Credentials & experience
- Are you a Certified Specialist in Orthodontics registered with BCCOHP? The foundational question. Instant yes or it’s a no.
- Who designs my treatment plan and who supervises each visit? You want the specialist on both.
- How many cases like mine have you treated? Pattern recognition is the product.
The plan
- What are ALL my treatment options — including doing nothing? A good clinic compares; a sales pitch recommends.
- Why this option over the others for my case? The reasoning matters more than the recommendation.
- Can I see the digital plan or simulation before committing? Standard for aligner cases.
- What’s the realistic timeline — and what could extend it?
The money
- What exactly does the quote include? Records, every adjustment, emergency visits, refinements, retainers, post-treatment checks — get it in writing.
- What could cost extra, and how much? Broken brackets, lost aligners, extended treatment.
- What are the payment plan terms, and do you direct-bill insurance?
The long term
- What retention do you recommend for my case, and is it included? See why this matters.
- What happens if I’m not happy with the result? A defined revision policy, before you sign, is the mark of a confident clinic.
Scoring the consultation itself
- Records taken before opinions offered
- Specialist examined you personally
- Questions welcomed, not deflected
- Written quote handed over unprompted
- No same-day-signing pressure
Take this list to at least two consultations — they’re free — and the right choice usually becomes obvious by the end of the second one.
How to ask them without it feeling like an interrogation
Bring the list on your phone and say so at the start: "I've got a few questions I'm asking every clinic." Good orthodontists relax when they hear that — it means you're comparing carefully, and careful patients are the ones who finish treatment well. We've been asked all twelve in a single consultation more than once and it's always been a better appointment for it. If a clinic bristles, that's information too.
What our answers are
Since we're publishing the questions, we should answer them. Yes, both our doctors are Certified Specialists in Orthodontics registered with BCCOHP. The specialist designs the plan and supervises every visit. Between them our doctors have managed tens of thousands of cases across two decades. We present every viable option, including waiting, and price them side by side. Aligner candidates see their digital simulation before committing. Timelines are given as ranges after records, with what could extend them named. Our fees include records, all adjustments, reasonable emergency visits, refinements where applicable, retainers and post-treatment checks — in writing. Extras are rare and stated. Payment plans run through our office with direct billing. Retention is included and explained before treatment. And if you're not happy with a result, we have a defined revision policy that we'll put in front of you before you sign.
Two questions we'd add for children
Thirteen: "What specifically would Phase 1 prevent, and what happens if we wait?" Fourteen: "What will Phase 2 still involve and cost?" A clinic that recommends early treatment should answer both without hesitation — ours does, and the reasoning is on our growth-modification page.
About using this list
Is it rude to ask an orthodontist these questions?
No. Good specialists welcome them; careful patients finish treatment well. If a clinic bristles, that's information.
Which single question matters most?
'What exactly does the quote include?' — retainers, refinements, emergency visits, revisions. It's where the real price lives.
Should my teenager ask their own questions?
Yes. Treatment a teenager chose goes better, and their questions are often the useful ones.
What if I forget to ask something?
Call the clinic afterward. A good office answers follow-up questions without irritation.
Related reading
- Consultation red flags — how to read the first hour
- Costs — what a complete quote includes
- Your first visit — what a good consultation contains
The bottom line
Twelve questions, two free consultations, one comparison on contents rather than price. The answers matter; the reactions matter almost as much. We've published our answers so you can check them, and we'd be glad to be one of the two clinics you ask.