Appointment Policies

Orthodontics is a process of gradual tooth movement. To achieve the intended results comfortably and efficiently, we require patients to visit our office on a regular basis to monitor their progress and make the necessary adjustments in gently guiding their teeth into their intended position. Utilizing the latest techniques and materials available in orthodontics allows us to "spread out" and reduce the number of appointments necessary.

Most people seeking orthodontic treatment have other important obligations during the day, usually involving work or school. When active orthodontic treatment begins, each patient is seen every 4-8 weeks, and some of these appointments may conflict with work or school schedules. We genuinely respect the personal time of our patients and families, and as a result, we have devoted considerable time and effort into designing our scheduling system. Our goal is to allow you to be seen on time for your appointment, perform all necessary scheduled treatments, and minimize interruptions to your busy schedule. As a result, late arrivals can pose a problem. In fairness to other patients, we may need to reschedule or alter the amount of work planned for an appointment if a patient does not arrive on time.

Please understand that emergencies and longer procedures such as the placement and removal of braces and appliances are scheduled during the morning or early afternoon hours. In this way, an entire afternoon is not committed to a few patients, but rather is scheduled to accommodate as many families as possible for after-school appointments. Some appointments are blissfully short. During your treatment, there will be times when the adjustments are completed quickly, though they may be quite technical. We have designed our treatment methods to minimize any inconvenience.

If you have a broken appliance or bracket, we ask that you inform our office at least 24 hours in advance of your scheduled appointment, so that we can adjust the time allotted for your appointment accordingly. Our schedule runs on a template that is geared toward completing specific procedures in the most efficient manner possible. Please note that we cannot guarantee that we will be able to accommodate such issues without advance notice.

Rescheduling:

With the hectic pace and evolving nature of our daily lives, we understand that you may need to cancel or reschedule an appointment. We kindly request that you give our office at least 24 hours notice when rescheduling an appointment, as we have set aside time to accommodate your specific treatment needs, so we may extend your appointment time to one of our other valuable patrons who may be in need of that particular time. Missed appointments or numerous changes will inevitably result in an extension of treatment time.

Our goal in rescheduling appointments is to keep your treatment progressing and on time. Waiting for a convenient after-school appointment time can delay treatment.