How do I fit orthodontics into my busy schedule?

Most people seeking orthodontic treatment have other important obligations during the day, usually involving work or school.  When active orthodontic treatment begins, each patient is seen every 4 to 8 weeks and some of these appointments will conflict with work or school schedules.

We have devoted considerable time and effort into designing our scheduling system.  Here is what we want to do:

First, we want to see you on time for your appointment.  Your time is valuable – it should not be wasted sitting in our reception room.

Second, we want to have adequate time during each appointment to do the necessary procedures and plan the next visit.

Third, we wish to answer questions and update your treatment progress.

Longer visits usually include three construction visits.  First, when the braces are placed in the beginning of treatment, later, when the bracket placement is fine-tuned during the middle of treatment and lastly, when the braces are removed at the end of treatment.

Most appointments are blissfully short.  During your treatment there are times when the adjustments are completed quickly even though they may be quite technical.

As you can image, a well organized schedule requires considerable structure tempered with flexibility.  With this in mind, we will schedule longer appointments during school and work hours and shorter appointments before and after school or work.  In this way we do not reserve the entire afternoon for one or two patients, but rather see as many patients as possible with short appointments.

Dr. Cooke and her team utilizes state of the art technology and treatment methods that straighten teeth efficiently and require fewer visits to our office.  We are committed to providing you with the best orthodontic service anywhere and to make your treatment as convenient as possible.

What if I’m late?

Our intention is to value your time as well as ours.  Arriving late can pose a number of problems.  First, we can not jam a late arrival into the schedule because it compromises our ability to complete other scheduled procedures or requires our office to stay open late.  Our staff work very hard and we want them to be able to have lunch and go home promptly at the end of the day.  In fairness to others, we will probably have to re-schedule the appointment unless there is an opening in the schedule that we had not expected.  Since the after school and work appointments are filled several weeks in advance, it will be necessary to reschedule late arrivals during the middle of the day.  Numerous rescheduled appointments will inevitably result in extension of your treatment time and result in additional charges.

What if I miss an appointment?

All failed appointments should be rescheduled as soon as possible, so please call the office immediately.  Once again, since our after school and work appointments are filled several weeks in advance, it will be necessary to reschedule failed appointments during the middle of the day.  Numerous missed appointments will inevitably result in extension of your treatment time and result in additional charges.  A 24 hour adavanced notice is required to avoid a cancellation fee.

What if I need to reschedule my appointment?

We ask for at least 48 hours notice to reschedule an appointment, as we have set aside time to accommodate your specific needs.  A 24 hour advanced notice is required to avoid a cancellation fee.  Numerous appointment changes will inevitably result in extension of your treatment time and result in additional charges.  Our goal in rescheduling appointments is to keep your treatment progressing and on time.  Waiting for a convenient after school appointment can delay treatment.  Vacations, summer hours, holidays and educational seminars will alter our schedule during the year.