Epic Orthodontics

Dr. Hicks and team have done braces on me and my 2 boys. They are so great. We live in Maryville, but gladly drive to Farragut to see Dr. Hicks. Several times, I've had scheduling conflicts, and they have always worked it out so we could make one trip for both boys since we have a bit of a drive. Can't say enough good things about this place and the entire staff.

My daughter (a minor) underwent orthodontic treatment at this office to correct an overbite and straighten her teeth. Before starting treatment, we were advised that traditional braces would be the best option for her situation. During treatment, we believed things were progressing normally. About a week after her braces were removed, we visited her general dentist for a cleaning and were informed that there appeared to be a noticeable area of missing enamel from one of her teeth. This was very upsetting and completely unexpected to us. We later learned that my daughter had apparently been told during her final orthodontic visit to mention the issue to her dentist at her next appointment, but this concern was not communicated directly to me while I was present in the office waiting area. I was uncomfortable with this because my daughter is a minor, I was present in the office, and I would have preferred to have been included in that conversation so I could ask questions. After learning about the issue, we scheduled a follow-up appointment with the orthodontist to discuss what had happened. We requested before-and-after photos for comparison, but were informed that there were no progress photos available. We were also told that portions of the charting and documentation were incomplete, which made it difficult to fully understand or reconstruct the treatment details. During our discussions, there appeared to be uncertainty regarding certain treatment details, including which tooth had been used for elastics. Also, during the appointment both the before-and-after photos were not provided, which hampered the conversation, even though this had been requested in advance and would have been helpful to the discussion. I was also concerned about the completeness of the records and documentation we later received regarding the tooth in question. During our discussions, we were informed that my daughter has weak enamel, which is true. However, I do wish we had been given more information beforehand regarding any increased risks associated with braces in patients with weaker enamel, along with possible alternative treatment approaches and risk-mitigation options. In hindsight, I wish we had spent more time discussing alternative treatment options and whether they presented different risks or benefits given her weak enamel. Instead, most of the discussion focused on correcting the overbite, and the weak enamel issue was not discussed in significant detail beyond informing us that she had weak enamel, which left us feeling we did not have enough information to fully evaluate the risks and alternatives. The office did provide a standard notice after requesting their insurance information stating that “Orthodontic treatment remains an elective procedure and has some inherent risks.” I felt there was little accountability regarding the concerns we raised, and no apology or acknowledgment of those concerns was offered. This experience was frustrating and stressful for our family, and it ultimately caused us to lose confidence in the practice. We also requested insurance information from the office and were informed that it would not be provided. If I had to go through the process again, I would ask questions about insurance coverage, office policies, how information is transmitted to parents, treatment risks, and documentation practices before beginning treatment. General advice for anyone considering orthodontic or medical treatment: ask questions, request copies of records when appropriate, and make sure you fully understand both the potential benefits and potential risks of treatment before proceeding. The biggest one is, ask for the insurance information in advance, because it was not provided later.

They are excellent! Treated my older child. They were able to schedule out all appointments for treatment on day one. Easily worked with our schedules and immediately got kiddo in when a wire popped out. Kiddo's teeth look fantastic. Unfortunately we moved to Blount Co and chose to go to Owen's Orthodontics for our younger kid. Owen's is incompetent with scheduling. We so regret not biting the bullet and driving further to have younger kiddo treated at Epic too. Epic is totally worth the drive to receive great care and work with competent schedulers

A huge thank you to Dr. Hicks and the entire staff for taking such amazing care of Journey through her braces journey. From the very first appointment to the day they came off, you all have been so kind, patient, and encouraging every step of the way. Today was such an exciting moment for her, and we couldn’t be happier with her beautiful smile! Thank you for making the whole experience such a positive one for our family. We truly appreciate all of your hard work and care. 🩷😁

Epic made the process so easy! The Brace Bus is an amazing service. I never had to miss work to make an appointment. They took care of it all! Their payment plans make it affordable for just about any family. The end result is an Epic Smile!