When it comes to patient-doctor relationships, we believe that there should always be open and honest communication. This helps us better achieve the beautiful smile you’ve always wanted by always receiving your sincere feedback and by us giving you outlined directions that you should follow when you’re not at your orthodontist’s Tacoma office. We encourage you to voice your thoughts and your questions, however, we completely understand that some of our patients feel a little shy asking questions to their doctor until they’ve reached a higher comfort level. With this in mind, we’ve gone ahead and composed commonly asked questions below so that you can inform yourself a little better without having to ask your Dr. Knight—for now!
1. How Is My Dental Health? Good? Bad?
Your first visit will be a comprehensive one as Dr. Knight will perform a thorough oral examination during your consultation exam. We will be checking your previous dental history and asking you questions about your health, lifestyle, and medical questions. Afterwards, Dr. Knight will sit down with you and give you his feedback on whether there are any lifestyle or eating habits that you should change or perhaps suggest an orthodontic treatment.
2. How Can I Keep My Oral Hygiene Good When Wearing Braces?
Regular visits with your dentist (yes you have to keep visiting your dentist during your orthodontic treatment), a healthy diet that doesn’t contain too much acid or sugar, and proper oral care such as brushing, flossing, and using mouthwash are all key to achieving better oral hygiene.
3. How Often Are Regular Appointments With My Orthodontist?
Since this depends entirely on the type of orthodontic treatment you’ve elected to receive, Dr. Knight will be sure to go over the different timelines and appointment frequency when discussing different orthodontic treatment options. For instance, if you move forward with orthodontic braces, you should expect to be visiting your orthodontist once a month. In contrast, if you have chosen to receive the Invisalign treatment you’ll likely be visiting your orthodontist once every five to six weeks.
4. After I Finish My Treatment, Will My Braces Removal Reveal Tooth Discoloration?
The color of your teeth at the end of your orthodontic braces treatment will be based on how well you take care of your teeth as well as what diet you decided to follow while you were wearing braces. To avoid discoloration, you can apply some lifestyle changes during your treatment like cutting out/lessening drinking coffee, wine, and dark sodas or smoking cigarettes or cigars. Check out our list of foods to avoid to give you a better idea of how you can change your diet for the better during your orthodontic treatment.
5. Which Orthodontic Treatments Are Necessary And Which Are Optional?
This is an excellent question especially if you’re attempting to stay within a budget, but you’d still like to improve your oral health. During your first visit, you will receive advice on both orthodontic treatments that you should opt for that will improve your oral health (such as Palatal Expanders) as well as suggested treatments that will help you obtain a better more beautiful smile, but aren’t necessary as such. Be sure to clarify with your Dr. Knight!
6. Should I Any Dental Information I Learn Be Given To My General Physician?
The status of your oral health can actually reflect the standing of your overall wellbeing as well as be indicative of underlying health issues. Be sure to ask Dr. Knight if he notices anything unusual that may indicate a health issue or be symptomatic of something else going on with your body that is not orthodontia related.
7. Can Orthodontic Treatments Begin At An Early Age?
Did you know that orthodontic treatments can begin as early as the age of 7? We’re not talking about braces, but if your child starts visiting an orthodontist at an early age, they can get an early start on treatments that will correct dental issues before they worsen. Taking preventative measures will ultimately save you a lot of time and money down the road.
8. Does Douglas Knight Orthodontics Take My Insurance?
Insurance and whether or not they cover specific orthodontic treatments or if your orthodontist accepts them is always a hot topic. Here at Douglas Knight Orthodontics, we work vigorously to confirm whether or not we are able to accept your insurance. Please keep in mind that if we don’t accept your insurance, we work with all of our patients to come up with a payment plan that works for us as well as their budget. Contact us today to find out more!
9. What Should I Do In A Dental Emergency?
If you have an emergency due to an accident or injury, don’t hesitate to call us! You can also read up on what to do in different emergency scenarios that we list on our emergency page. If you reach us over the phone, we’ll do our best to guide you with steps to execute an at-home remedy until you are able to come into the office. However, if you cannot reach us right away and you fear for your health, don’t wait—call 911 and/or visit the emergency room as soon as possible!
10. Are There Certain Dental Products You Recommend?
We recommend anything that has Fluoride as an active ingredient. This ingredient is important to oral health and has been shown to strengthen your teeth! Since we don’t endorse any specific brands, we don’t want to explicitly say which products you should purchase and which you shouldn’t. If you are wondering about a product on the market, but are unsure about whether or not to take the leap and purchase it, feel free to bring up the product in question during our next appointment and we’ll let you know our thoughts!
Schedule A Consultation With Your Tacoma Orthodontist Dr. Knight, Today!
Hopefully the list of questions above have answered your lingering doubts, but if they haven’t—Dr. Knight and our knowledgeable staff are here to answer your questions. Whether you’re interested in straightening your teeth with traditional braces or Invisalign or are searching for a practice that handles temporary anchorage devices (TADs) or performs orthognathic surgery, we invite all your questions! You can contact us at (253) 627-5550 or request an appointment online. We can’t wait to hear from you!