Your First Visit

During your first visit, our orthodontist will examine your teeth and give you an indication of:

• What type of treatment is involved?
• When can treatment start?
• An estimate on the cost of treatment (pending a comprehensive examination)
• Allow you to get familiar with the person who will be treating you.

The initial consultation is designed to fully inform you of what is the best treatment options available to you, and the most appropriate time as well. If you have x-rays in your possession, please bring them along otherwise you will be referred to have the necessary x-rays completed. Photographs are usually taken to assist diagnosis and treatment planning. Your orthodontist will discuss fees with you once your records have been fully evaluated, and sometimes a second visit is needed to complete the consultation.

Before you arrive

• Complete your health history. Your medical history, medications and previous dental treatment all matter for your assessment.
• Bring recent dental X-rays if you have them. Ask your dentist for a copy. If you do not bring any, we will provide you with a referral to a local radiology centre for the most appropriate X-ray for you or your child.
• Bring your private health card. Depending on your health fund and policy, you may be able to claim on the spot with our HICAPS system.
• Allow plenty of time so you do not feel rushed when it comes to asking questions.
• For children, choose a time of day when they are not tired or hungry. Mid-morning often works well.

What happens at the examination

• Photographs of your face and teeth
• A look at your teeth, gums and soft tissues
• An assessment of your bite, how your upper and lower teeth meet
• A check of your jaw position and facial profile
• For children, a review of how the teeth are developing
• A review of your X-rays, either the ones you bring or those taken at a local radiology centre on our referral
• A conversation about whether more diagnostic records are needed

The examination is gentle and non-invasive.

Diagnostic records: what they are and why they matter

Records give your orthodontist a complete picture so treatment can be planned for you personally. They can include photographs of your face and teeth, a panoramic (OPG) X-ray and a side-on (cephalometric) X-ray. If you need X-rays, we will refer you to a local radiology centre for the most appropriate ones. They also give a starting point to measure progress. Not everyone needs every record at the first visit.

Questions worth asking

How long will treatment take? What are my options? What happens if I don’t treat this? Are there less visible options? What does the fee include? Write your questions down so you don’t forget them.

What if my child is not ready yet?

Sometimes the best advice is to monitor. This is sometimes called “watch and wait”. It is not a delay in care, it means the timing is not right yet. Regular check-ups let us step in at exactly the right moment.

No pressure

Your first visit is for information, not a commitment. Your orthodontist will explain what they found, talk through the options and the pros and cons of each, and discuss the cost with you once your records have been fully evaluated. Take your time to decide.

Source: Orthodontics Australia (Australian Society of Orthodontists) fact sheet “What to expect at your first orthodontic consultation”. See our Patient Resources page for the full fact sheets.