Office Policies
At your first complimentary orthodontic consultation the Treatment Coordinator will greet you and make sure you have all the necessary paperwork and diagnostic radiographs available.
She will then acquaint you with the office and the type of treatments administered at Fry Orthodontics. Dr. Fry will then conduct a clinical examination and discuss his findings and treatment options. After Dr. Fry has made his recommendations, the Treatment Coordinator will present the treatment fee and payment options. If the patient is ready for treatment, diagnostic records are made to determine the best course of treatment.
Complete Diagnostic Records
Panoramic x-ray, Cephlametric x-ray (lateral skull), intra and inter oral images of the face and teeth, and mounted study models of the teeth are made. Dr. Fry uses these items to develop a custom treatment plan for each patient. These records are also helpful in tracking the progress of treatment as the teeth move under orthodontic care.
Diagnostic Review
After Dr. Fry has evaluated your diagnostic records and written the treatment plan, you will be scheduled for a diagnosis appointment where Dr. Fry discusses your treatment with you in detail. You may choose whether Dr. Fry calls you on the phone or whether you would like to come to the office. Once you have met with Dr. Fry, you are scheduled for your Initial treatment appointments (these appointments vary according to the type of treatment you will need).
Appointments
Initial treatment appointments (braces, expanders, etc.) usually take from one to two hours. After these initial appointments you will typically be seen every 4 to 8 weeks for an adjustment, which takes 20 to 40 minutes. Our regular office hours are Monday through Thursday from 8am to 5pm. 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 very difficult to reschedule after school appointments because they are usually booked 6-8 weeks in advance.
Payment and Office Policies
Cost
The cost of treatment depends on the severity of the patient’s orthodontic needs. At your complimentary consultation with Dr. Fry, the Treatment Coordinator will present the treatment fee and payment options and discuss any insurance you may have. You will be able to discuss fees and payment options before treatment begins. We have payment plans to suit different budgets, including a no-down-payment option and an interest-free option. We accept all insurances as long as you don’t have to choose from a specific provider list like an HMO or DMO plan. Then with the majority of those companies we are considered out-of-network. We are in-network with: Delta Dental and United Concordia only. 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 5% 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 MASTER CARD.
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. We ask that you assign your insurance benefit to us. The balance will be arranged for you to pay (see above). Professional care is provided to you, our patient, and not to an insurance company. Thus, the insurance company is responsible to the patient and the patient is responsible to the doctor. We will help in every way we can in filing your claim and handling insurance questions from our office on your behalf.