skip to main content
Give

Patient Information

This section explains some of the policies and procedures which relate to orthodontic treatment in the Department of Orthodontics at Texas A&M University College of Dentistry. 

All potential patients must first schedule a screening/examination appointment by calling (214) 828-8121. Screening appointments generally are made weekly throughout the year. 

In order to qualify for screening, the prospective patient must:

  • Be at least 7 years of age
  • Have good oral hygiene habits
  • Routinely receive professional dental care
  • Be able to accept that appointment times are limited and that they will most likely be longer than in private practice and must be scheduled during school hours (no after school appointments will be available).

Patients are selected on the basis of their treatment needs and the educational need of our residents.Following the screening evaluation, patients will be assigned to one of the following categories:

  1. Good teaching case.  This category signifies that the patient is ready for active orthodontic treatment and will be given an opportunity to be treated in the graduate clinic.
  2. Interceptive teaching case.  This category means that the patient still has primary (baby) teeth and is not ready for comprehensive orthodontic treatment but could benefit from early/interceptive orthodontic intervention.
  3. Potentially acceptable teaching case.  This means that the patient is not yet ready for active orthodontic treatment.  These patients may be recalled for possible future treatment.
  4. Not a good teaching case.  This may be because the treatment needs of the patient are either too difficult or too simple to be a good learning experience for our residents.  You may want to see a private orthodontist in your area outside the school.  We will be happy to make the referral or you may wish to consult your family dentist for referral to an orthodontist in your area.

Prior to agreeing to have orthodontic treatment at Texas A&M University College of Dentistry, we would like for you to be aware of the following conditions:

  1. Scheduling of cases for active treatment generally begins in the summer of each year with additional acceptances throughout the year as needed.  You will know of your/your child’s acceptance following the screening examination.
  2. Treatment Intervals - Once accepted into the orthodontic program at Texas A&M University College of Dentistry, patients must be seen at regular 4-6 week intervals.  Minimal flexibility is possible in arranging appointments.  If this seems to be a problem, be sure to discuss this at the screening appointment.  Fees are reduced in the graduate clinic since it is a teaching program and the patient/parent should be aware that they will need to accommodate for some minor inconveniences.  All treatment is done by our highly qualified residents (we have approximately 200 applicants each year and we only accept 6) and each case is treated under the direct supervision of one of our outstanding faculty members.  Each faculty member is generally only in the clinic one half day per week; therefore, the patients must be seen at the specific time that faculty member is present.  Appointments are generally 1 hour duration (some may be longer and some shorter).
  3. Your relationship with the department - When you agree to receive orthodontic treatment at Texas A&M University College of Dentistry, you enter into a contract which commits the Department of Orthodontics to providing the proposed treatment and commits you to pay for a treatment in full or in installments established by the contract. 

    We do also accept cases for Invisalign.  Many patients are not suitable for this type of treatment, but the same screening process applies.

    Fees for orthodontic treatment include one set of retainers given at the conclusion of treatment, but do not include the cost of any additional dental treatment such as extraction, restorations or periodontal treatment.

  4. Complete patient cooperation is absolutely a MUST during orthodontic treatment. Undesirable patient cooperation and/or failure to keep regular appointments can produce poor treatment results and is grounds for dismissal from the clinic.  Since our residents are supervised and graded by our faculty with each patient’s treatment, excellent patient cooperation and attention to appointments assures quality treatment results for our patients and a wonderful educational experience for our resident doctors.

We certainly hope that this information has been helpful to you in understanding the procedures utilized in the department of orthodontics at Texas A&M University College of Dentistry and we look forward to seeing you and your family in our clinic.  Please call (214) 828-8121 to reserve a screening appointment for you/your family today.