Office Policies
Your First Visit
At the first visit to the orthodontist, diagnostic records are made to determine the best course of treatment. Complete diagnostic records typically include a medical/dental history, clinical examination; digital study models of the teeth without using goopy impressions, photos of the patient’s face and teeth, and digital X-rays. This information is used to develop a custom treatment plan for each patient. These records are also helpful in tracking the progress of treatment as the teeth move under orthodontic care.
Consultation
After the doctor has evaluated your records, we discuss your treatment with you in detail, including the cost for your particular case.
We will find out any insurance you may have and create an easy payment plan to help get you started.
We make every effort to be on time for our patients and ask that you extend the same courtesy to us. If you cannot keep an appointment, please notify us immediately. Cancel only if it is an emergency. It is difficult to reschedule you since most appointments are made 4 to 8 weeks in advance.
We do not charge a fee to meet with the patient and evaluate their orthodontic needs. If the patient chooses to take the next step, we will take digital x-rays, photographs and diagnostic study models and create a complete proposal for the diagnosis and treatment options.
Most orthodontic practices assign an arbitrary amount to the treatment fee. Our treatment fees are based upon the anticipated treatment time, the complexity of the required treatment, and the types of braces used.
Once the treatment plan (and insurance benefits, if available) are determined, we can arrange a comfortable down payment/monthly payment plan, If full payment is made at the onset of treatment, we will offer a fee discount. (If you have insurance, we will offer a discount for payment of your portion of the fee that will not be covered by insurance). We are happy to give family discounts when an additional family member begins treatment. For your convenience, we can also use an automatic credit card debit plan, if you prefer. We accept payment by VISA, MASTERCARD, DISCOVER and AMERICAN EXPRESS. To fit your individual needs, financial arrangements can be made to extend your payments over a period of months. We will try to make the payment part of the treatment as easy for you as possible. In cases of serious delinquency, treatment will be discontinued, although we will make every effort to accommodate patients with temporary difficulties.