Office Policies

Welcome to Cottingham Orthodontics! We want to thank you for selecting us for your orthodontic needs. We are looking forward to meeting you and will do everything possible to make your visits pleasant. The following information is provided in order for you to get to know our office and the process a little better. We believe the more you know, the more we can be of service.

Appointments

Your First Visit

During your first visit to our office, a preliminary diagnosis is performed. This involves a medical/dental history and a complete clinical examination of your mouth. Your specific orthodontic conditions and possible treatment plans will be discussed, as well as a preliminary estimate of the costs.

If now is the appropriate time to begin treatment, diagnostic records will be performed to determine the best course of treatment. Complete diagnostic records typically include impressions to create plaster study models of the teeth, photos of the patient's face and teeth, X-rays, and a recording of the bite. This information is used 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.

After the doctor has evaluated your records, we discuss your treatment with you in detail, including the cost for your particular case.

Treatment Appointments

These appointments vary in frequency and length of time and will be discussed with you after the treatment plan has been established by the doctor. Orthodontic treatment requires careful advance scheduling, so please notify the office at least 24 hours in advance of any need to cancel or reschedule any appointment. We make every effort to be on time for our patients, and ask that you extend the same courtesy to us.

Hours

Patients are scheduled Monday through Thursday. Appointment times vary, though certain procedures may be scheduled at specific times throughout the day.

Payment & Office Policies

Fees

Charges for our services are reasonable and competitive. The cost of treatment will vary with the severity of the patient's problem. You will be able to discuss fees and payment options before treatment begins. If desired, we will try to work out a payment plan to suit your budget. We also accept assignment from most insurance plans, and file the necessary papers to the insurance company.

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

• 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 most major credit cards.
• 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. However, the agreement of the insurance company to pay for your orthodontics is a contract between you and the insurance company. Any problems arising with your insurance coverage should be settled between you and your insurance company. The patient or responsible party is responsible for any portion of the fee not paid by the insurance company.