Our goal is to make every visit pleasant and informative. Your first appointment includes an exam and a conversation about your treatment options, and it’s where we’ll address the orthodontic needs of you or your child.
To help us out, please bring the following to your first visit:
- Any x-rays (if applicable)
- A list of medications you’re currently taking
- If you have medical or dental insurance, bring the completed forms. It saves time and helps us process your claims.
- Completed online or printed patient registration forms.
Let us know if you have a medical condition we should be aware of (such as diabetes, high blood pressure, artificial heart valves and joints, or rheumatic fever) or if you take any medication (such as heart medications, aspirin, or anticoagulant therapy).
Broken appointments: If something comes up and you can’t make it, please call our office at (419) 668-1686. Letting us know frees that time for another patient and lets us reschedule you. There’s a $25.00 charge for appointments missed without notice. After hours, leave your name, number, and a quick message, and we’ll call you back in the morning.
Diagnostic Records & Treatment Planning
If treatment is the right move, we’ll schedule you for diagnostic records, which usually include study models, photographs, and orthodontic x-rays. Once we have them, Dr. Chhibber reviews everything and maps out a treatment plan built around your needs. Then we’ll call to walk you through the plan, set up your appointments, and arrange financing that works for you.
Successive Visits
Regular visits are a big part of orthodontic treatment. We’ll usually want to see you every 4 to 8 weeks to check your progress and adjust your braces. In between, keep your appointments, follow your instructions, eat well, and stay on top of your oral hygiene. And keep seeing your family dentist too.
Once your braces come off, retainers hold your teeth in their new spots while your bone, gums, and muscles settle in. This retention stage is an important part of your treatment, so don’t skip it.
Length of Treatment
Braces typically stay on anywhere from 6 to 30 months or longer, depending on your age, the severity of the problem, how well you follow the plan, and how much movement is possible.
Dental Care
Before starting orthodontic treatment, your family dentist should make sure any cavities are treated and your gums and underlying bone are free of periodontal disease.
Your dentist or an oral surgeon will also remove any teeth Dr. Chhibber recommends to correct your bite. Keep up your regular cleanings and checkups with your family dentist during treatment, because we work alongside your dentist, not in place of them.
Please call our office at (419) 668-1686 or (440) 617-6544 with any questions. Timing matters with treatment, and you or your child may or may not be ready yet. A consultation helps us understand exactly what you need.