Embracing a New Era
Let's face it. Patients can come with many unexpected questions in the course of their dental treatment. As a general dentist, you are well informed as a multi disciplinary practitioner and rarely are caught off guard. Are you confident about your answers to orthodontic questions? Gerety Orthodontic Seminars presents a complete and thorough comprehensive orthodontic training program that can give you the knowledge and information to not only answer the patient’s questions, but to treat 85% of the malocclusion that you encounter in your practice.
After completing our program you will have the confidence to discuss all the options with your patients and give them a choice in their treatment. You will be able to discuss all aspects of orthodontics and make suggestions based on the patient’s concerns and desires. Here are some questions that we encounter on a daily basis.
Patient: Can my teeth be straightened with the clear aligner trays?
Answer: In a lot of cases, the answer is yes. But, is that the best method of treatment? We discuss at length with the patient the commitment needed for treatment using the clear aligners, the length of treatment, the initial cost of treatment as well as the likely need for a refinement cost and the limited results of treatment. We compare this orthodontic treatment with a fixed treatment method and let the patient decide. We do not have a preference to which method they choose but we do believe they should have the correct information about both methods.
Patient: How long will my orthodontic treatment take to complete?
Answer: We give the patient an estimated treatment time according the treatment plan and the treatment option that the patient needs. Depending on the specifics of the orthodontic case, we have outlined a treatment time to complete the mechanics for the case. 12-18 months up to 36 months. You will learn in session one of our comprehensive orthodontic program how to determine treatment time.
Patient: Will you have to extract teeth?
Answer: Our treatment philosophy is based on non-extraction mechanics. We feel extractions can be performed without detriment to the arches in about 15% of orthodontic malocclusion. We believe that teeth should be moved into their correct position by lateral development, anterior movement and distalization rather than extracting healthy teeth to gain instant space. Extraction orthodontics is becoming less and less acceptable in today’s orthodontic climate. Even if you do not intend to treat the case, you should be able to refer them to an orthodontic specialist that does not routinely extract teeth.
Answering your patient’s questions may be one of the biggest practice builders you could have. Information and knowledge is power and your patient’s will appreciate your honesty and knowledge. If you would like to learn more tips about orthodontics, visit us at geretyorthodonticseminars.com and enroll in a course to learn more from our experts.