How fees work

Orthodontic coverage differs a lot from plan to plan, and some plans pay nothing toward braces. We send claims to dental plans for you. Which plans we are in network with is on the list the practice keeps; the front desk can check yours before the first visit.

Before the first visit, send us your plan's name and the member number on your card by phone, not through the contact form. Kandice at the front desk calls the plan, asks what it pays toward braces and tells you what she learned. A plan's answer is an estimate, not a promise to pay.

If you don't have a plan, or yours pays little, you pay the part it doesn't. Dr. Goel gives you the fee for the whole treatment in writing, and the front desk sets up how you pay it at the first visit. Financing is offered by third-party lenders. Approval and terms are set by the lender.

You can ask for a written estimate before any treatment. If you're paying without insurance, we give you a written estimate in advance, when you schedule or whenever you ask. It lists what Dr. Goel expects to do, the usual number of months, and the fee.

After each payment we give you an itemized receipt. You can send it to a plan that reimburses out-of-network care or to a flexible spending account. Whether they pay, and how much, is their decision.

About 45 minutes: a talk with Dr. Goel, photos of your teeth, X-rays only if he needs them, and the options. A parent or guardian comes with anyone under 18. Health history goes on our private patient portal, not in an email or the contact form.