The Patient Journey
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We’ve set out the different steps of your journey with us as a patient so you know exactly what to expect.
We understand that it can feel like a huge commitment to decide to have orthodontic treatment, especially as it can last over a year. We want to make sure that there are no hidden facts about the treatment so you are completely at ease when you decide to have your teeth straightened.
Your first visit to the practice is really easy! We will have a bit of a chat with you to find out what you think about your teeth, listening to any concerns you may have about the appearance of your teeth. We will carry out a full examination of your face, your jaws and your teeth. This involves making a few measurements and gathering together lots of information so we can tell you about your teeth and all of the options for your orthodontic treatment. We sometimes take some photographs and an x-ray to help us make any decisions about your options for your treatment.
This is the appointment at which we usually gather any additional information in order to plan your treatment. This usually consists of some photographs of your face and your teeth, an x-ray of your teeth and jaws and a scan of your teeth, using our state of the art scanner – no more messy impressions required!
If you choose to have Invisalign® treatment, then your first appointment (after your records appointment) is to have your first set of aligners fitted! We will make sure the aligners are comfortable, show you how to take them out and put them in again and also talk to you about how to look after them. Usually we give you one or more further aligners to change into when you have finished wearing your first set (usually 1 – 2 weeks). At your subsequent Invisalign® appointments, we will check that your aligners are fitting correctly – please remember to wear them to your appointments!
If we need to, we will place some tooth-coloured attachments on your teeth to help with the tooth movement and we may also need to carry out some filing between your teeth to create space to help your teeth straighten. Don’t worry – it is very quick and easy to do and is very comfortable for you. When we have completed your Invisalign® treatment, we will take another scan of your teeth to make your retainers, which are really important as they will keep your teeth straight.
If you choose to have fixed braces, we will fit them at your “Bond up” appointment. We stick the little brackets onto the surface of your teeth with a strong glue. We select the correct wires for your treatment and, if you would like, you can choose a nice bright colour for your brace!
At your subsequent appointments, we will adjust the braces. We usually change the wires and may also add some elastic to your braces if we have spaces to close. This is an opportunity for you to change the colours on your brace, so have a think about what colours you would like on the way to the practice!
Debond appointment. Hooray! You have completed your treatment and it is time to take your brace off! We will remove your brace very carefully from your teeth and then clean off any glue that is left on the surface of your teeth. We will then scan your teeth so we can get some retainers made, which we usually fit a couple of days later.