Get In Touch
The first step, once you have decided that you need orthodontic treatment is to ring us to make a consultation appointment. Our friendly reception staff will try and make you an appointment time that is most suitable for you.
Book An Appointment
Once our staff make a suitable time, they will carefully explain to you the process you will go through and what your first appointment will entail. You can expect to be provided with a personal history form, which will record your medical and dental history prior to meeting Dr Chisholm.
Come In For A Consult
When you arrive and the necessary paperwork is completed, you will be taken into one of our treatment rooms where the staff will get to know you and take a look at your records. The treatment rooms are very comfortable providing each patient with their privacy while having their consultation and treatment, with the specialist orthodontist.
During the consultation, you will have digitised photographs and radiographs taken. One of them will look at the teeth present and the integrity of the tooth roots and base bone (OPG) and one of the skull, upper and lower arches (lateral cephalometric x-ray).
Once the records have been taken, Dr Chisholm will review the radiographs and carry out the clinical examination. Dr Chisholm will then go through her examination findings together with the radiographs to formulate a customised treatment plan.
Implementing The Treatment Plan
Once the treatment recommendations have been clearly understood, the financial breakdown is explained and a suitable payment plan is organised. When the patient is happy with this, the treatment will commence. A series of visits may be booked to coincide availability of an appointment and the most suitable time for our patient to come back to see Dr Chisholm.
Ongoing Care
With orthodontic treatment, there will be routine visits with Dr Chisholm. The frequency of each visit will depend on the type of treatment. Routinely, she will only see each of her patients every 8-12 weeks. However, there are times where Dr Chisholm would choose to leave an appointment to 16 weeks and there are very few occasions where she will see patients in 6 weeks.
Oral hygiene during orthodontic treatment is of utmost importance, and we advise routine dental check-ups every 6 months. Patients have access to advice and care prior to their routine appointment if they are worried or concerned about their plate or braces.
Finish
When the teeth are in a stable position, Dr Chisholm will take completion radiographs to ensure that the roots of the teeth are in the ideal position and skeletal pattern is correct.
If Dr Chisholm is happy with the radiographs, she will make time for the braces to come off. On the day the braces come off, Dr Chisholm will place retention wires behind the upper and lower anterior teeth to hold the teeth in the position that she leaves them in.
Clear plates will also be provided and will be required to be worn each night for the following 12 months. Once the patient is in the retention phase, they will be reviewed 4 months after and again at 12 months post braces. However, if there are any concerns in between, the patient is free to contact us and speak to one of our friendly staff.