Our Policies

We are open to serve you, answer questions or schedule an appointment during the following hours:

Monday - Thursday: 7:45 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Friday: 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Responsibilities as a Patient

• Please brush, floss and use fluoride as instructed so your teeth and gums stay healthy.
• Please arrive early enough to allow time for brushing prior to your scheduled appointment time. We strive to adhere to a prompt schedule.
• Please keep your scheduled appointments so your treatment can progress without interruptions.
• Please wear all elastics and removable appliances as prescribed to help your teeth move.
• Please be careful with your braces. Broken/loose braces and/or bent wires slow down treatment.

Scheduling an Appointment

While we try to accommodate your schedule in setting appointments, please be aware that there are certain procedures which will require office visits between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Prime time (non-school hours) appointments are very popular. Unfortunately, we are not able to accommodate everyone during these desirable times.

As a general guide, you will likely have alternate prime and non-prime time appointments. On average, one can expect a non-prime time appointment for every other visit. This typically averages out to two per school year. Appointments are usually every 6-8 weeks; however, depending on your individual situation, appointments may be as soon as one week or as long as 10+ weeks.

Missed Appointments and Tardiness

The particular type (length) of an appointment is based on how much time is required by the orthodontist and assistant to perform the procedure that needs to be done. Our office strives to see all of our patients at their appointment times. If a patient is scheduled for a 3:00 appointment and does not arrive until 3:10 or later, it may be impossible to see them. We are often asked if we can squeeze someone in, but this does not work because a patient that is squeezed into the schedule will result in someone else waiting 15 – 30 minutes for their scheduled appointment.

If you think you are going to be late, give us a call and we will see what we can do. Should you miss a prime time appointment, it could be as long as six weeks before another prime time appointment will be available. You will need to be seen during a non-prime time appointment to keep treatment on track.

Hygiene/Cleaning Appointments

Our office will not be checking for cavities during the patient’s visits. This is why it is important to see your dentist every 4 – 6 months for cleaning and checkups. For optimal cleaning, the archwires should be removed. Cleaning appointments should be coordinated a minimum of 10 weeks in advance. An appointment to remove the archwires before the cleaning and an appointment after the cleaning to replace the archwires will need to be scheduled and coordinated with your dentist. Proper and timely coordination will allow for minimal confusion.

Emergencies

If you have an emergency, an appointment will be scheduled as quickly as possible during non-prime time hours. This emergency appointment will not include the procedures scheduled during your next appointment.

Broken/Loose Brackets and Wires

Broken appliances are a part of orthodontic treatment and should be expected occasionally. The average patient will break one or two brackets during their course of treatment. We understand and do not want you to get upset about it, but we do want you to know that broken appliances will result in a delay in treatment; approximately one month for every broken bracket.

As soon as you are aware of a broken/loose bracket or wire:

• Please call to inform us immediately (or tell a parent so they can call). Please be prepared with the exact location that needs repair, so we can determine how to best address the situation.
• Depending on the location and type of breakage, the appliance/bracket may not need to be repaired until the next scheduled appointment, or we may want to see you before the next appointment. There may be instances when the particular bracket that is off is not critical to treatment progress. In these instances, the bracket may not be repaired for several months.
• If we are not informed of a broken bracket prior to your appointment, we will not be adequately prepared to repair it and therefore we will not do so at that appointment. A non-prime time appointment will be scheduled for repair.

Being aware of the condition of your braces and taking the proper precautions can keep your treatment on track!

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