What is the difference between Delta Dental PPO and Premier?

PPO is the deeper-discount network. Premier is the broader network. PPO usually pays a higher percentage and dentists accept a lower contracted rate, so your out-of-pocket cost is lowest with PPO. Premier covers more dentists statewide but at slightly higher member cost. Call the office with your card information and the front desk will tell you exactly how your plan applies at this office.

Do I have to pay anything at the front desk if I have dental insurance?

It depends on the visit and your plan. Many preventive visits (cleaning, exam, X-rays) are covered at 100 percent under most PPO plans with no copay due. Restorative visits typically have a patient portion that is due at the time of service. The office gives you the estimate before treatment starts.

How does the annual maximum work?

Most dental plans, including Delta Dental, cap how much they pay per year at an annual maximum (often $1,000 to $1,500, though this varies). Once you hit the cap, you pay 100 percent of further covered services until the plan year resets. Splitting larger treatment across two plan years often gets two annual maximums applied. The front desk can plan timing if a treatment plan can be staged.

What if my plan does not cover something I need?

A treatment plan with line-by-line cost breakdown is given before any work that is not fully covered. Patients can phase care over multiple plan years to use two annual maximums, use the $125 new-patient exam-plus-X-rays special for family members without coverage, or use CareCredit financing. Nothing is billed without prior agreement.

Can I bring my family even if some of us have insurance and some do not?

Yes. Many families have mixed coverage. The office bills insurance for the covered family members and uses the new-patient exam-plus-X-rays special ($125) or the new-patient exam-plus-X-rays-plus-cleaning special ($199, healthy mouth required) for family members without coverage. The two specials cannot be combined with insurance, so they are separate from the insurance billing.

Collegedale Dentist Accepting Delta Dental

Yes! Schedule My Appointment

Peterson Family Dentistry is in-network with almost all major PPO insurance plans, which includes most Delta Dental policies. The office is about 5 minutes from Southern Adventist University. For Collegedale residents, SAU faculty and staff, and families on the streets around College Drive and Little Debbie Parkway, this is the closest in-network dentist on the Apison Pike corridor.

Dr. David Peterson, DDS, has practiced in this office for more than two decades. The Apison Pike office serves Collegedale, Ooltewah, Apison, and Cedar Hill from one location at 9325 Apison Pike #119.

Yes! Schedule My Appointment

Insurance Coverage for the Collegedale Community

The practice files claims with most major PPO dental insurance carriers, including Delta Dental. PPO is the deeper-discount network type that pays the highest percentage of covered services. If your card has the Delta Dental logo, or any of the other major dental carriers, bring it to the first visit and the front desk will verify your specific plan benefits before treatment.

Coverage percentages vary by plan. Call (423) 396-4222 with your member ID and the office will check your specific Delta Dental plan before your appointment, so you arrive knowing what is covered and what your share will be.

How Delta Dental and Other PPO Plans Work at Our Office

Bring your card to the first visit. The front desk verifies coverage before treatment starts, walks you through what is covered at what percentage, and gives you a written estimate before any work begins. The office files claims directly, so you do not pay the full amount up front and chase reimbursement later. You pay your patient portion at the visit and your insurance pays the rest to the office.

Most PPO plans pay preventive care (cleanings, exams, X-rays) at 100 percent, basic restorative (fillings, simple extractions) at 70 to 80 percent, and major work (crowns, bridges, root canals) at 50 percent, subject to your annual maximum. Your specific plan controls the exact percentages.

Coordinating Two Plans (Dual Coverage)

Households with two working adults often carry two dental plans through two employers. If both plans are Delta Dental, the office bills the primary plan first and then files the secondary claim for the remaining balance. If one plan is Delta Dental and the other is Cigna, BCBS, or another carrier, the same coordination of benefits applies. Many Collegedale families with Southern Adventist Health benefits stack them with a spouse's dental plan, and the office handles both filings.

About Dr. David Peterson, DDS

DR DAVID PETERSON DDS

Dr. David Peterson earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree at Loma Linda University School of Dentistry. He has practiced privately for 21 years, treated roughly 25,000 patients over his career, and accumulated more than 800 hours of continuing education beyond dental school. The practice retains 90 to 95 percent of patients year over year, which in plain English means most of his Collegedale patients have been with him for at least 5 years.

He has placed thousands of porcelain and composite veneers, restored hundreds of dental implants, and performed thousands of routine and surgical tooth extractions. He has served on dental mission trips to Guatemala with HELPS International and to Belize during his Loma Linda years. He volunteers locally with AMEN clinics and Life Hope Centers.

21 Years Serving Collegedale and Southern Adventist Families

SAU faculty, staff, and families have been part of this patient base since long before the practice rebranded to Peterson Family Dentistry. The office is on the same corridor as the SAU main entrance, so most patients can come in before their 8 AM class, after their 5 PM teaching block, or during a long lunch break.

2025 BusinessRate Top Dentist

BusinessRate named Dr. Peterson a Top Dentist in Chattanooga for 2025. This is one external recognition among several, but it confirms the long retention numbers reflect actual patient experience and not survey artifact.

"Collegedale is one of those places where you treat a student in their first year at SAU, and 10 years later they bring their own kids in. I have lost count of how many families I have followed across three generations. Sorting out their dental insurance gets people in the door, but what keeps them coming back is feeling like the office knows their history."

Dental Services Available at the Apison Pike Office

Preventive Care

Two annual cleanings, periodic exams, bitewing X-rays, fluoride treatments for kids, and sealants. Most PPO plans, including Delta Dental, cover these at 100 percent with no annual deductible on preventive work. If you have not used your two annual cleanings, call before December 31. Unused preventive benefits do not roll over.

Restorative and Major Services

Tooth-colored composite fillings, crowns (porcelain, zirconia, full-gold for back teeth), bridges, root canal treatments, and tooth replacement. Many of these are partially covered by dental insurance. The office files a pre-authorization before any major work so you know exactly what your plan will pay and what your share will be. If your plan has a 12-month waiting period for major work, the front desk will tell you and you can plan timing.

Sedation and Cosmetic Options

Nitrous oxide and oral sedation are available for patients with dental anxiety. The sedation itself is rarely covered by dental insurance but the underlying procedure usually is. Cosmetic veneers, teeth whitening, and smile makeovers are typically not covered and are paid out of pocket, often using CareCredit financing or the practice's in-house payment plans. Combining insurance coverage on restorative work with a cosmetic add-on is common.

Visiting Our Office from Collegedale

Address, Hours, and Directions from College Drive

9325 Apison Pike #119, Ooltewah, TN 37363. Phone: (423) 396-4222.

Hours: Monday through Thursday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Friday 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Closed Saturday and Sunday.

From the SAU main entrance on Industrial Drive, take Industrial Drive south to Apison Pike, turn right, and the office is about a mile down on the right. From the residential streets around College Drive, take College Drive west to Apison Pike and turn right. From Little Debbie Parkway, take it east to Apison Pike and turn left. The drive from most points in Collegedale is 5 to 8 minutes. Parking is in front of the suite.

Directions

Google Business Profile Listing

Collegedale TN Delta Dentist Office Tour

Our Collegedale Dental Services Include:

What to Bring to Your First Visit

Your insurance card, a photo ID, a list of current medications, and any X-rays from your previous dentist if you have them on file. The office can request X-rays from your previous dentist if you sign a release form. The first visit takes 75 to 90 minutes: a few minutes for paperwork and benefits verification, then exam, X-rays, oral cancer screening, and a cleaning if your plan covers one on the same day.

Frequently Asked Questions About Delta Dental in Collegedale

Does Peterson Family Dentistry accept Delta Dental?

Peterson Family Dentistry is in-network with almost all major PPO insurance plans, which includes 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 first visit.

I work at Southern Adventist University. Does my SAU health plan coordinate with Delta Dental?

It depends on whether your SAU benefits package includes a Delta Dental plan or a separate dental carrier. If SAU offers Delta Dental as the dental benefit, the office bills it directly. If SAU offers a different dental carrier, the office files claims with most major insurers and coordinates benefits. Call (423) 396-4222 with the carrier name on your card to confirm.

How close is the office to the SAU campus?

About 4 to 6 minutes by car from the main SAU entrance on Industrial Drive. The office is at 9325 Apison Pike #119, just north of where Industrial Drive meets Apison Pike. Most SAU faculty and staff can come in during a long lunch break.

What if I have a dental emergency outside of office hours?

Same-day emergency appointments are part of the practice. If you call during office hours and have pain, swelling, a broken tooth, or a knocked-out tooth, the office will fit you in that day. After hours, leave a voicemail with a description of the emergency and someone will return the call when the office opens. For severe facial swelling, trouble breathing, or trauma, go to the emergency room.

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.

What is the annual maximum on most Delta Dental plans?

Most dental plans, including Delta Dental, cap annual payouts somewhere between $1,000 and $1,500 per person per plan year. After that, you pay 100 percent of further covered services until the new plan year begins. The office can stage larger treatment plans across two plan years so you get two annual maximums applied. This is most useful for crowns, bridges, and implant work.

What if I have not been to a dentist in 5 or more years?

The first visit will likely be longer and may include extra X-rays or a full periodontal exam. Many long-gap patients need a deep cleaning (scaling and root planing) before standard maintenance cleanings can be scheduled. Most PPO plans cover a deep cleaning at the basic restorative rate (70 to 80 percent). The office walks through the plan and cost before any work starts.

Schedule Your Appointment

Call (423) 396-4222 to verify your dental insurance and book a time. The front desk pre-verifies benefits so you arrive knowing exactly what is covered. The office is at 9325 Apison Pike #119, Ooltewah, TN 37363, about 5 minutes from Southern Adventist University and from the residential streets around College Drive and Little Debbie Parkway.

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