Your First Orthodontic Visit
The First Step
At Aesthetic Orthodontics, the viewpoint of Dr. David Alpan, our orthodontist, and our team, is that we are not just about treating bite problems or moving teeth with various types of appliances, but that we are about treating people – a child, teen or adult. Therefore, our first step is to find out more about you and your specific concerns and expectations regarding your or your child’s teeth, smile and facial appearance. Once we know exactly what you or your child wants and needs, we can show and tell you how we can help you achieve your goals.
The Second Step
During the second step of your FREE ORTHODONTIC CONSULTATION, Dr. David Alpan examines your face, teeth, jaw joint and the relationship of your lower jaw and teeth to your upper jaw and teeth to determine if immediate treatment is required. If he finds that you have TMJ signs or symptoms, TMD signs or symptoms or MSD signs or symptoms, he will recommend a separate appointment for a more thorough examination. The fee for this TMJ diagnosis, TMD diagnosis or MSD diagnosis appointment is $150. For some patients, a TMJ problem, TMD problem or MSD problem requires TMJ treatment, TMD treatment or MSD treatment before orthodontic treatment can begin. After these problems are fixed, we move on to the third step.
Sometimes, very young patients, beginning with age five, don’t need immediate orthodontic treatment. Dr. David Alpan, an orthodontist, with two years of additional full-time university orthodontic specialty training and the experience of examining thousands of children since 1996, can recognize early dental and facial growth and development irregularities. Early, Phase One orthodontic treatment, from age seven to twelve can guide your child’s growth and development, which may prevent the need for extraction (removal) of permanent teeth (adult teeth) during their teen or adult years. If Phase One treatment is not needed, we'll place your child in our RECALL SYSTEM, a FREE SERVICE we provide as a courtesy to you, so we can monitor his or her growth and development in order to minimize future problems. If treatment is necessary, we move on to the third step.
The Third Step
If treatment is required, Dr. David Alpan will explain to you what he found and one or more ways of correcting the problems, your benefits from correcting the problems and an estimate of cost and length of treatment time. Our Treatment Coordinator will make notations of Dr. David Alpan's recommendations in your patient folder. Dr. David Alpan and our Treatment Coordinator will address all of your concerns and answer all of your questions.
After you and Dr. David Alpan agree on the treatment plan, its cost and length of treatment time, our Treatment Coordinator will review everything with you in detail. She will also help you set up the most comfortable payment plan to meet your needs. After you sign the contract for your treatment, she will take you to the Records room for the fourth step in this process. She will introduce you to our Records Technician.
The Fourth Step
We need records of what your condition is before we begin treatment. Typically records include diagnostic photos, radiographs (x-ray photos) and impressions. The impressions are used to make stone "study models" showing the position of your teeth in your upper jaw and lower jaw. These records confirm the doctor's diagnosis and treatment plan and serve as documentation of the position of your teeth and profile before you start orthodontic treatment. Records are also done after your treatment is completed. We save you time and money because you do not have to travel to another facility for Records.
After all the above four steps are completed, we will give you a guided tour of our office, so you will become familiar with it and feel at home during the course of your treatment. After the tour is done, we will introduce you to our receptionists.
The Fifth Step
Please take the "Safe-to-Start Treatment" letter to your general dentist. If you don't have one, we will refer you to one near your home or workplace. You may need fillings or gum treatments to get your teeth and gums healthy before we can begin your orthodontic treatment or your TMJ treatment or TMD treatment or MSD treatment.
Your general dentist will sign the "Safe-to-Start Treatment" letter only after he or she has finished getting your mouth healthy in preparation for treatment by Dr. David Alpan at Aesthetic Orthodontics in our Los Angeles, California or Beverly Hills, California or Las Vegas, Nevada office. When we receive the “Safe-to-Start Treatment” letter from your general dentist, we may begin your TMJ Therapy, TMD Therapy or MSD Therapy if that is needed. If that is not needed, we can begin your orthodontic treatment with invisalign, Damon Braces, iBraces also called hidden braces or invisible braces, or regular tooth braces, which can be metal braces or gold braces depending on what treatment method you have agreed to have done according to your contract with us.
We want your first visit - and all visits for that matter - to be relaxed, comfortable and enjoyable. Your first visit is designed with your final visit in mind, and this is where it all begins. Welcome to Aesthetic Orthodontics, where we look forward to creating a life-long friendship with you, your family, friends and business associates. We always appreciate and reward you for your referrals.
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