Office Policies

I. Appointments

Our practice is committed to excellence in orthodontics and we want you/your child to feel that they are getting the individualized attention they deserve at each and every appointment. In order to ensure quality orthodontic care, it is imperative that both parents and patients understand the manner in which we schedule your appointments. Our goal is to be the best part of your day. We make it a top priority to value both you and your time. That’s why we make every effort to stay on schedule. Because we know most parents work and children attend school; inconveniencing your work schedule and interrupting your child’s studies as infrequently as possible is very important to our office.

Over the course of treatment, most of your visits to our office will be for short appointments (approximately 30 minutes). By seeing our long-visit (any appointment longer than 30 minutes) patients during school hours, it creates more room in our schedule to accommodate the majority of our patients during after school hours.

BEING ON TIME FOR APPOINTMENTS: This is crucial to the quality of care that we are able to provide our patients. We make every effort to stay on time in our office and need your help as well in this matter. If you arrive late for your appointment, you may be required to reschedule.

LONG APPOINTMENTS, (Getting braces or other appliances, Removing braces, etc.): These
are more technically sensitive appointments; therefore, these appointments will be schedule during our quieter morning or early afternoon hours.

EMERGENCIES: (Pain, swelling, or bleeding) This usually results from trauma to the face or mouth. These patients will be see as soon as possible and appropriate care given or referred to another specialist for treatment.

REPAIRS/REPLACEMENT APPLIANCES: (Loose bands/brackets, broken archwires or ties/broken appliances or retainers) Repair appointments and impressions for replacement appliances (retainers etc.) are ONLY scheduled between 9 am and 12 pm.

MISSED OR RESCHEDULED APPOINTMENTS: Missed or late appointments often lead to extended
treatment time and/or compromised results. Please call to inform us as soon as possible if you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment. Another appointment will be scheduled but may require waiting as long as 7 weeks for an afternoon appointment. An appointment during school hours may be arranged sooner. Appointments not cancelled within 24 hours may be charged a missed appointment fee of $35.

Please call ahead to inform the scheduling coordinators if the patient has a sharp/pokey wire. We accommodate a “Clip Wire” appointment as soon as possible.

II. Compliance

General dental care and check-ups are the responsibility of the patient and your regular family dentist. We advise patients to see their general dentist every three to six (3-6) months during active orthodontic treatment. In the event that you have changed dentists or there has been a change in medical history, please notify our office as soon as possible.

Successful treatment is dependent on many factors including proper oral hygiene, taking care of appliances to avoid breakage, and patient cooperation in elastic wear or adjunctive appliances (elastic, headgear, bite plates, etc.).

In addition to impeding the the achievement of an ideal result and extending treatment time, poor compliance can lead to permanent, irreversible damage of the dentition and surrounding tissues. If it is determined that it is in the best interest of the patient to discontinue treatment due to a history of poor compliance,  appliances may be removed before all treatment goals are accomplished.

III. Treatment Time

Your initial treatment time estimate is not an exact prediction. It is difficult to guess how fast or slow teeth will move because everyone’s teeth and bone biology are different. Please allow your orthodontist to take his or her time finishing your teeth as perfect as possible. Rushing the process can cause slower movements, unnecessary pain, sloppy final results, and increased risk for post-treatment relapse and permanent damage to your teeth or surrounding tissues.

IV. Family Care Program

When a patient becomes a part of our practice, we feel a responsibility to the entire family. We provide a free orthodontic examination for everyone in the family. We see patients at all ages and prefer to do an initial exam at age 7 when the permanent teeth are starting to erupt. Early treatment can often minimize future orthodontic problems and maximize our treatment results. Even Mom and Dad may have problems that they are concerned about that may not have been addressed at an earlier age or are a result of that awful hassle called relapse. There is no obligation on your part to have treatment; it is just our way to let you know that we care about all your smiles. If we can be of service to any other member of the family, please call (410)630-8189 to make an exam appointment. Please feel free to discuss anything concerning treatment at any time with our office. We want our relationship to be a long and happy one, however, we cannot do this without your help and cooperation. Please work with us to achieve the best results possible for you and/or your child. We appreciate your understanding and welcome any ideas or feedback you may have.