Let me first say that I had no idea there could be such disparities in quality when we're talking…read moreabout kids' braces. I had originally taken my kids to the place nearest us (we live in a town neighboring Arlington, a town where you would assume businesses are all fairly high quality), figuring braces were braces. I **had** previously had a new retainer made for myself at the nearby place and it **did** seem to be of poor quality - brittle, thin plastic that cracked just over 2 years in - but I wasn't sure if retainers had changed a lot over the decades or what. When my son finished treatment and received his (brittle) retainer I started poking around to see what had happened to retainers since the 90s and whether there were other options. I was told that amongst the clear plastic ones, there IS a quality difference; nicer ones are thicker and softer. I was also told that I could specifically request a "Hawley" retainer (the ones with a wire over the front of your teeth) at the local place, pay a little more, and it would last forever. This actually frustrated me because I had not been offered a Hawley retainer at the local place, and neither had my son. And when my brittle plastic retainer had cracked 2 years in, they made me redo my molds ($$$$$) even though I'd kept my molds and called them right away.
Meanwhile my daughter did not feel confident about the treatment she was receiving at the local place; we were nearing the end of her braces; the next step was removal and retainer. She had reported concerns throughout the process and repeatedly asked me if she could get a 2nd opinion. Between this and the retainer situation, I decided I needed to at least see if there was anything better out there.
From the very first contact, Arlington Orthodontics was amazing. The reception staff were friendly, warm, professional, and courteous. The office has plentiful parking in the back, which makes a difference when you're a busy parent making multiple trips, and the interior was bright, clean, and thoughtfully decorated for fall and Halloween. On assessing my daughter Dr. Lindgren stated that he would have her in a few more times to bring her bottom teeth more forward. He also said she had this whole other wire/chain thing over her teeth that was not necessary in her case and would have been trapping food. By the time I left the first visit I had determined to switch her care, even though I'd already paid in full at the local place, and to have new retainers made for myself and my son.
After her first visit, my daughter reported Arlington Orthodontics was SO much better. She said the assistant was much more gentle and "actually explained" everything being done. Her braces also LOOKED so much better after that excess chain was removed. And as for my retainer, not only can I tell it's much higher quality and won't be prone to cracking, but it is also SO much easier to get on and off. IMO, anything you do or use every day is worth investing in; the stress of worrying that the other one would crack each time I took it in and out was not a great way to start and end each day.
As if all that weren't reason enough, the assistant at Arlington Orthodontics told me that they THEY would keep my molds (not me, yay, I lose stuff) and that if **ever** my retainer broke or got lost, as long as I called within a reasonable time, they could have a new retainer made without making new molds. AMAZING!!!!!!!! Just being honest the local place almost seems like a racket in retrospect - give everyone poor quality retainers, don't even mention the Hawley option, and charge for new molds if it's been over 2 years, which is the life expectancy of those lower-end retainers.
In summary, this place is everything you'd want in an orthodontic office: Friendly, professional staff, knowledgable, highly competent orthodontist and assistants, easy parking, and a well-lit, well-decorated space. Well worth the drive from neighboring towns and worth every extra penny we had to pay due to having already started treatment elsewhere.
