Murphy101 Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 The height of mom and dad and which of us the child resembles and whether they are adopted? Whether the girl has started her period or the boy has had his voice change? And why the heck do they need permission to obtain my credit report? How long have we lived at our current residence and where did we live previously? I'm leaving these areas blank because it is none of their business as far as I can tell. I'm taking two sons in for evaluation for braces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 Maybe it's something about the maturity of the kiddo--like, maybe he can evaluate how much more growing the child has to do, based on the parents, so he can see how much more room there might be in the mouth or jaw? :confused: Credit report is important if they offer you credit for payments. The residence stuff is probably financial risk assessment, again if you are not paying upfront. It can kinda be creepy, eh? Like they want your first born child as a guarantee or something.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 Some of the questions are to determine how much more growth is expected. The others are related to ability to pay for the braces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 The first two are trying to figure out if/how much the child's mouth will still grow. The last two are trying to figure out if you will pay the bill. Usually, the orthodontist averages the total out into a monthly amount, instead of billing for each service as rendered, so it essentially a credit account. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momofkhm Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 The height of mom and dad and which of us the child resembles and whether they are adopted? To know if the child still has a lot of growing to do. Whether the girl has started her period or the boy has had his voice change? To know if the child has gone through puberty yet and if the child has slowed their growth yet. And why the heck do they need permission to obtain my credit report? ? to see if they can extend you credit to pay over time? How long have we lived at our current residence and where did we live previously? Maybe to see if you live in one place a long time. They don't like not finishing treatment. I'm leaving these areas blank because it is none of their business as far as I can tell. I'm taking two sons in for evaluation for braces. Answers in red Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandylubug Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 The first few questions are to determine growth and family history of growth. The credit and residence questions are to determine your credit risks. Braces are expensive. 5000+ typically. Many offices offer in house financing. However, many are going to third party financing and they approve it through their own software system. You may have heard of Care credit? Many dentists, surgeons, vets, etc. use Care credit to offer financial planning for customers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbollin Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 uh uhh.... 1. face structure maybe some genetic issues on needs of braces? that's a guess..... I remember similar out loud discussion questions on that.. 2. could indicate growth changes and growth spurts and how that will affect... I don't know on that one. I don't think our ortho asked that... sounds a little odd to me.... I don't think a dentist or ortho would need that info... but I don't know. 3. ah.. credit report... that's to see if you can pay or not. More than likely, insurance will not cover all that much for braces. You'll be asked to pay upfront, and then be given payment plans. many of those plans will involve credit reports. 4. time at addresses.... that's related to credit questions. (and finishing treatment) If you don't plan on using payment plans for it.... and pay upfront with cash discounts, you might be able to talk to the business person on those questions and say "here you go... a check that won't bounce".... did that and got a nice cash discount... -crystal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 I have two bio and one adopted. When we got our adopted son he had 9 (pretty bad) cavities. They needed to know that we don't really have a history of him. The height thing cracks me up since DH and I are a full 12 inches in height difference! I wouldn't fill out anything for the credit report unless you plan to take out a payment plan through them. Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2samlibby Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 The height of mom and dad and which of us the child resembles and whether they are adopted? I don't know about this one. Whether the girl has started her period or the boy has had his voice change? This would tell them if the child has started puberty and where they would possibly be at for growth. I would guess if they are still growing or not. And why the heck do they need permission to obtain my credit report? This is needed if you apply for credit or do a payment plan at their office. Our ortho had some credit card type payment plan as an option. How long have we lived at our current residence and where did we live previously? Stability. Would be info relating to paying for braces. I'm leaving these areas blank because it is none of their business as far as I can tell. I'm taking two sons in for evaluation for braces. We're about done with braces here! Can't wait! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danestress Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 Just to do an evaluation. If you are interested in using his services, then the growth and family related questions may be important. The credit related problems are only relevant if you actually need to do the braces on credit. You probably can get a small discount by paying upfront. We paid the full amount for our son up front and got a 5% discount. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted May 31, 2012 Author Share Posted May 31, 2012 Really if we use this guy, that will end up 4-7 kids in less than 2 years getting they business. They say they give a family discount and a cash discount and our insurance pays approx 50%. I'm hoping that doesn't mean they jack the price 50%. :/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justasque Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 Braces are usually a flat fee for the whole shebang - several thousand dollars. It's not a per-visit thing. Most people pay it monthly over some period of time. NOTE: If you have a flexible healthcare spending account thingy, it can save you THOUSANDS (depending on your tax bracket) if you pay from that, which takes some planning. Most orthos will work with you to maximize benefits from your insurance and your flexible account. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zimom Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 My favorite question is always: is your child adopted? Does he/she know? Yes, I have seen this on more then one medical/dental/orthodontist form. I would certainly hope in this day and age parents would tell their children, unfortunately there are still some that don't. The adoption information is relevant if they are trying to predict growth, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 NOTE: If you have a flexible healthcare spending account thingy, it can save you THOUSANDS (depending on your tax bracket) if you pay from that, which takes some planning. Most orthos will work with you to maximize benefits from your insurance and your flexible account.Except that the regulations just changed such that you can only contribute $2500 a year into flex medical. One year before DD the Elder will need braces. :glare: I don't know if it's logistically possible to split up costs over two plan years, but will be looking into it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SebastianCat Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 We paid for DS's braces up front and got a discount, either 5% or 10% over paying on a montly plan. Believe it or not, we actually discussed the issue of "time of residence" when we had our evaluation with our orthodontist. At the time, my DH was interviewing for a potential job change that would have involved relocation. We decided to wait to begin the braces until that issue was resolved and we knew that we'd be staying put for the forseeable future. All of those questions are legitimate, IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted May 31, 2012 Author Share Posted May 31, 2012 My favorite question is always: is your child adopted? Does he/she know? Yes, I have seen this on more then one medical/dental/orthodontist form. I would certainly hope in this day and age parents would tell their children, unfortunately there are still some that don't. The adoption information is relevant if they are trying to predict growth, etc. I see nothing wrong with an adoptive parent waiting to tell their child. I think every parent should make their decisions based on what is best for their situation. I think family history is a poor predictor. I have 2 teens that haven't hit their growth spurt yet and are already taller than both my dh and I. And I have 1 ftt ds that will probably barely hit our height. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 Except that the regulations just changed such that you can only contribute $2500 a year into flex medical. One year before DD the Elder will need braces. :glare: I don't know if it's logistically possible to split up costs over two plan years, but will be looking into it. Say what? When does this take effect? We contributed $5000 this year an haven't heard anything about it changing next year. I wish I had known this going into this year because it would have changed the order in which we had dental work done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted May 31, 2012 Author Share Posted May 31, 2012 We paid for DS's braces up front and got a discount, either 5% or 10% over paying on a montly plan. Believe it or not, we actually discussed the issue of "time of residence" when we had our evaluation with our orthodontist. At the time, my DH was interviewing for a potential job change that would have involved relocation. We decided to wait to begin the braces until that issue was resolved and we knew that we'd be staying put for the forseeable future. All of those questions are legitimate, IMO. I don't think so. If military families had to wait until that issue is resolved, their kid would never get it done. My dh does consulting work. I can't promise anything beyond 4-6 months from now. If that. But if the kid needs the work done, then they need it done. In at least 2 of mine, waiting longer than a couple months will dramatically increase the problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 The height of mom and dad and which of us the child resembles and whether they are adopted? What if the mom is dead and father remarried, or lives somewhere else? I don't think my orthodontist ever saw any member of my family other than my mother. And my teeth weren't like her anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 Yup, it's seeing what their growth pattern is.... How long you've lived there and the credit report? Probably because they're seeing if you are ok for credit to pay for the braces. Most people don't pay thousands at a time... they want to make payments :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 Say what? When does this take effect? We contributed $5000 this year an haven't heard anything about it changing next year. I wish I had known this going into this year because it would have changed the order in which we had dental work done. The $2500 is only for FSAs, HSAs will stay the same. OP, I would answer the questions about your child to help the ortho determine when braces are most appropriate, but leave the rest blank until you decide who you are going with. They will likely need to know financial stuff if you finance the braces just like any other creditor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 Say what? When does this take effect? We contributed $5000 this year an haven't heard anything about it changing next year. I wish I had known this going into this year because it would have changed the order in which we had dental work done.It might not be 2012/2013 plan year (though I thought this was the case based on our plan docs). It wil be in effect 2013. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 (edited) Say what? When does this take effect? We contributed $5000 this year an haven't heard anything about it changing next year. I wish I had known this going into this year because it would have changed the order in which we had dental work done.The decrease is effective Jan. 1, 2013, but if your 2012 plan extends into 2013, it will take effect the 2012/2013 plan year. Ours runs from April 1 - March 31, so we were subject to the new limits at renewal. ETA: I *think* :D From this article, it sounds like HR has more than one option as to how to handle a plan year extending into 2013. http://eforerisa.wordpress.com/2012/01/10/health-fsa-dollar-limit-for-2013-impacts-some-fiscal-year-plans-now/ Edited May 31, 2012 by nmoira Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SebastianCat Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 (edited) Quote:Originally Posted by SebastianCat We paid for DS's braces up front and got a discount, either 5% or 10% over paying on a montly plan. Believe it or not, we actually discussed the issue of "time of residence" when we had our evaluation with our orthodontist. At the time, my DH was interviewing for a potential job change that would have involved relocation. We decided to wait to begin the braces until that issue was resolved and we knew that we'd be staying put for the forseeable future. All of those questions are legitimate, IMO. Originally Posted by Martha I don't think so. If military families had to wait until that issue is resolved, their kid would never get it done. My dh does consulting work. I can't promise anything beyond 4-6 months from now. If that. But if the kid needs the work done, then they need it done. In at least 2 of mine, waiting longer than a couple months will dramatically increase the problem. I meant that I brought it up. For us, it wasn't worth it to start a 2 to 3-year treatment plan if we were going to move in 3 months. I totally understand your situation, which is completely different. FWIW, our orthodontist said that they deal with patients moving all the time, and they would generally estimate the percentage of treatment completed, then transfer the balance to a new orthodontist if necessary. Edited May 31, 2012 by SebastianCat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted May 31, 2012 Author Share Posted May 31, 2012 I meant that I brought it up. For us, it wasn't worth it to start a 2 to 3-year treatment plan if we were going to move in 3 months. I totally understand your situation, which is completely different. FWIW, our orthodontist said that they deal with patients moving all the time, and they would generally estimate the percentage of treatment completed, then transfer the balance to a new orthodontist if necessary. ahhhhh. well alrighty then.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardening momma Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 However, many are going to third party financing and they approve it through their own software system. You may have heard of Care credit? Many dentists, surgeons, vets, etc. use Care credit to offer financial planning for customers. Care Credit requires a separate & specific application, so the questions on the doctor's form would not be for Care Credit. They're probably more likely if you are going to carry a balance on your account with the orthodontist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Marple Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 Martha, I cannot remember having those questions asked by our orthodontist. If you are looking for another recommendation (not sure how it would affect your insurance and she is in Claremore), PM me and I'll send you the name of the one we use. She only works 3 days per week and is very homeschool friendly. My son is at the end of his braces experience :) It has been a good experience all around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TranquilMind Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 Just to do an evaluation. If you are interested in using his services, then the growth and family related questions may be important. The credit related problems are only relevant if you actually need to do the braces on credit. You probably can get a small discount by paying upfront. We paid the full amount for our son up front and got a 5% discount. Absolutely. There is no interest in knowing your personal financial information prior to your selection of him as an orthodontist AND your request for credit. Other than that, no way. I'd tell him about parental height, because, um, he's gonna see us sooner or later anyway. Nothing private about that, but NO ONE who is not the IRS or my employer is getting SSN's and personal information regarding credit. I'd pay cash up front and get the discount. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hikin' Mama Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 Weird! We've put braces on three kids now, and never had any of those questions. I'd leave them blank too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lab1 Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 My thought on residence and previous area might have to do with floridated water. My dentist wanted that info for my kids care. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butter Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 Our orthodontist didn't ask anything like that. Not even remotely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cin Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 The height of mom and dad and which of us the child resembles and whether they are adopted?Height and resemblence is probably an indicator of mouth/jaw size. Adoption might be related to prenatal/early life nutrition and issues that could be associated with that. Whether the girl has started her period or the boy has had his voice change? where they are in their growth. Studies show that girls are mostly done growing by the time they start their periods, except for filling out. Don't know, but probably something similar for boys and voice change. And why the heck do they need permission to obtain my credit report? Billing How long have we lived at our current residence and where did we live previously? Billing and Credit. Braces are expensive. We're going to be putting about $12,000 into our girls' mouths. We could easily buy a used car with that, and if we did, they'd be asking for that information. I'm leaving these areas blank because it is none of their business as far as I can tell. I would only leave the financial questions blank if you are intending to pay cash, up front. I'm taking two sons in for evaluation for braces. jmho :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.