Frequently
Asked Questions
What
is an Orthodontist?
An Orthodontist is a Certified Specialist in the correction of
maligned teeth and jaw irregularities
What
are Braces?
The
Orthodontic Appliance (commonly called braces) helps the
Orthodontist control and move the teeth with maximum accuracy and
efficiency.
Rubber Bands provide a force which helps teeth move. This is usually
done by applying pressure of one group of teeth against the other.
Unless otherwise instructed, rubber bands must be worn 24 hours per
day. Failure to do so would cause the teeth not to move properly.
Arch Wires are the guide or track for the teeth to be moved. The
arch wires will be changed as you progress in your treatment.
1.
Is it required that I be referred by my family dentist to schedule
an appointment with Dr. Parker?
2.
At what age should I schedule an appointment for an orthodontic
screening?
3.
Will my child's teeth straighten out on their own as they grow?
4.
How do I schedule an appointment for an initial exam?
5.
Is there a cost for the initial examination?
6.
What will happen at the initial examination appointment?
7.
What will I learn from the initial examination?
8.
Will I have to have any teeth removed for braces?
9.
How long will it take to complete treatment.
10.
How much will braces cost? Are financing options available? How does
my insurance work?
11.
How often will I have appointments?
12.
Can I have all of my appointments after school?
13.
Can I drop my child off for an appointment?
14.
Do braces hurt?
15.
Can I return to school the day I receive my braces?
16.
Do you give shots?
17.
Do you use recycled braces?
18.
Can I still play sports and/or musical instruments while in braces?
19.
Do I need to see my family dentist while in braces?
20.
Are there foods I cannot eat while I have braces?
21.
How often should I brush my teeth while in braces?
22.
What is an emergency appointment? How are those handled?
23.
What if the emergency occurs after normal office hours?
24.
Can any orthodontic correction occur a child still has some baby
teeth?
25.
Will my child need an expander?
26.
Is it too late to have braces if I am already an adult?
27.
Can I wear braces even though I have crowns and missing teeth?
28.
Can I refer my family and friends?
1.
Is it required that I be referred by my family dentist to schedule
an appointment with us? No, it is not. Although most of our
patients are referred by their family dentist, many patients who
have concerns about their health and appearance and want to be
evaluated as to the need for orthodontic care, take the initiative
themselves to schedule an initial examination.
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2.
At what age should I schedule an appointment for an orthodontic
screening? The Canadian Association of Orthodontists
recommends an orthodontic screening at age seven. By this age, the
six-year molars and several permanent teeth in most children have
erupted allowing us to effectively evaluate most developing
orthodontic problems.
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3.
Will my child's teeth straighten out on their own as they grow? No,
they will not. The space available for the front teeth does not
increase as a child grows. In most people, after the permanent
6-year molars erupt, the space available for the front teeth
actually decreases with age.
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4. How do I schedule an appointment for
an initial exam? If you think you or your child would
benefit from orthodontic treatment, simply call our office and we
will be happy to schedule an appointment for you. You can reach us
at (416) 237-9535. During the call to schedule your appointment, our
front office staff will gather some very basic information
concerning you and your child.
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5.
Is there a cost for the initial examination? No, there is no
cost for the initial examination. we believe that the relationship
established during a patient's first visit is much more important
than an "office visit" charge.
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6.
What will happen at the initial examination appointment?
Upon arriving at our office, each patient and parent will be greeted
and asked to fill out a patient information card that includes some
personal information and a brief medical history. we will conduct a
brief but thorough examination of the patient's mouth to determine
if there is a need for orthodontic treatment. Dr. Parker will be
looking to determine if there enough room to hold all of your teeth,
if the top teeth are lined up correctly with the bottom teeth, if
any teeth are crooked or not growing in the right position and if
there are missing or extra teeth? She will also be asking the patient
if they are experiencing any breathing problems, have they had any
finger or tongue habits and have they experienced any jaw joint
problems?
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7.
What will I learn from the initial examination? There are
five important questions that will be answered during the initial
examination.
Is there an orthodontic problem and if so, what is it? What must
be done to correct the problem? Will any permanent teeth need to be
removed? How long will the treatment take to complete? How much will
the treatment cost?
In addition to these, we will take the time to answer any other
questions a patient or parent may have.
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8.
Will I have to have any teeth removed for braces? Removing
teeth is sometimes needed to get the best orthodontic result.
Straight teeth and a balanced facial profile are always the goal.
However, because today's technology has resulted in advanced
orthodontic procedures, the need for removing teeth has been greatly
reduced.
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9.
How long will it take to complete treatment. Treatment time
obviously depends on each patient's specific orthodontic problem. In
general, treatment times range from 15 to 28 months. An
"average" time a person is in braces is approximately 22
months.
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10.
How much will braces cost? Are financing options available? How does
my insurance work? It You can spread out your payments with
no interest charge to do so. Is impossible to give an exact cost for
treatment until we have actually examined you. The exact cost and
financial options will be discussed after the diagnostic records are
complete. We have a financing option available and will be happy to
review this with you. We also offer a discount for fee paid in full.
Proper orthodontic treatment to correct a problem is often less
costly than the additional dental care required to treat the more
serious problems that can develop in later years. We'd be happy to
help you with your insurance coverage.
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11.
How often will I have appointments? Appointments are
scheduled according to each individual patient's needs. Most
patients in braces will be seen every six to 10 weeks. If there are
specific situations that require more frequent monitoring,
appointments may be scheduled more often.
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12.
Can I have all of my appointments after school? This is a
very common question. Unfortunately, we can not schedule all
appointments for all student patients for after school hours.
However, because most appointments are scheduled six to 10 weeks
apart, most patients miss very little school because of orthodontic
appointments.
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13.
Can I drop my child off for an appointment? We are very
understanding of busy schedules and working parents' desires to run
errands while their child is at our office. On some occasions we may
want to speak with parents when you return, so please we request
that parents check in with the front desk staff as they schedule
their next appointment.
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14.
Do braces hurt? As a general rule, braces do not
"hurt." After some visits, teeth may be sore for a few
days. In these situations, pain medications such as Advil or Tylenol
can be used to ease the discomfort. However, after most visits,
patients do not feel any soreness at all! We often remind our
patients, it does not have to hurt to work!
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15.
Can I return to school the day I receive my braces? Yes.
There is no reason to miss school because of an orthodontic
appointment.
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16.
Do you give shots? No. Dr. Parker has NO needles in her
office.
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17.
Do you use recycled braces? Absolutely not! It is our belief
that each patient should be provided with their own braces to
achieve the very best orthodontic result possible. We would never
use worn, used or recycled braces.
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18.
Can I still play sports and/or musical instruments while in braces? Yes!
We will provide you with a sport guard at a nominal fee. Please
inform us when you need a sport guard.
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19.
Do I need to see my family dentist while in braces? Yes.
Regular checkups with your family dentist are very important while
in braces. Your family dentist will determine how often you should
be seen for cleaning appointments while you are in braces.
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20.
Are there foods I cannot eat while I have braces? Yes. Once
treatment begins, very complete instructions and a comprehensive
list will be provided regarding foods to avoid. Some of those foods
include: ice, hard candy, raw vegetables and all sticky foods, i.e.
"Snickers", caramel and taffy. No gum is allowed. Many
emergency appointments to repair broken or damaged braces can be
avoided by carefully following instructions regarding foods.
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21.
How often should I brush my teeth while in braces? Patients
should brush their teeth at least four times each day: after
breakfast, lunch (or as soon as they get home from school), supper
and before going to bed. We will show each patient how to floss
their teeth with braces on and we also suggest a flouride rinse to
help protect teeth.
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22.
What is an emergency appointment? How are those handled? Please
refer to our section on ORTHODONTIC
EMERGENCIES.
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24.
Can any orthodontic correction occur a child still has some baby
teeth? Yes. However, we do not require braces for every
patient who visits our office. Some orthodontic problems that
significant enough to require early intervention. However, if a
patient is not yet ready for treatment, we will follow that
patient's growth and development until the time is right for
treatment to begin.
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25.
Will my child need an expander? At the completion of the
initial examination, we will determine whether a patient will
require expanders or not.
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26.
Is it too late to have braces if I am already an adult? Over
30 percent of our patients are adults. If fact, orthodontic
treatment for adults is one of the most gratifying areas of our
practice for both patients and staff members. Health, happiness and
self-esteem are vitally important to adults. No patient is "too
old" to wear braces!
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27.
Can I wear braces even though I have crowns and missing teeth? Yes.
A tooth with a crown will move just like a tooth with a simple
filling. When teeth are missing, orthodontic treatment will aid in
the alignment of the remaining teeth so that the space where the
teeth are missing can be properly restored.
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28.
Can I refer my family and friends? Absolutely. We are very
grateful for expressing your confidence in our office by referring
your friends and family.
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