Who makes up our team?
Orthodontic care is normally a long program lasting many years. Children are first seen at around 9 years of age and followed through until their late teens.
Although the primary care is the responsibility of a specialist Orthodontist, Orthodontists are very fortunate to be well supported by an auxiliary team.
At Midland Orthodontists, each Orthodontist is assisted clinically by one or two Dental Hygienists or Dental Therapists. These experienced Hygienists/Therapists assist with impression taking, placement of separators, selection of braces and preparation of teeth ready for initial bonding, removing and tying archwires into braces, repair of broken braces and appliances, removing braces and oral hygiene instruction. They have completed a very demanding two year Associate Degree at Curtin University. Their experience and skill greatly assists explaining the complexities of orthodontic treatment and provide sound advice to patients and parents over the phone when breakages or accidents occur.
Each Orthodontist is “managed” or “organised” by a Treatment Coordinator who is an experienced Dental Assistant or Nurse. The Treatment Coordinator is responsible for all communications (reports, quotations and information booklets) essential between the Orthodontists, referring Doctors and Dentists, other Specialists and parents and patients. Our practice is well served by three secretarial managers who complete, collate and distribute this information.
Each Orthodontist is also supported by two or three Dental Assistants, who have either completed their training or are undertaking their Certificate IV TAFE training while working. Dental Assistants are responsible for record taking such as clinical photography, radiography (x-rays taken, developing and computer scanning), surgery cleanliness, infection control and sterilization and in assisting the Orthodontist, Hygienists and Therapists directly. They are invaluable to a great team.
The Practice’s Dental Laboratory comprises of four Dental Technicians, who construct all mouthguards, retainers, diagnostic models, numerous complicated appliances and undertake any repairs.
Our clinical areas are expertly managed by four reception staff that can readily answer all non-clinical issues such as appointments, accounts, fees, payment plans and assist communication between the family and their General Dentist, Doctor, schools or other Dental Specialists. Any of our receptionists or treatment coordinators can discuss and offer very flexible payments plans to assist all budgets. To assist patients and families further, the practice has Hicaps to greatly assist patients to enable direct access to their Health Fund rebates, allowing direct payments for many of the Orthodontic services we provide. In many cases, Hicaps also assists us to advise what rebates you are likely to receive for quoted Orthodontic fees and what payment plan suits you and your family the best.
One of their most difficult tasks is appointment scheduling or templating to ensure that all patients can be seen at the fairest and most clinically efficient times.
We are proud of our large team and the great service it can provide to the Community.
Although the primary care is the responsibility of a specialist Orthodontist, Orthodontists are very fortunate to be well supported by an auxiliary team.
At Midland Orthodontists, each Orthodontist is assisted clinically by one or two Dental Hygienists or Dental Therapists. These experienced Hygienists/Therapists assist with impression taking, placement of separators, selection of braces and preparation of teeth ready for initial bonding, removing and tying archwires into braces, repair of broken braces and appliances, removing braces and oral hygiene instruction. They have completed a very demanding two year Associate Degree at Curtin University. Their experience and skill greatly assists explaining the complexities of orthodontic treatment and provide sound advice to patients and parents over the phone when breakages or accidents occur.
Each Orthodontist is “managed” or “organised” by a Treatment Coordinator who is an experienced Dental Assistant or Nurse. The Treatment Coordinator is responsible for all communications (reports, quotations and information booklets) essential between the Orthodontists, referring Doctors and Dentists, other Specialists and parents and patients. Our practice is well served by three secretarial managers who complete, collate and distribute this information.
Each Orthodontist is also supported by two or three Dental Assistants, who have either completed their training or are undertaking their Certificate IV TAFE training while working. Dental Assistants are responsible for record taking such as clinical photography, radiography (x-rays taken, developing and computer scanning), surgery cleanliness, infection control and sterilization and in assisting the Orthodontist, Hygienists and Therapists directly. They are invaluable to a great team.
The Practice’s Dental Laboratory comprises of four Dental Technicians, who construct all mouthguards, retainers, diagnostic models, numerous complicated appliances and undertake any repairs.
Our clinical areas are expertly managed by four reception staff that can readily answer all non-clinical issues such as appointments, accounts, fees, payment plans and assist communication between the family and their General Dentist, Doctor, schools or other Dental Specialists. Any of our receptionists or treatment coordinators can discuss and offer very flexible payments plans to assist all budgets. To assist patients and families further, the practice has Hicaps to greatly assist patients to enable direct access to their Health Fund rebates, allowing direct payments for many of the Orthodontic services we provide. In many cases, Hicaps also assists us to advise what rebates you are likely to receive for quoted Orthodontic fees and what payment plan suits you and your family the best.
One of their most difficult tasks is appointment scheduling or templating to ensure that all patients can be seen at the fairest and most clinically efficient times.
We are proud of our large team and the great service it can provide to the Community.
What is Orthodontic Templating?
Templating of our appointment schedule is the pattern that the practice follows every day to ensure that the best treatment can be provided at the best and fairest times for all.
Orthodontic treatment often takes years of care and visits. The average number of visits per patient with braces and retainers is 20 over three years. Because the vast majority of our patients are school children the challenge is to minimise the amount of school time missed. This is achieved by scheduling (templating) the five large or long appointments during school time or on student free days or holidays. These are individual consultations, records and parent discussion (usually 60 mins), periodic recalls (parents present) to monitor and discuss growth changes prior to active treatment (usually 20-30 mins), placement of braces (usually 90 mins), brace removal (usually 60 mins), and braces and appliance repairs (20-30 mins) and at the end, final records and discussion ( 20 mins).
Templating these long appointments during school time, for example; braces are placed usually at 11.00am and braces are removed at 9.00am, 1.40pm and occasionally at 10.00am. This frees up the before and after school times to undertake the numerous shorter (usually ten minutes) appointments.
Effectively very little school time is lost this way for everyone which we all agree is important.
It is strongly recommended that adult patients avoid the pre and after school periods.
Hopefully this explains why a new patient cannot be seen at 4.30pm or braces placed at 8.30am.
Should you have any further queries please ask your Orthodontist or our reception Team.
Orthodontic treatment often takes years of care and visits. The average number of visits per patient with braces and retainers is 20 over three years. Because the vast majority of our patients are school children the challenge is to minimise the amount of school time missed. This is achieved by scheduling (templating) the five large or long appointments during school time or on student free days or holidays. These are individual consultations, records and parent discussion (usually 60 mins), periodic recalls (parents present) to monitor and discuss growth changes prior to active treatment (usually 20-30 mins), placement of braces (usually 90 mins), brace removal (usually 60 mins), and braces and appliance repairs (20-30 mins) and at the end, final records and discussion ( 20 mins).
Templating these long appointments during school time, for example; braces are placed usually at 11.00am and braces are removed at 9.00am, 1.40pm and occasionally at 10.00am. This frees up the before and after school times to undertake the numerous shorter (usually ten minutes) appointments.
Effectively very little school time is lost this way for everyone which we all agree is important.
It is strongly recommended that adult patients avoid the pre and after school periods.
Hopefully this explains why a new patient cannot be seen at 4.30pm or braces placed at 8.30am.
Should you have any further queries please ask your Orthodontist or our reception Team.