Patient Visiting Information

Your First Visit

A referral from a physician or surgeon is required. Your first visit is for you to consult with the Craniofacial team in a planning clinic. Planning clinics last approximately 40 minutes and are held once per month. You will be given the first available appointment after your referral is received. During the planning clinic you will meet the multidisciplinary team who will provide your care. The team includes a surgeon, a prosthodontist and an anaplastologist.

The purpose of the planning clinic is to discuss the treatment choices available to you. Treatment choices can include:

• No treatment at all
• Minor surgery (with or without a prosthesis)
• Prosthesis (with or without surgery or implants)

The team will answer all your questions about the treatment options and explain the advantages or disadvantages of each choice. At this meeting the cost of treatment will be discussed in order to assist you in deciding how to proceed.

If you decided to go ahead with treatment, arrangements are made for you to return for diagnostic work. The tests and planning procedures depend on your choice of treatment. The team will explain all the diagnostic steps to you.

Treatment Visits

If you decied to get a prosthesis, you may need diagnostic work as well as one or more small surgical procedures. Treatment appointments may be daily or spread out depending on operating room availability and the schedules of the surgeon, prosthodontist and anaplastologist. You will receive a complete list of appointment/surgery times as soon as they are known. It is important to know that a prosthesis is a lifelong commitment - you will need to get a new prosthesis about every two years.

A Note About Finances

Details about financing your prosthesis will be discussed with you at your first visit and you will be given a written cost estimate at that time. The Ministry of Health, Assistive Device Program (ADP) will pay 75 per cent of the cost of a prosthesis for Ontario residents, excluding implant related hardware and services. You are responsible for the other 25 per cent and all implant-related costs. You may want to approach your insurance company before making a decision to see if they will pay the outstanding balance. You may also qualify for some funding through various Access Programs. All options will be discussed during your initial planning clinic.