No. They simply need to make the referral, and then you are welcome to call and make the appointment.
The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that children see an orthodontist at the first sign of trouble. If there are no problems, they recommend that children come in at age seven just to look for any potential problems. At this age, they should have a few of their permanent teeth, including their first molars, which will help to determine their bite.
Though many people believe this, your teeth won’t straighten out as you grow. The amount of space that you have for each tooth doesn’t change either. Actually, the space (especially for the front teeth) can decrease as your teeth continue to come in.
It is easy to schedule an appointment. Just give us a call at (972) 263-8700. We also respond to emails, or you can fill out our request form online any time of day or night. We will work with you to schedule an appointment that is convenient for you. We recommend filling out the paperwork prior to your first appointment, if possible, so you can be seen in a timely fashion.
At your first examination, we ask that you try to fill out the paperwork beforehand to reduce your waiting time. We will then go over your medical and dental history. It is also important to let us know if you are having any problems with your teeth, mouth, or jaw. We will then perform a thorough examination with x-rays so that we can get you a diagnosis. At that time, we will go over your options so that you can have a smile of which you are proud.
After we have finished the examination, we hope you have plenty of information. We can determine if there is any problem and what our options are to correct it. We will also discuss your options, the cost of each, and what to expect with treatment.
There are times when we will have to remove some teeth to ensure that we get the best result. However, some new advances allow us to get nice smiles without removing any teeth.
Treatment times vary greatly depending on a patient’s age, what we are treating, and what the treatment is. Treatment normally lasts twelve to thirty months, and the average time for braces is twenty-two months.
Since every treatment is different depending on the patient’s specific needs, it is impossible to estimate the cost until after your first visit. At that time, we will go over the cost and discuss financing. We will also work with you to get your insurance to cover as much of it as possible.
Since all treatments are different, it can be hard to know how often you will need to come in for appointments. Generally, we like to see most patients every five to ten weeks, though there are some patients who need to be monitored more frequently.
Since many of our patients are in school, we can’t schedule them all for after-school hours. We will try to work with you by scheduling appointments in advance to minimize missed school.
Braces are not supposed to hurt. There are going to be some visits that make your teeth sore for a few days. You should be able to get some relief with over-the-counter pain medications. Most appointments won’t cause you to be sore at all.
You should be just fine to go to school or work after we put on your braces.
We don’t give shots during orthodontic treatment.
You can still play sports. However, we do recommend using a mouthguard to protect your teeth, braces, and jaw.
Yes. It is really important to go to your regular dentist while wearing braces to ensure that your mouth, teeth, and gums stay healthy.
Yes. Once we determine that you need braces, we will go over a complete list of foods that you can’t eat. To give you an idea of what you have to stay away from, you will need to avoid hard candy, raw vegetables, sticky food, and more. By following some simple rules, you are less likely to damage your braces.
Yes, you need to take care of your teeth even though they are in braces. We recommend brushing your teeth after every meal and before you go to bed. We will show you how to floss while wearing braces so you don’t get cavities. There are also times when you may need special fluoride to keep your teeth strong.
Anytime your braces cause you a lot of pain or break, it is important to give your orthodontist a call. Sometimes we can help you over the phone, though there are times when you will need to be seen. We will squeeze you in during these times.
We can perform some treatments and often see great success with early intervention. If your child is not ready for treatment, we will monitor him or her until the time is right to start treatment.
Phase One treatment is considered early treatment. It is started when a child is between seven and ten years old. It lasts about twelve to twenty-one months. It is our goal to help address significant problems to prevent them from becoming worse and causing bad self-esteem later during the teenage years.
After Phase One treatment, we will closely monitor your child’s growth and teeth eruption to determine if braces are needed and when. It is best to plan for braces after the treatment.
Whether or not your child needs a palatal expander depends on what we find during the examination.
At Henderson Orthodontics we offer orthodontic treatment options for various ages from kids to teens, to even adults.
Twenty-five percent of orthodontic patients are adults who want a better smile. It is never too late to get the smile you deserve.
We still place braces on adults with crowns and missing teeth. In fact, orthodontic treatment really helps to keep your other teeth in alignment.
In order to get the smile you deserve, you should look for specialists who have extra training and experience with orthodontic procedures. They are very skilled at what they do and often offer more options than your regular dentist may offer.
