Initial examination:
The patient’s first visit of our office usually takes 30-45 minutes and will be for Dr. Moles to determine the nature and extent of the patients’ problems.
During this visit, we address the following questions that cover the basics of orthodontic treatment and encourage questions as well.
- Is there a condition that orthodontics can address?
- Is treatment needed now, or should treatment be delayed until appropriate growth, tooth eruption or other factors have occurred?
- What treatment procedures will be used to correct the problem?
- Do any permanent teeth need to be removed?
- How long will treatment take?
- How much will it cost?
If it is not the ideal time to initiate treatment, we will arrange periodic re-examination appointments to monitor development until we reach the optimum time to initiate correction.
While we can often answer these general questions about treatment during the initial examination, we address specific areas after careful analysis of diagnostic records. In-depth planning leads to superior results and higher patient satisfaction.
Diagnostic Records:
Once we have determined that you will benefit from orthodontics and are ready to start, we will schedule a 45 minute appointment for records that include digital photographs, digital radiographs (x-rays), and impressions for study models. We usually place spacers at this appointment as well, if we are starting within a week or two.
Braces Appointment:
Eat a good breakfast as this normally takes 60-90 minutes and varies based on the type of appliances that we will be using. Many offices will only place back braces one appointment then front ones later or top braces with the lowers later. We try to minimize your time away from work and school by combining the appointments and placing all that we can at this time.
There are many types of braces and appliances that we use and they have all been designed to correct your specific problems.