Your First Visit
Your initial visit to our office is an opportunity to get to know you! We will take a medical/dental history and either Dr. Loucks or Dr. Buren will do a clinical examination. If your initial appointment is in our Newton office we will also take digital photographs of your face and teeth. The doctor will determine if there are any conditions that orthodontics can address and whether the patient is ready to begin treatment. Sometimes the doctors will advise that treatment be delayed until appropriate growth, tooth eruption, etc., have occurred and you will be placed on "recall." This means that you will return to our office periodically so that the doctors can follow your development and begin treatment at the appropriate time.
If treatment is indicated or more information is needed, the next step is to take diagnostic records. For patients coming to our Newton office for their 1st appointment, we can take records at this same visit. For patients who choose to visit our Grinnell location, a separate records appointment will be scheduled in the Newton office. Complete diagnostic records include digital photographs of the face and teeth, 2 orthodontic x-rays and plaster study models of the teeth. The doctors use this information to develop a custom treatment plan for each patient. These records are also helpful in tracking the progress of treatment as the teeth move under orthodontic care.
Consultation
After Dr. Loucks and Dr. Buren have evaluated your records, they will discuss your treatment with you in detail including information about specific treatment procedures, length of treatment, cost of treatment and payment options.
Regular Appointments
We have put much effort into designing our scheduling system to allow you to be seen on time for your appointment and do all necessary scheduled treatment. This makes appointments as stress free as possible for you and minimizes interruptions to your busy schedule. Please understand that your longer appointments, such as initial bracket placement, Invisalign impressions, repair of broken or lost appliances and removal of braces, will be scheduled between 8:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Once appliances are placed, you will see us at regular intervals 4 to 8 weeks apart for adjustments, which take 20 to 40 minutes. After school appointments are reserved for these shorter procedures so that children will miss less class time. While we are happy to work with you in accommodating your scheduling needs, please remember that "Prime Time" appointments are in high demand, and flexibility is greatly appreciated.
Patients are seen by appointment only. If you are late or very early for an appointment, you may have to wait until regularly scheduled patients are finished before we are able to see you. We make every effort to respect our patients' schedules and ask that you extend the same courtesy to us and our other patients. If you cannot keep an appointment, please notify us immediately. Please cancel only if you are too ill to attend work/school, or if it is an emergency--it is sometimes difficult to reschedule you since most appointments are made 4 to 8 weeks in advance. Numerous missed or cancelled appointments will have a negative affect on how quickly your treatment progresses. For your convenience we also offer email reminders sent the week before your scheduled appointment.
Payment & Office Policies
We strive to provide you with affordable, high-quality treatment. The cost of treatment depends on the severity of the patient's problem and the particular type of treatment needed. You will be able to discuss fees and payment options before treatment begins. Our treatment fees are all-inclusive and cover your diagnostic records, your appliances, all of your treatment visits, your initial set of retainers and 3 years of retention evaluations after your appliances have been removed.
We have several payment options to meet the needs of our patients and have established the following financial policy:
- We offer a fee discount if payment is made in full at the onset of treatment.
- We are happy to finance a no-interest plan that extends your payments over a period of months utilizing an automatic banking withdrawl.
- For your convenience, we accept payment by VISA and MASTERCARD.
- We are happy to work with you in utilizing Flex/Health Savings Accounts.
Please note that we designate one "responsible party" for each patient. We are happy to file claims on more than one insurance benefit, however only one personal account is created by our office and one party ultimately responsible to us for the cost of treatment.
Insurance
If you have insurance, we will help you to determine the coverage you have available. Orthodontic benefits are not the same as your general dental benefits. Your dental plan may offer orthodontic coverage, but have eligibility requirements pertaining to patient age, waiting periods or non-duplication of benefits. There is usually a lifetime maximum benefit, however some benefits renew yearly. Orthodontic benefits are rarely paid in one payment. Usually partial payments are issued throughout the length of treatment. As a courtesy, we will be happy to complete and file insurance forms relative to your treatment. However, our professional services are rendered to you, not the insurance company. If coverage is lost before the entire benefit is paid or insurance does not pay the full estimated value, the patient is ultimately responsible for all treatment fees.
