Your first appointment is scheduled following your initial phone call to our office. Following this phone call a packet of information will be sent to you with information about our office and the examination appointment. A health history and map will be enclosed.

During the first appointment several important things will happen. You will be greeted by the treatment coordinator. She will review your personal information, health history, and your chief concerns with your teeth and/or smile. She will take digital photographs to show you your dental problems on a large computer screen. Dr. Hamilton or Wilson will conduct a thorough examination of your face, mouth, teeth, and jaws to determine the basic nature of your problem.

We will answer as many questions as possible. We have a state of the art computer program that can simulate and demonstrate many things about orthodontic treatment. If orthodontic treatment is recommended now, we may proceed and take diagnostic records.

Diagnostic records
In order for the doctors to accurately diagnose your problems and plan your treatment some additional information is needed beyond what is found during the examination. The doctors will request diagnostic records that can sometimes be done the day of the examination or we will ask you to return so we can have a complete set of records to evaluate your needs. In our office we will take molds of your teeth, from which plaster replicas are made, digital photographs of your face and teeth, x-rays of your teeth and surrounding bone, and a headfilm x-ray to evaluate the position of the jaw structures. The patients always love to see their plaster models and their photographs on the computer.

Consultation
At the consultation Dr. Hamilton or Wilson will fully explain the nature and extent of the needs and a plan of treatment. This appointment is important because it is your time to have all questions answered and feel comfortable with the orthodontic treatment plan. Our treatment coordinator will review costs of treatment and payment arrangements. Usually, we request about 10% of the total fee when treatment begins and the remainder is divided into monthly payments for the duration of treatment. Special arrangements can be made.