Getting Started

The first thing to do is to call our office and set up an appointment for an initial examination. There is no charge for this service. As a public service to the community, Dr. Mireles has been performing a free examination for many years. At the initial phone call, the staff will guide you through what needs to be done. You may fill out the patient information forms when you come into the office or you can do it beforehand online and save some time. Make sure you bring in your insurance information so that we can advise you as to what benefits you are entitled to.

Exam

At this first appointment, you will see a video that explains what orthodontists do and why certain procedures are performed. You will also see videos that explain the more popular orthodontic treatments. Dr. Mireles will then give the patient a thorough visual examination and inform the patient if there is a need for orthodontic treatment now or at a later date. If it is determined that there is a need for orthodontic treatment now and if the family is ready, the next procedure would be to obtain diagnostic records.

Diagnostic Records

It takes an hour to obtain all the information necessary to perform a good diagnosis. Our diagnostic records consist of:

1. Impressions of the mouth so that we can obtain models of the patient's teeth. This will allow Dr. Mireles to obtain accurate measurements of crowding or spacing. The way the teeth come together (bite) can be documented and evaluated.
2. Full set of pictures of the teeth and face. Not only do we want to straighten the teeth and give the patient a beautiful smile; we also want to enhance facial appearance if possible.
3. Digital x-rays of the teeth and jaw to rule out any pathology.
4. X-ray of the TMJ (jaw joints) to document health or else to recommend what can be done to improve health.
5. Head x-ray (ceph) to evaluate past growth and/or future growth.
6. Vitamin C scanning test – to give Dr. Mireles an idea if any unexpected gum problems may occur.

After obtaining all that information, a one-hour appointment is scheduled for the consultation.

Consultation

Before the patient comes in for the consultation, Dr. Mireles will have spent about one hour in processing all the information obtained and planning an individualized treatment plan. Unfortunately, many orthodontists are skipping this step and are coming up with a snap diagnosis and quoting a fee without really fully evaluating and without fully informing the patients. Dr. Mireles feels like every doctor could do a better job if they spent more time in making a diagnosis and treatment plan. He does not believe a quick evaluation is in the patient's best interest. Admittedly, it tends to convert the patient to the doctor's practice, which is in the doctor's best interest. It does save the patient one appointment; but Dr. Mireles believes that the importance of making an accurate diagnosis and fully informing patients is more than well worth it!

At the consultation we go over the recommended services, the length of treatment, and the total fee for orthodontic treatment. Not only will Dr. Mireles and his staff discuss your treatment with you, you will leave with a 4- or 5-page printed document of “Recommended Services.” We feel that an informed patient is a happy patient. Surprises during treatment are usually not good. We allow at least an hour for this appointment. This will give the patient plenty of time to absorb what has been said and plenty of time to ask questions. If you are in agreement with all that has been presented, you have the option of starting treatment immediately or scheduling another appointment to get started.

Post-Treatment Consultation

At the end of treatment, Dr. Mireles will have a post-treatment consultation with the patient (adult) or with the patient and his or her parents. He reviews what has been accomplished during treatment and gives the final instructions. Unfortunately, many orthodontists do not perform this service. They do not submit themselves to be judged concerning the final results. This allows doctors to give a “less than ideal” result. Without post-treatment records and a post-treatment consult, some of the accountability to the patient is lost.

Our patients have been extremely satisfied with the results. No one wanted to look like they did originally. Our patients have felt that the time, effort and money they invested was definitely well worth it. They look forward to an improvement in the quality of their lives for the rest of their lives.

Office Hours

Our office hours are:

Monday - 7:30 am to 5:00 pm
Tuesday - 7:30 am to 5:00 pm
Wednesday - 7:30 am to 5:00 pm
Thursday - 7:30 am to 5:00 pm
Friday - 8:00 am to 12:00 Noon

Dr. Mireles and his staff are at the Southside office on Monday and Tuesday and some Wednesdays. Dr. Mireles and his staff are at the Northside office on Thursdays, some Wednesdays and some Fridays.

Appointments

We are open early to accommodate students who do not want to miss school or adults who do not want to miss work. Appointments after 3:30 are saved for special procedures.

We know that parents work and children attend school and that all our patients have busy, sometimes hectic schedules. We'll do our best to assure that your work schedule and your children's studies are interrupted as little as possible. However, please understand that we cannot avoid some school-time and work-time appointments. We work hard to provide the best orthodontic care at the most convenient time possible but we understand that sometimes this is impossible.

To be fair to everyone, we alternate appointments during school months. We'll do our best to work around classes that are very important or ones in which your child is having problems. We provide school excuses. It is very important that your child turn these in to the appropriate school official.

We see patients by appointment only. Please try to be on time. If you discover that you will have to miss your appointment, please call us right away so that we can schedule you a new appointment and so that we can give your time to another patient. Missing a scheduled appointment will delay your treatment time. Your orthodontic success depends on your cooperation and commitment to following our instructions and staying on schedule with your treatment.

Financial

If a picture is worth a thousand words, what then is a smile worth? It's Priceless!

Dr. Mireles believes that financial considerations should not be an obstacle to having the best health you can. He is dedicated to your well-being and will make every effort to make orthodontic care obtainable to you. Our treatment fees are based on many factors, including the difficulty of treatment and the length of treatment.

Your smile is precious to you and to the people you give your smile to. It reflects your happiness, confidence and health.

After Dr. Mireles finishes your treatment, the value of your smile and appearance will be worth so much more than what you paid for services, that you will consider it to be a real bargain in life. You will never regret it.

Priceless Care You Can Afford!

We realize that different patients have different financial situations, so we offer a variety of options:

1. Complimentary initial exam
2. Plans with NO DOWN PAYMENT required
3. Discount for payment in full at the beginning of treatment
4. Family discount plan
5. No-interest payment plan
6. Credit card payments – MasterCard, Visa, American Express
7. Automatic drafting
8. We accept most insurance plans. We will file the necessary orthodontic forms and we accept insurance assignment. By accepting insurance assignment you will never have to pay the full amount of the fee – just what the insurance company does not pay.

For all our special procedures (Invisalign, SureSmile, Wilckodontics), we have outside sources of financing where treatment can be started with no down payment and low monthly payments. Interest-free plans are available through CareCredit and Capital One.

CareCredit®

CareCredit, a GE Money Company, gives you convenient payment options so you can get the procedure you want, when you want it.

www.carecredit.com