Great Smiles Happen Here!

What to Expect as a New Patient

First, the separators or "spacers" are placed between your upper and lower back molars.  They will make room for the rings to go around your molars that will act as the "anchors" for the orthodontic system.  This procedure is quick and doesn't hurt and can be done the day of your initial consultation.

Then, one day, or one week later will be the Records and Banding Appointment which is always a morning appointment.  The first segment of the appointment is the Records portion and takes about 30 minutes.  First, we take photos of your teeth, bite, face and profile.  We may also take impressions of your upper and lower teeth to make a plaster "study model" or "before mode" .   Secondly we take x-rays or your skeletal profile structure.  Another x-ray we take is called a Panorex if not already done at an earlier appointment.  The panorex allows Dr. McCombs to view all of your teeth including teeth that have not emerged.

The second part of this appointment will last about 90 minutes and is called the Banding portion; this is where Dr. McCombs will actually place your braces.  First, we fit the necessary molar bands.  If an expander will be used, an upper impression will be taken.  Dr. McCombs then cements the bands to the back molars.   Then we will prepare the remaining teeth to be bonded and place the breaces.  We use a flourescent light to cure the glue and set the braces.  Arch wires are then placed on the braces and you can choose plain or bright colors for your braces.

Lastly, a special hygience kit will be presented and thouroughly explained.  We will review foods to avoid and show your proper brushing techniques.  We will ask you to schedule an appointment 4-8 weeks out for your next adujustment appointment, or 1-2 weeks out if you will be getting an expander.

Treatment is All-Inclusive

At McCombs Orthodontics the treatment fee is all-inclusive without any hidden costs.  The treatment fee includes:

• Diagnositc Records
• All Braces and Appliances
• Adjustments
  
• Office Visits, including emergency visits
  
• Removal of the Braces
  
• One Set of Retainers
  
• Retainer Observation

Scheduling Appointments

Most people seeking orthodontic treatment have important obligations during the day.  We realize taking time off from wor or having a child miss time from school is a great concern for the majority of our patients and parents.  Adjusting braces at regular intervals is necessary to insure progress towards our mutual goal - a great smiles and healthy teeth.  Missed appointments will slow down treatment progress resulting in a longer time in braces.

Braces can be damaged during normal function, but many times the damage is due to misuse.  Playing with braces, eating the wrong foods and poor home care can all delay treatment and compromise the results.  We try to accommodate repairs in our schedule at the time they are found, but patients may gave to miss school to have repairs done.

There are two "morning only" appointments that are standard in our office.  They are: placing the braces at teh original banding appointment and removing the braces.

It is our desire to accommodate our patients' schedules as much as possible.  We appreciate your consideration with the appointment schedule.

Insurance

Please understand that your orthodontic coverage involves a contract between you and your insurance company or union.  Therefore, our primary financial relationship is with our patients or their families and not with the insurance company.  Orthodontic coverage differs from regular dental insurance in that each insured individual usually has a lifetime maximum has been reached .  charges for lost or broken appliances (including retainers) are usually not covered.  At your request we would be happy to provide your with a completed claim form so that you can submit it with your insurance company for reimbursement.  If your employer has a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) or cafeteria plan, you may want to take advantage of it for you your orthodontic needs.  Read more about Orthodontic Insurance Here (word document).

Sterilization Techniques

Routine orthodontic treatment does not ordinarily include invasive procedues, which means there are no needle injections.  However, knowing that the universal precautions for infection control are being followed should reassure you the Dr. McCombs and his orhtodontic team have your health and safety in mind at all times.  For this reason, we protect our patients against avoidable health risks by untilizing the best safety and sterilation methods available.  In out office the following methods are in use for infectious disease control:

• Ultra Sonic cleaning of insturments to cleanse instrument surfaces more thouroughly and more efficiently than by hand.
• After the instruments have been cleaned, they are steralized by one of the following three methods.  These methods kill the microscopic organizms capable of causing diseases: 1) Heat Sterilazation - prolonged dry heat at very high temperatures   2) Autoclave sterilazation - steam under high pressure   3) EPA-registered liquid chemical immersion in chemical sterialnts.
• We supply individually wrapped disposable toothbrushes for our patients
• Gloves are worn for all patient treatment procedures and are cahnged for each patient then thrown away
• Puncture resistant containers are used to dispose of all sharp items.