A lot of different elements go into successful orthodontic treatment. Of course, there are the braces or clear aligners. But there is also the detailed planning of your treatment, the good oral hygiene that cares for it, and the routine visits to the orthodontist office.
You may wonder why you need office visits for braces. Visits to your orthodontist serve several purposes during your treatment, including keeping it on track. That’s why we discourage patients from skipping orthodontic appointments.
We know life can get in the way sometimes. You may catch a cold, or sprain an ankle, or get a flat tire. It’s OK to postpone or reschedule an appointment. But we don’t want you to skip appointments with Smith & Davis Orthodontics, and there are several reasons why.
Visits to the Orthodontist: How Many Will I Have?
Part of your orthodontic treatment plan includes regular visits to the orthodontist office. How often you visit depends on the type of treatment you are getting.
Today’s braces and clear aligners need fewer office visits than in the past. Instead of coming to the office every 3-4 weeks, patients today can go six weeks or more between visits.
Braces patients have elastics that wear out over time and need changing every 6-8 weeks. Invisalign patients get several sets of trays that they wear in sequential order. Each set is worn 1-2 weeks, depending on your treatment plan. Patients can go longer than six weeks between visits as they switch from one set to another.
Six Reasons Not to Skip Your Orthodontist Visits
Visits to the orthodontist serve several purposes that help both you and us get you the best results possible out of your braces or Invisalign treatment. Visits to your orthodontist are just as important as your semi-annual dental visits for teeth cleaning and examination.
Tracking Your Tooth Movement
Orthodontic treatment is a gradual process, so it isn’t always easy to tell if your braces or clear aligners are working — at least, at first. However, your orthodontist can tell if your teeth are moving, how well they are moving, and if they are moving to where they should go.
Teeth take time to move, so it may not seem like there is significant progress during the first couple of visits. We’ll know, though, and soon you’ll be able to see the progress for yourself!
Staying on Track With Your Braces Treatment
We don’t just want your teeth to move. We want them to move at a certain speed and in a certain direction. We can tell from visit to visit if we’re accomplishing that mission, or if something is slowing your progress.
For Invisalign patients, we’ll be able to tell whether you are wearing your clear aligners for the prescribed 22 hours a day. You must wear your Invisalign aligners for the specified time each day for your treatment to be on schedule and fully effective.
We Can Make Adjustments
If your treatment isn’t going as predicted, we can use your orthodontist visit to make any necessary adjustments. It may be that your teeth are a little more stubborn than expected when it comes to movement. It’s possible that your clear aligner time got off track briefly.
We can do things like add rubber bands to your braces to move teeth faster, or use power chains to close gaps. We can make several types of adjustments to get your treatment back on track.
Moving to the Next Braces Treatment Phase
Braces treatment is about more than just putting on brackets, bands, and wires and leaving them in place for several months. Your treatment is divided into phases that do specific things to prepare for the next phase and cumulatively achieve the best results.
For example, before we can move an embedded canine into place beside your incisors, we have to bring it up or down from its position above your gum line. A twisted tooth needs to face the correct direction before it can move next to the other teeth. We may need to close gaps or add them to get your teeth where they need to go.
Each stage is vital to the next, which is why you shouldn’t skip your orthodontist appointments if at all possible.
Keeping Your Braces or Invisalign From Hurting
Visiting the orthodontist isn’t just for us — it also gives you a chance to fix problems with your braces or Invisalign.
Is there a wire poking your cheek? Are your Invisalign trays rubbing your gums and irritating them? We can fix these problems and make your treatment more comfortable. You can use braces wax to relieve discomfort until your next visit with us.
Avoiding Braces Emergencies
We’ll give you a thorough examination during your visit. One reason we do this is to spot any potential problems with your braces, clear aligners, or teeth and gums. We’ll be able to see if any brackets are loose before they pop off your tooth. We can repair any weak or damaged wires, and we will replace your braces elastics before they wear out.
This also gives us the opportunity to examine your teeth and gums for any potential problems, such as the early stages of cavities or gum disease that could slow down your treatment. The sooner we identify problems, the easier they are to address — and the less costly. While regular visits are included as part of your treatment plan, emergency visits may incur additional costs to your treatment.
Visiting the Orthodontist in Rogers, AR
We want you to love visiting us, but we understand that visiting the orthodontist takes time out of your daily schedule. You may miss work or school or that after-school event. Our goal is to do a thorough checkup but to get you back to your normal routine as quickly as possible.
That said, visits to the orthodontist are vital to your braces treatment or Invisalign treatment. If you ever need to reschedule a visit, we’re happy to accommodate you. Simply contact us for a new orthodontic appointment in Rogers, AR. We’re happy to help!
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