Appointments can be Fun!
Any trip to a doctor’s office can be intimidating for a child. We strive to be different by making a trip to our office fun for our patients by having games available and monthly contests to participate in. A variety of contests add a bit of excitement to your visits. Prizes are awarded to the winners.
Some of our past contests include: Guess My Mommy (matching pets with their staff owners); word searches; summer post cards (which are judged in a large number of categories); guess the weight of the pumpkin; making words out of phrases; how many objects are in the container; and matching staff with their baby pictures.
Estimated Time of Treatment
Comprehensive Treatment: (Full braces) is usually performed when the adult teeth have erupted. With good cooperation, treatment can usually be completed in 18–24 months. This is, however, an estimate.
Phase 1: Treatment lasts approximately 6–12 months and is done during the mixed dentition (baby and adult teeth present). After Phase 1, there is usually a recall period. During the recall period, we are monitoring growth and eruption of permanent teeth as well as evaluation for the need of a second phase of treatment.
Phase 2: Full braces are usually performed when the adult teeth have erupted. This follows Phase 1 treatment. With good cooperation, treatment can usually be completed in 18–24 months. This is, however, an estimation.
Sequence of Appointments
- INITIAL ORTHODONTIC EVALUATION – Clinical exam to determine if orthodontic treatment is needed and the best time for treatment to occur. Many patients are placed on recall to allow for more dental development prior to starting their orthodontic treatment. If treatment is needed now, financial and insurance information is discussed
- RECORDS – Diagnostic photographs, diagnostic study models, X-rays, separators; one 45-minute appointment; ** Ibuprofen is recommended one hour before your records appointment to alleviate discomfort associated with separators.
- PLACEMENT OF ORTHODONTIC APPLIANCES – Two one-hour appointments
- ADJUSTMENT VISITS – Monthly
- RETAINER IMPRESSIONS
- DEBANDING AND DELIVER RETAINERS – One-hour appointment
- RETENTION VISITS – Periodic adjustments of retainers and monitoring of Phase 1 patients for further treatment needs.
**If patient is a minor, a parent or guardian must be present for the evaluation, records and placement appointment as we discuss important information with them. Parents are always welcome at their child’s appointment as we take this opportunity to review treatment progress and oral hygiene.
**If you are taking any other medication, please check with your doctor or pharmacist for any drug interaction. Taking ibuprofen is only a recommendation; please check with your physician.
Office Policies Regarding Appointments
Appointments for records, placing braces and removing braces/appliances are usually longer appointments (45–90 minutes). The appointments are scheduled during the morning and early afternoon.
Regular orthodontic adjustment appointments are rotated between a.m. and p.m. hours. All students will have to miss some school during their orthodontic treatment. If there is a particular class period, such as lunch, that you find to be a preferred time, we will try to schedule appointments during that time.
Occasionally, we understand that it is necessary to miss an appointment due to illness. If the patient has a contagious illness, we ask that they stay at home and reschedule that appointment.
If you need to reschedule an appointment, please notify us as much in advance as possible. This will allow you to get in as close to your original appointment date as possible and for us to fill the void in our schedule.
Regular orthodontic visits are vitally important to the patient’s oral health and treatment progress. Depending upon the orthodontic problem, some patients are scheduled at three to 8-week intervals. We strongly urge you to schedule these appointments as recommended by the orthodontist and keep them unless an emergency or illness arise.
Inclement Weather/National Emergency
In case of inclement weather or a national emergency, our office follows the Gwinnett County School guidelines for being open. If your appointment is scheduled on a day when the office is closed due to these circumstances, you will be contacted to reschedule. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause, and thank you for your understanding.