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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.

Copyright © Sesame Communications

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/

The first question will be easy enough to find out, the second can be a bit complicated.

Orthodontic insurance is separate from medical and dental. If you have dental insurance, it’s quite possible that you have Orthodontic benefits however Orthodontic benefits are separate from your normal dental insurance with your general dentist. There are a few medical plans that have orthodontic benefits only if the braces are medically necessary.

Orthodontic benefits are paid over the course of the treatment and normally have a lifetime maximum per patient. The average time for orthodontic treatment is 24 months. In that case, your benefit would be paid over 24 months. Only 1% of insurance companies pay your orthodontic benefit in full in one payment.

Orthodontic benefits work in several ways:
The most common benefit is payable at a percentage with a lifetime maximum of a certain amount. For example: payable at 50% with a lifetime maximum of $1500 per person. This means if your treatment is $4000 they will pay $1500 total. Additionally, they will not pay their amount in full as they know most treatment plans may take anywhere from 18 to 30 months so most orthodontic plans usually pay one of 2 ways; either half of their benefit at the beginning and half one year later, or a percentage at the beginning and then monthly payments throughout the course of your treatment.

If you change employers and/or insurance companies during the course of your orthodontic treatment we need to know right away.

If you are working for the same employer and that employer changes insurance companies during your orthodontic treatment, we can submit a claim to the new insurance company. That claim will be prorated according to the date the braces were put on and the number of months required. The new insurance company will consider how many months the prior insurance company has paid and how many months are left of treatment. In this case, usually, the new insurance company will pick up the payments where the other company has left off. We say ‘usually’ because when you have the same employer, your benefits should continue even though your employer has changed insurance companies. But, in some cases, there might be a pre-existing clause in your new benefit and the new insurance company will not continue payments. If this is the case, you may personally want to try to appeal to get your full benefit from your employer.

If you change employers, your benefit from the first employer will be stopped automatically and they will not pay any more at that point. You can submit a claim to your new insurance company from your new employer and location. If your new plan allows for “Ortho Work in Progress”, the new insurance should pick up payments when you send in a claim and submit the amount of months left of treatment. Sometimes this is not covered due to a pre-existing clause in your new benefit.

Additionally, since Insurance companies do not pay their portion of your benefit in full, if you drop your Orthodontic coverage they will stop payments at that time and you will not receive the full benefit which means at that point you will be responsible for that full amount.

In a nutshell: Insurance can be complicated for orthodontic treatment due to the length of treatment and different plan types. It is important to know your benefit, lifetime maximum, how it is paid and at what percentage. We are happy to help you navigate the details of your Insurance Company but we ask that if there are any changes, or even if you are contemplating making a change, let us know right away so we may help you receive your maximum benefit.