Reviewed by Megan Reznik, DDS, MS
A first orthodontic consultation at Reznik Orthodontics takes about an hour and costs nothing. An orthodontist examines your teeth and bite, takes the records needed to see what is happening below the surface, explains what is going on, and then gives you a treatment plan and a fee in writing. No referral from a dentist is required.
Most people arrive expecting to be sold something. What it actually is is a diagnosis. Some leave with a plan and a start date, some are told to come back in a year, and a few are told nothing needs doing at all.
The five questions the examination answers
Everything at this visit exists to answer five things.
Is there a problem, and if so what is it. When is the right time to treat it. What sort of treatment is indicated. How long that treatment would take. And what it would cost.
That is the whole agenda. If you leave without a clear answer to all five, ask before you go.
What happens, in order
You arrive and let the front desk know. Bring your insurance information if you have coverage, the name of your regular dentist, and any recent X-rays they have taken, which saves repeating them.
One of the doctors examines the teeth, the jaws and the bite, and talks it through with you and, for a child, with the parent in the room. Nothing about this examination is uncomfortable.
If treatment looks likely to be needed, diagnostic records are taken. These are:
- Study models of your teeth
- Panoramic and cephalometric radiographs, with the tracings taken from them
Where time allows, the records are taken at this first visit rather than at a separate appointment. Modern digital scanning has replaced putty impressions for the models, so nothing is held in your mouth while it sets.
The doctors then study the records and determine the best course of treatment. For a straightforward case, that conversation happens the same day.
Finally, the treatment coordinator goes through the fee, the payment options, and how your insurance would apply. Many patients start the same day if they want to. Nobody is asked to decide in the room.
What the fee includes
Your treatment fee covers the orthodontic records, the appliances themselves, every routine visit and procedure carried out in the office during active treatment, and one set of final retainers on completion of comprehensive treatment.
It does not cover work done at another dental office, replacement of appliances lost or damaged through misuse, or additional treatment needed because of an injury. Those exclusions are explained before you sign anything rather than afterwards.
Assignment of benefits is accepted for most plans, which lowers what a family pays out of pocket at any given moment. The full picture is on the cost and financing page, and yes, the consultation itself is free, which the FAQ page covers in more detail.
How long treatment usually takes
Most orthodontic treatment runs between 12 and 24 months, though a small correction can be considerably shorter and a complex case longer. You will get a case-specific estimate at this visit, not an average.
Once treatment starts, visits fall 4 to 8 weeks apart and take 20 to 40 minutes. Both offices run Monday through Thursday and close Friday, so the practice books appointments to run on time and asks the same of patients: an appointment that starts late pushes everyone behind it into the afternoon.
What happens after the consultation
If treatment is recommended and you decide to go ahead, the appliance appointment is booked next. Fitting braces takes one to two hours; starting aligners is a shorter visit once the trays have been made from your scan.
If treatment is recommended but not yet, you go onto a monitoring program that carries no fee, returning every 6 to 8 months so the right moment to start is not missed.
And if nothing needs doing at all, you are told that and sent home. It is a real outcome, it happens, and it costs you nothing to find out.
Nothing at the consultation commits you to anything, and no part of it is charged for, including the records taken at that visit.
Book your first visit
Call the Odessa office at (432) 333-7105 or the Midland office at (432) 682-1222, or request an appointment online.
Dr. Megan Reznik and Dr. Derek Reznik are each a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics, and one of them will do the examination personally.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I bring to my first orthodontic appointment?
Your insurance information if you have coverage, your dentist’s name, any recent X-rays your dentist has taken, and a note of any medical conditions or medications. A list of your own questions is worth more than any of it.
Will braces go on at the first appointment?
They can, for a straightforward case where the records are taken the same day, and you decide to proceed. Many patients prefer to take the plan home first, and there is no pressure either way.
Can I stay in the room with my child?
Yes. Parents are welcome throughout the examination and the treatment discussion, and for a child’s first visit it is better if you are there, because half the questions are yours.
What if I have already had X-rays taken at my dentist?
Bring them or have them sent over. Recent films can often be used, which saves both time and repeat imaging. Orthodontic records sometimes need views a general dentist does not take, and the office will let you know if that is the case.