Office Policies
I. Appointments
Our practice is committed to excellence in orthodontics and we want you/your child to feel that they are getting the individualized attention they deserve at each and every appointment. In order to ensure quality orthodontic care, it is imperative that both parents and patients understand the manner in which we schedule your appointments. We make it a top priority to value both you and your time. That’s why we make every effort to stay on schedule. Because we know most parents work and children attend school; inconveniencing your work schedule and interrupting your child’s studies as infrequently as possible is very important to our office.
Over the course of treatment, most of your visits to our office will be for short appointments (approximately 30 minutes). By seeing our long-visit (any appointment longer than 30 minutes) patients during school hours, it creates more room in our schedule to accommodate the majority of our patients during after school hours.
BEING ON TIME FOR APPOINTMENTS: This is crucial to the quality of care that we are able to provide our patients. We make every effort to stay on time in our office and need your help as well in this matter.
Please try to arrive several minutes EARLY for your scheduled appointment. We run a busy practice which RUNS ON SCHEDULE! Your punctuality is greatly appreciated. If you are more than 10 minutes late for your appointment, you may have to reschedule your appointment. We will try to do everything we can to see you that day, but it may not be possible. Please call us if you are running late — we thank you!
LONG APPOINTMENTS (30 minutes or longer); These are more technically sensitive appointments; therefore, these appointments will be schedule during our quieter morning or early afternoon hours. We will supply a school excuse note for your child to bring back to school.
EMERGENCIES: (Pain, swelling, or bleeding) This usually results from trauma to the face or mouth. These patients will be see as soon as possible and appropriate care given or referred to another specialist for treatment. REPAIRS/REPLACEMENT APPLIANCES: (Loose bands/brackets, broken archwires or ties/broken appliances or retainers) Repair appointments and impressions for replacement appliances (retainers etc.) are ONLY scheduled between 9 am and 12 pm.
Please call ahead to inform the scheduling coordinators if the patient has a sharp/pokey wire. We accommodate a “Clip Wire” appointment as soon as possible.
Late Policy
We may have to schedule your appointment for another day if you are 10 or more minutes late for your scheduled appointment. Missed appointments that have to be rescheduled will be scheduled between 9 AM and 2 PM.
Failed Appointments Policy
MISSED OR RESCHEDULED APPOINTMENTS: Missed appointments often lead to extended treatment time and/or compromised results. After 1 failed appointments, each additional failed appointment will result in a $100 fee automatically applied to your account. Any appointment that needs to be rescheduled because of a failed appointment will be scheduled between 9:00 AM- 2:00 PM. We require 24 hour notice for reschedule/cancel appointments, any appointment rescheduled under 24 hours will result in a automatic $100 fee.