Your First Visit

Your First Visit | The Brace Place - Dr. Chester Spencer and and Dr. James Ian Ballou - Dr. Chester Spencer and and Dr. James Ian Ballou

At the first visit the doctor will perform an extensive examination in order to determine if the patient will need orthodontic treatment. During this appointment the treatment coordinator will go over the types of braces that our office offers and which braces will best suit the patients needs. Also discussed are payment options, fees and costs associated with the patient’s particular case.

Records and Consultation
At the second visit to the orthodontist, 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 for each patient. After the doctor has evaluated your records, we discuss your treatment with you in detail.

New Patient Forms
Please take a minute to print and fill out the patient information form before your first appointment:

Patient Forms Page

Regular Appointments
The appointment when you get your appliances (braces, expanders, etc.) usually takes from 45 minutes to 1 hour. You'll then see us at regular intervals 4 to 8 weeks apart for an adjustment, which takes 5 to 45 minutes. Our regular office hours are Monday to Thursday from 8:00 AM to 5 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 4 to 8 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, including a no-down-payment option. We also accept assignment from most insurance plans, and 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.
For your convenience, we accept payment by VISA, MASTERCARD, AMERICAN EXPRESS and CARE CREDIT.
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.