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Your First Visit

Consultation

Appointments

We have devoted considerable time and effort to designing our scheduling system. Adequate time is reserved for each patient in order to perform the necessary procedures, answer questions and update treatment progress.

All of the children in our practice attend school and most of our adult patients work outside the home. Appointments are scheduled according to the patient's needs as determined by the treatment plan. As certain procedures are scheduled at specific times of the day, it will be necessary to schedule some appointments during school or working hours. Shorter appointments are scheduled in the afternoon. We make every effort to be on time for our patients and we ask that you extend the same courtesy to us. If you cannot keep an appointment, please notify us immediately. Reschedule only if it is an emergency. It is difficult to reschedule you since most appointments are made four to eight weeks in advance.

Missed appointments affect the entire office and overall treatment. Continually missed appointments will inevitably result in an extension of treatment time and additional fees for the patient.

Fees, Payments and Insurance

In an effort to keep orthodontic fees down while maintaining the highest level of professional care, we have established this financial policy:

• If payment in full is made at the time treatment begins, we will offer a fee discount.
• To fit your individual needs, financial arrangements can be made to extend your payments over a period of months.
• For your convenience, we accept VISA and MASTERCARD.
• In cases of serious delinquency, treatment will be discontinued, although we will make every effort to accommodate patients with temporary difficulties.

Insurance

Orthodontic insurance generally differs from regular dental insurance in that each insured individual on the policy usually has a lifetime maximum benefit for orthodontic services. This benefit is paid at some predetermined percentage of the orthodontic fee (records, initial down payment, monthly payments, etc.) until the maximum benefit has been reached. Charges for lost or broken appliances may not be covered by insurance. Any reimbursements from your insurance company are a benefit to you and do not reflect upon your financial obligation to this office. Please be aware that our primary financial relationship is with our patients or their parents and not with their respective insurance companies. Our professional services are rendered and charged directly to the patient and the patient or parent is responsible for payment of all fees incurred.

In order to obtain your benefits, you will need to provide us with your complete insurance information, which should be on your dental insurance card (or can be obtained through your employer's human resources department). When we receive this information from you, we will then be able to complete a predetermination of benefits (if requested) or an insurance claim, which includes information about the type of malocclusion, length of treatment time, and financial obligation. We will then submit your insurance claim to your insurance company. No other form should be necessary unless there is a change in your treatment that would change the cost. Your cancelled check or a cash payment receipt provided by our office should be adequate proof of payment of fees.

• Know what your benefits are before treatment starts. If you are not sure, contact your insurance company so that you will know exactly how much will be paid to you and when payment is expected. We will submit a pretreatment estimate for determination of benefits for you upon request.
• Payments are normally made by your insurance company to you. Your insurance company should reimburse you according to the terms of your contract with them. We cannot render services on the assumption that our charges will be paid by an insurance carrier.
• If your insurance company requires verification of continuing treatment, we will notify them for you. Please note that some insurance companies will also send verification of continuing treatment forms to you, which you must fill out and return to them right away or payments may be delayed. Please feel free to call us if you have any questions regarding these forms.
• Primary insurance only will be billed by our office. Secondary insurance billing will be the patient's responsibility.

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