It’s important you choose wisely.
After all an orthodontist is going to have a big impact on your life, and the lives of your children. Not only are they going to change the way they look, they’re also going to have a big impact on their health.
And then there’s the relationship to consider.
If you choose well, you’ll form a positive, healthy relationship that may last years (if you have several family members who need help). But if not, you may find yourself having to virtually drag your children along to appointments.
No one wants that.
So here are some mistakes we’ve seen people make when they’re choosing an orthodontist so that you can avoid them.
You don’t need a referral to see an orthodontist, and this means two things. First, that you can contact an orthodontist for an appointment whenever you need to and second, you can change orthodontists too.
It’s worth ensuring you have the right person for you and your family, so don’t settle for second best.
Please don’t hesitate to call us if you’d like to make an appointment. We offer your first consultation free, so we can get to know you, and establish the best course of treatment for you.
It’s true that orthodontists can be expensive.
I mean, they’re specialists. They’ve finished dental school (which takes at least 5 years) and then spent another three years in post-graduate training.
So, a dentist is a bit like a GP who can treat common health complaints. Whereas, an orthodontist is like an eye specialist or a surgeon, who can tailor treatment to a specific problem.
Orthodontists can straighten teeth, but they do more than that. They get to the cause of the misalignment and correct the problem.
So orthodontic treatment can be costly, but that doesn’t mean you can’t afford it.
We’ve put together a short guide to help ensure you find an orthodontist you can afford, but who’ll still give you great results.
Choose an orthodontist who offers an initial consultation free of charge. You need to get to know each other and decide if you’re a good match.
You need to be able to ask questions before you commit to an ongoing health care relationship. So look for an orthodontist who offers the first appointment free to help you understand:
Your orthodontist should also give you information on living with Invisalign or braces.
Look for an orthodontist that helps you get straight teeth with fewer appointments. Sounds almost unbelievable, doesn’t it?
But if your orthodontist is staying up to date with technology, they should be offering dental monitoring services.
This is a way of using your smartphone as a remote monitoring device, to help your orthodontic treatment, and to help straighten your teeth.
Dental monitoring allows you to take a video or photos of your teeth using a smartphone. These are then analysed by the dental monitoring algorithms and the results are delivered directly to your orthodontist.
So, your orthodontist can see the changes right from the photos, which means you don’t need to come into the office for a check-up unless you need new aligners. Pretty cool, huh?
Straight teeth don’t just look good, they function better. They help you chew and digest your food effectively, prevent or relieve pain, and decrease bacteria (helping to prevent gum disease).
In fact, even small alignment issues can have a major impact on your dental health.
So, having crooked or misaligned teeth is a risk, whether you’re a child or an adult. You owe it to yourself and your family to prevent health problems.
Your orthodontic treatment plan should be tailored to your unique needs, because no two people are the same. Your orthodontist should also be able to tailor a payment plan that fits your budget.
You should expect to make an initial deposit and regular payments, but they should be affordable. A great orthodontic practice can help you work out a plan that will work for both of you.
And that’s what you want. Someone who’ll work with you. Someone to partner with you during this journey.
That’s what we do at Gullotta Orthodontics because our dream is to make you smile!
