Helping clients enjoy their teeth for a lifetime means providing dental therapies that are appropriate for any age. And, as technology moves forward, so does our approach to treatment at Tim Loughran Dentistry. For example, in the middle 1980s we began offering a then-revolutionary self-help protocol to patients with gum disease so tooth loss was not inevitable. Also about that same time, we began restoring front teeth simply to improve their appearance in the smile. Then, in the early 1990s we began routinely viewing back teeth with the magnified image from an intraoral camera. This was done so that problems could be detected before toothache was evident. In 1995, we threw away dental amalgam, because metal fillings were showing to be much more harmful to tooth structure than the modern metal-free alternative. Then, in 2001, we made the major leap to the hydrokinetic laser so treatment could be managed in a more conservative and comfortable manner. After that, 2006 was the year we began placing dental implants surgically to replace missing teeth and to anchor loose dentures. Meanwhile, also in 2006, we began viewing digital radiographs on a television screen so patients could view their procedures from our perspective.
Tim Loughran Dentistry is committed to growing each and every day, and we love that we have had the opportunity to care for the Southern Illinois community for so many years. Thank you for your continued support, and thank you for letting us help the people of Southern Illinois keep their forever teeth.
With our high-tech capability and our strong focus on patient-centered objectives, weve made it clear that we are here to provide the best possible dental care for you and your entire family. As a result, ourpractice atTim Loughran Dentistrycontinues a proven tradition of helping clients enjoy their teeth for a lifetime.
Timothy Loughran, DDS, grew up in Centralia. Dr. Loughran graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a Bachelor of Science degree. Then, he received his dental education and degree from Loyola University School of Dentistry in Chicago. In 1989, Dr. Loughran earned the status Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry. Founded in 1952 and composed of 35,000 general dentists, the AGD is a professional association dedicated to promoting post-graduate dental education. Dr. Loughran achieved the status of Master of the Academy of General Dentistry in 2007. He was one of just three dentists in the state of Illinois to receive this award during that year. In the AGDs first 54 years, only 2,200 members have earned Masterships.
Dr. Loughran has practiced general dentistry with Tim Loughran Dentistry in Herrin since 1982. In addition, he is on the staff of Herrin Hospital. His professional affiliations include the Academy of General Dentistry, American Dental Association, American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, Illinois Dental Society, and Southern Illinois Dental Society. Dr. Loughran remains consistently active in the Downstate Dental Study Group. In fact, this is a group that he helped found in 1991. Since earning his dental degree, he has completed over 1200 hours of accredited continuing education.
Trisha is our business manager, working at the front desk with the backupreceptionists duties. She has been associated with our practice for decades and our co-worker since 2011. Trisha has always been a fantastic asset to us, and we are so lucky to have her!
Rose is a registered dental hygienist who joined us in 2018 after several summers working with us part-time. She stepped in for Shanna, who retired after fifteen years on our team. Rose is very charismatic, knowledgeable, and always treats our patients with the utmost care.
Because each client has a financial status that is as unique as his or her lifestyle, we offer payment plans to satisfy almost everyones circumstances. Monthly payments are handled by a third party without the additional cost of interest charges or processing fees, assuring that your treatment proceeds comfortably and conveniently.
We do everything in our power to exceed clients expectations. We consider every service provided by our office as an agreement between the patient and the dentist. The insurance relationship, on the other hand, is little more than a business contract between your employer and an insurance company. If you have dental insurance, your employer would prefer that your insurance benefits appear as generous as possible, while the insurance company would prefer to avoid paying out any claim possible. If you were to determine who was most interested in helping you maintain optimum dental health, in what order would you rate your employer, your dental insurance company, and your dental office?
We are pleased that you may have insurance benefits to help you with the cost of your dental care, and we always want to help you obtain the maximum use of these benefits. As a courtesy, we submit your claims, track them, and accept payment directly from the insurance company on your behalf. Because we work with hundreds of plans, and due to regular changes in those many plans, it is impossible to give you guaranteed quotes of their payments. Our computer can give predictions based on historical data, but these are only estimates. If you need to know exact insurance benefits for proposed treatment, we can file a pre-authorization with your insurance company, and expect a response in 2-4 weeks. This will delay treatment but you will know exact out of pocket figures you may require.