First Visit
What is orthodontics?
Orthodontics is the specialty of dentistry that is concerned with the study and treatment of malocclusions (improper bites), which may be a result of tooth irregularity, disproportionate jaw relationships, or both. Orthodontic treatment can focus on dental displacement only, or can deal with the control and modification of facial growth. In the latter case it is better defined as “dentofacial orthopaedics”.
First visit: What to know.
If your first visit is in George or Mossel Bay we will do a comprehensive clinical examination and the necessary photos, x-rays and a digital scan of your teeth and bite.
All new patients from the Oudtshoorn area will be seen at our George practice for their first visit.
We will give you some information on orthodontic treatment in general during this visit and in the majority of cases the preliminary diagnosis and treatment plan for your specific problem will also be discussed.
There are however cases where we will rather schedule a follow-up appointment during which we will discuss your diagnosis and treatment plan in detail. Between these two appointments your clinical records will be analysed in detail and a treatment plan will be finalised to address your specific orthodontic problem. The costs of orthodontic treatment will also be discussed in detail at the discussion appointment and there will be time to answer any questions you might have.
While we can often answer general questions about treatment during the initial examination, we will only address specific areas after careful analysis of the clinical records.
We feel that it is important to analyze each patient’s specific needs, because in-depth planning leads to superior results and higher patient satisfaction.