First Visit

Your First Orthodontist Visit

Every smile starts with a complimentary new patient screening exam!  Your screening exam will give you the opportunity to meet our friendly team, obtain a preliminary clinical assessment and potential treatment options from Dr. Marshall and preliminary financial estimates for any orthodontic treatment recommendations.  Treatment timing is extremely important.  You or your child may not be ready for treatment yet.  In some situations, there’s only a small window of opportunity in a child’s development to do certain orthodontic treatments.  The American Association of Orthodontists recommends a child’s first orthodontic screening visit to be done by the time the child is 7 years old.

Please contact us to setup your free exam today!

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 recommended?
  • How long will treatment take?
  • How much will the treatment cost?

What To Expect

Upon your arrival at Marshall Orthodontics, please notify our receptionist. We can’t wait to welcome you to our office!

PREPARING FOR YOUR FIRST VISIT

  • If you did not fill out the online form prior to your visit, please bring a list of medications you are taking, your dentist’s names and contact information.
  • It will be helpful, if you can bring any recent x-rays (if available) from your dentist.
  • If you have dental insurance but have not provided us with that information yet, please bring the information with you.  This is necessary for us to verifying your orthodontic benefit information.

AT YOUR FIRST VISIT

At your free orthodontic exam, Dr. Marshall will review your medical & dental histories, conduct a thorough clinical orthodontic exam, and discuss preliminary treatment recommendations, if any.  If Dr. Marshall determines that your child does not need orthodontic treatment at this time, she will monitor your child with recall examinations.  One of our team members will review preliminary treatment cost estimates & financial options, if applicable.

AFTER YOUR FIRST VISIT

If Dr. Marshall recommends orthodontic treatment at this time, or if she needs complete diagnostic records before making that decision, we will schedule you in for a records appointment and a treatment consultation appointment.  If time allows, these diagnostic records can be taken at the initial visit.

DIAGNOSTIC RECORDS APPOINTMENT

The records appointment typically consists of:

  • Orthodontic x-rays (panoramic radiograph and cephalometric radiograph)
  • Orthodontic photographs of the teeth and face
  • Digital scanning or taking impressions – to make study models

The above information obtained will allow Dr. Marshall to do a thorough analysis of your teeth, jaws and face and finalize your customized treatment plan options to fit your individual needs.  Rarely, she may need to order a CBCT at an imaging center to get a 3D xray image of an area of concern.

TREATMENT CONSULTATION

We will review major diagnostic findings and treatment options.  You will have an opportunity to ask us any questions about the proposed treatment options and any other questions you may have.  We will review and setup financial arrangements for you.  It is important to have every person involved in the patient’s decision making process (financial decision making and treatment decision making) to be present at the treatment consultation appointment (for example, significant other, both parents, etc.).

STARTING ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT

When you are ready to proceed with your orthodontic treatment, we can get started.  You will need to be up to date with your dental exam & cleaning and your dentist will need to make sure that you are free of any cavities and periodontal disease (gum & bone disease).

ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE VISITS?

Please contact us, if you have any questions about the process.

 

What is the Cost of the Treatment?

The cost of treatment depends upon the severity of the patient’s problem. Our team will discuss fees and payment options, during the initial exam, if treatment is recommended. We have different payment plans to suit your budget and accept assignment from most insurance plans. We work hard to make orthodontics affordable.

What Does my Investment Include?

Your investment includes:

  • Orthodontic records, which consists of x-rays, study models and a personalized growth study workup to determine your treatment objectives.
  • Active treatment fee for both early treatment options and complete comprehensive treatment with braces or Invisalign includes all appliances, office visits, and procedures performed in the office. Appliances are durable and should last through the entire treatment period 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 for our comprehensive (Phase II) patients is provided upon completion of treatment. There is a replacement fee for each additional retainer that is lost or broken.

What Doesn’t my Investment Include?

  • Work performed at other dental offices outside our orthodontic practice, such as:
    • Extractions
    • Cleanings
    • Dental work (fillings, crowns, bridges, implants, veneers, esthetic bondings, etc.)
    • Placement of TADs (temporary anchorage devices)
    • Most surgical teeth exposures
  • If an accident or injury occurs during treatment or a situation arises in which significant changes need to be made to the orthodontic treatment plan, a fee adjustment may be required to complete treatment under these unusual circumstances.
  • Additional retainers needed for the rest of your life.

Insurance Plans

We accept assignment of benefits for most insurance plans. By doing this, the family’s out-of-pocket expense is substantially lower. If we do not accept assignment of benefits from your plan, we will be happy to file claims so that the insured can be reimbursed directly. Should there be any change in your insurance policy prior to full payment of the insurance benefit, please contact our office immediately so adjustments may be made to your contract.

Office Hours

It is our goal to see you, on time, for your appointment. Time is scheduled to complete the necessary procedure, give information about the treatment and answer any questions you may have. In order for us to maintain a schedule that runs in a timely manner, we request that patients arrive on time to avoid delays, as the day progresses. Your cooperation and consideration with appointments is greatly appreciated by our office and the patients that are seen after your appointment.

Although we would like to accommodate every patient’s schedule for every appointment, it is not possible to do.  So, we have scheduling policies in place to be able to accommodate the most number of patients.  This means that we have many shorter appointments (which are usually your most frequent type of appointment) available in the afternoon, but that some types of appointments, usually the long appointments, will only be available on a weekday morning.