What to Expect
Your first visit at Seacoast Orthodontics
We want your first visit to be comfortable, informative, and easy. Here’s what you can expect when you walk through our doors:
- Office tour
- Panoramic image taking
- Clinical examination
- Initial diagnosis
- Discussion of orthodontic problems
- Guide to treatment options
- Guide to the timetable of treatment
- Determination of insurance benefits
This important visit will fully address the orthodontic needs of you or your child and is complimentary (FREE OF CHARGE). During the initial consultation for each patient, we will discuss your questions and provide clear and reasonable answers.
All patients under the age of 18 will need to be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
Please bring to your appointment:
- Your new patient forms
- Your insurance card
appointments
Your sequence of appointments following the initial consultation with Dr. Finelli or Dr. Siller will be as follows:
Records
Taking orthodontic records includes the following components:
- Panoramic xray
- Intraoral and extraoral photographs
- Digital impressions of upper and lower teeth and gums
- Xray of head showing the relationship of the teeth to the jaws (Cephalometric)
Bonding Appointment or Invisalign Delivery
Once Dr. Finelli or Dr. Siller review the records and confirm the initial treatment plan, you are now ready to get your braces! For braces patients, this is the appointment where the doctor places the braces on the teeth and a wire is secured into the brackets. At this appointment the importance of proper care of the teeth and braces will also be reviewed. Some orthodontic problems require additional appliances to help achieve our goal of a beautiful smile. If your individualized plan includes the use of an additional appliance, separators, which are small rubber bands, will be placed one week prior to the placement of orthodontic bands. Separators will be inserted between the back teeth and help create space between the teeth for easier placement of the bands.
For Invisalign patients, this is the appointment where attachments are placed and clear aligners are delivered. At this appointment proper care of the teeth and clear aligners will be reviewed.
Adjustment Appointments
Once the braces are in place, you will visit our office approximately every 6-8 weeks to review your treatment progress, depending on your specific needs. At these appointments, a number of different procedures might be done in order to ensure the continued progress of your treatment. Some of these procedures include the placement of new wires, the use of rubber bands, and the review of home care instructions.
Debanding
Upon completion of treatment, the braces or Invisalign attachments will be removed and a post-treatment panoramic xray and photographs will be completed. Retainers will be inserted at this appointment to hold the teeth in place.