Military families make up a significant part of who we are at Sims Orthodontics. In Crestview, roughly 75% of our patients are connected to the military: active duty service members, spouses, and children of the men and women stationed at Eglin Air Force Base, Hurlburt Field, and Duke Field. In Pensacola, we serve families from NAS Pensacola and Corry Station regularly. It’s a community we’ve been part of for years and one we take seriously.
I’m Dr. Clay Sims, a board-certified orthodontist and the owner of Sims Orthodontics. My grandfather Max served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. Several members of my staff have active duty spouses in the Air Force and Navy. This community isn’t just a patient demographic to us. It’s personal.
This post is specifically for military families getting orthodontic care in Northwest Florida. What TRICARE covers, how to use your benefits at our practice, and what makes finding consistent, high-quality orthodontic care uniquely challenging when you’re subject to PCS orders every few years.
What TRICARE Covers for Orthodontics
TRICARE orthodontic coverage is among the best orthodontic insurance available anywhere. Here’s what active duty families need to know.
Active Duty Family Member (ADFM) coverage through TRICARE covers:
- Full orthodontic treatment with braces or Invisalign
- Phase 1 early treatment including expanders and appliances
- Orthodontic appliances as part of a treatment plan
- One set of retainers after treatment
In other words, TRICARE doesn’t just cover the straightforward cases. It covers the full range of what orthodontic treatment involves, from early intervention in young children to comprehensive adult treatment. That’s broader than most civilian dental insurance plans.
Coverage details and maximum benefits vary depending on your specific TRICARE plan. When you come in for your free consultation we run a full benefits check at no charge so you know exactly what your plan covers before any decisions are made.
When service members retire or separate, TRICARE coverage changes. Retirees and their families typically move to different coverage options. Many of those plans still include orthodontic benefits and we work with all of them. If you’re approaching a transition out of active duty service and want to understand how your orthodontic coverage will change, come in and we’ll help you sort through it.
Using TRICARE at Sims Orthodontics
One of the most important things military families should understand about orthodontic insurance is that it works differently than regular dental coverage. With standard dental procedures, staying in-network often matters significantly. Orthodontics is different.
In most cases, your TRICARE orthodontic benefit pays the same lifetime maximum whether your provider is in-network or out-of-network. That means you don’t have to limit your choice of orthodontist to whoever is on a preferred provider list. You can choose based on quality, continuity of care, and whether you actually trust the doctor treating your family.
We are experienced with TRICARE billing and have helped hundreds of military families use their benefits at our practice. We handle the insurance paperwork and make sure you’re getting every dollar you’re entitled to.
The PCS Challenge: Starting or Finishing Treatment When You Move
This is the issue that comes up more than any other with military families. You start treatment here and then orders come. Or you arrive in Pensacola or Crestview mid-treatment from another duty station and need to find an orthodontist who can pick up where someone else left off.
Both situations are manageable and we handle them regularly. Here’s how we approach each one.
Starting treatment knowing you may PCS before finishing: This is a real consideration and we’ll be honest with you about it upfront. If you have 18 months left at your current duty station and your child needs 24 months of treatment, we’ll talk about that directly. Sometimes it makes sense to start anyway and plan for a transfer. Sometimes we can do a more limited treatment that accomplishes the most important goals within your timeframe. Sometimes we recommend waiting. The answer depends on your child’s specific situation and we’ll give you our honest clinical opinion, not a recommendation based on what generates the most revenue for us.
Arriving mid-treatment from another duty station: Bring your records, X-rays, and treatment notes from your previous orthodontist. We’ll review everything, assess where you are in treatment, and pick up right where your last orthodontist left off. We use digital records and our practice management system means your information is current and accessible at all three of our locations.
We charge a transfer-in fee that covers the administrative work of reviewing records and getting you set up in our system. It’s straightforward and we’ll cover it clearly at your consultation.
Why Continuity of Care Matters Especially for Military Families
Military families already deal with enough disruption. Orthodontic care from a practice that is stable, doctor-owned, and invested in your family’s long-term outcome matters more for you than it does for families who will never move.
In Crestview specifically, Sims Orthodontics is currently the only owner-doctor orthodontic practice in town. The other orthodontic options are either corporate-owned or operated by a dentist rather than a board-certified orthodontist. For a treatment relationship that can span two years, that difference is significant. You want to know that the doctor who starts your child’s treatment will still be there to finish it, and that the person making clinical decisions about your family’s care is the same person at every single visit.
At our practice, you see me at every appointment. Not an associate, not whoever happens to be available. The same board-certified orthodontist, start to finish. For military families who already experience more disruption than most, that consistency is something we work hard to provide.
Military Discount and Payment Options
We offer a military discount of 10% of the patient portion of treatment, up to $300, for active duty service members, veterans, and military families. This applies on top of whatever TRICARE or other insurance covers.
We also offer:
- In-house 0% interest financing over the length of treatment
- Down payments structured to fit your budget
- Navy Federal employee discount
- Family discount when multiple family members are in treatment
For many military families between TRICARE benefits and our military discount, the out-of-pocket cost of orthodontic treatment is significantly lower than they expected. Come in for a free consultation and we’ll show you the exact numbers before you commit to anything.
For a full breakdown of how orthodontic costs and insurance work, see our post on how much braces cost in Pensacola.
A Personal Note
My grandfather Max Jordan served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He was studying pharmacy at Auburn when he was called up. He served in the chemical corps and came home to Gulf Breeze, where he spent decades as a pharmacist who never turned anyone away regardless of whether they could pay.
I didn’t serve, but I grew up with a deep respect for what service means and what it asks of families. Several people on my team have spouses on active duty right now. We understand deployments, PCS stress, the logistics of managing a family’s healthcare needs while one parent is gone or while you’re trying to figure out a new area after a move.
When a military family comes in, we don’t treat you like a complicated insurance case. We treat you like neighbors, because in Crestview and Pensacola, you are.
Orthodontic Care Near Eglin AFB, Hurlburt Field, and NAS Pensacola
Crestview office: 758 N Ferdon Blvd, Crestview, FL. Closest office to Eglin AFB, Hurlburt Field, and Duke Field. About 75% of our Crestview patients are military connected. The office is a converted house with private rooms and a feel that’s very different from a clinical chain practice. Our Crestview patients tend to love it.
Pensacola office: 1100 Airport Blvd, Pensacola, FL. Serves families from NAS Pensacola, Corry Station, and the broader Pensacola area. Open floor plan with eight treatment chairs, high energy, great team.
Gulf Breeze office: 13 Center Rd, Gulf Breeze, FL. Convenient for families on the east side of Pensacola Bay and the Gulf Breeze/Navarre corridor.
No referral needed at any location. Book online or call (850) 477-7715. After hours, before 8am, after 5pm, and on weekends, calls route to an on-call team member.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does TRICARE cover braces for my child? Yes. Active duty family member TRICARE covers braces, Invisalign, Phase 1 early treatment, appliances, and retainers. Coverage details vary by plan and we run a complimentary benefits check at your first appointment.
Does TRICARE cover Invisalign? Yes, active duty TRICARE covers Invisalign as an orthodontic treatment option. At Sims Orthodontics we’re a Diamond Invisalign Provider, which means we treat a high volume of Invisalign cases annually and have extensive experience with the full range of cases.
Can I use TRICARE at Sims Orthodontics if you’re out of network? In most cases yes. Orthodontic insurance typically pays the same benefit regardless of network status. We’ll check your specific plan at no charge and tell you exactly what your coverage looks like.
What happens to orthodontic treatment if we get PCS orders mid-treatment? We’ll help you transition. We provide complete records and treatment notes that any orthodontist at your new duty station can use to continue care. If you’re arriving here mid-treatment, bring your records and we’ll pick up where your previous orthodontist left off.
Do you offer a military discount? Yes. We offer 10% of the patient portion up to $300 for active duty service members, veterans, and military families. This applies in addition to your insurance benefit.
Is there an orthodontist near Eglin AFB? Yes. Our Crestview office at 758 N Ferdon Blvd is the closest board-certified, owner-doctor orthodontic practice to Eglin AFB and Hurlburt Field. We’re currently the only owner-doctor orthodontic practice in Crestview. No referral needed.
What if my spouse is deployed and I need to manage orthodontic care alone? We understand that situation well. Several members of our team have active duty spouses. We work with single-parent scheduling, flexible appointment times, and we make the process as simple as possible. Call us and we’ll figure it out together.
Book your free consultation at Sims Orthodontics
Pensacola (850) 477-7715. Gulf Breeze. Crestview. No referral needed.
Proudly serving military families from Eglin AFB, Hurlburt Field, Duke Field, NAS Pensacola, Corry Station, and communities across Northwest Florida.
