Welcome to Our Office. Please download our new patient form to make your first visit run more smoothly. Print it out on your printer, fill it out, and bring it to our office at your first visit. At your initial visit with us, cwe will perform a thorough evaluation of you or your child's orthodontic needs. We may take a panoramic X-ray and photos of the teeth and face to help us in this evaluation. There will be no charge for this initial consultation. You will receive a complete assessment of you or your child's orthodontic needs. Treatment options and fees will also be presented. We offer a no down payment program, on approved credit, to assist you in getting the orthodontic care needed. We do value your time and if you are ready to get started the same day as you consultation, just let our staff know and we can be sure to have the time available for you or your child. At your next appointment, you or your child would be ready to start orthodontic treatment. This appointment would last anywhere from 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours, depending on the treatment best suited for you or your child. There may be an additional appointment or two if you or child needs to have an appliance placed. At this appointment, we discuss thoroughly how to care for your braces or appliance and teeth, as well as what foods to avoid or watch. We will take time to listen, and explain everything to you and your family. Successive Visits From this point onward, you will have appointments every five to ten weeks. We do our best to schedule patients after school. However, depending on the procedure for that visit, you may have several appointments during the course of your treatment that are in the morning or during school hours. It is important to your orthodontic care that you keep appointments, follow instructions, and practice good oral hygiene and proper nutrition. It is also very important that you continue to get regular cleanings with your general dentist. Once your braces are removed, retainers are utilized to hold your teeth in their new positions until your bone, gums and muscles adapt to the new teeth positions. The retention period is an important part of your overall treatment and should not be neglected! Length of Treatment Length of treatment is determined on a patient by patient basis. It depends on the age of the patient, the severity of the problem, the patient's cooperation and the degree of correction needed. In general, treatment can be anywhere from 6 – 30 months and in rare cases possibly more. Dental Care Before any orthodontic treatment, your family dentist should make certain that all cavities have been treated and the health of your gums and the underlying bone are free of periodontal (gum) disease. Your family dentist should also schedule cleaning and cavity checkup visits during your orthodontic care. We would like to reinforce the need to keep your regular visits with your family dentist because we are only an aid to your family dentist and not a replacement. Due to the importance of keeping your teeth clean while in orthodontic treatment we often encourage our patients to see the dentist more frequently than normal. Please contact our office if you have any questions. The timing of your treatment is very important. You or your child may or may not be ready for treatment. Therefore, a consultation will allow us to better understand your needs.