ORTHODONTICS

Your dentist will often advise you to start treatment during a biannual checkup.

The ideal time to begin orthodontic treatment varies. It depends on the severity of the case, whether the patient still has their baby teeth and whether they are still growing.

There is no age limit for orthodontic treatment. Certain orthodontic problems can only be corrected in children, but many adult problems can also be treated.

You do not need a referral letter for orthodontic treatment at City Mondzorg. However, a referral letter from your dentist does provide valuable information about your teeth and your current situation.

There can be many different reasons for orthodontic treatment, each of which requires a different, personal approach and specific braces. What braces are best depends on your personal dental situation. Here is a list of the most commonly used braces:

• Fixed braces (brackets)
• Clear aligners - transparent devices
• Removable braces
  (activators, dental plates, headgear with facebows)
• Fixed or removable retainers
  (lingual braces and/or retainers)

In recent years, a new type of removable braces fashioned after a 3D model of the patient’s teeth has become more popular.

Patients wear these so-called clear aligners, which are virtually invisible and removable, for 20 to 22 hours a day on average, only removing them to eat and brush their teeth. Every fortnight, the patient gets a new set, progressively straightening their teeth and molars. The duration of treatment depends on the severity of the patient’s case and whether they wear the braces day and night.

On average, orthodontic treatment lasts between two and three years. It is difficult to predict how long treatment will last in advance, since it depends on your specific case, your braces and whether you wear them properly. After the first appointment and the comprehensive examination, the orthodontist will give you a good estimate of how long the treatment will last. This will also be recorded in your personal treatment plan.

 Orthodontics at City Mondzorg: the treatment

• introductory visit (examination of whether treatment is possible);
• examination (oral examinations, X-rays, dental model prints and slides);
• discussion of the individual treatment plan (after analysis of the study data and devising the treatment plan);
• placing the braces (including explanation and instructions);
• check-up appointments (every 4 to 8 weeks).

During treatment, patients usually have to wear their braces day and night ('active treatment period'). Braces will have to be checked and/or adjusted regularly during this time. After that, the braces are often worn only at night ('retention period'). The goal of this period is to encourage the straightened teeth and molars to stay in their corrected position. After this phase, small metal wires (lingual braces) are also often placed behind the teeth to hold the teeth in the correct position.

The costs of orthodontic treatment vary from case to case.

Based on your preferences, dental moulds, X-rays, photographs and other information, the orthodontist will decide on the best approach in your specific case. 
They’ll discuss their recommendation with you, during which you can ask questions and share your own preferences.

Orthodontic treatment is not included in the basic health insurance package for adults or children. To qualify for full or partial reimbursement, you have to take out additional dental insurance.