What Can We Expect During Treatment?
When treatment begins, you and your child will have one or two initial appointments with your orthodontist. During these sessions, the orthodontist will:
- Make an initial assessment of your child's teeth. This may include dental x-rays and other examinations
- Explain the treatment options to you and your child
- Make a recommendation on which treatment option would work best
- Identify any dental work that needs to be done before treatment starts (this work may not be covered by Smiles 4 Canada)
- Explain the expectations, policies, and procedures of the orthodontic office
Following this, the orthodontist will contact Smiles 4 Canada to advise if you have accepted the treatment plan and they have agreed to accept your child’s case for treatment through Smiles 4 Canada. At this point, you will be expected to pay the non-refundable administration fee of $500 to Smiles 4 Canada before treatment will begin.
During treatment, your child will see your orthodontist regularly, so that the orthodontist can:
- Ensure the treatment is progressing satisfactorily
- Adjust your child's appliance
- Discuss any questions that may have come up since your last visit
- Provide counseling on things like diet, tooth care, etc.
During your child's treatment, you should ensure that s/he takes good care of his/her dental health. This includes daily brushing and flossing, avoiding certain food and drinks, seeing your general dentist regularly, and having any work done that s/he or your orthodontist recommends. This is a joint effort between you and your child and is key to the success of the treatment. You and your child are also responsible for ensuring that s/he maintains the schedule of visits with your orthodontist – these regular visits are very important!
Your orthodontist may prescribe rubber bands for your child – these supplement other appliances and help move his/her teeth into the correct positions, so you and your child should ensure s/he uses them as the orthodontist recommends.
Once the formal treatment is finished, your orthodontist will supply a set of retainers for your child – these help keep the newly-aligned teeth in place until bone can grow and harden around them. You and your child should make sure s/he uses them as required. It is possible that the retainers may wear and/or break; if that happens, you will be responsible for the cost of a new set of retainers.
Finally, your child will be expected to complete a report and the end of active treatment outlining how s/he benefitted from the process. This must be done within three months of the end of treatment, and submitted to us via e-mail at administration@smiles4canada.ca or mailed to the office.
