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THE PROCESS
WHAT TO EXPECT AT BEAM ORTHODONTICS
We are an orthodontics office built upon giving you quality time at each visit. We designed our office with that goal in mind, because Dr. Schaefer and his team truly want to get to know you as you progress through treatment. We believe to deliver excellent results, an orthodontic team must be focused on quality of care and not the quantity of patients we see each day. We are a start-up office, but even at full capacity, we will never sacrifice the time necessary to achieve results that are to our standard of care and that will last a lifetime. That is our commitment and that is our passion.
What to Expect
We are truly excited about meeting you during your initial visit to our office, and appreciate you choosing Beam Orthodontics for this important appointment. During this visit, we will help you become familiar with our office and learn about the orthodontic treatment options we offer. Dr. Schaefer is not only a Board Certified orthodontist, but he is also 100% committed to this one location in Encinitas, California. We understand that each patient’s individual orthodontic needs are different, and we promise to give you the special, personalized attention you deserve.
The Initial Exam
Patients who visit our office for the first time will have necessary digital photographs and radiographs, a thorough examination by Dr. Schaefer with a review of the findings, a detailed plan presented by Dr. Schaefer to discuss the patient’s specific and individual needs and the proper time to begin any recommended treatment. Your total visit should take about 60 minutes from start to finish, and we pride ourselves on keeping our appointments on time. If you are cleared to start orthodontic treatment by your dentist, we do build-in time in your initial exam to start same day. Often, Dr. Schaefer starts on your upper braces and lower braces 8 weeks after. This allows you to get used to the braces, experience less initial discomfort, and results in less broken brackets.
We are happy to answer any questions you may have, and discuss which treatment options are best for you. We want everyone to feel well-informed as we believe that orthodontic treatment should be a partnership between doctor and patient. We will thoroughly explain your options in order for you to make the best choices for you and/or your child.
Before and After
Some examples of our work. These are before and after images of our patients.
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Payment
Dr. Schaefer offers our initial New Patient Exams free of charge. If you have orthodontic insurance, OrthoFi, our financial and insurance software, will work with you to verify benefits before your exam. Being sensitive to the fact that different people have different needs to fulfill their obligations, we are providing the following treatment payment options for your consideration.
•Option A: Payment in Full – A bookkeeping courtesy of 5% is given for payments in full at the start of treatment.
•Option B: Payment Plan – A records fee is due at the time of any records appointment. An initial down payment is due at the appliance delivery appointment. The balance may be paid in subsequent monthly payments. There are no carrying fees, interest or finance charges on this monthly payment plan. We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover for your convenience.
Financial and Insurance
Orthodontic treatment is a worthwhile investment in the overall dental, medical, and well-being of children and adults. Dr. Schaefer feels that financial concerns should not stand in the way of improving your oral health and self-esteem through excellent orthodontic care. We accept most insurance plans, will help determine the levels of your coverage, and will file insurance for you.
Patient Forms
To ensure our patient's information is kept secure, our forms are submitted via www.orthofi.com. Please click the link for more information.
Emergency Info
Dr. Schaefer always strives to provide safe and comfortable care for all patients. Orthodontic emergencies are rare, but if one were to happen, we are available to help you. Please call our office immediately if you or your child is experiencing severe tooth pain that you are unable to take care of yourself. Most likely, Dr. Schaefer himself will come back to the office to take care of the problem.
In most cases, many problems you might experience can be handled at home with proper care. If you are able to alleviate pain at home it is still important that you notify our office in the occurrence of a broken appliance, so that we may schedule an appointment to fix the appliance without disrupting your treatment plan. Some of the most common problems that you may encounter could be:
Tooth Soreness
After you get your braces on, you might feel some general soreness in your mouth and your teeth may be tender to biting pressures for three to five days. You can relieve this pain by rinsing your mouth with a warm saltwater mouthwash. If the tenderness is severe, you can take aspirin or whatever you would normally take for a headache or similar pain.
Irritation can also occur on the lips, tongue and cheeks for one to two weeks as they get used to the surface of the braces. You can apply wax to the braces to lessen the irritation and pain.
Wire Irritation
Sometimes, you might experience a poking wire. If you have a wire that is poking into your lip or cheek, use a pencil eraser to push the poking wire down. Or, you can place wax on the wire to alleviate discomfort.
Loose Bracket
If you have a loose bracket and it is still attached to the wire, you should leave it in place and put wax on it. If the bracket falls off of the wire entirely, you should wrap the bracket with a tissue and keep it safe. Bring it to our office during your next visit.
Lost Separator (Spacer)
Separators are used in the early treatment stages to make space for the fitting of bands around the teeth. These small plastic devices may become loose and fall out as space becomes larger between the teeth. It is rare that a separator will need to be replaced, but if you do lose one, call our office to let us know and we will arrange to have you visit if necessary.
Following the instructions that we give you in the office is the best way to avoid breakage, loosening of your braces, and unwanted discomfort at home. However, we know that breakage can and does occur from time to time. If this happens, follow the tips we have given you above. Call our office if you are experiencing severe pain or if there is a problem that cannot be fixed by any of the at-home solutions we have offered.