Last Updated on August 12, 2024 by Asfa Rasheed
Table of Contents
What Does an Orthodontic Treatment Plan Mean?
Before we move on to planning and exploring orthodontic treatments more, we first need to define what an orthodontic plan means. An orthodontic treatment plan is essentially an outline of the whole process that will lead to your ideal smile.
It’s also a detailed document that contains information such as the type of treatment, the length, the post-treatment period, as well as available payment plans. This information is necessary in order for you to be properly informed and prepared if you decide to go through with your treatment.
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The Information Included Within the Treatment Plan
We briefly mentioned that the orthodontic treatment plan includes certain information, but we’ll expand on this a bit more in the following sections.
Diagnosis
In order to treat any dental problem, a proper diagnosis is necessary. With that being said, diagnosis is usually made through a clinical examination typically done during the first consultation. After that’s done, your dentist will carefully examine the x-rays, scans, and records of your teeth in order to further develop your orthodontic treatment plan.
As you’re probably willing to assume, diagnosis is an important first step in any treatment plan. And, an important aspect of this step is taking records. Documentation, such as x-rays, photos, scans, and such, is crucial in tracking the process and comparing the results. These records are also important for different analyses utilized in the process, such as facial analysis, for example.
Treatment Options
Treatment plans differ from one to another, for example, some have various options to choose from, while others have only one option at disposal. This all depends on how complex the case in question is. And, while some patients might be able to choose between different treatments, certain patients with more complex problems will be limited to traditional braces.
Many patients have issues that lean fall more into a cosmetic bracket than a medical one. For such problems, single arch, regular, lingual, or ceramic braces are usually solid choices. Additionally, Invisalign is a fantastic choice due to its discreet nature.
Your dentist will make sure to outline each one of the applicable treatment options and tell you all about the outcome you can expect. With that, the patient will then have all the information available in written form which will help them in moving on with their decision.
Achievable Results
Knowing what your chosen treatment can do for your smile is a top priority. With that in mind, dentists show their patients realistic results that they can expect via various records.
Photos that are taken during the first consult come into play here, as they are used when creating a before and after image comparison.
Tooth impressions are also taken during the initial consultation, so a diagnostic wax-up of the teeth is put together. With this, the patient is able to see how their teeth will look once the treatment is finished.
Treatment Length
The dentist will provide you with the estimated treatment length during your consultation. And, while these estimations tend to be accurate, it all depends on the moving speed of the patient’s teeth, which won’t be known until the braces are installed. Additionally, as it tends to be with all types of dental procedures, in the end, it will all come down to the patient’s compliance.
Post-Treatment
If you think your treatment is as good as done the moment your braces come off, you’re wrong. In actuality, this final phase is the most important, as it assures your new smile lasts you a lifetime.
Within the plan, you’ll have all the information relevant to the post-treatment period, including things such as recommendations for removable or fixed retainers, or in some cases both.
And, if you’re not comfortable with wearing retainers and want something more discreet, clear retainers and Invisalign are great options. This way, you can ensure your post-treatment is going smoothly in a discreet way. Additionally, you won’t need to wear your retainer 24/7, so it won’t be any hassle.
Options for Payment Plan
Lastly, the plan will include details about the full cost of each orthodontic treatment. Additionally, it will also break down when the deposit, installments, or final payment is due. Payment option plans may also be provided.
Information needed for looking into private health insurance rebates is also available within the treatment plan. And, all the questions related to anything mentioned in the treatment plan will be answered by your dentist, so all confusion is swiftly avoided.
The Steps of an Orthodontic Treatment Plan
The information typically provided within the orthodontic treatment plan usually includes certain steps, which are comprehensively listed below:
- Screening as part of the initial consultation – This includes all types of basic examinations and is always done during the first consultation.
- Taking records – The records come as step number two, and their importance has already been stated.
- Processing records – Records are then properly processed so that they can be used in the later parts of the treatment.
- Treatment planning – This includes all the preparations, option consideration, and the scheduling of the second consultation.
- The second consultation – The treatment recommendation is typically done during the second consultation.
- Level and alignment – During this stage, the arches are leveled and the teeth are aligned. The end goal of the stage is to make sure all the teeth are straight and the rotations are all eliminated. After that, the teeth are leveled and the dentist will progress with the wire.
- Mechanics – After the leveling and the alignment the teeth are moved to their final position.
- Finishing – With this stage, any mistakes made with bracket positioning are fixed.
- Post-treatment – As mentioned previously, this final stage of the treatment includes retainers and all additional care recommended by the dentist.
Apart from that, if you are interested to know about Dental Implant Solutions then visit our Health category.
