Your treatment journey

Taking that step to a beautiful smile can be a big one, but at Class 1 Orthodontics, our team of orthodontic professionals will be with you every step of the way.

We want to make sure your treatment journey with us is fun, enjoyable and most of all, effective! So, here’s what happens if you sign up to be a patient with us.

Free consultation

Your treatment journey will start with a free consultation. We offer this appointment for free because we want to give you the chance to come in to the practice, look around, meet the team, and find out if orthodontic treatment is right for you.

At this appointment, you’ll meet with one of our treatment coordinators. They’ll talk you through the orthodontic process, speak with you about our different treatment options and how they work, and give you some information on the potential cost of treatment and our flexible payment plans.

You’ll also have the chance to meet with one of our specialist orthodontists, who will assess your teeth and jaws to determine the extent of your orthodontic needs. They’ll make a recommendation for treatment which we’ll put together in a bespoke treatment plan for you.

Your treatment plan will outline your treatment options, how long it will take and how much it will cost. It’s a comprehensive report that means you can make an informed decision about whether you want to go ahead with treatment.

Getting your braces fitted

If you’ve decided braces are right for you, we’ll order your custom-made braces or aligners and book you in for your fitting appointment. At this appointment, one of our specialist orthodontists will fix the braces to your teeth or fit your aligners if you’re having Invisalign treatment. 

Depending on the type of treatment you are going for, this appointment will take between 30-60minutes. After this appointment, you may notice your teeth are a little sore as they get used to wearing an appliance. It also means treatment is starting to work. This soreness can be relieved with over-the-counter pain relief (the kind you’d take for headaches) and will disappear in a couple of days. 

Regular appointments

Once your braces or aligners have been fitted, your treatment has well and truly begun. You’ll need to come in and see us once every six to eight weeks. At these appointments we’ll monitor your progress, check how your teeth have moved, tighten your braces or give you your next few sets of Invisalign aligners. 

The rest of the time, it is your responsibility to look after your teeth. This means ensuring you clean them properly following our detailed brace care instructions. Your teeth are easy to keep clean, even when wearing braces, but it can just take a little bit more time. Make sure you keep your teeth in the best condition possible as healthier teeth get better results. 

The final phase

Once your braces or aligners have been removed and you’re the proud owner of a new set of beautifully straight teeth, it’s important to keep them like that. This next phase of treatment is perhaps the most important of them all. 

It’s known as retention and is the end stage of treatment which ensures your teeth don’t start to move back into their original position. During the retention phase, you’ll need to wear a retainer. These come in two types: fixed and removable. 

• Fixed retainer: a fixed retainer is a small piece of wire fitted permanently to the back of your teeth.
• Removable retainer: a removable retainer is like a sports mouthguard. You need to wear this fulltime for the first three to four months, then just at night after that for as long as you want your teeth to stay straight. 

And that’s your treatment journey at Class 1 Orthodontics! Easy as that.

If you want to start your journey to a straighter smile, book your free consultation with the team at Class 1 Orthodontics today.