What To Expect At Your First Orthodontic Appointment?
It is normal to feel nervous or uneasy about your first visit to an orthodontic clinic. You may be wondering what happens during your appointment. Here are a few things that you can expect at your first visit to the orthodontic clinic.
First impression is very important, you should expect polite and warm greetings from the front desk staffs when you first arrive. Most orthodontic clinics have a bright and comfortable ambience to make you feel welcomed and at ease.
You may have received some documents in your mail box prior to your appointment, these generally include information forms for you to complete and referrals for radiographs to be taken at your nearest radiology centre. The information forms are required to be completed as accurately as possible to help the staffs and orthodontist to serve you in a better way. Once all the forms are completed, you may hand them to the friendly staff members together with the x-ray films.
At Specialists in Orthodontics, your consultation appointment will begin with a photo session. During this time, a few photos of your face and teeth will be taken as part of the record taking process. This is a simple process, and our staff members will guide you through the entire procedure to make sure you are comfortable and at ease. The photos will then be uploaded into our software system. These photos of your face and teeth are not only for pre-treatment (before) diagnostic records but they are also important in assisting our orthodontist to assess your facial profile, lips position, and facial symmetry.
Once we have all the diagnostic records required, our orthodontist will have a discussion with you about your concerns and any questions you have about your teeth and your smile. This is a good time for you to raise any concerns about your smile. It is a good idea to prepare a list of questions you have in mind prior to this appointments so that you don’t miss anything!
The orthodontist will now examine your face, smile, teeth and bite. A treatment coordinator will assist the orthodontist to take records of his/her findings. A problem list about your condition will be generated and the orthodontist will discuss each of them with you in detail. After which, the orthodontist will give you treatment options to manage your main concerns and any other problems detected.
Not all patients are ready to commence orthodontic treatment. One may be too young to start orthodontic treatment especially if they still have many baby teeth. Some patients may have to wait until late teenage years before they are suitable to have braces treatment. In such cases, we will schedule a series of regular review visits to allow the orthodontist to monitor your dental development.
You may need orthodontic treatment, but the orthodontist may recommend you to see a general dentist to have a general checkup and dental cleaning before you start your treatment. Sometimes, you might need to be referred to another specialists for consultation before finalising your orthodontic treatment plan. For example, patients with jaw discrepancies will be referred to an oral maxillofacial surgeon. If you have gum problems, you will need to be seen by a periodontist (gum specialist).
If the orthodontist reckons that orthodontic treatment is not required, he/she will give you other potential options to manage your main concerns. This usually happens if your main concerns are very minor and the cost of orthodontic treatment outweighs the benefits.
Once a treatment option has been decided, the treatment coordinator will discuss with you about pricing and cost of your orthodontic treatment. At Specialists in Orthodontics, we offer interest-free payment plans for most treatment plans. Our treatment coordinator will guide you through the process of your orthodontic treatment and how to look after your appliances.
Why wait to have the smile you always dream of? Call us today to make a FREE consultation appointment.