Disappointed” sums up my attitude to this business.

It was recommended by a general dentist who added that visits were made to my local town. This more or less swung me because I wanted to avoid travelling to Ballarat every few weeks for a few minutes' consultation which virtually wastes the whole day because we have to come so far. The commitment is long term – a year and a half or more. It is hard to choose between orthodontists since they appear to offer the same service for very similar expensive prices so I felt shopping around had little point. (I did not know about womow then).

My child entered a process line.

The reception staff were always pleasant in a disengaged sort of way; I never have felt like we are anything more than another pair of bots moving through the process and their real word is their relationships with each other which we interrupted.

When I opted to pay as we went rather than everything up front, for which a discount was offered, I soon became confused as to why the business sent demands for overdue fees when I was paying at each attendance. I was quite upset having to telephone std and being treated like I was the dill, fobbed off with “that's the accounts department”. The female to whom I complained didn't have the nous to pass me on to accounts nor to explain what I eventually worked out myself: that I was paying per visit and they were billing per month, a difference in two weeks. Anyway, having overcome that glitch things went on with adjustments and payments but never was it anywhere else but in Ballarat - my major reason for turning to this business. Possibly they do make visits but we never benefited from it.

At the start, unexpectedly, there was a nice incentive program for the patients. (be punctual, no breakages, brush teeth, compliance) A good idea considering that mostly they are young people or children for whom the idea of orthodontic work is parent driven and the procedure is uncomfortable.

My young person scored a book voucher. Then the scheme changed without warning and everyone “went into a draw”. The client can't see any immediate benefit nor how he is working toward a goal. My own child was disparaging and off hand about the new one, glad to have taken the book instead of holding out for more points towards something else that would not have eventuated.

The orthodontist took responsibility for making the teeth straight. And did that well. For any other treatment and for general dental health the client is expected to attend another dentist. I prefer someone with a wholistic approach as happened when my eldest child had orthodontic work done a decade ago. Sadly for us that local dentist moved on, else we would have continued with him.

At no time did the practitioner nor a dental technician/hygienist explain the basics of maintaining good oral health, such as demonstrating exactly how to clean and floss. Although literature was provided it is vastly inferior to a demonstration, especially for children. Nor was any procedure every explained fully. Stuff just got done.

From our experience the client will get straight teeth.

The straightening may not last since individuals vary. The teeth may rot since it is difficult to clean them and children in particular lack dexterity. (The choice of good or poor food is your own and it is hardly the practitioner's fault if your teeth are assaulted by sugars and other gunge).

I am not comfortable recommending this business.

We found the practitioner to be just another degree wielding specialist who appears to see no need to explain and treat his patient, nor the parent, as thinking intelligent decision making people. The manner is superficially pleasant but follow orders or cop a sneering comment. I find the practitioner's sarcasm unacceptable.
I was prepared for expense as I know it is a costly service. But there were a number of expensive extras not included in the quotation although necessary to the orthodontic work. I felt mislead.

In addition, a year subsequently I am very annoyed to have discovered by a visit to another dentist that my son needs impacted wisdom teeth removed. This is something that must have shown on the initial X-rays and no mention was made, although leaving them would have a huge negative impact on the success of the straightening procedure. Unforgivable.

Approximate cost: $over $5000