General information about
Orthodontic dental services
Contents:
Contents:
Benefits
The benefits of interceptive treatment can:
Reduce risk of trauma to protruding teeth
Possibly reduce the need for teeth removal in the future
Prevent top and bottom adult teeth contacting in a way that could cause permanent tooth wear or gum damage
Create room for crowded adult teeth that have not yet emerged
Reduce treatment time for braces
Improve facial balance by influencing the growth of the upper and lower jaws
Improve self esteem
Eliminate thumb or finger sucking habits
Maintain space in the mouth for adult teeth, especially when baby teeth have been removed earlier when anticipated
When and why should I see an orthodontist?
Teeth can be moved and a smile can be improved at any age.
However, we believe in treating at the right time to achieve the best results with the least amount of time and expense.
It is a common misconception that any form of orthodontic treatment should only begin once all of the adult teeth have emerged into the mouth. The American and Australian Association of Orthodontists recommend that a child should see an orthodontist for a check-up around the age of seven (7 years). Usually, at this age, the back first adult molars and front adult incisor teeth are emerging into the mouth.
An early orthodontic consultation can determine if early interception is required or anticipate if any treatment may be required in the future. Contact one of The Orthodontist clinics to book an appointment.
When and why should I see an orthodontist?
Teeth can be moved and a smile can be improved at any age.
However, we believe in treating at the right time to achieve the best results with the least amount of time and expense.
It is a common misconception that any form of orthodontic treatment should only begin once all of the adult teeth have emerged into the mouth. The American and Australian Association of Orthodontists recommend that a child should see an orthodontist for a check-up around the age of seven (7 years). Usually, at this age, the back first adult molars and front adult incisor teeth are emerging into the mouth.
An early orthodontic consultation can determine if early interception is required or anticipate if any treatment may be required in the future.
What if I don’t need early treatment?
Not every child requires early treatment.
If this is indicated, we will carefully monitor the patient’s growth and development at regular intervals to determine if and when treatment is required.
Certain orthodontic treatments are only successful when the clients are growing rapidly (generally between the ages of 10 -15 years). It is important that regular check-ups are undertaken to ensure, if treatment is required, that it is done at the optimum time.
Foods to Avoid
Hard, sticky foods should be avoided as they can break or damage wires and brackets. It’s also important to minimise sugary foods and drinks, because they can cause tooth decay.
AVOID:
- Chewing gum
- Toffee
- Minties and K-bars
- Fruitbursts
- Hard Biscuits (gingernuts)
- Nuts
- Hard Crusty bread/rolls
- Corn on the cob
- Apples and carrots (unless cut into small pieces)
- Popcorn
Habits to AVOID:
- Nail biting
- Chewing on pencils and foreign objects
- Chewing ice
Minimize sugary foods like:
- Soft Drinks
- Cordial
- Lollies
- Chocolate
Unsure about a certain food? Just give us a call.
Foods to avoid
Hard, sticky foods should be avoided as they can break or damage wires and brackets. It’s also important to minimise sugary foods and drinks, because they can cause tooth decay.
AVOID:
- Chewing gum
- Toffee
- Minties and K-bars
- Fruitbursts
- Hard Biscuits (gingernuts)
- Nuts
- Hard Crusty bread/rolls
- Corn on the cob
- Apples and carrots (unless cut into small pieces)
- Popcorn
Habits to AVOID:
- Nail biting
- Chewing on pencils and foreign objects
- Chewing ice
Minimize sugary foods like:
- Soft Drinks
- Cordial
- Lollies
- Chocolate
Unsure about a certain food? Just give us a call.
FAQs
Here at The Orthodontist, our team are dedicated to keeping you in the loop.
If you have a question, please get in touch!
Below are some of our frequently asked questions:
What is an Orthodontist?
All orthodontists are dentists but about 4% of dentists in NZ are qualified as specialist orthodontists. An orthodontist must first complete a 5 year dental undergraduate programme at a university dental school.
After a few years of clinical practice they apply to study a three year full time orthodontic specialist training programme, which leads to the MDS qualification (Masters of Dental Surgery restricted to orthodontics).
This qualification entitles them to be included on the Dental Council of New Zealand as an orthodontic specialist. Once qualified, orthodontists keep up-to-date with the latest techniques by attending regular courses and conferences as part of their Continuing Professional Development.
What is Orthodontics?
Orthodontics can improve a person’s self esteem as the teeth, jaws and lips become properly aligned. Alleviating or preventing physical health problems is just as important.
Without treatment orthodontic problems may lead to tooth decay, gum disease bone shrinkage. A “bad bite”can contribute to speech impairments, tooth loss, chipped teeth and other dental injuries.
When should you see an Orthodontist?
It is a common misconception that any form of orthodontic treatment should only begin once all of the adult teeth have emerged into the mouth. The American and Australian Association of Orthodontists recommends that a child should see an orthodontist for a checkup around the age of seven. Usually, at this age, the back first adult molars and front adult incisor teeth are emerging into the mouth.
However, some children may need to be seen earlier if the school dental therapist or a family dentist have found a problem.
If you are concerned about the position of your child’s teeth at an age earlier then seven please do not hesitate to contact us for a consultation for your piece of mind. You do not need a referral from a health professional to request a consultation.
An early orthodontic consultation allows for us to:
• anticipate if any treatment may be required in the future and the best time to carry out the treatment.
• determine if any early interceptive treatment is required.
Possible Benefits of interceptive treatment:
• improving self esteem especially if there is an element of teasing at school.
• reducing the risk of trauma to protruding teeth.
• creating room for crowded adult teeth that have not yet emerged into the mouth.
• maintaining space in the mouth for the adult teeth especially if baby teeth have been removed earlier then anticipated.
• possibly reducing the need for tooth removal in the future
• reducing future treatment time with braces
• eliminating thumb and finger sucking habits
• improving facial balance by influencing the growth of the upper and lower jaws.
• preventing the top and bottom adult teeth from contacting each other in a way that they might cause permanent tooth wear or gum damage.
Not every child requires early treatment.
If no early treatment is indicated we will carefully monitor your child’s growth and development at regular intervals and recommend the best time to begin treatment.
We will inform you if any aspect of the treatment needs to be urgently carried out or if it is for cosmetic reasons.
The first visit
This first visit will give you the opportunuity to meet our orthodontic team and decide if would like to become part of our family.
Even though no treatment is carried out at the first visit some of our younger patients who have never been to the orthodontist may be stressed and quite nervous prior to the visit. Therefore the primary goal for us at our practice before we discuss orthodontics is to focus on reducing any of these fears and developing a fun and positive relationship with our patients.
After any fears or nervousness have been resolved and settled We will listen carefully to any concerns you have and what you would like to achieve with orthodontic treatment. We encourage you to ask as many questions as you like. This is then followed by a thorough examination of the the teeth, jaws and face to determine your orthodontic needs.
There are four essential questions that we want to cover during the first visit:
1) is there an orthodontic problem, and if so , when is the best time to correct it.
2) what options are there to correct the problem
3) how long will the treatment take.
4) how much will the treatment cost.
We do not want you to feel rushed into making any treatment decisions at the the first visit. A family huddle at home is sometimes needed to process the information at this visit so that you can make a collective decision.
Please contact us if you have any further questions about your first visit or if you are ready to begin treatment.
What are the goals of the first visit?
- focus on developing a fun and positive relationship with our patients.
- listen to all of your concerns and answer any questions you may have.
- determine what you would like to achieve with orthodontic treatment.
- perform a thorough orthodontic examination which includes the teeth, jaws and the face. This may involve taking an X-ray.
What if no treatment is needed after the first visit ?
How much does orthodontic treatment cost?
You can see more information about our pricing here.
How long does treatment take?
Failed and cancelled appointments or repeated breakages of braces will extend treatment time.
Can I pay it off?
Do I need a referral?
No. If you have any concerns about the way your teeth look or eating problems then please book a consultation with us.
Do braces hurt?
It’s painless to have braces placed. Tooth discomfort usually occurs an hour after placement of the appliance. We recommend to take pain relief for a few days as achiness can last for a couple of days up to about a week depending on pain threshold. When braces are regularly adjusted this can make the teeth feel tender for a few days.
Can I play sport with braces?
Do I need teeth out?
What can't I eat with braces?
Do I need to see my regular dentist?
What age do I bring my child in for orthodontic treatment?
Usual time to start orthodontic treatment in the form of braces is 11-16 years of age when most adults teeth are through. We do start early stage treatment for various problems like space holding or position of jaws or cross bites in children around the age from 6+ years.
Early preventative treatment in some cases reduce or eliminate the need for braces in life.
Appointments
Appointment scheduling
School, jobs, sport…. a busy life can make appointment scheduling a challenge. To help, we use a scheduling system designed to minimise time away from school or work.
Once you have started your orthodontic treatment, it is common for us to see you every 4-10 weeks for an adjustment appointment. These adjustment appointments typically last for 10-15 minutes. However, at some appointments, where more significant treatment is carried out, a longer appointment time will be required.
Since most frequently requested appointment times are after school and early morning, we have arranged our scheduling system to accommodate as many patients as possible who require short appointments during these times of the day. Patients who require longer appointments are typically scheduled during the day.
Even though many of our surgery visits will inevitably conflict with work or school, our scheduling system attempts to minimise such disruptions.
Impression Appointments
Impressions of your mouth are required for the construction of study models, orthodontic appliances and retainers. Impressions require additional laboratory work by our technician after you leave the surgery; therefore, these appointments are scheduled before midday.
Missed appointments or arriving late to your appointment
We understand that unforeseen events can result in you missing or turning up late to your appointment. In fairness to our other scheduled patients we may not be able to squeeze a late arrival into our schedule. If an appointment is missed, or you are late, we will most likely have to reschedule your appointment to the next available time, generally between 10am -2pm.
What others say about The Orthodontist
Here are a few testimonials from some of our customers.
With four children all needing braces over a span of six years, Bhavik and the assistants really became part of our family. My kids loved going to see Bhavik. He always made them laugh and feel special. The payment plan really helped us financially. We are on the last set of braces now, but we have confident young adults with great smiles. Thanks Bhavik.
We can't wait to make you smile, get in touch!
We support:
Yes, when you receive a treatment letter and quote you pay an initial deposit when the appliance is fitted and the balance is paid in monthly installments, interest free, agreed on by you and the orthodontist.