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Your First Orthodontic Appointment

Posted on May 25, 2021

Welcome to Chawla Orthodontics! Our practice has been creating beautiful smiles for families for over 45 years and we’re excited to help you take the first step in your orthodontic journey. If you’re not familiar with the treatment process, you may be feeling a little nervous or overwhelmed about what comes next. It’s important to us that you feel confident in our care, and knowing what’s involved in achieving a healthier smile can help you feel more at ease in the early stages of treatment. Keep reading to learn what you can expect from your free consultation, or your first visit, with us! 

What happens during an orthodontic consultation?

We pack a lot into your initial visit with us and believe it’s one of the most important appointments you’ll have with our practice. Plan to spend about an hour with us, which gives us ample time to listen to your concerns, perform an oral examination, and answer any questions you may have about the orthodontic process.  

Whether you choose our Westmont or Villa Park office, you’ll be warmly welcomed and introduced to some key members of our team. We’ll give you a quick tour to help you feel more comfortable with your surroundings, then take a look at your medical and dental history. Following this, we’ll take a few digital photographs of your teeth. We may also obtain X-rays or impressions of your mouth. These will help us identify any orthodontic problems that are present.

After the photographs are taken, it’s time for your exam with Dr. Chawla! He’ll take a look at your teeth and jaws, asking any necessary follow-up questions. Along with the images we’ve collected, this exam will allow him to make a proper diagnosis and create a customized treatment plan for your smile. 

Exceptional care from your first appointment  

Your first visit with us will determine if there are orthodontic issues that need to be addressed, whether now or in the future. Following your exam, Dr. Chawla may tell you that everything looks good, or he might recommend you begin treatment as soon as possible. Another possibility is periodic check-ups with us to monitor the situation. The timing of treatment will depend in large part on the developmental stage of the teeth and jaws along with the severity of the problem.

Whether you’ll be beginning treatment with Chawla Orthodontics now or later, this appointment is the best time to ask any questions you have about the process. Our team will explain the treatment choices available to you and help you understand what you can expect at the different stages. We’ll also discuss other important topics with you, including:

  • how orthodontic treatment will benefit your smile
  • what methods will be used to correct the problem
  • whether or not tooth extraction will be necessary
  • the total investment required for your new smile
  • any payment plans available to you
  • the estimated length of treatment

and anything else you’re curious about, too! 

Investing in a healthier, happier smile

At Chawla Orthodontics, we’re committed to providing patients of all ages with a variety of safe, effective, and affordable treatment options. Once you’ve decided on a customized treatment plan, we’ll go over the total investment needed for your new smile. This will vary from case to case, as everyone’s needs are different and each patient responds to treatment in their own way. Our team will take care that you understand everything included in your treatment plan before we move on to the active phase of your orthodontic journey!

Your smile is an investment that lasts a lifetime, which is why we work hard to offer budget-friendly payment solutions. Our practice offers dental financing and affordable payment plans, and we also accept most major credit cards and dental plans, including: 

  • DMO /Aetna PPO
  • Principal /Ameritas
  • Affordable Family Health Services
  • Blue Shield PPO & Blue Cross
  • Cigna 100/200/300 Series
  • Cigna PPO
  • Connection Dental
  • Compbenefits
  • Premier/Delta Dental PPO/HMO
  • Dentemax
  • DeltaCare® USA
  • Guardian
  • Dental Network of America (DNoA)
  • Humana PPO
  • HumanaDental ® Access
  • Metlife
  • United Concordia
  • United Health Care
  • Unicare 100/200/300 Series
  • Unicare PPO

We’re always happy to assist you with any of the necessary paperwork and claims associated with your insurance plan. 

Orthodontic evaluations for children

children smiling in a group

Children and adolescents are the ideal candidates for orthodontic treatment. Just ask the American Association of Orthodontists, which recommends all children receive an orthodontic evaluation by around 7 years old! These early visits give us the chance to identify any current or potential issues with their developing smile. Many orthodontic problems are easier to correct when we catch them before all the permanent teeth have erupted and the jaw bone stops growing. Childhood evaluations allow us to take a proactive approach to treatment! This often leads to better results in the shortest amount of time possible.

Only a small percentage of young patients will receive a recommendation for immediate treatment. If Dr. Chawla does feel that this type of interceptive treatment is in a child’s best interest, you can trust that it will prevent more serious complications from occurring later and may also reduce the overall length of treatment. If no treatment is necessary at the time of the appointment, we may recommend a period of supervision or “observation” instead. This allows us to monitor a child’s dental growth, development, and the eruption of their teeth. There is no charge for these recall visits.

Orthodontic consultations for adults

We hear from adults every day who are worried that the chance for a beautiful smile has passed them by, but you’re never too old to take advantage of orthodontics! That being said, adult consultations are slightly different from our adolescent visits. The teeth and gums must be healthy before we attempt any kind of tooth movement, so we must first determine that there are no existing issues with the patient’s oral health. For this reason, we may recommend a periodontal evaluation for adults before treatment. This will ensure there is no evidence of gum disease, which can weaken the periodontal tissues and make it difficult to safely move the teeth.

Take your smile to the next level with Chawla Orthodontics

You only get one smile. Why trust it to anything less than a qualified orthodontic expert? Dr. Chawla is a highly-trained smile specialist with years of experience in creating beautifully aligned smiles. If you haven’t already scheduled a FREE consultation with us, get in touch today and take the first step towards the confident smile you deserve!