What To Expect

Your First Visit

Your first visit to our office is our opportunity to provide you with an initial examination and to evaluate you or your child's oral health.

Dr. Benkovich will conduct a clinical examination in which he will determine the tentative course of treatment needed. Most, if not all, of your questions concerning orthodontics will be answered at this appointment. Questions about insurance and financial arrangements will also be addressed at this time.

If it is determined that orthodontic care is necessary, our schedule coordinator will assist you in setting up the necessary appointments to begin treatment.

Regular Appointments

The appointment when your initial appliances (braces, expanders, etc.) are placed usually takes from one to two hours. After that, you will see us at 4 to 10 week intervals for an adjustment, which usually takes 20 to 40 minutes. We schedule longer appointments in the morning and shorter appointments after school. By doing this, we do not reserve an entire afternoon for one or two patients but rather accommodate as many families as possible for after-school appointments. If you prefer to come to the office during a quieter time, please schedule an appointment during school hours.

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. It can be difficult to reschedule since appointments are made 8 weeks in advance.

Cost/Fees

Since Dr. Benkovich develops individual treatment plans for each patient, it is impossible to determine treatment fees prior to seeing the patient. We make every effort to accommodate, inform, and assist our patients with financial arrangements. Our office provides several payment options to assist with the cost of orthodontic treatment fees. We do not want finances to stand in the way of a nice, healthy smile.

• CapitalOne Healthcare Finance, is a financing payment plan that offers payment arrangements without a down payment and monthly payments for up to 60 months, with a competitive interest rate. The American Association of Orthodontists has endorsed CapitalOne Healthcare Finance. You can visit their web site at www.capitalonehealthcarefinance.com.
  
  
• Our in-office payment plan consists of an initial down payment with the remaining balance divided into equal monthly payments, without interest. We also except Visa, MasterCard and Discover.
  
  
• As an added bonus, we offer an accounting discount for payments made in full at the start of treatment.

Insurance

As a courtesy and service to our patients, we gladly file and accept assignment of orthodontic insurance. Please bring all your insurance information so that we can process your claim. Please be aware of the following insurance facts:

• Orthodontic insurance is a separate rider to dental insurance. Having dental insurance does not mean that you have orthodontic insurance.
  
  
• Orthodontic coverage is usually different from your dental insurance. Most orthodontic insurance is 50% of the total fee up to a lifetime maximum.
  
  
• Orthodontic insurance is usually not paid in one lump sum.
  
  
• If you change your job, your orthodontic insurance payments may stop (unless your new job has orthodontic benefits). You would be responsible for the balance of the fee due.

We are always looking for new ways to make financial arrangements manageable and more convenient. By keeping our financial arrangements simple and our patients informed, our patients can concentrate on their treatment, and not be distracted by finances.