What to Expect at Your Child’s First Orthodontic Consultation

You or your child may feel overwhelmed or even nervous ahead of an orthodontic consultation. However, there is nothing to be worried about! It’s important to our team that you and your child feel comfortable at Plymouth Orthodontics, and we know how important your first visit can be. Our team will walk you through every step of the way on your child’s path to a straighter healthier smile!

What to Expect at Your Child’s First Orthodontic Consultation

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A straight smile is so much more than just a matter of physical appearance. Crooked teeth can damage confidence, but they can also cause cavities, issues swallowing, trouble speaking, decreased oral health and other issues. A misaligned bite can cause jaw pain, and lead to cracked or worn down teeth and exposed nerves in the mouth. With today’s orthodontic options, it’s hard to know what option is best for your child.

You or your child may feel overwhelmed or even nervous ahead of an orthodontic consultation. However, there is nothing to be worried about! It’s important to our team that you and your child feel comfortable at Plymouth Orthodontics, and we know how important your first visit can be. Our team will walk you through every step of the way on your child’s path to a straighter healthier smile!

Your child’s first appointment is an opportunity to get to know the Plymouth Orthodontics team and develop a personalized treatment plan. We’ll go over exactly what to expect, so that you and your child will feel prepared. When you come to Plymouth Orthodontics for your consultation, you’ll have a chance to meet our team and Dr. Alvarado, tour our office, and have your questions answered. We’ll discuss treatment options, timelines, insurance benefits, financial arrangements and any other concerns you or your child may have. This complimentary first appointment is pain-free and only lasts about an hour.

When is the right time for your child’s first orthodontic appointment?

The American Association of Orthodontists recommends a check-up with an orthodontic specialist no later than age seven. This can seem very young to parents who had braces in their teens, but technologies have advanced to allow orthodontists to detect tooth and jaw issues much earlier and correct them early to prevent the need for more invasive procedures in the future. While your child’s teeth may appear to be straight, there could be a problem that only an orthodontist can detect. The check-up may reveal that everything is developing normally, in which case we would recommend periodic check-ups with our office to continue monitoring growth. If the check-up reveals that there is a problem, we will guide you through the process and how to manage it. This may involve early orthodontic treatment or waiting until most or all of the permanent teeth transition and starting orthodontic treatment as an adolescent. For more information, click here.

Consultation Step 1: Meet the team & tour our office

After you check in at Plymouth Orthodontics, one of our treatment coordinators will greet you and give you a tour of the office. You can help yourself to coffee, tea, hot chocolate or water. There may even be a gift waiting for you or your child!

We’ll get to know you and your child, and find out your interests, lifestyle & schedule, treatment preferences & concerns and smile goals. This is all part of creating your child’s personalized treatment plan! At Plymouth Orthodontics, you and your child are more than just patients. You’re part of the Plymouth Orthodontics family! We can’t wait to get to know your child and support you both. We strive to make all of your appointments stress free and fun – from the first visit to the last.

Consultation Step 2: Exam & personalized treatment plan with Dr. Alvarado

Once you’ve gotten a tour of our office, we’ll review your child’s dental and medical history, examine their teeth, bite and smile, and perform an oral x-ray to assess their orthodontic needs. If your child hasn’t yet lost all their baby teeth, Dr. A will check their development and recommend treatment or periodic check-ups. The main focus of your consultation is to get more information about your child’s orthodontic needs and develop a treatment plan, so you’ll leave our office with plenty of information!

If your child does need orthodontic treatment, we’ll sit down to discuss a range of options and develop your child’s personalized treatment plan together. At Plymouth Orthodontics, we have many options to give your child a straight smile, so we’ll discuss braces, Invisalign and more.
Every patient is unique, and so are their treatment plans! During the creation of your child’s personalized treatment plan, we’ll take many different factors into consideration and get feedback from you and your child to make sure treatment will integrate well into your lives. You and your child will have plenty of time to get all your questions answered and make sure you feel confident moving to the next step in the orthodontic process.

Consultation Step 3: Set up financial arrangements & next appointment

After deciding on an ideal personalized treatment plan, we’ll help you figure out a financial arrangement that works for you and get your child’s first treatment appointment scheduled. Plymouth Orthodontics accepts and works with all dental insurances as well as MassHealth, so we will call your insurance for a complimentary benefits check to start.

Next, we figure out what payment options you’re interested in and go from there. At Plymouth Orthodontics, we offer flexible payment options to make straightening your smile easy! In addition to working with your insurance provider, Plymouth Orthodontics accepts all major credit cards and offers third-party financing through Care Credit. At your consultation, we can work together to find an arrangement that suits you and your family’s needs. Discounts are also available when multiple family members come to our office.

Then, we schedule your child’s next appointment where they will be getting appliances placed or getting scanned for Invisalign. The Plymouth Orthodontics team will explain the importance of good oral hygiene while the appliances are in place. They will also discuss how to care for the appliances and review proper dental hygiene procedures. Appointments are usually needed every 6-10 weeks to determine the progress of your teeth and to make adjustments.

What’s next: Braces or Invisalign?

• If your child is straightening their smile with braces, their installation will take 1-2 hours. The installation process is not painful. However, your child may have discomfort a couple hours after they’re installed. For more information, check out our blog post about getting your child ready for braces!
• If your child is straightening their smile with Invisalign, their scan may be performed at their initial consultation or at a separate appointment that works for you. With our state of the art 3D scanner, there’s no need for messy Impressions. Instead of a mouth full of putty, we can quickly scan your child’s smile to get the best and most accurate dental impressions, as well as a before and after look at their treatment results.

How to prepare for your appointment

Be sure to bring your new patient forms and insurance information with you to your appointment. Having your dentist send over dental records is also a good first step. If you have any questions or concerns ahead of your consultation, please contact us! Give us a call at 508-815-1695. The Plymouth Orthodontics team is happy to help!