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Why You Should Schedule a Virtual Visit at Aura Orthodontics

By April 30, 2020July 10th, 2023Blog, Orthodontics
first visit dr sharma

Our Surrey, Guildford and Langley offices have been closed in order to keep our patients, our team members and our community safe and healthy. However, we’re still here for you virtually! While we’re looking forward to seeing everyone again in person soon, for the time being, there are a lot of benefits to connecting online and we have options for both new and existing patients here at Aura Orthodontics.

What is an Online Check-In?

If you’re one of our existing Langley, Abbotsford or Surrey braces or Invisalign patients, we’re offering online check-ins. For anyone having an orthodontic emergency or a comfort issue like a poking wire, you can quickly check in and we’ll walk you through how to fix the issue if you need help. Or, if you just want to make sure your treatment is progressing according to plan, you can do that with an online visit too. You’ll simply fill in some information and take a few pictures of your smile (don’t worry, we have instructions!). If you have braces rubber bands, be sure to snap the pics while you’re wearing your rubber bands. If you’re one of our Invisalign patients, take photos with and without your aligners in.  

Dr. Sharma, Dr. Lin or Dr. Koo, certified specialists in orthodontics, will review your details. Then, we’ll contact you and, if needed, we can set up a time to chat.

What is a Virtual Consultation?

If you’ve been thinking about straightening your teeth but you aren’t a patient yet, we offer virtual consultations. Similar to our online check-in, you’ll simply fill out some information about yourself or your child and take some pictures of your smile. Dr. Sharma recorded a super handy instructional video to show you how to capture the photos. After you hit “send,” a certified specialist in orthodontics, Dr. Lin, Dr. Sharma or Dr. Koo, will evaluate your pictures and information. We’ll then reach out to you with our customized treatment recommendations and important information like the cost of orthodontic treatment, how long it will take, and our financing options. You’ll feel informed and confident about moving forward.

What are the Benefits of Virtual Visits?

1. Convenient and Simple – You can complete an online check-in or virtual consultation from anywhere, including your couch. You don’t have to take a trip to the office or even get changed out of your pajamas. Both features are user-friendly and only take a few minutes to complete.

2. Encourages Physical Distancing – We love hanging out with our patients but physical distancing is important for helping to flatten the curve and keep everyone safe. With virtual visits and consultations, there’s no face-to-face interaction and you complete all of the steps from the comfort of your own home. Then, when the situation stabilizes, we’ll get you in for an actual visit at our practice.

3. Saves Time –For virtual consultations, we’ll get a lot of the legwork out of the way before you come in to actually start treatment, which will mean a shorter first visit, saving you time. Additionally, by checking in with an online visit, we can help you troubleshoot any issues more quickly and easily and ensure your treatment is on track so you can finish on time.

4. Receive Important Details – Existing patients will get confirmation about their treatment progress. If, for example, you have braces rubber bands, we can also let you know if you should proceed with your current protocol or make a change to move you forward towards your treatment goals. For new patients doing a virtual consultation, you’ll get all of the information you need to decide whether you want to go ahead with braces or Invisalign, including our treatment recommendations and financing options.

We do want to note that we understand this recovery phase from the coronavirus will be tough for a lot of people and we’re committed to making treatment work for your budget and needs. We’re flexible, open and willing to accommodate different payment arrangements, which we can get into in detail once we’ve connected through a virtual visit.

5. Get Started on Your New Smile – Every new patient starts their treatment with a consultation. By doing one virtually, you’re taking an important first step in your smile journey and you don’t have to wait until the offices are open again. Even when we’re not practicing physical distancing anymore, virtual consultations are still a great way to kick off the teeth-straightening process. 

Complete an online check-in today to keep tabs on your progress. Or, if you’re ready to cross an orthodontic consultation off your to-do list, schedule a virtual consultation with us. We hope everyone is hanging in there and we can’t wait to see all of you again soon!