A visit to your dentist can help determine if you need braces. They can review your teeth and check for warning signs that you may require orthodontic treatment. Your dentist will then refer you to a licensed orthodontist who will perform a thorough evaluation of your teeth to determine if you need braces and develop a proper orthodontic treatment plan.
Signs That You Need Braces
- Early, late or irregular loss of baby teeth
- Difficulty biting and chewing
- Crowded, crooked, or blocked-out teeth
- Excessive spacing between teeth
- Protruding, recessed, or a shifted jaw
- Jaw and teeth that are disproportionate the to the rest of the face
Orthodontic Referral
If you haven’t started with braces yet, it makes sense you’ll see a dentist far more frequently than an orthodontist. So, usually, it will be your dentist who looks at your teeth and recommends whether you will benefit from seeing an orthodontist.
With that said, you do not need a referral from a dentist to see an orthodontist. If you want to go ahead and book your own appointment, the orthodontists at Wonder West Orthodontics will be happy to see you and help determine what the best possible solutions for your smile may be.
Consultation
At this point, you’ll sit down with your orthodontist and discuss your hopes and concerns about your teeth. Dependent on the exam and your x-rays, your orthodontist will give you a clear understanding of whether you actually need braces or if they aren’t really necessary.
If you both feel comfortable moving ahead with an agreed-upon treatment plan, the orthodontist may make a mold of your teeth to enhance the design of your treatment.
Designing Your Orthodontic Treatment
Whether you have an underbite, overbite, or neither, during this point of the process, the orthodontist is going to design your treatment to ensure your braces or aligners are the right fit. If they did not already do so, this is the point when the orthodontist will take a mold of your teeth.
Patients who are getting traditional braces, with brackets and wires, will have a more intensive preparation for treatment because they need to have their braces placed and cemented, and then the wires will need to be implemented. If alternatively, you go the route of Invisalign, your treatment plan will likely include less hands-on application and fewer visits.
Don’t Stress, Just Get Started
The idea of getting braces can seem daunting at the outset of your treatment. But the hardest part is just getting started. Once you understand if you need braces and which type of treatment is best suited to you, you will feel more empowered to make the decisions that will result in your beautiful new smile.
Don’t wait, contact Wonder West Orthodontics and we will be happy to answer all your questions and guide you through the initial stages of your treatment.