What Are The Stages Of Orthodontic Treatment?

While the dentist is your go-to person to restore or maintain your overall oral health, for misalignment or bite issues, you will need to see an orthodontist.

Orthodontists specialize in preventing and treating any irregularities when it comes to how your teeth or jaw are positioned. While many patients see an orthodontist for aesthetic reasons, improving your tooth and jaw alignment can also have a positive impact on your overall oral health.

If you’ve never seen an orthodontist before, here are the 4 common stages you’ll go through to achieve a perfectly straight and healthy smile:
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1. Initial Consultation

First, your orthodontist needs to inspect your teeth and make an assessment of your current bite or misalignment issues. They will take digital photographs or X-Rays of your teeth to get a better view, and based on what they find, they can determine an appropriate treatment plan for your specific case.
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2. The First Step of the Treatment

Based on your consultation, the orthodontist will recommend a particular type of treatment, such as metal braces or Invisalign.

After that, you’ll need to go back to the office and officially begin your treatment. For example, if you’re going with Invisalign, you’ll receive your trays and a set of at-home recommendations on how to follow your treatment.

Metal braces will require a longer appointment, as you’ll need to have your bands and brackets placed on your teeth.
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3. Adjustment and Oversight Appointments

Orthodontic treatment is often a slow process. Depending on what type of issues you’re dealing with, you can expect at least a 6-month treatment period, likely even longer.

During your treatment, your orthodontist will need to see you for routine appointments in order to:

• Make sure your teeth are following the established treatment plan
• Tighten the braces, fix broken brackets, or replace elastics
• Change your Invisalign trays, etc.

Usually, you’ll need to go in for these appointments around once a month in the case of metal braces. If you have Invisalign, you may need to see your dentist every six weeks.
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4. End of Treatment and Retainer Fittings

Once your teeth have been successfully re-aligned, your dentist will remove all the brackets from your teeth if you had metal braces on.

Then, both Invisalign and metal braces patients will be fitted for retainers, which will need to be worn for the rest of the patient’s life to prevent the teeth from moving back into their original position.

The orthodontist will take an impression of your new and improved smile and have a set of retainers custom-made for you.
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Book an appointment at Molly Hottenstein Orthodontics

If you are dealing with misalignment or bite issues, the team at Molly Hottenstein Orthodontics can help you access top-notch orthodontic treatment designed to offer you the happy and healthy smile you deserve.

Start the process by booking an appointment at Molly Hottenstein Orthodontics online.

If you have questions, don’t hesitate to call us at (484) 258-2299 today.