What You Need to Know About Your First Orthodontic Appointment
So you’ve picked your orthodontist, attended your first consultation and now you want to proceed to a new patient appointment to pursue treatment. You’re probably wondering:
- What happens now?
- How long will you be there?
- When do you get your braces?
What Happens in a New Patient Appointment
Your first new patient appointment is where you get to know about your doctor, their staff and the office. They also get a chance to know about you and what problems you are looking to correct. Write down any questions you may have and use this opportunity to talk to the doctor or office staff about them.
This visit will involve an exam to check your teeth and bones for any problems. You may be asked to get x-rays, impressions and photographs to document the treatment plan. The orthodontist will then discuss:
- Total cost for the recommended treatment
- Timeline for the treatment
- Options for corrective treatment
How Long Will the Appointment Take?
The new patient appointment should only take approximately 1 hour. If this is a pediatric appointment, there may be no immediate next steps, as the child may not be ready for treatment yet. If it is an older child with permanent teeth or an adult, there will be an additional appointment needed to do the paperwork to complete before starting treatment. However, many offices will schedule the paperwork appointment immediately after the new patient appointment when possible.
During the paperwork appointment, you will discuss payment options such as insurance coverage, copays and deposits. Some offices may offer financing options, as well.
When Do I Get My Braces?
Provided you don’t need teeth removed, you should be ready to schedule a time to have your orthodontic appliances applied. The fitting is sometimes called the bonding appointment. You can plan to be in the office for approximately 1 1/2 hours.
If your treatment plan requires the extraction of one or more teeth before applying the braces, it may be up to a few weeks before you can be fitted. If it is a simple extraction not requiring surgery, the delay should be minimal. However, if surgery and stitches are required to remove the teeth, it could be weeks until the wound has healed sufficiently.
Once you’ve gotten your braces, the journey is underway. You’ll have many checkups throughout your orthodonture treatment. They will usually be every few weeks throughout the timeline so that the doctor can check for progress and make corrections if necessary. Contact an orthodontist, like an orthodontist in San Clemente, CA, today to learn more.
Thank you to the experts at John Redmond Orthodontics for their expertise in orthodontics as part of an overall health plan.