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Understanding Your Orthodontic Insurance
Orthodontic insurance is very different from medical insurance! Here at Linaker Orthodontics have gathered up some common questions about navigating orthodontic insurance. If you have any questions that were not discussed in this blog, please feel free to call us at 520-531-1496 any time and our Financial Coordinator will be glad to assist!

Do You Accept My Insurance?
Linaker Orthodontics accepts ALL insurances! We can verify your insurance prior to the consultation to ensure we are maximizing benefits.

Do I Have to Have Insurance to Schedule a Consultation?
Nope! Patients are not required to have insurance in order to be seen. We offer 100% complimentary consultations. There are no charges for this visit and even the x-rays are free!

What is a DPO or HMO insurance?
In some rare cases, a workplace may be contracted out with specific orthodontists within a certain radius. In this case, even though we accept payments from the main insurance company, the “group” may not be willing to pay benefits. If you have an insurance policy like this, we encourage you to contact your insurance company for more information on specific coverage. You are always welcome to come by our office for a complimentary consultation, regardless of the type of insurance!

What Are My Benefits?
Every insurance company offers different benefits. Medical, dental, and orthodontic insurance are all considered different benefits. In most cases, orthodontic insurance has a “one-time use” benefit, called a lifetime maximum. Your insurance company may pay up to this amount towards braces.

Should I Purchase a Second Insurance Plan for Braces?
This is a tough question! There are hundreds of policies with many exclusions. Policies and coverage may change on a daily basis. We recommend that you first contact the HR department at work, or a representative for the insurance company to get a layout of their plans. Please be aware that secondary insurance may sometimes have fine print that they will not pay if there is a primary insurance. It is important when contacting an HR representative or an insurance company representative that this question is specifically addressed so you can rest assured the secondary insurance will provide coverage.

What is a Lifetime Maximum?
Unlike other dental benefits, most orthodontic benefits do not renew each year. Insurance companies call this a lifetime maximum. This means the orthodontic benefit can only be used once per duration of having that insurance.

Does My Insurance Company Pay for Each Appointment?
It is important to remember that orthodontic benefits are typically paid over the course of treatment in monthly, quarterly, or even yearly installments. This is why it is very important to keep your coverage throughout the course of treatment in order to receive the full benefit.

How Do I Check My Eligibility?
Some employers offer orthodontic coverage, but they have rules about who may or may not receive those benefits. Some policies require you to work a minimum number of hours per week, or there may be a waiting period for new employees. Our insurance specialists will verify your orthodontic benefits before your free consultation to let you know if you are eligible for orthodontic benefits!

Work in Progress
If you get a new insurance company while in treatment, or if you transfer to our office from another location to continue treatment, your new insurance company will consider the braces as a “work in progress”. Most insurance companies will prorate your benefit based on what the prior coverage paid and/or the remaining treatment time. Not all plans allow for work in progress. Every insurance company has their own little formula that they use to determine how much they will pay for a work in progress claim. We can help you navigate that tricky slope!

Primary vs. Secondary Insurance
When a patient is enrolled in two active insurances, this is called “dual coverage.” Our office will do our best to help determine how much each policy will pay towards braces. Some insurances have special rules or exclusions on the policy that may make it impossible to collect the maximum amount on both insurances.
The plans determine which insurance is primary and which is secondary; we as providers and you as the patients are not able to determine or choose which is primary. Sometimes they use a “birthday rule.” This means the parent whose birthday comes first in the calendar year may be considered to be your child’s primary coverage. Since each insurance has their own set of rules, it is important to have a knowledgeable insurance specialist to help navigate the systems!

Additional Procedures
If extractions or other dental work is needed throughout orthodontic treatment, your policy may charge your “dental benefits” or your “orthodontic benefits”. These are typically separate benefits and each insurance company has their own rules about which one will apply.

Board Certified Orthodontic Specialist

Did you know that Dr. Linaker is a Diplomate with the American Board of Orthodontists and is one of only a handful of Orthodontists in the Tucson area who are Board Certified through the ABO?

Are most Orthodontists Board Certified?

No. All orthodontists must be licensed to practice, but at this time only 1 in 3 orthodontists have continued on to complete Board Certification. The American Board of Orthodontics (ABO) certification process signifies a unique achievement—a significant step beyond the two to three years of advanced education required for a dentist to become a specialist in orthodontics. The process requires the orthodontist to demonstrate actual accomplishments in patient care with detailed case reports on the treatment provided for a broad range of patient problems. Board certification is a voluntary achievement that all orthodontists do not choose to pursue. In order to become board certified by the ABO, an individual orthodontist is thoroughly interviewed by a highly respected panel of examiners to demonstrate their orthodontic knowledge, clinical skills and judgment.

How many certifying boards are recognized by the American Dental
Association in the specialty of orthodontics?

One. The American Board of Orthodontics (ABO) is the only certifying board in the specialty that is recognized by the American Dental Association. The ABO was founded in 1929 and is the oldest specialty board in dentistry. The board’s purpose is to elevate the quality of orthodontic care for the public by promoting excellence through certification, education and professional collaboration.

Why would an orthodontist choose to complete this voluntary certification process?

Successful completion of the examination process demonstrates the orthodontist’s highest commitment to excellence in orthodontics – to both the orthodontic profession and the general public. It represents a commitment by a licensed specialist that he/she has the necessary knowledge base and skills to treat patients to the highest of standards. It exemplifies a practitioner’s commitment to continue to keep abreast of the latest advances in patient care, and to continue to deliver these latest advances to patients. Many orthodontists see it as a demonstration of their dedication to the specialty and the highest level of personal achievement.

What steps are required to complete the ABO certification process?

Since the establishment of the ABO in 1929, the certification process requirements have continued to adjust to the demands of the specialty. Today, the process involves a thorough Written Examination (240 questions) covering all areas of information which an orthodontist should be knowledgeable. Successful completion of this “board exam” allows the orthodontist to proceed to the Clinical Examination where they present detailed case reports from their practice/residency, demonstrating a history of excellence in patient care. These cases are evaluated by a panel of examiners and later discussed during an oral examination where the applicant is tested on a wide variety of academic and clinical topics. After successful completion of these examinations, the orthodontist has officially achieved Board Certification, for a time‐limited period. The orthodontist must go through Certification Renewal every 10 years to maintain their certification status by demonstrating this continued level of patient care.

For further information about The American Board of Orthodontics and Board Certification, click here.

While everyone understands that a dentist takes care of teeth, not everyone is aware of what an orthodontist does. This confusion sometimes leads to misunderstandings about what our practice does for our patients and how exactly we can help them. Let’s take a closer look at a couple of the myths and misconceptions about orthodontics.

Perhaps the biggest misconception about the orthodontist is that we’re just like your family dentist. The truth is, we are actually very different. While it’s true that both orthodontists and dentists care about helping you enjoy a lifetime of good dental and oral health, we go about achieving this goal in different ways. For instance, if you need to have a cavity filled, you probably won’t make an appointment to see us. Dentists are the health professionals to see if you’re concerned about a cavity or need a filling. Actually for any sort of restorative procedure, including crowns, bridges or veneers, a dentist is the correct professional to see. A dentist can also treat gum disease, tooth decay, toothaches, and other common oral health problems.

People see an orthodontist for very particular services. Most of the patients we see on a daily basis are here because they have braces or clear aligners, or they need to be fitted with braces, aligners or another form of tooth-straightening device. In other words, they consult an orthodontist when they are concerned about the alignment of their teeth. Correcting misaligned teeth not only results in the important esthetic benefit for a beautiful smile, but as importantly allows your teeth and gums to remain healthy as your bite is properly balanced, and you can more easily care for your smile. As a child grows up, his or her teeth may grow in crooked or have gaps between teeth. This can happen for a number of reasons, so it’s important for an orthodontist to take a look at a child’s teeth at about seven years of age. At that age, it’s possible to detect any problems that have not become too advanced and more easily treat those. Your family dentist may also refer your child to an orthodontist once the adult teeth have fully grown in.

Another common misconception about orthodontists is that we only treat children. It’s true that when you visit an orthodontist you’re apt to see some young kids, but you’ll also see teenagers, college students, and adults. Because crooked teeth can be caused by a number of different factors, it’s entirely possible for someone to require orthodontic treatment at any age. In fact, at Linaker Orthodontics, our number of adult patients is growing exponentially.

If you want to know more about the practice of orthodontics or what Dr Linaker can do for you, we invite you to simply ask us. It’s best to get answers to your specific questions directly from the person who will be treating you. While you’re sure to find Internet resources helpful, there really is no substitute for the personal attention you’ll get during your appointment at our practice.

You can call us at 520-531-1496, email to info@linakerorthodontics.com or head to our home page and click 'Virtual Consultation' or 'Appointment Request'.  We can't wait to speak with you.

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If you've ever had dental impressions taken for your diagnostic records you know how much fun it is to have a gooey mouthful of impression material. ?

Well we have good news! We are now taking a digital scan instead of impressions for diagnostic records on all patients. Our Orthodontic Clinicians, Lisa, Diane and Reba and our Treatment Coordinator Traci have all trained and become masters with our new ITero® Digital Scanner.

What is an iTero® Digital Scanner?

“Intraoral scanners from iTero® scan the mouths of patients, capturing images to create three-dimensional dental images in minutes.”* That means instead of using impression material that sits on the teeth for up to 2 minutes and pouring the impression up to make a plaster model of your teeth, we will simply take a digital scan which will generally take less than 5 minutes and you will immediately be able to see 3-D images of your teeth, gums and bite.

Why would we need a Digital Scan?

Orthodontists must have an accurate representation of what your teeth look like before beginning treatment in order to keep it as a record and plan your orthodontic treatment. “Digital Scanners help orthodontists diagnose orthodontic problems and develop the best treatment plans.”

How does a Digital Scanner Work?

“Intraoral scanners feature a small wand,” (much smaller than cumbersome wands associated with the first scanners from 2007) which our clinicians manipulate around a patient’s mouth. In the newest version which we have now, “the wand captures thousands of frames per second which are pieced together to create a three-dimensional visualization of the patient’s mouth. Intraoral scanners also have screens which display the digital dental images as they’re captured in real time.”*

What is the Benefit to the Patient Besides no Gooey Impressions?

“Orthodontists can scan their patients with an iTero® intraoral scanner, then show them how their Invisalign® or other Orthodontic treatment will look. This technology improves the patient experience because patients can know what to expect and feel more confident in their diagnosis and treatment plan.”* Often patients had no idea what their teeth and bite actually looked like prior to seeing their scan on the screen.

The best news for you is that your scan, along with your initial consultation, is completely Free. We also have interest free in office financing available for all of our treatment options.

Give us a call today at 520-531-1496 or click 'Contact Us' and 'Appointment Request'  on our website.  We can’t wait to meet you!

Linaker Orthodontics - Where Tucson Comes To Smile

* https://www.123dentist.com/itero-intraoral-digital-scanners-everything-you-need-to-know/