Welcome
Welcome to taking the first step to a truly healthy and beautiful smile. Initially, you may feel like your braces “stick-out”, but soon you’ll start to smile just like you would without them. It will all be worth it in the end to experience the changes in your smile and appearance. On that you have our promise.
Braces: YOUR NEW SMILE
Our Scheduling Goals
We know you’re busy and we value your time.
Here at Align Orthodontics, we have put tremendous effort into designing a scheduling system that will accomplish the following goals:
- Maintaining an on-time schedule
- Minimizing your wait time
- Ensuring you leave our office on time
- Minimizing the number of appointments needed to complete your treatment
The more notice you give us, the more likely it is we can offer you a new appointment that meets your scheduling needs. Please be as flexible as possible when re-scheduling any appointments. The time of day available on short notice may not be as convenient to you as the originally scheduled appointment. Prompt rescheduling of cancelled or missed appointments will allow treatment to progress in a timely manner.
Our schedule has been carefully planned, so we appreciate that you contact us if you are going to be late. It may be necessary to have you wait for another available appointment that day or to reschedule.
Please call our office prior to your appointment if you have loose or broken appliances or brackets, as your appointment may need to be lengthened or changed to accommodate the repair.
Our automated communication system delivers custom appointment reminders to our patients including name, date, and time of appointment. Reminders can be selected as text or email based on your personal preferences.
Our online Patient Portal allows patients and their families online access to their appointment and account information at any time.
The service we provide our patients and parents is extremely important to us; if you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to give us a call.
Treatment Planning
This is an essential component in order to finalize your diagnosis and treatment plan.
Please contact us at any point if you have questions.
Services Performed
- Radiographs (X-rays): Jaw and skull
- Photographs: Face and teeth
- Impressions (models): Upper and lower teeth
- iTero scan
- Custom analysis
- Personalized treatment planning
- Phone or in-office consultation
- Case presentation
LIVING WITH BRACES
Experiences
While some patients report no discomfort, most have some soreness, which resolves within about a week.
- Adapt to a softer diet for 1-3 days after each adjustment
- Use the wax provided to avoid cheek, tongue and lip irritation
- Use Advil or Tylenol if needed
Your braces are an important step on your road to a new smile, and it’s essential that you take care of them. Here are some steps you should take:
- Avoid eating hard, crunchy and sticky foods that will bend wires and loosen bands and brackets
- If a bracket or band comes lose, or a wire causes discomfort, give us a call as soon as possible
- Make sure you brush and floss regularly to keep those braces squeaky clean!
Remember: Broken wires, bent appliances, loose bands and brackets may extend the length of your treatment. Follow these steps and you’ll be on your way to a healthy and beautiful smile in no time.
Oral Hygiene
Orthodontic appliances tend to trap bits of food. Cavities or decalcification (permanent white markings on the teeth) are white lines or spots on the teeth, which can occur if patients do not brush thoroughly.
Gum tissue inflammation or loss of supporting bone can occur if plaque is not removed on a daily basis — slowing tooth movement. Alternatively, teeth respond more quickly to orthodontic forces if gum tissues are kept healthy. Please remember to maintain regular check-ups and cleanings with your family dentist during — and after — orthodontic treatment.
Always remember to brush after eating. If you cannot brush right away, rinse your mouth with water until you are able to brush. We recommend that you:
- Brush at least 2 times per day
- Floss daily
- Rinse with a fluoride mouthwash
This will help keep your gum tissue and teeth healthy. Visit our Living With Ortho page for detailed brushing and flossing videos.
We recommend using a soft toothbrush. With braces on, you will need to replace your toothbrush more often.
Comfort Care and Repair Appointments
Most concerns can be remedied at home. If at any point, you have a situation that you are not able to resolve on your own, please contact our office to schedule a comfort care appointment.
Even though you are careful, you may occasionally have breakages with your appliances. These will require an additional repair appointment, to keep your treatment on schedule.
We try our very best to keep a variety of times available for these types of appointments, but there is a chance we may not be able to offer you your ideal time.
Visit our Living With Ortho page to help you identify the various parts of your orthodontic appliances so you can better describe your situation when calling the office. On our website, we offer solutions to your comfort/repair concerns. These can often be corrected at home and save you unnecessary trips to the office.
RETENTION
Congratulations! Your braces are now off and the retention phase of your orthodontic care begins. Please remember that retention is just as important as the active treatment in ensuring your smile remains as healthy and beautiful as it can be. After your teeth have moved into their correct positions, a period of time is necessary to stabilize the teeth so that the surrounding bone and soft tissue will conform to your new dental alignment. It is imperative that the retainers are worn as instructed. Failure to wear retainers may result in undesirable movement of the teeth. This could result in re-treatment and additional costs. Your initial retainers and two years of supervised retention care are included in your treatment fee. Make sure you wear your retainers full time during the first 12 months after braces are removed. During the second year, you can wear your retainers during the night.
Our goal is for your smile to stay healthy and beautiful for a lifetime.
We recommend permanent retention or long-term retainer wear to ensure tooth stability and avoid relapse. Your cooperation is essential.
FOOD WITH BRACES
Foods to be avoided during treatment
Loose bands, broken wires and broken brackets cause longer treatment times!
Ice, Suckers and Hard Candy … Too hard. Knocks brackets off if chewed
Beef Jerky … Too tough
Caramel Candy, Ju Jubes, Bubble Gum … Too Sticky. Will pull off bands
Doritos, Tacos, Tostitos, Hard Cheezies, Pretzels and Nuts … Too hard. Can knock off brackets and bend wires
Pens and Pencils … Breaks everything
Popcorn … The little kernels get stuck everywhere – difficult to remove
Apples, Raw Carrots, Corn on the Cob, Ribs … Cut into small pieces first as they can knock off brackets
Foods That Cause Cavities
Any Foods or Drinks That Have A High Sugar Content (i.e. Candy, Cookies, Dessert, Sweetened Drinks) … Will cause tooth decay
Pop and Acidic Drinks … Damages the tooth enamel
Foods that stick to the teeth (i.e. Gummy Bears, Toffee, Raisins, Fruit roll ups) … Exposes the teeth to sugar for a longer period of time therefore increasing the risk of tooth decay
Foods and Habits That Help Protect Your Teeth and Gums
Cheese … preserves and rebuilds enamel and produces saliva which kills bacteria that causes cavities
Celery … Produces saliva and helps massage the gums
Kiwi Fruit, Red Peppers, Oranges and Broccoli … Contains a large amount of vitamin C which protects your gums
Green Tea … Helps to kill bacteria in your mouth
Water … Keeps gums hydrated and produces saliva
Drinking pop or acidic drinks through a straw minimized the liquid contact to tooth surfaces.
Limit eating foods that have a high sugar content to one time during the day, rather than throughout the day and remember to bush immediately after.
RISKS AND LIMITATIONS
*Orthodontic treatment remains an elective procedure. It, like any other treatment of the body, has some inherent risks and limitations. These seldom prevent orthodontic care, but should be considered in making the decision to proceed.
PREDICTABLE FACTORS THAT CAN AFFECT THE OUTCOME OF TREATMENT
Poor tooth brushing increases the risk of decay when wearing braces. Excellent oral hygiene, reduction of sugar intake, being selective in diet, and reporting loose bands or brackets as soon as noticed, will help minimize decalcification (white spots), decay, and gum problems. Routine visits (6-9 months) to your dentist for cleaning and cavity checks are necessary. Snacking between meals should be avoided.
In the vast majority of orthodontic cases, significant improvements can be achieved with patient cooperation. Excessive treatment time and/or compromised results can occur from non-cooperation.
The amount of time worn and correct usage affects results. Be sure to wear as instructed!
Attending regularly scheduled appointments ensures that orthodontic treatment progresses in a timely fashion. Missed appointments may result in limited rescheduling availability and extended time in treatment.
UNPREDICTABLE FACTORS THAT CAN AFFECT THE OUTCOME OF TREATMENT
Mouth breathing, thumb, finger or lip sucking, tongue thrusting (abnormal swallowing) and other unusual habits can prevent the teeth from moving to their proper positions during treatment or relapse after braces are removed.
In attempting to move impacted teeth (teeth unable to erupt normally), especially cuspids(eye teeth) and third molars(wisdom teeth), complex dental conditions may lead to periodontal (gum tissue) problems, relapse or loss of teeth.
Resorption (shortening of root tips) can occur when teeth are moved during orthodontic treatment. The shortened roots, under healthy conditions, are not a concern. Trauma, impaction, endocrine disorders or idiopathic (unknown) reasons can also cause this problem. Although rare, severe resorption can increase the possibility of premature tooth loss.
Trauma to a tooth may result in the tooth becoming nonvital (dead), with or without orthodontic treatment. A tooth may discolor or flare up during orthodontic movement and require endodontic (root canal) treatment.
Gum disease may be present before or during treatment. In extreme cases, usually due to ineffective tooth brushing, loss of bone around the teeth can occur. Excellent oral hygiene and regular cleanings by your dentist can help control this situation.
Unusual skeletal patterns and insufficient or undesirable facial growth can compromise the dental results, affect a facial change and cause shifting of teeth during retention. Surgical assistance may be recommended in these situations.
After braces are removed, a retainer will be placed to maintain the tooth correction. Permanent retention or long-term retainer wear is recommended to ensure tooth stability and to avoid relapse. Your cooperation is essential.
Even with correction, teeth may rebound slightly toward their original positions. This rebound or relapse is more prone to occur in very severe problems and amongst lower front teeth. Extended retention can minimize relapse in higher risk cases.
Stress, tension, trauma and poor bite are possible causes of TMJ pain. Occasionally during orthodontics, TMJ problems may develop which require treatment. In some cases, orthodontics may help stabilize bite-related causes of TMJ symptoms.
YOUR PAYMENT OPTIONS
Insurance Coverage
To assist you in maximizing your insurance benefits, we will provide you with insurance claim forms for charges pertaining to care provided by our office. We suggest you submit your monthly claim forms on a regular basis to ensure prompt reimbursement. Many orthodontic plans allow for direct billing of fees. Our experienced administrative team can assist you in determining if this is available for your individual insurance plan.
There are many different agreements between insurance carriers and their subscribers. Each policy provides a different level of benefit. Orthodontic coverage may not be an eligible benefit on all dental insurance policies. It’s often a separate benefit in your dental insurance contract. Generally, coverage for orthodontic treatment will have limitations that will apply from maximum dollar amount, age and percentage of reimbursement.
Please contact your insurance company or speak with your plan administrator to confirm what your plan limitations are. Coordination
of benefits applies in situations where two parties both have orthodontic coverage (dual insurance). The person with the birthdate earlier in the year is considered the primary carrier. The primary carrier must submit to his or her plan first. Once reimbursement is received from the primary carrier, the second carrier can submit through his or her plan.
Please note that your insurance company will request a pre-treatment estimate
(pre-authorization) prior to initiation of orthodontic treatment. For your convenience, we will provide your benefits plan with the necessary documentation. Your insurance carrier will advise you directly what your orthodontic coverage permits.
Treatment Fee Coverage
Your orthodontic fee includes all office visits and procedures performed by your Orthodontist over the course of your care. Our office will provide all appliances required to complete your treatment, including the initial set of retainers. Please note that there will be an additional charge for replacement of retainers that are lost or broken.
Payment Methods Accepted
We accept MasterCard or Visa as well as direct withdrawal options for monthly payments.
We understand how important your security is. We have strict computer security measures in place to ensure credit card and account information is confidential. Monthly payments are processed on either the 1st, 15th or 21th of each month or the closest business day before or after those dates.