FAQ

The main reasons people get braces – or other orthodontic treatments – are for functional and aesthetic purposes. If your bite is off, you are experiencing pain, or do not like the way your smile looks, braces may the perfect move for you!

No, it is not. Many of our patients are referred by their family dentist, yet many other patients take the initiative to schedule an examination themselves.

Some patients need as little as six months, whiles others require closer to three years for their orthodontic treatment. The duration varies greatly depending on the complexity or amount of movement that needs to be made, your own growth, and how well you take care of your teeth and braces. More or less involvement on your part can change the extent of time you will need to wear braces to get you the smile you want.

To ensure that your braces function properly, you may need to adjust your eating habits. Avoid foods that may loosen, damage, or become lodged in your braces. We will go over foods that are safe to eat with braces during your appointment.

As part of your orthodontic treatment, we usually need to check on your progression and make adjustments along the way. While each patient and treatment plan varies, we may need to see you every four to six weeks.

Yes! It’s very important to see your dentist to keep your teeth clean and free of build-up while wearing braces or using clear aligners. Since with brace you may find it more difficult to properly clean your teeth than before, it is even more crucial to see your dentist regularly to make sure your teeth and oral health are up to par. Improper dental maintenance may result in brackets coming loose and being less effect. This can lengthen the duration of time you will spend in braces.

If you have impacted teeth that are stuck under your gums and cannot emerge because other teeth are in the way, or if your mouth is not the right size to accommodate all of your teeth, then removal may be necessary. When starting your orthodontic treatment early in life, extractions may be unnecessary.

While every patient is different, most will need to wear a retainer. Your teeth can quickly move if you do not wear a retainer. Headgear is not as common, but may be needed to ensure your new smile lasts. During your free consultation – or any time during your treatment – we can go over any questions you have regarding a retainer or headgear and how they pertain to your personal orthodontic treatment.

The American Association of Orthodontists recommends an orthodontic screening at age seven. By this age, several permanent teeth in most children have erupted, allowing us to effectively evaluate your orthodontic condition.

Since the each patient is unique, the total cost may vary from patient to patient. When you come in for your free consultation, we will explain the personalized treatment plan that we feel is best for you and discuss the cost breakdown.

Most insurance plans include orthodontic treatments. We gladly accept most insurance plans, as well as CareCredit, FSA, HSA, most credit cards, checks, and cash.

We happily accept most insurance plans.

Aetna

Assurant

Guardian

Lincoln Financial

Principal

United Concordia

Delta Premier Provider

Give us a call, or ask us in person, if you have any questions about your insurance plan and our orthodontic treatment.

Yes, we offer in-house financing. You can start down the road to straighter teeth and a better functioning bite with as little as $300 down. We offer financing for up to 36 months and as low as $120 per month. There is a finance charge of 7% of the total amount financed.

For your convenience, we have three separate easy to access offices in Vancouver and Battle Ground. Our two Vancouver offices are located at 14201 NE 20th Ave, Vancouver, WA 98686 and 234 SE 136th Ave, Vancouver, WA 98684. The Battle Ground office address is 909 W Main St, Battle Ground, WA 98604.

All of our offices open at 7:30 am Monday through Friday. We close at 5:00 pm Monday through Thursday. On Friday, we close at 4:30 pm. If you reach our answering service, please leave a message and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

You can give us a call at (360) 883-3800, email us here, or use our Chat Now feature located at the bottom of each page to get in touch with a live specialist.