Here’s an overview of the different types of orthodontic appointments you’ll be required to attend during your treatment with Kita Orthodontics.
Initial Appointment (30 minutes)
Dr. Kita and his friendly staff will greet you and discuss YOUR concerns with your teeth and smile. An extensive head and neck exam involving your muscles and joints will be done. An oral cancer check will be performed and your teeth will be analyzed. A plan will be devised while your teeth are being scanned using our state-of-the-art iTero scanner. Pictures will be done and if needed, X-rays will be taken.
Dr. Kita will present to you your different options and show you what your teeth would look like when they are aligned. One of the staff members will discuss financing options and future appointments will be discussed. All of this in a 30-minute FREE consultation.
Bonding Appointment (usually 1 hour)
This is when you get your braces or when starting clear aligners, we place your attachments. In Dr. Kita’s office, bands are not used anymore unless a crown is present. That means no painful spacers for a week prior to the braces. In addition, Dr. Kita also uses a fluoride varnish on the anterior teeth to aid in white spot reduction due to poor oral hygiene. This will not prevent white spots and decay from forming and is no substitute for adequate brushing and flossing. But, is just another adjunct to aid in the prevention of white spots from forming.
This appointment typically lasts 60-75 minutes and ends with a talk on oral hygiene and foods to eat and foods to stay away from.
Regular 5-8 week Adjustments (usually 15-20 minutes):
This is the appointment where we ‘tighten’ the braces. We change the colored elastics and see whether the teeth have progressed from stage to stage. These stages are:
- Placement of the brackets
- Correct rotations
- Level each arch
- Closure of space (if there is any present)
- Alignment of the arches in relation to each other
- Detailing the occlusion
- Removal of the appliances
- Placement of retainers
Most of the time, more than one of these stages are carried out simultaneously. Once one stage has been completed, the wires are usually changed but this does not happen at every appointment.
Usually, this appointment lasts 15-20 minutes unless a patient has a broken bracket(s) and depending on how many questions are asked. If this is the case, then this appointment can last from 20-60 minutes depending on the number of brackets, bands and/or wires that are broken. Dr. Kita and the staff try their hardest to be on time, but if you or your child does not cooperate then this can extend your visit.
Plus, for every bracket broken you can expect your treatment to be extended one month. So do not ask when you will get your braces off if you have broken brackets in the past.
Debonding (usually 30-45 minutes):
When it is time to get your braces off, our digital technology takes over again. During your second to last visit, your teeth will be scanned with our iTero scanner – NO GOOP! The resulting 3D image will have the braces on, but those will be removed digitally. Then, the braceless 3D image will be printed using a 3D printer and used to construct your new retainers. All this happens prior to your final appointment where your braces will be removed.
When you walk in 3-4 weeks later, your braces are removed, the final records are taken and retainers are delivered immediately – again, NO GOOP and no second appointment later in the day! In addition, you will also receive your 3D models as a memento. It really is an insurance policy of sorts. If you lose your retainer, just bring your models back in and we can make new retainers with that model, no additional scan needed.
Dr. Kita and his staff recommend that retainers be worn for the rest of your life to maintain your beautiful smile.
