How vital are orthodontic check-ups?

Throughout your orthodontic treatment, we’ll see you every 6–8 weeks for check-ups. These appointments are vital for getting the best results from your braces, and the perfect opportunity to ask us your questions.

Unfortunately, orthodontic treatment doesn’t always include routine reviews. If you choose to straighten your teeth from home using mail-order aligners, you’ll miss out on invaluable expertise.

The benefits of regular appointments

• At each appointment, we’ll check your progress against your treatment plan, to make sure everything is advancing as expected. Tooth movement isn’t 100% predictable, so occasionally we’ll need to adjust your treatment slightly to meet your goals.
• If you’re wearing fixed braces, we’ll need to replace your archwires (which are responsible for moving your teeth) periodically. If you’ve opted for clear aligners, we’ll give you your next few sets of aligners, and check they’re fitting correctly.
• During your treatment, we may need to add small attachments to your teeth at specific stages. These help clear aligners like Invisalign to achieve more complex movements, by giving them something to grip onto.
• We might also recommend IPR before or during your treatment. Interproximal reduction involves carefully reshaping your teeth by removing small amounts of enamel. It can improve your outcome and reduce the appearance of ‘black triangles’ (picture below).

• You’ll have the chance to ask us all your questions and point out anything that might be concerning you at every appointment. It’s always nice to have some reassurance that everything’s normal and on track.
• Orthodontic appointments shouldn’t replace check-ups with your dentist. Still, we’ll watch out for the warning signs of tooth decay and gum disease. We can also show you how to brush around your braces to keep your teeth clean and sparkling.
• As you near the end of your treatment, we’ll start to review your results. This is another big benefit of treatment at a specialist orthodontic practice. We can continue to refine your smile until your teeth are in the perfect position.
• We’ll also pay close attention to how your teeth bite together. Orthodontic treatment can improve this, or just focus on the alignment of your teeth, according to your goals. Some of the techniques we’ve just mentioned, for example, IPR and attachments, can both help to improve your bite.
• When your transformation is complete, we’ll take impressions of your teeth, which we’ll use to make your fixed and removable retainers. These will stop your teeth from moving in the future. Some mail-order companies provide removable retainers, but fixed retainers need to be fitted by a clinician.
• We’ll also carry out some finishing touches to skyrocket your results. We include teeth contouring and home teeth whitening (subject to suitability) as standard to enhance the shape and shade of your smile.

If you straighten your teeth without the supervision of an orthodontist, you’ll miss out on most of these benefits. Your treatment may be cheaper and more convenient, but your outcome may not live up to your expectations.

Before you buy online, we recommend visiting a specialist clinic like Sensu for a free consultation so that you can weigh up your choices.

To arrange a free no-obligation consultation, contact us today. We’ll give you all your options and answer all your questions about braces.