Initial Orthodontic Consultation
The term “initial orthodontic consultation” refers to the orthodontist’s first contact with her patient. It includes the diagnosis of any problem as well as a thorough clinical-radiographical check, based on which the therapy plan is determined.
The first visit to an orthodontist is usually made on two occasions. The first is after a referral from our dentist, if he/she comes across the existence of an orthodontic problem that needs specialized diagnosis and care. The second is at the initiative of patients themselves, if they notice any aesthetic disharmony or dysfunction in the oral cavity of themselves or of their children.
Common findings
Some of the “signs” that lead us to the orthodontist’s office are the following:
- skeletal problems and asymmetries in the oral cavity
- abnormalities in occlusion, i.e. contact of the upper and lower jaw teeth, the number or position of the teeth and the eruption of primary teeth.
- oral bad habits that adversely affect the development of the oral cavity and the eruption of both primary and permanent teeth (e.g. sucking of a pacifier or a finger, tongue thrust).
