ORTHODONTIC CONSULTATION
First and foremost: talking to the patient
At the time of the first appointment, the orthodontist decides if orthodontic treatment is required and takes a detailed medical history from the patient in order to fully understand the reasons for the patient’s visit, as well as to find out their expectations. This allows an individual treatment plan to be drawn up, which is the first step to achieving results that are satisfactory for both the patient and the doctor.
The further steps of the diagnostic process necessary for planning the treatment are:
- detailed examination of the occlusion and muscle functions,
- taking impressions for plaster diagnostic models of the patient’s teeth,
- photos of the dentition, which are added to the patient’s digital record,
- X-ray imaging (panoramic X-ray and remote side X-ray of the skull), which may be performed on the spot in our X-ray laboratory.
PRESENTATION OF THE TREATMENT PLAN
At the time of the second appointment, the orthodontist talks to the patient about the results of the examinations and analyses of the occlusion, bone conditions and face profile, and then presents a treatment plan.After the patient accepts the plan, the date of commencing the actual treatment is agreed.
COMMENCEMENT OF THE ACTUAL TREATMENT
Depending on the kind of treatment planned, the actual treatment stage begins with providing the patient with removable braces or the application of permanent ones, which is a painless procedure.The dentist then provides the patient with any recommendations and necessary advice, both orally and on paper.
At the commencement of the orthodontic treatment the teeth must be healthy, free of any deposit and tartar, and the gums free of inflammation symptoms.
Patients of the Villa Nova Dental Cliniccan enjoy comprehensive dental care. Should it be necessary to perform additional procedures preparing theteeth for putting on the permanent braces, the patient will be led through them professionally until the actual treatment begins.
CHECK-UPS
Check-ups take place at various intervals, depending on the chosen treatment method, its phase and the patient’s individual needs:
- Removable braces – every 2-4 months
- Permanent braces – every 4-10 weeks
The aim of these obligatory visits is effective monitoring of the course of the treatment and the activation of the braces.
Treatment with the use of permanent braces lasts 18-24 months on average. Treatment duration depends mainly on the system used and the severity of the treated occlusal abnormality.
RETENTION PHASE
This is the last, yet an incredibly important stage of treatment, whose aim is to maintain the obtained results and to prevent the recurrence of the defect.
- If the treatment involved wearing a removable appliance, the retention appliance will be the same orthodontic appliance used to date, but without activation.
- If the treatment involved a permanent appliance, after removing the appliance, the patient is provided with a thin wire stuck on the internal,lingual surface of the lower front teeth (in some cases also the upper teeth).The patient also receives a removable acrylic retention plate or clear, transparent braces for the upper teeth.
Throughout the retention phase, the patient undergoes free check-ups in accordance with the doctor’s recommendations.