So you’ve googled orthodontists near me and have now scheduled your first appointment with a local orthodontist. For anyone that does not necessarily love the dentist, an orthodontist appointment can be a scary thought. It does not need to be scary at all. In fact, it can be a rather relaxing experience.
Before scheduling your orthodontist appointment, it is always a good idea to give your dental insurance provider a call to see what, if anything, they will cover. This will help you in the long run because you will have a better idea of what you are getting yourself into and help you decide whether or not you want to proceed.
Before you head to your appointment make sure you spend some time brushing, flossing and thoroughly cleaning your teeth. This will help your appointment to move along quickly. Just be advised that even if you have thoroughly cleansed your teeth beforehand, it is never a bad idea to do it again once you arrive at your appointment location if time allows.
Think about how nice your mouth feels after you go to the dentist and his assistant cleans your teeth before you get to see the dentist himself. Just like at the dentist, the orthodontist’s dental assistant will clean your teeth before your examination. After the cleaning, or maybe even while they are cleaning your teeth, they will check for any loose teeth. Once the dental assistant cleans your teeth and checks for loose teeth, they will take you over to an x-ray machine so they can get an accurate look at the state and position of your teeth. They will also put a camera in your mouth in order to make a 3D image so they can look back and see where you started and how far you have come in the event that you need orthodontic treatment. Once the dental assistant has completed all of the tests and photos on your mouth, he or she usually calls the orthodontist over so they can look at all of the information together and devise a necessary plan.
At this point, they will make the decision on what, if anything, needs to be done to your teeth and mouth. Next, the team will tell you the plan if indicated and discuss what you are looking to achieve with orthodontic treatments. They will discuss whether or not you need surgery, what appliances you may or may not need, what your mouth will be like once your orthodontic treatment is completed, how long treatment will take, what the treatment will cost and what insurance will pay and what you will need to pay out of pocket.
After your appointment is finished with the orthodontist, you will schedule your next appointment and devise a payment plan. You will also share whether or not your dental insurance will cover any of your treatments. The orthodontist will most likely send a request for treatment as well as a treatment plan to your dental insurance company. Then you will have to wait until your dental insurance company responds with approval for treatment, a denial for treatment or partial approval with some patient payment requirements. Do not panic if at first, they refuse. It is possible for you and your orthodontist to appeal the decision and to have it overturned. But keep in mind, any insurance information is completely dependent on your dental insurance plan. This is a good reason for calling them ahead of time and helps prevent surprises. Once this is all figured out and you have agreed or disagreed with the orthodontic treatment plan, you begin your orthodontic journey.
