Your First Visit
Dr. Bassham and her staff look forward to meeting you at your first visit. This is your opportunity to get to know Dr. Bassham and discuss any areas of concern you may have about your teeth. Dr. Bassham will do a thorough exam of your mouth. Occasionally complimentary photographs and/or digital x-rays may be taken during this appointment if it will help diagnose and discuss your treatment. If you have a panoramic x-ray taken within the past year, please bring it to this appointment. At this appointment we do not have enough information to plan treatment in detail, but we will be able to discuss many of the questions with which you may be concerned, such as:- Is orthodontic treatment needed?
- If treatment is needed, when should it start? Would it be better to start now to help prevent further problems or would it be better to wait until the permanent teeth have erupted?
- If treatment is needed, what type of braces or appliances will be used?
- How long will treatment take?
- How much will treatment cost and what are my payment options?
If Dr. Bassham thinks orthodontic treatment is needed, additional diagnostic records will be taken at the next appointment to confirm the initial diagnosis and make a formal, detailed treatment plan. If time permits, sometimes the records can be taken that day.
Records Appointment
The records appointment is when a complete set of diagnostic records are taken (digital x-rays, photographs, impressions for study models). This appointment takes approximately 30 minutes. The diagnostic records will help Dr. Bassham formulate a thorough, custom treatment plan and make sure nothing was missed at the initial visit. The records also serve to show you the progress you are making during treatment.Regular Appointments
The appointment when you get your appliances (braces, expanders, etc.) usually takes from one to two hours. You will be seen at regular intervals 6 to 8 weeks apart for an adjustment, which takes 20 to 40 minutes. Our regular office hours are Monday - Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Patients are seen by appointment only. 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 6 to 8 weeks in advance, so we ask that you make every effort to keep your appointment, or call us well in advance so we can reschedule you as soon as possible. Most Appointments are short, approximately 20 to 40 minutes. During the school year only short appointments are scheduled after 3:00 to insure the maximum number of appointments. Long appointments are around 45 minuets or longer and are not scheduled after 3:00 during the school year. School excuses are issued if an appointment must be scheduled during the school year.Missed and Cancelled Appointments
We want to stress the importance of not missing an appointment. However we know things do come up, since we schedule in four to six week intervals we cannot guarantee immediate acceptance, we will work with you to find a new time as soon as possible.Please note: If your child feels sick or is contagious please call to reschedule.
Payment and Office Policies
CostThe initial consultation is complimentary. At that appointment, you or your child will be evaluated to see if orthodontic treatment is necessary. Costs for treatment vary widely. They depend on the severity of the problem and the length of the treatment. We will discuss fees and payment options at your initial visit. To fit your individual needs, we have payment plans that can extend your payments over a period of months. For your convenience we accept assignment from most insurance plans, and file the necessary papers to the insurance company. We also accept payment by most major credit cards and offer financing through Care Credit and Springstone. We work hard to make orthodontics affordable.
Fees
In an effort to keep orthodontic fees down while maintaining the highest level of professional care, we have established this financial policy:
- 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.)
- To fit your individual needs, financial arrangements can be made to extend your payments over a period of months.
- For your convenience, we accept payment by VISA, DISCOVER,and MASTERCARD.
- In cases of serious delinquency, treatment will be discontinued, although we will make every effort to accommodate patients with temporary difficulties.
If you have insurance, we will help you to determine the coverage you have available. Please provide us with your insurance information at your consultation appointment so we may provide you with an estimate of your insurance benefits. We accept assignment from most insurance carriers. Any balance not covered by these insurance carriers will be arranged for you to pay (see above). For insurance carriers we do not participate with, we will help in every way we can in filing your claim and handling insurance questions from our office on your behalf.
© 2008 Dr. Bassham D.D.S. Orthodontics