Exceptional Orthodontic Care for Your Best Smile

This was the number one in our survey, and it should be. Make sure you are going to an orthodontic specialist. An orthodontic specialist is a dentist who has gone through two to three years of extra training after dental school. They receive their Master of Science in orthodontics. In the United States, an excellent source to find an orthodontist in your area is by searching the American Association of Orthodontists’ website (Click Here).

Most orthodontic offices offer many ways to pay for treatment, such as credit cards, third-party credit, in-house payment plans, and pay-as-you-go. Some offer a discount if the fee is paid in full at the beginning of treatment. Most patients/parents opt to use an in-house payment plan where the cost of treatment is spread out over several months. An office that is flexible with its fee schedule of payments, like a low beginning down payment, will see an increase in acceptance in starting treatment. Some offices are very strict with their in-house fee schedule. You won’t know what they offer until you ask.

You can ask your orthodontist or a staff member over the phone how long the doctor has been in practice. It is true that the skill sets of diagnosing and perfecting treatment are mastered over time. In a multi-group practice, where there is more than one orthodontist at that location, you may need to ask if you are going to see the same doctor throughout treatment. Continuity of care can suffer if you see different doctors throughout treatment.

I had a parent state to me that they don’t do business with people who don’t look them in the eye. Communication is essential in the process of providing orthodontic treatment. There should be a consultation at the beginning of treatment and progress reports throughout the treatment process. The orthodontist has to get Informed Consent from the patient or legal guardian. Informed Consent is when an orthodontist explains the treatment in layman’s terms so the patient can decide to consent to treatment or decline. We have to give all aspects and outcomes of treatment so that the patient can make an informed decision.

This is a big factor for a lot of parents. Most orthodontists have multiple office locations for this reason. The orthodontist usually place their office next to large suburbs so that the drive will not be far for their parents.

It is true that the staff takes on the personality of the orthodontist. If the orthodontist is smug, uppity, and looks down on people, the staff will think this is acceptable and will do the same. Most orthodontic staff are very extroverted and pleasant to be around.

Coming in at #7 is referrals from friends and co-workers. Potential consumers of orthodontic treatment look at all factors and sometimes rely on experiences people have at their orthodontic offices. This is important because the treatment usually lasts for a long period of time.

Find out what times the office is open. This can change during the year and most offices are closed on a Monday, Wednesday or Friday. They usually work four days a week. Some offices open early or have evening hours. If the office is not a main office and is a satellite office, it may have a very limited time that it is open, maybe just one day a week.

How the office looks can be a factor is choosing an orthodontist. Most orthodontic offices are very well kept and modern. Over time, an orthodontist who has been in practice for a number of years can allow the office to become dated as certain color schemes go out of style.

I thought it would be high on the list, but it came in dead last, and I am surprised. Many times, when I am at a ball field, I look at the billboard ads placed along the fence to see who is active in the community. At community plays, I look at the sponsors in the program. I looked at who the business partners were with the local schools. I believe a lot of good can be said for any orthodontist or business that is involved in their community and supports it. In turn, I support them.