What To Expect When Seeing an Orthodontist

Last Updated on October 12, 2018

Contents

1 Signs That You Need Orthodontic Treatment For Your Teeth
2 What Are the Health Problems From Having Misaligned Teeth?
3 What Happens When You Need Orthodontic Treatment?
4 What to Expect At an Orthodontic Examination
5 How Orthodontic Devices Are Designed
6 About Orthodontic Treatment With Aligners
7 How Brackets and Wires Are Attached to Your Teeth
8 Call Tisseront Orthodontics Today To Schedule an Appointment

Signs That You Need Orthodontic Treatment For Your Teeth

Wide spaces between their teeth
An abnormal bite with overlapping teeth
Crowded teeth that are difficult to brush and floss
Frequent jaw pain
Clicking noises from your teeth while talking
Teeth that rub against the roof or cheeks of your mouth
Problems chewing food
Difficulty talking properly
Not enough space for adult teeth to erupt

What Are the Health Problems From Having Misaligned Teeth?

Having your teeth straightened is important for your overall health. There is nothing vain about having your teeth examined by an orthodontist at a top-of-the-line orthodontic facility. Some of the health problems from malocclusions of the teeth include:

Temporomandibular joint disorder
Bruxism
Gingivitis
Halitosis
Headaches
Tooth decay
Earaches
Nutritional deficiencies

In addition to these physical difficulties, you can suffer from poor self-esteem because your smile is unattractive.

What Happens When You Need Orthodontic Treatment?

It is imperative to find an orthodontist to evaluate your teeth with modern medical imaging devices and computer software. Before visiting an orthodontic facility, contact your insurance company to verify your coverage, and make sure to bring your insurance card to the orthodontic office. You will need to schedule an appointment in advance so that the orthodontic facility’s office staff can request your previous dental records. Arrive early for an orthodontic appointment so that you can complete the information on forms. A dental hygienist will collect X-rays of your teeth that are available within minutes so that you can see what your teeth and facial bones look like.

What to Expect At an Orthodontic Examination

Next, you will have a physical examination from the orthodontic specialist who will talk to you about your X-rays. With computer software, you are able to see what your teeth will look like with orthodontic treatment along with what could happen if you don’t wear braces or Invisalign aligners. During this consultation, you will learn what types of devices are required for your teeth. The orthodontic specialist will explain how long orthodontic treatment will last along with the cost of the devices. You will also learn how often you must visit the orthodontic facility to have your teeth examined and your wires tightened.

How Orthodontic Devices Are Designed

Today, orthodontic devices are available quickly, but first, the orthodontic specialist will need to collect more medical images and molds so that the devices fit your mouth properly. A mold is necessary for making metal arch wires and plastic aligners. Children cannot wear plastic aligners because they grow too quickly, but a teenager or adult can wear removable devices.

Adults only require one mold collection, but a teenager may need to have multiple molds collected if they grow throughout the aligner treatment time. Having a mold collected doesn’t hurt, but you will notice a taste in your mouth from the soft material. After the mold is collected, you can rinse the remaining debris from your mouth. The orthodontic office sends your molds to a laboratory, and within a few days, your aligners will arrive.

About Orthodontic Treatment With Aligners

If you are going to wear aligners to straighten your teeth, then you will receive several sets at one time. However, each set is numbered so that you can wear the aligners for approximately two weeks. Save the aligners so that you can bring the devices to the orthodontic facility where the orthodontic specialist can see if there is any unnatural wear on the plastic. Eventually, you will wear 20 to 25 different sets of removable aligners that have slightly different designs to shift your teeth slowly into the correct positions.

When you wear aligners, you must still visit an orthodontic office for checkups and cleanings, but you can remove the devices to chew food, drink beverages or to perform oral hygiene. You are required to wear aligners while you are sleeping. This may feel strange at first, but within a few days, you become accustomed to wearing the devices for the majority of the day and night.

How Brackets and Wires Are Attached to Your Teeth

If you have serious malocclusions, then you will require braces instead of aligners, and the orthodontic specialist uses a computer program to understand how to place the wires on your teeth. You can have brackets attached to the fronts or backs of your teeth, and the devices are attached with a durable waterproof bonding material. The wires are attached to the brackets, but you will need to have the wires adjusted routinely to repair your teeth.

Call Tisseront Orthodontics Today To Schedule an Appointment

At Tisseront Orthodontics in Reston, Va., you can have an examination from our knowledgeable orthodontist. Dr. Stephen Tisseront provides orthodontic treatments for adults, teenagers, and children with these devices:

• Aligners – designed using Invisalign software
• Braces – metal, ceramic and lingual
• Retainers – to keep teeth in position after orthodontic treatment ends
• Surgical orthodontics – removal of baby or extra teeth

Our patients can have iTero archwires designed at our orthodontic office, and we also offer Acceledent Aura devices to reduce treatment time. Call us today at 703-773-1200 to schedule an examination with Dr. Tisseront in our state-of-the-art orthodontic facility.