30 minutes for dental care, continuity matters more than convenience. The case Dr. Peterson asks Cleveland-area patients to weigh is whether one experienced dentist they can stay with for decades beats rotating between newer practices closer to home. The retention numbers, 90 to 95 percent year over year, suggest most who have weighed the trade-off picked continuity.

2025 BusinessRate Top Dentist

BusinessRate named Dr. Peterson a Top Dentist in Chattanooga for 2025.

"A patient who drives 30 minutes from Cleveland to my office is telling me something: they want their dentist to know their history. I try to make that worth their drive every time. We schedule longer visits when it makes sense, we handle insurance verification before they leave the house, and I see most of my Cleveland patients more often than every six months once we get them on a maintenance plan."

Cleveland TN Delta Dentist Office Tour

Our Cleveland Dental Services Include:

Dental Services Available

Preventive Care

Twice-yearly cleanings, periodic exams, bitewing X-rays, fluoride treatments for kids, and sealants. Most PPO plans, including Delta Dental, cover preventive care at 100 percent. Many Cleveland-area patients schedule their two annual cleanings 6 months apart and combine them with longer restorative visits when restorative work is needed.

Restorative and Major Services

Tooth-colored fillings, crowns, bridges, root canals, implants, and full-mouth restoration. The office files pre-authorization with your insurance carrier before major work so you know what your plan will pay and what your share will be. Cleveland-area patients often schedule restorative appointments back-to-back to minimize trips. The team can plan a 3-hour block if that combines two crowns or covers a crown plus a hygiene visit.

Same-Day Emergency Care for Cleveland Patients

Same-day emergency appointments are part of the practice. If you call before 9 AM with pain, swelling, a broken tooth, or a knocked-out tooth, the office can usually get you in that day. From Cleveland, plan for the 30-to-40-minute drive on top of the appointment time. After-hours emergencies should be triaged: for severe facial swelling or trauma, the Cleveland or Chattanooga ER is closer than waiting for the office to open.

Frequently Asked Questions for Cleveland-Area Patients

Does Peterson Family Dentistry accept Delta Dental?

Peterson Family Dentistry is in-network with almost all major PPO insurance plans, including most Delta Dental policies. Coverage depends on your specific plan, so call (423) 396-4222 with your Delta Dental member ID and the office will verify your benefits before your visit.

Is the drive from Cleveland really worth it?

That is the question every Cleveland-area patient asks. The honest answer is: it depends on what you value. If you want a dentist close to home and you do not mind switching when your current practice closes or changes hands, there are options in Cleveland. If you want one experienced dentist with 21 years of patient history with your family and you are willing to drive 30 minutes for that continuity, this office is one of the longer-tenured options in the broader Chattanooga area.

How long does the drive take in rush hour?

About 40 minutes from central Cleveland in weekday rush hour (7:00 to 9:00 AM and 4:00 to 6:00 PM). Off-peak, about 28 to 32 minutes. The office opens at 8:00 AM Monday through Thursday, so an 8:00 AM appointment means leaving Cleveland around 7:00 AM.

Can I do a cleaning and a filling in the same visit?

Often yes, depending on what needs to be done and how your insurance handles billing. Tell the front desk when you book that you want to combine a cleaning with restorative work, and the team will plan the time accordingly. Most insurance plans, including Delta Dental, allow a cleaning and a filling at the same visit.

What if I have a dental emergency in Cleveland after hours?

If the emergency is severe (uncontrolled bleeding, facial swelling that affects breathing, trauma from an accident), go to the nearest emergency room. For dental-only emergencies like a broken tooth, lost crown, or moderate pain, call the office at (423) 396-4222 and leave a detailed voicemail. The office returns voicemails first thing in the morning and will schedule a same-day visit if needed.

Do you accept Delta Dental Smiles for Kids (TennCare)?

The office files claims with most commercial dental plans. Delta Dental Smiles for Kids is TennCare's pediatric dental program and the contract relationship varies. Call (423) 396-4222 with the plan information on the card and the front desk will verify before the appointment.

My family has Delta Dental but my spouse has another plan. Can both be billed?

Yes. The office handles coordination of benefits. If both plans are dental, primary is billed first and secondary is billed for the remaining balance. If one is dental and the other is medical (rare but happens for jaw and TMJ work), the office can still file both.

Schedule Your Appointment

Call (423) 396-4222 to verify your dental insurance and book a time. Tell the front desk you are coming from Cleveland and they will schedule a longer block if that fits your visit. The office is at 9325 Apison Pike #119, Ooltewah, TN 37363, about 30 minutes south of Cleveland via I-75.

Office hours: Monday through Thursday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Friday 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM.