First Visit

Your first orthodontic appointment.  

Whether you are visiting an orthodontist for the very first time as an adult, or your child is about to experience his or her first visit, you should know what to expect. The initial consultation isn't scary at all, and most kids find it easy to relax around our orthodontists and hygienists. In fact, the following appointments run equally as smoothly when our expert team is able to thoroughly explain what happens next.

Here at Myers Orthodontics, our guided explanation of services put even the smallest patients at ease. We invite you to check out our clinic. Find out what your first appointment will be like, and then schedule it with Myers Orthodontics!

At the Initial Consultation

A series of X-rays are taken just like they would be in a dentist's office. Sometimes we use a digital camera to get photos of the roof of the mouth and the inside of the bottom jaw. The photos and X-rays help the orthodontist identify areas that will need treatment.

Next, a mold is made of the teeth. The patient bites into a soft dental tray filled with casting putty. It may feel weird, but it won't hurt you or taste bad. The molds help the orthodontist create expanders and orthodontic appliances that will fit the patient's mouth perfectly.

Measurements Next

Who would have thought that an orthodontist uses measurement to fix smiles? Yet, that's exactly what our orthodontists do in the final step of the initial consultation. Measurements of the spacing, jaws, and teeth are taken to assist in the creation of a treatment plan.

Creating the Plan

At the follow-up appointment, your orthodontist will go over what he or she sees from the first appointment. A discussion and a printed packet regarding the treatment plan follow. It details what the first through last steps of the treatment will entail. You can ask all the questions you want at this time and that includes:

  • The total expected cost of your plan
  • What insurance will and won't cover
  • How long each part of the plan will take to complete
  • Whether or not you (or your child) really need orthodontic treatment
  • The perfect time to start treatment for maximum results

Less common questions typically involve the discomfort around braces and how this is addressed. Most patients just feel some mild discomfort the first day the braces are adjusted. It may not be a subject you want to discuss in front of the child that is getting braces so as to avoid feelings of fear or anxiety.

Some people who get braces very early on often have to have a second set of braces in their mid-to-late teens because their mouths have grown larger with the rest of their bodies. That is why it is so important to discuss the opportune time for orthodontia. Set up your first appointment (or your child's first appointment) with Myers Orthodontics soon!