Your Initial Visit

At the initial consultation visit with Dr. Covino, he will answer any questions you may have concerning you or your child's bite with the information provided to him from your general dentist and his initial clinical examination. If it is determined that a situation exists that requires further analysis a set of diagnostic records are made to determine the best course of treatment. Complete diagnostic records typically include a medical/dental history, clinical examination, plaster study models of the teeth, photos of the patient's face and teeth, and X-rays. This information is used to develop a custom treatment plan or recommendation for observation for each patient. These records are also helpful in tracking the progress of an individual's dental development and growth or the progression of treatment as the teeth move under orthodontic care.

Consultation

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

Regular Appointments

The start of treatment when appliances (braces) are initially placed usually takes from one to two hours. The advanced technique utilized in our practice allows us to see our patients at regular intervals ranging from 6-12 weeks apart (instead of the customary 4-8 weeks) for an adjustment, which takes 15 to 20 minutes. Our regular office hours are Monday to Thursday from 8:30 AM to 6 PM. 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 difficult to reschedule you since most appointments are made 6 to 12 weeks in advance.

Payment & Office Policies
Cost

The cost of treatment depends on the severity of the patient's problem. You will be able to discuss fees and payment options before treatment begins. We have payment plans to suit different budgets. We also accept assignment from most insurance plans and we will file the necessary papers to the insurance company. 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 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.
  • 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.


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