FAQ
No, a referral is not needed. While many patients are referred by their family dentist, a referral is not required to make your appointment. Many patients take the initiative to schedule their own consultations.
The American Association of Orthodontists recommends an orthodontic screening at age 7. By this age, several permanent teeth in most children have come in, allowing us to effectively evaluate their orthodontic condition.
Because the space available for the front teeth will not increase as they grow, their teeth will not straighten out as they grow. In fact, after the permanent molars erupt, the space available for the teeth may decrease with age.
It’s very simple, simply call our office, send us an e-mail or fill out the appointment request form on our website. You can reach us at (253) 939-2552 or by email at info@molensmiles.com.
When you arrive for your initial consultation, you will be seen by one of our treatment coordinators. They will give you an office tour, and prepare you for the exam. After the necessary photographs and x-rays are taken, the doctor will complete a thorough, exam.
There are four critical questions that we will address during the initial consultation:
- What, if any, are the orthodontics problems?
- What steps must be taken to correct the problems?
- How long will it take to complete treatment?
- How much will treatment cost?
Removing teeth is occasionally required to achieve ideal results. However, our doctors have developed and refined techniques over time that allow them to treat most cases without the removal of healthy adult teeth.
Treatment time varies depending on your treatment type. In general, treatment times may range anywhere from 12 to 36 months.
The cost of treatment depends on the complexity of each unique case. During the initial consultation, we will cover the cost and our interest-free financing options. We will also review your insurance policy in order to help you maximize your benefits and file your claims.
Most patients in braces will be seen every 5 to 10 weeks, but this will depend on individual needs. If you require more frequent monitoring, we will schedule additional appointments.
We do our best to schedule appointments to meet your needs. However, we cannot guarantee all appointments for students will be during after-school hours.
Absolutely. All we ask is that parents check in with the office before dropping off or picking up in case we need to speak to you.
While your teeth may be sore after a tightening, generally, braces do not “hurt.” If you’re feeling discomfort, we recommend pain medications that you usually take for a headache. That said, after most visits, patients do not feel significant discomfort.
Definitely. There is no need to miss the remainder of the school day because of an orthodontic appointment.
Shots are usually unnecessary for orthodontic treatment.
You’re not interested in having them, and we’re not interested in using them! Each patient is provided with their own braces to achieve the best orthodontic result possible.
Yes, though we recommend a mouthguard! Ask one of our team member for more information on how a free mouthguard can protect your teeth from injury.
Of course! Regular checkups with your family dentist are important with or without braces. Talk with your family dentist to determine cleaning intervals while you are in braces.
We will go over and provide a comprehensive list of foods to avoid during treatment. Some examples of foods to avoid include: hard candy, raw vegetables and sticky treats such as caramel and taffy. Avoiding these foods will help you avoid damage to your braces and emergency appointments.
We recommend you brush your teeth after each meal and before bed. We will also show you how to floss with braces and, if necessary, may provide a prescription for a special fluoride.
If your braces are causing you immense pain or are damaged, you should call our office immediately. In many cases, we can address your issues over the phone, however, if you require an emergency appointment, we will set aside time for you to visit us, even after hours if needed.
If problems are significant enough, it is possible for a child with baby teeth to undergo orthodontic procedures for early intervention. Interventive treatment can greatly reduce the complexity of future orthodontic problems
Phase 1 treatment is done to address significant problems in order to prevent them from becoming more severe. If necessary, it is usually initiated on children between the ages of 7 and 10 and lasts about 1-2 years.
There is often a good chance that your child will still need full braces after Phase 1 treatment. The period following Phase 1 treatment is referred to as the “interphase period,” and it is during this time that growth and tooth eruption are closely monitored, in order to appropriately inform parents and patients about future treatment recommendations.
It is possible. We will determine whether a patient will need an expander during the initial examination.
It’s never too late for braces! Over 30% of our orthodontic patients are adults. The truth is that health, happiness and self-esteem are important at all ages.
Yes, you can. A tooth with a crown will move just like any other tooth. If you are missing teeth, orthodontic treatment will aid in the alignment of your remaining teeth.
It’s about more than just teeth. Sometimes entire facial structures are permanently changed by orthodontic treatment. Because of this, it is important that your treatment be completed properly by an orthodontic specialist. Orthodontic specialists have extensive, specialized training that gives them the skills they need to provide professional, personalized treatments to each patient.
No, they are not. While many patients are referred by their family dentist, it is not required, and many other patients take the initiative to schedule their own examination.
The American Association of Orthodontists recommends an orthodontic screening at age 7. By this age, several permanent teeth in most children have erupted, allowing us to effectively evaluate your orthodontic condition.
Because the space available for the front teeth will not increase as you grow, your teeth will not straighten out as they grow. In fact, after permanent molars erupt, most people will find the space available for the front teeth decreases with age.
It’s very simple, simply call our office, send us an e-mail or fill out the appointment request form on our website.
When you arrive for your initial exam, you will be seen by the staff and doctor. They will show you around our office and prepare you for the exam. After the necessary photographs and X-rays are taken, the doctor will complete a brief, thorough, exam.
There are five critical questions that we will address during the initial examination:
What, if any, is the orthodontic problem?
What steps must be taken to correct the problem?
Will we need to remove any teeth?
How long will it take to complete treatment?
How much will your treatment cost?
Removing teeth is occasionally required to achieve ideal results. However, new technology is providing advanced orthodontic procedures, which are helping to reduce the need for extracting teeth for orthodontic treatment.
Treatment time will depend on the specific orthodontic problems of every patient. In general, treatment times may range anywhere from 12 to 30 months.
The cost of treatment depends on the complexity of each unique case. During the initial examination, we will cover cost and our financing options. We will also review your insurance policy in order to help you maximize your benefits and file your claims.
Most patients in braces will be seen every 8 to 12 weeks, but this will depend on individual needs. If you require more frequent monitoring, we will schedule additional appointments.
We do our best to schedule appoints to meet your needs, however, we cannot guarantee all appointments for students during after-school hours.
Absolutely. All we ask is that parents check in with the office before dropping off in case we need to speak to you.
While your teeth may be sore after a tightening, generally, braces do not “hurt.” If you’re feeling slight discomfort, we recommend pain medications such as Advil or Tylenol. That said, after most visits, patients do not feel any soreness at all!
Definitely. There is no need to miss the remainder of the school day because of an orthodontic appointment.
No. Shots are unnecessary for orthodontic treatment.
You’re not interested in having them, and we’re not interested in using them! Each patient is provided with their own braces to achieve the best orthodontic result possible.
Yes, though we recommend a mouth guard!
Of Course! Regular checkups with your family dentist are important with or without braces. Talk with your family dentist to determine cleaning intervals while you are in braces.
We will go over and provide a comprehensive list of foods to avoid during treatment. Some examples of foods to avoid include: hard candy, raw vegetables and sticky treats such as caramel and taffy. Avoiding these foods will help you avoid damage to your braces and emergency appointments.
We recommend you brush your teeth after each meal and before bed. We will also show you how to floss with braces and, if necessary, may provide a prescription for a special fluoride.
If your braces are causing you immense pain or are damaged, you should call our office immediately. In many cases, we can address your issues over the phone, however, if you require a comfort appointment, we will set aside time for you to visit us.
It is possible for a child with baby teeth to undergo orthodontic procedures to intercept larger problems from developing. Interceptive treatment can greatly reduce the complexity of future orthodontic problems.
Phase 1 treatment, also known as interceptive treatment, is done to address problems early in an effort to prevent them from becoming more severe. When necessary it is usually started on children between the ages of 7 and 10 and lasts about 1 to 2 years.
There is often a good chance that your child will need full braces after Phase One treatment. The period following Phase One treatment is referred to as the “resting period,” and it is during this time that growth and tooth eruption are closely monitored, in order to appropriately inform parents and patients about future treatment recommendations.
It is possible. We will determine whether a patient will need an expander during the initial examination.
It’s never too late for braces! Over 25% of orthodontic patients are adults. The truth is that health, happiness and self-esteem are important at all ages.
Yes, you can. A tooth with a crown will move just like any other tooth. If you are missing teeth, orthodontic treatment will aid in the alignment of your remaining teeth.
It’s about more than just teeth. Sometimes entire facial structures are permanently changed by orthodontic treatment. Because of this, it is important that your treatment be completed properly by an orthodontic specialist. Orthodontic specialists have extensive, specialized training that gives them the skills they need to provide professional, personalized treatments to each patient.
