The first step in getting braces is scheduling a consultation at our office. We’ll ask you to bring your insurance card, new patient forms, and referral paperwork, if another provider recommended that you or your child visit for a consultation. Once you’ve arrived, here’s what you can expect.
Getting to Know You
We treat patients like family at our practice, so we want to get to know you! What are your concerns with your (or your child’s) smile? Do you experience any pain or discomfort? What are your goals for orthodontic treatment? We’ll also want to go over any relevant medical and dental history.
By getting to know your expectations and personal preferences, we can choose the right course of treatment for you.
New Patient Exam
Next, we conduct a thorough new patient exam, which involves looking at your teeth, evaluating your jaw, and assessing how your top arch and bottom arch fit together when you bite down.
Imaging and Impressions
In most cases, we’ll need to take orthodontic x-rays and photographs, which help guide us in our treatment planning. Another important component of planning your treatment is taking digital scans to help us understand how your teeth meet and interact; with this information, we can plan the movements needed to improve the alignment of your teeth and your bite.
Understanding Your Options
After your examination, imaging, and scans, we can determine the best orthodontic treatment options for you, whether that’s Invisalign, Damon braces, or titanium braces. We’ll show you what each solution looks like, describe the advantages and disadvantages, give you an estimated timeline for treatment, and go over the costs involved. If your dental insurance covers orthodontic care, we can also provide you with an estimate of your out-of-pocket expenses.
In some cases, you may need to have teeth extracted before getting braces. We’ll let you know if this is the case and provide you with a referral to a qualified oral surgeon if you need one.
Q&A
We’ll give you the opportunity to ask us any questions you might have, whether it’s about your orthodontic treatment, finances, insurance, follow-up appointments, or anything else! We value open communication with our patients and we don’t want you to leave our office feeling like you have any questions that are left unanswered.
Your Next Appointment: Getting Braces!
If you decide you’d like to move forward with braces, we can get started immediately by taking specialized digital scans that are used to design your braces. Otherwise, you’ll need to schedule an appointment to come back for your scans. Getting braces doesn’t hurt, so there’s no local anesthesia needed, but it does take a while to place brackets on all of your teeth! You can listen to music during your appointment.
Schedule a Consultation for Braces
Do you or your child need braces? Wondering what your options are or what kind of costs you can expect? Contact us today at 828-464-5300 to schedule an appointment for a consultation at Hass Family Orthodontics.