Waiting for Guffman has been showing on cable lately, and when I saw this clip, it really got me wondering what goes through my patients’ heads when we discuss treatment plans. Choosing to have orthodontic treatment yourself or to provide it for a child is a financial commitment, and in this economy, people are being more selective with expenditures. I truly believe that everyone deserves to have the smile of their dreams, and because of that, we offer fair prices and a number of different payment options to make it easier on my patients and their families.
In addition to honoring several insurance policies and working with our Medi-Cal patients, at Aesthetic Orthodontics, we provide different financing opportunities including a no-interest in-house program. My team and I do everything we can to create a comfortable financial situation for our patients so that we can then do what we do best – give them a perfect smile!
Every once in awhile, I get into a situation where I feel like Corky. Someone comes in desiring orthodontic treatment. An evaluation is made, a number is thrown out, and the patient is unprepared for the overall cost of treatment. Of course, Corky was being completely unreasonable, whereas I propose a price that fits under the bell curve. It isn’t typical when a patient looks at me like I’m an alien, but it can happen because of a few reasons. Either the patient didn’t do any research and imagined that orthodontic treatment would be priced differently, the number was expected but isn’t one that the patient feels financially secure enough to pay, or the patient had self-assessed the issue to be one that is more easily resolved than the exam would then reveal to me. By the end of the conversation, we’ve both explained our positions and come to an agreement on the most comfortable treatment program.
Discussing money and payment is not easy for anyone, but even in an economic downturn, we strive to make orthodontic treatment attainable by creating a financial plan within your means and by offering a large selection of braces products and appliances. If you are considering treatment for yourself or your family, give us a call, schedule a consultation, and at least find out what your options are. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the opportunities available to you.