If you have been wanting to straighten your teeth for a healthier, more beautiful smile, you have come to the right place! We love straightening smiles and aligning bites to give our patients the smiles they have always wanted. It is a big investment in your oral health, time, energy, and finances, and we are pleased to take you on this life-changing journey.
But First, Paperwork!
This first visit is all about evaluating your smile and determining what you need to align it. Once that is done, we can explain your treatment options so you can choose the one that fits your goals. It’s important to come in about 20 minutes early so you can fill out the initial forms required for your consultation (our orthodontic new patient forms). Remember to bring your ID and insurance cards with you so we can copy them and keep them on file for your records and insurance provider.
Next Up, Your Initial Examination
Once your paperwork is done, we will take you back and perform a clinical exam to evaluate your smile. We may take dental X-rays and diagnostic photos. We will be happy to answer all your questions and concerns as we walk you through all the necessary steps. After thoroughly checking your face, lips, teeth, and gums, we will also perform a bite test.
These steps will allow our orthodontist to see what will be necessary to straighten your teeth so you can discuss any potential problems and determine the right course of treatment. We will provide you with an estimate of the treatment costs and go over your insurance benefits as well as your financing options and payment plans. Our goal is to help you get the smile you want.
Our orthodontist will talk about your appliances, such as braces, expanders, and retainers. We will also discuss a potential timetable for how long it should take to straighten your teeth and how often you will need to come in and see our orthodontist to monitor and evaluate your progress and make routine adjustments. Your consultation can take anywhere from one to two hours.
Are You Ready? Determining Treatment
If our team determines that we can help you create the smile you want, you may need to see your dentist before having braces installed. They will need to take care of some items before having your braces installed, like having cavities filled, a dental cleaning, etc. (in extreme cases, teeth extracted) before you have your braces placed.
When you come in to get your new braces, we will explain how to take good care of your teeth while wearing your braces. Oral hygiene is always vital to not only a beautiful smile but a healthy one, and especially so in braces. This is no time to skip your routine dental cleanings! We will explain how best to clean around your appliance and the proper dental hygiene practices you should follow daily so that your teeth and gums stay healthy during your orthodontic treatment.
You could say that creating a healthy smile is a team effort, combining your daily at-home care, routine orthodontic visits, and biannual dental cleanings and exams. Together, you can finally have the smile you have always wanted! Give our team a call today to learn more or to schedule your first orthodontic visit!
