Last week while my husband and I were flying to Charlotte, NC to visit our daughter, the flight attendant came on the intercom system and made the following announcement:
"Thank You for choosing to fly with us. We realize when booking your flights you have several options and we appreciate that you chose to fly with Delta Airlines. We value your patronage with us and will do everything possible to make your flight an enjoyable one."
What a true statement - as consumers, we do have choices. This is true in the orthodontic world as well - there are choices. There are other orthodontists in our neighborhood that you could choose. So what makes one orthodontist better than another and how do you go about making the right choice? Orthodontics is an investment and you want to make sure you are getting the most for your money!
My first recommendation is to look at the office's website - you can learn a lot about an orthodontic office by their website. Is the website up to date - is it responsive, meaning can you look at it from your mobile devices or tablet as well as on your desktop? Look at the before and after photos - nothing gives you a better idea of what your final outcome will look like than looking at other patients that the orthodontist has treated.
What orthodontic treatment options are available through the office. Do they offer traditional braces only or are they an Invisalign provider as well? And if they do offer Invisalign as an orthodontic option, what level of Invisalign provider are they - there are different Invisalign provider levels based on the number of Invisalign cases treated each year in that office. There are also Invisalign Teen providers if you are looking for an orthodontist for you teenager. These are all very important questions to ask when doing your research.
One last thought - If the staff on the Delta Airline flight were not friendly and unaccommodating, I would think twice about booking my next flight with them. Same for an orthodontist office - when you call to schedule an initial consultation are they friendly? Does the person on the other line make you feel is if she or he wants to answer all your questions and address your concerns? If they are not friendly when you initially call the office they may not be friendly throughout your months of treatment there.
I would be remiss if I didn't end this blog post with a link to our before and after photos: http://www.smilesbydrm.com/patient/before-after-photos
If you are looking for a great orthodontic office, call us! 616-531-1811
