picture Appointments & Policies

Your First Visit

At the first visit to our office, Dr. Pickard will perform a clinical examination of the patient, take medical and dental histories, and discuss the objectives of any needed treatment. In addition, we will take photographs and a panoramic x-ray (if the patient does not have a current one).

If Dr. Pickard determines that the patient will benefit from treatment, he will discuss treatment options and we will provide an estimate of the fee before you leave the office. If Dr. Pickard feels the patient needs more time to grow and develop before treatment is initiated, we will place the patient's name in our recall file and will send a reminder when it is time for re-evaluation. If, however, Dr. Pickard does not think treatment is necessary, he will tell you so. In any case, you will leave the office at the end of that first visit with a composite copy of the photographs we took and a copy of the proposed treatment fee, where appropriate. You will have ample time to ask any questions you may have. Please allow 45 to 60 minutes for this appointment.

Patient Information Form

Help us serve you better by taking a minute to download, print, and fill out our online Patient Information Form before your initial consultation. Click here to download our patient form.

Diagnostic Records Visit

If you decide to pursue treatment, we will schedule the patient for additional diagnostic records, including a cephalometric x-ray and plaster casts of the teeth. This information is used to further 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. This appointment usually takes 30 minutes.

Bonding, Banding, and Seating Appliances

Some orthodontic appliances are bonded directly to the surface of the teeth. Bands, which hold orthodontic wires and anchor other appliances, go around the molars. Banding and bonding appointments are generally longer than regular adjustments. Therefore, during the school year, we typically schedule these appointments in the morning or early afternoon. Banding appointments are often scheduled in pairs---a very short (5 minute) appointment to fit separators, which create space around the molars to be banded, followed, usually one day later, by a 15 minute appointment to seat the bands.

Regular Appointments

Once the braces or other appliances have been placed, Dr. Pickard will want to see the patient every three to eight weeks for regular adjustments, to observe and advance the course of treatment. Adjustment appointments are typically 15 minutes and can be scheduled at the patient's convenience. Because so many of our patients are students, we reserve the majority of our afternoon time for those 15 minute adjustments. That way, we are not asking parents to pull their children out of school for short routine appointments.

Our regular office hours are 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Thursday. To accommodate our patients and parents with less than flexible work schedules, we do offer evening hours on Tuesdays and selected Wednesdays, when we are open until 7:00 PM. Most Fridays are spent on lab work and diagnostic evaluations. Although we do not usually schedule routine appointments on Fridays, Dr. Pickard is available to handle "emergencies" and to see his patients who travel from out of town to see him.

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 as far in advance as possible.

Payment Policies

Cost

The cost of treatment depends on the severity of the patient's problems. We will provide a written statement of our fees, which includes itemized charges for pre-treatment records and a period of post-treatment follow-up. The treatment fee does not include any dental work or procedures which are not done at our office.

You will have an opportunity 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 file the necessary claims with the insurance companies. 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.)
  • If you prefer to pay on a monthly basis, financial arrangements can be made to spread your payments over a period of months during the course of treatment.
  • For your convenience, we accept payment by check, cash, and credit card (VISA, MASTERCARD, and DISCOVER).
  • 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 orthodontic insurance coverage, we will help you to investigate the benefits available to you. We will calculate your contract and your schedule of payments based on our estimate of insurance coverage. We will help in every way we can, through filing your claims and handling insurance questions from our office on your behalf. Ultimately, the patient is financially responsible for all services rendered.