Dentists and Orthodontists Need to Work Together

Seeing your dentist every six months is an important part of any orthodontic treatment. Sometimes, it makes the difference in the final aesthetics of the smile.

There's nothing more gratifying than taking off someone's braces and seeing them smile. It's truly an amazing moment and we feel lucky to get to experience it daily at Barnett Orthodontics. Smile after smile, there's nothing better.

There are some patients however, who as part of their treatment plan, don't get that instant gratification the day their braces are removed. Instead, they need to wait on their dentist to cosmetically alter their teeth now that they have been straightened. These cases, require multiple disciplines of dentistry to work together to obtain an ideal result. While often more complicated to work on, it's sometimes even more gratifying to see the final result.

Jeff B's teeth are a great example of one such case. Congratulations on finishing your treatment! What a change...and a special thanks to Dr. Tim Cox for doing an amazing job on the cosmetic dentistry to fix the two front teeth.

Making Akron area patients' smile is a TEAM effort.

Instant Orthodontics? Staight teeth in 6 Months???

Recently I had a patient ask me about an advertisement promising to treat ANYONE with braces in only SIX months. As the old saying goes, if it sounds unbelievable, then it probably is. I suppose it's not a totally false statement, it's just an incomplete promise, an incomplete result and very misleading.

The truth of the matter is that almost anyone's teeth can be improved or straightened rather quickly--in about six months. But to perfect the alignment and to correct the bite, it takes considerably longer. Unfortunately, across the US and on-line (not in Akron Ohio) some individuals are promoting their six month braces as a better option than conventional orthodontic treatment. They promise it is more comfortable, more aesthetic, healthier and most importantly to the consumer, FASTER.

Wanna get rich quick, want to lose tons of weight, regrow all your hair, make money from the comfort of your own home, have braces on your teeth for as little as six months...get the point.

Make sure you're an educated consumer. Do your research and chose wisely.

Extreme Couponing for Braces?

Have you seen the new hit TV show on TLC called Extreme Couponing? It's a documentary series where coupon-clippers 'nickel and dime' their way to outrageous savings, sometimes even FREE cartloads of groceries!

Just like most of you, I get those neighborhood "Value Coupon" packets in the mail with discounts to local carpet cleaners, restaurants, tanning studios, window washers. etc. Extreme couponing, here we come, right?

Not exactly. Usually I just throw the packets away but today I leafed through the coupons and was surprised to find an orthodontist advertising a very LOW 'fixed-fee' for braces. The fee was almost $1000 less than the average cost of orthodontic treatment in Akron Ohio. How could they afford to provide the highest quality of care and have such a low fee? Our office has always tried to keep fees as reasonable as possible. We know orthodontics is a significant expense for most families. It just didn't make sense that someone could "coupon" themselves down to such a low fee.

As one would expect, there was a catch.

The fixed fee for braces did not include the use of any appliances beyond the braces. Thus, there are hidden fees beyond the advertised price. It's kind of a "bait and switch" approach to get you in the door. Is it illegal? No. It's just misleading as you end of paying for expanders, retainers, etc bringing the cost of the treatment up to the local average.

At Barnett Orthodontics, there's no confusion about what the fee covers. There are no additional charges and no hidden fees. No "nickel and diming".

Come and see what people are talking about. We are proud to say, that what you see is what you get. Integrity. Quality care at an affordable cost. No coupon necessary.