Orthodontic Treatment FAQs

Q: Who should I choose for an orthodontic treatment,?

A: For an orthodontic treatment, you need to choose a specialist in the same field, the one who has undertaken orthodontic training course that too by a recognized university/council. Dentists tend to continue the routine dentistry and hence have not much experience in treating the complex problems related to orthodontics and you surely would not like to take any risk. So, better to chose a specialist in orthodontics.

Q: For an orthodontic treatment, do I need to get a referral from my dentist?

A: No, you can directly visit an orthodontist and consult him regarding your problem, like the alignment of your teeth.

Q: How many times do I need to visit the orthodontist during my treatment?

A: During the treatment, the orthodontist can ask you to visit him every month or on regular intervals to ensure that the braces applied are exerting a steady pressure on your teeth. To enhance the pressure & tension on the teeth, the orthodontist would make the required adjustments in the bands, wires, and springs of the braces. Sometimes, when only the braces are not sufficient, the orthodontist may suggest you wear external appliance like headgear in the evening when you are at home or throughout the night.

Q: What sort of braces are available?

A: Depending on your requirements, the orthodontist would prescribe an appliance. The braces available can consist of wires, bands &/or other appliances that aid in the correction of the teeth. This may vary from person to person. Remember, same braces may not fit the requirements of all.

Q: For how long do I need to wear braces?

A: The duration of this treatment varies from patient to patient depending on the complexity of the problem, the oral health, and condition of gums, bones, and teeth, etc. But if you need a rough idea, then on an average most of the treatments take one and a half to two years to get completed and hence the same duration would be needed to wear the braces.

Q: Is the success of braces affected by age of the person?

A: The orthodontic treatments are available for any age group. Be it a child, a teenager or an adult. It improves the overall appearance and bite by providing them straight teeth.There are some differences in the type of treatment the child & adults undergo, the main difference is that the adults may need additional appliances than only braces and it may take a while to get corrected as adult bones stop growing after an age.

Q: What care will be provided after the braces are removed?

A: First of all, after removing the braces, the teeth will be cleaned thoroughly & then the specialist may need to take new sets of bite impressions, X-rays etc, to check the amount of correction the braces have done and to also check whether any wisdom tooth has developed. If your wisdom tooth is developing after the braces are taken off, then the orthodontist might recommend you to get the wisdom tooth pulled out so as to avoid shifting of the newly aligned teeth. The specialist or we can say, the orthodontist would also it a retainer in your teeth to maintain the new position of the teeth and would recommend you to wear the retainers all the time for 6 months & after 6 months, only at night.