Office Policies

Your First Visit

Dr. Fodero and her staff look forward to meeting you at your first visit. This is your opportunity to get to know Dr. Fodero and discuss any areas of concern you may have about your teeth. Dr. Fodero will do a thorough exam of your mouth. Occasionally complimentary photographs and/or digital x-rays may be taken during this appointment if it will help diagnose and discuss your treatment. If you have a panoramic x-ray taken within the past year, please bring it to this appointment. At this appointment we do not have enough information to plan treatment in detail, but we will be able to discuss many of the questions with which you may be concerned, such as:

• Is orthodontic treatment needed?
• If treatment is needed, when should it start? Would it be better to start now to help prevent further problems or would it be better to wait until the permanent teeth have erupted?
• If treatment is needed, what type of braces or appliances will be used?
• How long will treatment take?
• How much will treatment cost and what are my payment options?

We will send you home with an informal treatment plan and answer any other questions you may have. If this appointment is for a child, we highly recommend that both parents attend this appointment, as one parent may have questions that the other does not. If this is not possible, Dr. Fodero is always available to answer any questions you may have after you leave your initial visit. We want you to feel like you understand everything related to your treatment and that you are comfortable with the entire process before getting started.

If Dr. Fodero thinks orthodontic treatment is needed, additional diagnostic records will be taken at the next appointment to confirm the initial diagnosis and make a formal, detailed treatment plan. If time permits, sometimes the records can be taken that day. There is no charge for this first visit.

Records Appointment

The records appointment is when a complete set of diagnostic records are taken (digital x-rays, photographs, impressions for study models). This appointment takes approximately 30 minutes. The diagnostic records will help Dr. Fodero formulate a thorough, custom treatment plan and make sure nothing was missed at the initial visit. The records also serve to show you the progress you are making during treatment.

Regular Appointments

The appointment when you get your appliances (braces, expanders, etc.) usually takes from one to two hours. You will be seen at regular intervals 6 to 8 weeks apart for an adjustment, which takes 20 to 40 minutes. Our regular office hours are Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Our office is open on Monday for patients with emergencies or special circumstances. Patients are seen by appointment only. We make every effort to be on time for our patients, and ask that you extend the same courtesy to us. If you cannot keep an appointment, please notify us immediately. Cancel only if it is an emergency. It is difficult to reschedule you since most appointments are made 6 to 8 weeks in advance, so we ask that you make every effort to keep your appointment, or call us well in advance so we can reschedule you as soon as possible.

Payment & Office Policies

Cost

The initial consultation is complimentary. At that appointment, you or your child will be evaluated to see if orthodontic treatment is necessary. Costs for treatment vary widely. They depend on the severity of the problem and the length of the treatment. We will discuss fees and payment options at your initial visit. To fit your individual needs, we have payment plans that can extend your payments over a period of months. For your convenience we accept assignment from most insurance plans, and file the necessary papers to the insurance company. We also accept payment by all major credit cards and offer financing through Care Credit. We work hard to make orthodontics affordable.

Fees

In an effort to keep orthodontic fees down while maintaining the highest level of professional care, we have established this financial policy:

• If full payment is made at the onset of treatment, we will offer a fee discount. (If you have insurance, we will offer a discount for payment of your portion of the fee that will not be covered by insurance.)
• To fit your individual needs, financial arrangements can be made to extend your payments over a period of months.
• For your convenience, we accept payment by VISA and MASTERCARD.
• In cases of serious delinquency, treatment will be discontinued, although we will make every effort to accommodate patients with temporary difficulties.

Insurance

If you have insurance, we will help you to determine the coverage you have available. Please provide us with your insurance information when scheduling your first appointment so we may provide you with an estimate of your insurance benefits at your initial consultation. We accept assignment from most insurance carriers. Any balance not covered by these insurance carriers will be arranged for you to pay (see above). For insurance carriers we do not participate with, we will help in every way we can in filing your claim and handling insurance questions from our office on your behalf.

CareCredit®

CareCredit, a GE Money Company, gives you convenient payment options so you can get the procedure you want, when you want it.

www.carecredit.com

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