FAQ

Cost of Orthodontic Treatment?

Orthodontic treatments vary so much in techniques and lengths of treatments that it is not possible to provide a meaningful approximation of costs.
Dr. Rix will provide an initial consultation at no charge, and will provide an estimate of the cost for treatment for you or your child at that time.
It is also your choice to attend a different orthodontist to get a second opinion about treatment and costs.
Dr. Rix will provide a payment plan option that spreads payments throughout the treatment period for your convenience.
Our office will also help you determine what coverage you have through your insurance plans.

Orthodontic coverage is often a separate benefit in a dental insurance contract with orthodontic coverage usually at 50% up to a certain lifetime maximum.
You can contact your insurance company to confirm these details or our office will assist you in determining these details.
Once financial arrangements have been made, you will be provided with a Canadian Association of Orthodontists Certified Specialist in Orthodontics Form to be submitted to your insurance carrier.
The carrier will write to you directly about your coverage.
When you make a payment to us, you will receive a receipt from us that you will submit along with one of your Dental Claim forms to your insurance company for reimbursement directly to you.

Orthodontic specialists do not accept assigned payment from insurance companies.
It is not necessary for the orthodontic specialist to fill in the Dental Claim Form as no dental codes are required for orthodontic coverage when treatment is done by an orthodontic specialist.
Only one “Certified Specialist in Orthodontics Standard Information Form” is necessary to predetermine benefits, and once approved, no other insurance forms are required from the orthodontic office.

Orthodontic treatment time can vary considerably depending on the nature of the malocclusion and the individual diagnosis and treatment plan.
Early interceptive treatment with Myobrace or braces for 6 to 10 year olds will take approximately 12 months.
Typical full braces or clear aligners (Invisalign) for adolescents or adults might take from 12 to 24 months with additional time required if there is an impacted tooth.
Please note that these times are approximate only and could be shorter in cases of very minor treatment and could be longer when other complicating factors are present.

When braces are first placed on the teeth there is a light force pushing on the teeth that can make the teeth ache after a few hours.
This discomfort usually only lasts two or three days and then things settle down.
It is advisable to eat soft foods for these first few days until the discomfort has settled down.
It is also a good idea to use a non-prescription pain reliever for these first few days such as Advil, that you might normally use for a headache.
Similar discomfort will likely occur following each adjustment when the archwire is changed or reshaped, so the same advice is recommended following adjustments.
It should be noted that similar discomfort also occurs with clear aligner treatment (like Invisalign) with each change of the aligners and the same advice holds for this type of treatment.
Braces can also cause some abrasion to the inside surfaces of the lips and cheeks, which can cause some discomfort.
An archwire can shift or turn and cause a wire poke into the lips or cheeks which can cause discomfort.
The use of protective wax on the braces in sensitive areas or at pokey wires can be very helpful.
Please check the section of this website about emergencies for more information.
Accelerated orthodontic treatment techniques including vibration, light pulse, and ultrasonic techniques have been reported to reduce the discomfort of orthodontic pressure on teeth. Ask if these techniques might be advisable for your treatment.

With braces it is important to avoid hard, crunchy, or sticky foods.
It is impossible to provide a complete list of foods to avoid and one must use common sense.
Biting into hard, crunchy or sticky foods such as beef jerky, pizza crust, hard candies, raw carrots or celery, nuts, ice cubes, starbursts, hard chips, popped corn kernels, and similar things can easily break brackets off the teeth.
Biting on pens or pencils can also break brackets loose.
When brackets come loose, teeth can shift and the recovery of this shifting can extend treatment time.
It is important to rebond brackets that have come loose as soon as possible to minimize extension of treatment time.
Please contact our office when you notice that a bracket has come loose so that we can determine if it needs to be rebonded immediately or if it can wait until your next appointment.
If it can wait until your next appointment we will need to set aside extra time in your appointment to do this.

Do-it-yourself (DIY) orthodontics is something you might come across on the internet.
A few enterprising people have found a way to partially mimic clear aligner treatment without the help of a dentist or orthodontist.
There are other methods of attempting to move teeth that use various materials such as wooden sticks, wires, and elastics.
There are cases where irreversible damage has been done to gums, bone and teeth with these procedures.
Please think carefully before embarking on such a project.
Without full diagnostic records including radiographs, photographs, models of the teeth and a full clinical examination as provided by a dentist or orthodontist, a proper diagnosis cannot be made and a safe and appropriate treatment plan cannot be set.
You could cause yourself serious harm in the process of attempting do-it-yourself orthodontics.