Green Shield Dentist in Mississauga
Book an Appointment Call 905-567-6891We direct bill Green Shield, so you pay only your share. Open 7 days, including evenings and Sundays.
River Run Dental Centre Accepts Green Shield Dental Plans
Looking for a Green Shield dentist in Mississauga? At River Run Dental Centre, we accept dental plans from Green Shield Canada and we direct bill Green Shield for most plans, so you usually only pay your share at the visit. We also accept plans that still carry the Greenshield Canada or GSC name.
Green Shield Canada (GSC) is a not-for-profit health and dental benefits company with its roots in Ontario. It covers many employers, unions and school boards, and it also offers individual plans.
We’re a family dental clinic at 11-1525 Bristol Rd W, near Creditview Rd, open 7 days a week, including weekday evenings and Sundays. New and existing patients are welcome.
Direct Billing to Green Shield
As a dentist that accepts Green Shield, we send your claim electronically at your appointment. The insurer replies within minutes with what your plan pays, and we tell you the balance before you leave.
- Bring your plan card, or your plan and ID numbers.
- If you have a second plan, such as a spouse’s, bring those details too. We can bill both.
- A few plans pay you rather than the clinic. We still submit the claim for you; you pay at the visit and your insurer reimburses you.
GreenShield Members: Check Your Coverage and Estimates Online
We submit your claim for you at your visit, so there’s nothing to file. GreenShield, which describes itself as “Canada’s only national non-profit health care and insurance organization” (GreenShield), gives members online access through GSC everywhere, and on some newer plans the GreenShield+ app.
- Check your coverage eligibility before treatment.
- See estimate results: GreenShield explains that your dental office “can also submit an estimate electronically through their software to confirm which procedure codes are eligible and get the results immediately” (GreenShield support centre).
- View and print estimate responses from your online account.
Claims generally need to reach GreenShield within 12 months of the date of service, unless your plan says otherwise. We send yours on the day of your visit.
GreenShield at a Glance
The details GreenShield members ask us about most, in one place:
| What to know | |
|---|---|
| Customer service | 1-888-525-7587 (GreenShield) |
| Member ID card | Your ID is on the front; dependants’ IDs are on the back |
| Policy number | GreenShield+ doesn’t use one. If asked, GreenShield says to use 9999 |
| Children on your plan | Generally up to 21, or 25 if a full-time student |
| Personal plans | ZONE plans with no waiting period, for Canadian residents under 80 |
What to Bring: Your GreenShield Member ID
Bring your GreenShield member ID card, or show it in the app. GreenShield says “Your member ID is on the front of the card”, and the back lists your dependants’ ID numbers (GreenShield member ID card). We need the number of the person being treated.
If you’re on GreenShield+, you won’t find a policy number. GreenShield says that if a provider asks for one, you can use 9999. Also check that the names we have match your card exactly, because a name mismatch is one of the reasons GreenShield lists for denied claims.
Why a GreenShield Dental Claim Gets Denied, and How We Avoid It
GreenShield’s own help pages explain the most common reasons a dental claim comes back unpaid:
Exam frequency
“various exam codes” can share the same frequency limit, so a recent exam elsewhere can affect your next one (GreenShield denied claims).
Scaling units
“One unit of scaling or root planing consists of 15 minutes of treatment” (GreenShield scaling units), and plans limit the units each year. See gum disease treatment.
Dental accidents
GreenShield says the Dental Accident benefit “is an extended health benefit and is a separate benefit from dental coverage” (GreenShield dental accidents).
We send an electronic estimate before treatment to confirm which codes and how many units are eligible. You can also get your dental breakdown in writing by emailing GreenShield customer service, and we can see it through GreenShield’s providerConnect (GreenShield dental breakdown).
A Non-Profit Insurer With Ontario Roots
GreenShield has been “Helping Canadians thrive since 1957”, and it’s a non-profit. Its personal ZONE plans have “no waiting period” (GreenShield ZONE plans), and you can apply if you’re a Canadian resident with provincial health coverage and under 80.
Its charity arm, GreenShield Cares, has funded oral health care for more than 45,000 underserved people across Canada since 2016. If you don’t have any coverage, our CDCP page explains the federal program.
What Green Shield Dental Coverage Usually Includes
Your Green Shield dental coverage depends on the plan your employer or group chose, so two people with the same insurer can have very different benefits. Most plans are split into three levels:
Basic care
Exams, cleanings, X-rays, fillings, extractions and often root canals, usually covered at the highest rate.
Major care
crowns, bridges and dentures, usually covered at a lower rate.
Orthodontics
Braces and aligners, included in some plans with a separate lifetime maximum.
Most plans also have a yearly maximum and limits on how often some services are covered, such as a cleaning every six or nine months. We check these before treatment so there are no surprises.
Are Braces and Dental Implants Covered?
It depends on your plan. Some plans include orthodontic coverage for braces and Invisalign, often with a lifetime maximum and sometimes only for children. Dental implants are covered by a growing number of plans, usually as major care, while others cover a bridge or denture instead.
Before larger treatment like braces or implants, we send a predetermination to your insurer. It shows exactly what your plan will pay, so you can decide with the real numbers in front of you.
Making a Green Shield Dental Claim
You don’t need to make a dental claim yourself: we submit it electronically at your visit. Even if your plan pays you rather than the clinic, we still send the claim for you. Afterwards, you can see the claim and what your plan paid in the GSC member website or app.
Keep your receipts, and check that your personal and dependant details are up to date with your insurer. Most claim problems come from a changed address, a new dependant or a second plan that hasn’t been set up yet.
How Common Treatments Are Usually Covered
Every Green Shield plan is different, but most follow the same pattern. This is how common treatments are usually covered, so you know what to ask about:
| Treatment | Usual coverage | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Checkups and teeth cleaning | Basic care, usually the highest rate | Often limited to every 6 or 9 months |
| Fillings | Basic care | Tooth-coloured fillings on back teeth may be paid at the silver filling rate |
| Root canal | Basic or major, depending on the plan | A crown afterwards is usually major care |
| Extractions and wisdom teeth removal | Basic care | Impacted teeth may need X-rays sent with the claim |
| Gum treatment and scaling | Basic care | Often limited by time units each year |
| Crowns and bridges | Major care, often a lower rate | Some plans limit replacement to every 5 years |
| Dentures | Major care | Relines and repairs are usually covered too |
| Braces and Invisalign | Orthodontics, only if your plan includes it | Usually a separate lifetime maximum |
| Dental implants | Major care on some plans | Others pay the cost of a bridge or denture instead |
| Teeth whitening and veneers | Cosmetic, usually not covered | Bonding to repair a broken tooth may be covered |
The exact percentages, limits and waiting periods are in your Green Shield dental plan booklet. We check them for you before treatment.
Predeterminations, Claims and Annual Maximums
Predetermination
Before larger work, such as crowns, dentures, implants or braces, we send a Green Shield dental predetermination with the treatment plan and X-rays. The insurer replies with what your plan will pay, usually within a couple of weeks, so you know your cost before you commit.
Claims
We submit every claim for you, electronically wherever possible. If one has to go on paper, we complete it and send it to your insurer ourselves.
Annual maximum
Most Green Shield plans set a yearly limit on what they pay. It usually resets every January or on your plan’s anniversary date. If you’re close to your maximum, we can plan treatment across two plan years so more of it is covered.
If You Have Two Dental Plans
If you’re covered by Green Shield and another plan, such as a spouse’s, the two plans can share the cost. This is called coordination of benefits. Your own plan pays first, then the second plan can pay some or all of what’s left.
For children covered on both parents’ plans, Canadian insurers usually use the birthday rule: the plan of the parent whose birthday comes first in the calendar year pays first. We set this up for you when you bring both sets of plan details.
Finding a Green Shield Dentist Near You
Canadian dental plans, including Green Shield, generally let you choose any licensed dentist, so you don’t need to find an in-network clinic. If you’re looking for a dentist near you in Mississauga, we’re at 11-1525 Bristol Rd W, near Creditview Rd, open 7 days a week with evening and Sunday hours.
Using Your Green Shield Plan at River Run
- Book: call or book online and mention you have Green Shield coverage.
- Bring: your plan card, photo ID and any second-plan details.
- Before treatment: we check your coverage and explain any cost that isn’t covered.
- At checkout: we bill your plan directly and you pay only your share.
We also direct bill Blue Cross, Desjardins and Beneva, along with most other Canadian plans. No coverage for part of your treatment? Ask about our payment plans. You can compare all the plans and programs we accept on our dental insurance and direct billing page.
Helpful Green Shield and Dental Benefits Resources
For plan details and claims, go straight to Green Shield. These independent guides explain how dental benefits work:
- GreenShieldSupport centre on how to submit a claimsupport.greenshield.ca ↗
- Canadian Life and Health Insurance AssociationConsumer guides to health and dental insuranceclhia.ca ↗
- Canadian Life and Health Insurance AssociationGuide to understanding coordination of benefitsclhia.ca ↗
- Government of CanadaCanadian Dental Care Plancanada.ca ↗
Green Shield Dental Coverage in Mississauga: Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, for most of their plans. We send the claim electronically at your visit, and you pay only the portion your plan doesn't cover. A few plans pay you rather than the clinic; we still submit the claim for you and tell you before your visit.
Some plans include orthodontic coverage for braces or Invisalign, often with a lifetime maximum and sometimes only for children. We'll send a predetermination so you know what your plan pays before you start.
Some plans cover part of an implant as major care, while others cover a bridge or denture instead. A predetermination shows exactly what your plan will pay before treatment.
Usually only your share, such as the part your plan pays at a lower rate or anything over your yearly maximum. We explain the amount before treatment.
Most plans cover root canals as basic or major care and crowns as major care, usually at a lower rate. We'll confirm your plan's coverage and send a predetermination for crowns.
Most plans cover complete and partial dentures as major care, often with a limit on how often they're replaced. Relines and repairs are usually covered too.
Usually not. Whitening is cosmetic, so most plans don't pay for it. Your checkup and cleaning before whitening usually are covered.
You don't need to. We submit your Green Shield dental claim for you at your visit. You can then check it, and what your plan paid, in the GSC member website or app.
Yes. Green Shield Canada is often shortened to GSC or written as Greenshield. It's one company, and we bill all of its dental plans the same way.
GreenShield+ doesn't use policy numbers. GreenShield says that if a provider asks for one, you can use 9999. Your member ID is on the front of your card.
It depends on your plan. One unit is 15 minutes of scaling or root planing. We send an electronic estimate to confirm how many units you have before your appointment.
Different exam codes can share the same frequency limit, so an exam at another office may count. GreenShield recommends checking coverage first, and we do that before booking.
Possibly under a different benefit. GreenShield's Dental Accident benefit is part of extended health, separate from dental coverage. Check your booklet, or we can help you look.
Direct Billing
Ready to Use Your Green Shield Coverage?
Book a checkup, cleaning or treatment at our Mississauga dental clinic. Call us at 905-567-6891 and have your plan details handy.
- Green Shield plans accepted for new and existing patients
- Open 7 days, including evenings and Sundays
