Office Policies
Philosophy of Care
Our goal is to routinely exceed the expectations of every person who comes into contact with our practice. We provide the highest level of service and caring for every individual who comes through our office. Using proven state-of-the-art technology to enhance your experience, we maintain the most advanced procedures and equipment available to ensure that every patient achieves a healthy and beautiful smile.
We offer a unique orthodontic experience that is fun, affordable, interactive and effective. We want each one of our patients to leave with a smile that reflects not only our technical expertise, but more importantly, one that reflects the care and attention that has been given during the course of treatment. We promise to strive for this goal every day, and we appreciate the trust you have placed in us.
Office Hours
Sullivan Orthodontics is conveniently located in Mill Creek, WA. We are open to serve you during the following hours:
Monday – Thursday: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
What Makes Our Office Special?
- Dr. Sullivan is board certified
Dr. Sullivan is a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics. - All-inclusive fees
The fee that we charge includes everything that will be done over the course of treatment: initial records, placement of appliances, visits during active treatment, progress X-rays, retainers and post-treatment retention visits. - Early treatment
Dr. Sullivan has extensive experience with the early orthodontic treatment to treat certain problems that are best corrected at an early stage of development. - Family discount
We offer a discount for multiple family members in braces. - Extended hours
We offer some appointments as early as 7 a.m., and on certain days, we extend our hours to 7 p.m. - Patient referrals
We have a high number of patient referrals and multiple family members in treatment in our office. The highest compliment our patients can give is the referral of their family and friends. - High-tech braces
We use the most up-to-date braces technology that helps reduce the number of visits during treatment, as well as the length of treatment. - Digital X-rays
We offer the highest technology in X-rays. All of our X-rays are digital, which decreases the level of radiation exposure. - Dentists as patients
Several local dentists have trusted Dr. Sullivan to provide orthodontic treatment for themselves and their families.
Scheduling Appointments
How can you fit orthodontic treatment into your busy schedule?
Most people seeking orthodontic treatment have other important obligations during the day, usually involving work or school. We have devoted considerable time and effort to designing our scheduling system. Our primary goal is to see you on time for your appointment. Your time is valuable; it should not be wasted in our reception area. Second, we want to have adequate time during each appointment to perform the necessary procedures. Third, we want to answer questions and update your treatment progress. In addition, we will work with you to schedule around work or school hours as much as possible. It is not feasible for you or your child to always obtain an appointment before or after work or school. As you can imagine, a well-organized schedule requires considerable structure tempered with flexibility.
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Our Approach
Orthodontic treatment proceeds in stages. Sometimes all that is needed is a nudge here and there, requiring a relatively short appointment. At other times, major changes are required in the appliance, requiring a longer appointment. With this in mind, longer appointments, which are fewer in number, are scheduled during school hours. In this way, an entire afternoon is not committed to one or two patients, but rather, is scheduled to accommodate as many families as possible for after school appointments. If you should ever wish to come to the office during a quieter time, please ask to schedule an appointment during school hours. In order to be fair, we alternate morning and afternoon appointments with all patients. Some appointments are blissfully short. During your treatment, there are times when the adjustments are completed quickly even though they may be quite technical. We have tried to design treatment methods that limit your inconvenience.
Because the schedule is carefully crafted, your late arrival can pose a problem. In fairness to the other scheduled patients, we may not be able to squeeze you into the schedule and therefore find it necessary to reschedule your appointment.
Rescheduling Appointments
We realize that unforeseen circumstances arise which necessitate changes in appointments or cause you to overlook an appointment. We will do our best to reschedule your appointment as soon as possible. Although, due to the great demand for afternoon and evening appointments, we will reschedule missed afternoon or evening appointments with morning appointments only.
Regular Dental Care
During your orthodontic treatment, it is extremely important to see your general dentist at least every six months. Your orthodontic treatment and visits are limited to adjustment of your braces and appliances, not comprehensive evaluation and treatment of your tooth enamel, gums and oral tissues. Because of the brief nature of orthodontic appointments, it is not possible for your orthodontist to do the type of in-depth dental exam that your general dentist performs.
Your general dentist needs to check every tooth surface for cavities, perform a cleaning to remove tartar and buildup from the teeth, check the health of the gums and bone around each tooth, probe your gums as needed, check the health of the oral tissues, take detailed X-rays of individual teeth to check for problems between teeth, provide fluoride treatments, check existing sealants, fillings and crowns and restore any decayed or broken-down areas of tooth structure.
During orthodontic treatment, the teeth are under stress and certain dental conditions, such as gum disease, can be worsened by orthodontic treatment and can progress rapidly if left untreated. Of course, if your orthodontist sees any obvious problems with your teeth or mouth during an orthodontic adjustment, he will contact your dentist, but it is your responsibility to make appointments to see your general dentist during orthodontic treatment. If you need a referral to a general dentist, please let us know and we will be happy to make a recommendation.
