How do you get a healthy, straight smile? Braces or clear aligners do the trick. But there’s much more to braces treatment than just slapping some brackets and wires onto your teeth. Regular check-ups are vital to successful braces treatment.
Petrous Orthodontics uses the latest in braces and Invisalign technology, which are more efficient and require less maintenance than braces or past clear aligners. Still, it’s important that you meet with us every few weeks to keep your treatment on track. Missed orthodontic appointments can delay your treatment!
You probably won’t get braces or clear aligners on your first visit. That’s reserved for your initial examination and consultation, as well as a get-to-know-you opportunity for both of us. Once your braces plan is agreed to and ready, then you’ll come in for your braces.
It will take about two hours to put on your braces. That will likely be the longest visit you have with us during your treatment. After that, your treatment checkups can last anywhere from 15-45 minutes. Most of the time, you can plan on visits lasting about half an hour.
How often will you visit us? We’ll only need to see you about every six weeks or so at times that are convenient for you. We want to make your braces treatment as easy as possible!
There are many reasons why you need to visit the orthodontist every six weeks during your treatment. These appointments give us time to do our part in your treatment, complementing your efforts.
Your part of the treatment involves keeping your teeth and braces clean by brushing and flossing at least twice daily. You need to adhere to the prescribed tasks we give you, such as wearing rubber bands a certain way for specific periods of time. We also ask you to refrain from eating certain foods that could damage your braces.
Our part involves keeping your braces in good repair and replacing elastics when necessary—those elastics usually last about six weeks, which is why we space your appointments six weeks apart. We also replenish your rubber bands, if needed.
There are other reasons to keep your orthodontic appointments, each one an essential part of your braces treatment.
You’ll know for sure in the first few days that your teeth are moving because they’ll be sensitive and maybe a little sore. That’s perfectly normal, and it will likely disappear after a few days. If the soreness goes away, does that mean your teeth stop moving?
Definitely not! Your teeth will continue to move, but it will be a subtle movement from the gentle pressure of your braces. You may not notice the change because you see it every day.
The team at Petrous Orthodontics won’t see that everyday change, so we’ll be able to see if your teeth have moved. More importantly, we’ll be able to see whether your teeth are moving as expected according to your treatment plan.
Once your teeth are moving the way they should, we want to ensure they keep moving that way. Some people have one or two teeth that need extra attention because they’re farther out of alignment than the others. We may want other teeth to move more slowly than others.
Your checkup lets us determine whether the teeth are moving at the correct speeds and in the correct direction. If not, we can make adjustments so they do move properly.
What if you have Invisalign? Your appointments help us see if you’re wearing your trays as prescribed and if those trays are moving your teeth at the right speed. If not, we can adjust your sets as well. We may have you wear trays for a little longer or a little shorter, if necessary.
As precise as our treatment plans are, sometimes some teeth are just, well, stubborn. In those cases, we may need to adjust your treatment plan to account for that troublesome tooth. For our younger patients, we may need to make adjustments as permanent teeth erupt.
Your regular orthodontic appointments give us the chance to assess whether any adjustments are needed. Those early adjustments may cascade to later treatment plans, but our state-of-the-art technology will allow us to make necessary changes and keep your treatment on track and on time.
Orthodontic treatment is more than just putting braces on and letting them go. Sometimes we need to use other orthodontic appliances to aid your treatment, such as rubber bands or power chains. You likely will wear these early in your treatment and for only a portion of it.
During your appointments, we’ll note how well those extras are working and when you can stop using them. Once they’ve done the job we want them to do, we can tell you to stop using them. For example, you may only wear rubber bands for six months of an 18-month treatment.
Your braces appointments allow us to move you to the next stage in your braces treatment.
Do you have a wire poking you in the back? Is a bracket loose? Are you having trouble flossing with braces? Is an Invisalign tray rubbing against your gums?
Your orthodontic checkups aren’t just for us. They allow you to discuss any issues you may have with your braces or clear aligners. Whether it’s damage to your braces or clear aligners or just something that makes you uncomfortable, Petrous Orthodontics will address it during your visit.
We can also answer any questions you have about your braces, from how to clean them to what you can eat to whether you can deck them out with your favorite color of elastics.
This gives us a chance to interact with you and learn how we can make your braces or Invisalign treatment easier and more comfortable.
We love visiting with our patients, and orthodontic appointments give us a chance to get to know you and get you ready for your amazing new smile! Your appointments are important, so you need to keep them.
That said, we know that sometimes life just gets in the way. If you need to reschedule an appointment, simply give us a call at Petrous Orthodontics. We will be happy to work with you to make your appointments as convenient as possible!
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