First Visit
What To Expect
Upon your arrival at Cruikshank & Weber Orthodontics, our staff will treat you like family as they welcome you to our office. Once you're settled in, we’ll take digital photographs and a complimentary digital panoramic X-ray, if indicated. Dr. Cruikshank or Dr. Weber will then complete a thorough clinical orthodontic examination.
The purpose of the initial examination is to answer:
- What sort of problem is present, if any?
- When is the proper time to begin treatment?
- What type of treatment is indicated?
- How long will treatment take?
- How much will the treatment cost?
What’s Next?
If orthodontic treatment is indicated, an appointment for additional Diagnostic Records is scheduled. If time allows, these diagnostic records can be made on the same day.
What are Diagnostic Records?
- 3D scan of your teeth to create your virtual bite
- Digital photographs of your teeth and face
- Panoramic and lateral X-rays
- Review of diagnostic records to allow the doctors to formalize your treatment plan
What is the cost of the treatment?
The cost of treatment depends on the severity of the patient’s needs. If treatment is required, the treatment coordinator will discuss fees and payment options during the initial exam. We offer different payment plan options to suit your budget and accept assignments from most insurance plans. We work hard to make orthodontics affordable.
What does my investment include?
Unlike visiting your dentist or physician, where charges are a la carte, orthodontics is typically charged as a single fee for the entire process from start to finish. Whether your treatment includes braces or aligners, the cost includes all appliances, office visits, and procedures performed in the office. Appliances are durable and should last throughout the treatment if the patient follows instructions. If appliances require replacement due to loss, breakage, misuse, or failure to eliminate foods that cause damage, we reserve the right to charge an additional replacement fee.
One set of final retainers is provided upon completion of treatment. There is a replacement fee for each additional lost or broken retainer. We follow our patients in retention after removing braces, which is included in the initial fee.
What doesn’t my investment include?
- Work performed at other dental offices outside our orthodontic practice.
- If an accident or injury occurs during treatment, which results in TMJ (Temporo-Mandibular-Joint) complications, additional orthodontics, orthognathic surgery, etc, a fee adjustment may be required to complete treatment under these unusual circumstances.
Insurance
We work directly with your insurance company and bill them directly. This is called “accepting assignment of benefits.” We do this for most insurance plans, working with you and your carrier whenever possible. By doing this, the family’s out-of-pocket expense is reduced. We are also happy to help you complete insurance forms for direct reimbursement. Should there be any change in your policy before full payment of the insurance benefit, please get in touch with our office immediately so adjustments may be made to your contract.
Appointment Time
We understand your time is essential, and our goal is to see you on time for your appointments. Time is scheduled to complete necessary orthodontic procedures, communicate information about treatment, and answer questions. For us to run on time, we request that patients arrive at or before their scheduled time to avoid delays as the day progresses. Our office and the patients who are seen after your appointment greatly appreciate your cooperation and consideration. Sometimes, procedures or questions run a bit longer than expected. We try to work with you to minimize inconveniences and remain respectful of your time.
Frequently Asked Questions about Your First Visit
As a rule of thumb, we like to evaluate young patients after the 6-year molars erupt and the front permanent teeth just start to appear. This is usually around age 7.
In order to have early and late appointments available for the majority of patients, some procedures need to be accomplished during the hours of 9 and 3. We will do our best to work with your schedules and accommodate your family needs.
No. As a courtesy to you and your family dentist, we will always discuss the feasibility of braces or teeth straightening without charging a fee.
While a majority of our patients are children and adolescents, approximately 1/3 of our patients are adults.
Yes, our contact information for an emergency is posted on the website as well as the phone answering machine.
Yes! We look forward to meeting you and will communicate with your original orthodontist prior to your visit.
The first visit can last anywhere between 30 minutes and 1 hour depending on how ready the patient is for treatment. We may simply start with a visual exam and explain our findings or we may suggest diagnostic records including photographs, one or more digital X-rays, and an intraoral scan of the teeth and bite.
An orthodontist must first become a general dentist. Following dental training, an orthodontist completes over 2 years of full-time training in orthodontics resulting in a nationally accepted specialty certificate. As an orthodontic specialist, these doctors limit their practice to straightening teeth and dentofacial orthopedics.
The purpose of early evaluation is to inform and observe, more than to start treatment. At this early age, eventual needs may be identified and discussed. A small percentage of this young group may need some form of intervention. More often than not, we can place our younger patients on observation and see them back every 6 months. This allows us to continually evaluate for future orthodontic needs and to get to know our patients and their families.