Dreading your visit to the dentist? We can totally relate! Seeking dental care can be off putting. It can be very uncomfortable, and we would often just want to skip the visit. But of course, we can never prevent them forever, and seeking immediate treatment might be necessary for some conditions
Crooked, or misaligned teeth and misaligned jaw are the common reasons for consulting an orthodontist. An orthodontist is a specialist who practices orthodontics. It is a branch of dentistry which focuses on the treatment and correction of misaligned teeth and jaw. They commonly offer treatment plans for malocclusions or having a bad bite, spaced teeth, crowded teeth, protruding teeth and misaligned dental midline.
Aside from the aesthetic effect on your appearance, these conditions have medical implications that you wouldn’t want to experience such as pain in the face, throat and jaw. You might also experience back pain. One of the worst things it can result to is having temporomandibular (TMJ) disorder which is characterized with severe pain in the jaw that radiates to the ears and makes chewing difficult.
Orthodontist Queenstown offers different treatment plans that should be tailored fit for you. The first step towards reaching that dream smile is consultation. Never consulted one before? Here are 3 things you can expect at your first orthodontist appointment:
1.Be introduced
The goal of the first visit is to determine whether or not you need treatment. And if you do, this will be the avenue to also know what treatment plan is best for you.
To begin, the staff at the clinic will give you an introduction. It is the best time to know the names of the staff and your orthodontist. Then, they will be taking your personal information. They might ask you to answer a form for this. You might also be toured around the clinic to make you comfortable and feel at ease.
2.Undergo dental diagnostic procedures.
To determine your specific needs, you will undergo dental diagnostic procedures. This might differ from person to person depending on your condition but the common ones are; asking for your medical and dental history, doing a clinical examination, and may end with x-rays or photographs of your mouth being taken.
The first photograph will also serve as the “before” picture that will be compared to other pictures that will be taken as you undergo treatment. Lastly, the before picture and after picture at the end will show you how successful the care plan is in achieving your dental goals.
Physical examinations are also important. Your orthodontist may ask you to smile and bite to see the positioning of your teeth and jaw. They need to see and have a clear picture of your mouth to determine the proper treatments for you.
3.Talk to your Orthodontist.
When all the important information is taken, the orthodontist will tell you their assessment. Take this time to also ask questions about your concerns and worries so that they can consider this in your treatment. After this, they will tell you the best dental care plan needed to address your dental needs.
It is important that you understand your orthodontist’s explanations about the plan. If anything is unclear and if you are unsure about whether to proceed or not, you might speak about this with them. Also be open about factors that may affect the availment of services, especially the financial aspect. Your health insurance may or may not cover the treatment. Hence, you can ask your orthodontist which procedures are necessary and needed immediately and what are those that can be done in a much later time.
Knowing what to expect at your first visit will help put you at ease when you finally decide to schedule a consultation. Some clinics offer this for free so there will be no reason for you to skip the visit. Quit playing guessing games with your oral health and see the nearest orthodontist!