First Visit

What To Expect

We are really looking forward to meeting you!

Upon scheduling your free, no-obligation consultation visit, you will receive an e-mail from our office containing a link to our secure patient portal. Here, you will be asked to provide additional information about yourself or your child to help us better prepare for your first visit. Please make sure that you complete this information at least 24 hours prior to your scheduled appointment. This is crucial to the quality of care that we provide to our patients and is particularly important if you have orthodontic insurance which might be applied. We want to be fully prepared for your first visit!

Upon your arrival at Georgetown Orthodontics, please check in at the front desk with our office manager, Brandi. She will assist you in taking a complimentary panoramic x-ray and Dr. Bruce Bentley will conduct a thorough clinical orthodontic examination and explain all aspects of treatment, himself.

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

What’s Next?

If orthodontic treatment is indicated at this time, we will put together a comprehensive treatment plan that will include the estimated time in treatment as well as all of the associated costs.  We never pressure our patients into starting treatment right away, so you have plenty of time to review your options and begin treatment at your own pace. When you are ready to begin, we will take a look at the schedule and reserve a two-hour appointment to take your diagnostic records and put your braces on.

What are Diagnostic Records?

  • Study models of your teeth.
  • Panoramic and cephalogram radiographs and tracings.
  • Full face and intraoral photographs

What is the Cost of the Treatment?

The cost of treatment depends upon the severity of the patient’s problem. Brandi will discuss fees and payment options with you 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.
  • Your treatment plan 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 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.
  • If an accident or injury occurs during treatment which results in TMJ (Temporo-Mandibular-Joint) complications, additional orthodontics, orthognathic surgery, etc, a fee adjustment may be required to complete treatment under these unusual circumstances.

Assignment of Benefits

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. Please be aware that insurance policies pay your max benefit allowance over the extended time in which the patient is in treatment. This means that we will not receive full payment from your insurance policy until treatment is completed. If your initial insurance policy is canceled there is no guarantee that the new insurance policy will continue payment, as each policy is different. Any unpaid insurance benefit automatically defaults back to the billing party’s responsibility. Should there be any change in your policy prior to full payment of the insurance benefit, please contact our office immediately so adjustments may be made to your contract.

Office Hours

Our normal office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00am-5:00pm, though these days and times are always subject to change due to holidays, inclement weather, continuing education requirements, or unforeseen circumstances.  It is always our goal to see you on time for your appointment. We schedule one patient at a time and are typically ready for you when you walk through the door. 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. If you anticipate being late to your appointment, please call the office so that we can make sure that we have enough time on the schedule to accommodate the change. Your cooperation and consideration with appointments is greatly appreciated by our office and the patients that are seen after your appointment.