FLEX PLANS - SAVE MONEY

Years ago, few people had ever heard of a flex (or cafeteria) plan.

Today, up to 25% of orthodontic patients have flex plans. Often those with traditional orthodontic insurance can also benefit from flex plans.

While there are term variations, a flex plan allows employees to dedicate a pre-determined portion of their paychecks to be set aside for the purpose of paying for health care. This includes dental and orthodontic care!

Once proof of payment is supplied to the employer, the dedicated funds are paid to the employee without federal or state tax deductions.

Important things to remember when utilizing a flex plan:

- Payment must be made, proof of payment supplied to your employer and then you will be reimbursed

- There is a cap on the yearly amount that can be set aside – amounts vary from employer to employer

- Be aware that there is an enrollment period for the following year – deadlines vary (some are as early as September)

- Because orthodontic treatment often extends into two or three calendar years, it is possible to designate flex money to cover the majority of your orthodontic treatment with pre-taxed payments

- It is fraudulent to request reimbursement for payments that have not been made

- Post-dating treatment dates is fraudulent

- We can help you plan your flex deferments

- Our patients have online access to their account information and can print proof of payment 24/7 from work or home

Let us know if we can help you with your flex plan!

Going Green!

Paperless Charts – What are paperless charts? The computers that are at the treatment chairs allow the Doctors and Assistants to document your appointments without the use of a paper chart. All x-rays and study models are digitally available for use during your treatment and can be electronically sent to your dentist or specialist.

Email – As many of you know, we email you, when possible, from the first phone call all the way until the end of your treatment. Health histories are electronically submitted, reminders are emailed, announcements for our orthodontic family, x-rays for your dentist and specialists, correspondence letters, referrals and newsletters are all sent via the internet.

Electronic Insurance Claims – Electronically submitting claims to your insurance companies is not only the green way to go, but the processing time is often twice as fast!

Dry-Erase Notes and Statements – We utilize dry-erase notes, statements and check-lists that previously were paper and would be thrown away after each use.

Recycle – We recycle all batteries, magazines and ink cartridges that are used in the office.

We Strive To Protect the Earth – Please Do Your Part

Should Young Children Have Orthodontic Treatment?

Many young children exhibit early signs of jaw and bite problems. In order to modify and correct these potentially negative dental growth patterns, we “set the stage” in Phase I and complete treatment in Phase II. In this way, while the child’s jaws are rapidly growing, we can guide jaw growth and tooth eruption towards a stable, healthy and attractive result.

Although most orthodontic problems are best treated with traditional braces, some problems need to be treated as soon as they are noticed, no matter how young a child is.

Early orthodontic treatment is effective and desirable in certain situations. Some of the problems which do require early orthodontic treatment include:

• A crossbite of the back or front teeth.
• An extremely narrow upper and/or lower dental arch.
• Inadequate growth and development of the upper and/or lower jaw.
• Severe crowding or tipping of teeth which prevents the normal eruption of adult teeth.
• A six-year molar which cannot erupt because it is caught underneath a baby tooth (ectopic eruption).
• Adult front teeth which are protruding excessively, and are therefore in danger of being hit or traumatized.
• An adult tooth which is erupting in the wrong direction.
• A front tooth having a very receeded gum line due to its unfavorable position in the arch.
• A child with a cleft palate.
• A child with a thumb or finger habit.
• Front teeth that do not overlap properly (deepbite or openbite)

High Tech “In-Ovation” Frictionless Braces

Dr. Tanner and Dr. Reichhold use only the highest quality braces for their patients. In-Ovation^® braces have a built in ligating system. The benefits of In-Ovation^® braces are: your teeth will move quicker, quicker movement of the teeth means shorter treatment time, there is less discomfort, the braces are easier to keep clean, each appointment requires less time in the chair, and you will need fewer appointments throughout your treatment.

In-Ovation^® braces can be silver or clear. Both silver and clear brackets have titanium “doors” that lock the archwire into place. In the past, rubber “alastics” were necessary to hold the archwire in place. When the metal wire rubbed against these rubber alastics there was friction. With the metal doors, the metal wire is able to slide and move the teeth without friction.

Self-ligation is not just a new type of brace but a philosophy of tooth movement, using very light forces provided by these low friction braces and high tech shape memory wires. Tooth movement is now achieved with light continuous force. In the past, traditional orthodontic care used heavy intermittent force. Research has shown that this gentle, low friction force appears to be more biologically sensible. The result is a greater emphasis on not removing teeth to attain our goal of healthy teeth and a beautiful smile that is matched with the patient's facial form.

What is Invisalign, and is it for you?

Invisalign is the brand name of a revolutionary and innovative way to straighten teeth. A sequential series of clear plastic aligners similar to bleaching trays are utilized to gradually straighten teeth as an alternative to traditional metal or ceramic braces. Invisalign aligners are switched out in the series about every two weeks. The number of aligners in treatment varies depending on your individual needs. Each aligner is custom-made with exact calculations to gradually shift your teeth into place. Since the Invisalign aligners are custom-made for your teeth and your teeth only, with a plan devised specifically for you by Dr. Tanner or Dr. Reichhold, you will end up with a smile that truly fits you.
If you're ready for a smile that transforms your appearance, Invisalign treatment in our office may be your answer. Although there are many choices out there, no system other than Invisalign works as effortlessly in our opinion. We believe Invisalign is the best way to transform your smile without interfering with your day-to-day life!
To learn if you are a candidate for Invisalign, call us at (925) 689-4790. We will schedule an exam with Dr. Tanner or Dr. Reichhold and we will evaluate your bite to determine if Invisalign is right for you.
If you have had orthodontic treatment in the past and have had some relapse, but do not want braces again, you likely are a great candidate for Invisalign treatment.
Give us a call to get started on your new smile with Invisalign!!!

Tanner and Reichhold reach Elite status!!! What is Elite? This means that our office is in the top 1% of North America for treating patients with Invisalign! Got Invisalign? Want Invisalign?

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Tanner and Reichhold Orthodontics