HOW OFTEN WILL I HAVE APPOINTMENTS WITH MY DOCTOR?
HOW OFTEN WILL I HAVE APPOINTMENTS WITH MY DOCTOR?
EXPECTATIONS From DIGITAL ORTHODONTICS - Solo Edition by Dr. Bak Nguyen
Each doctor has their own preference on how often he or she will be seeing their patients. As a general rule, you will been seen more often at the beginning of treatment to start your case, in the middle of the treatment for adjustments and also more often at the end to finition and the closing of your case.
Personally, I see also follow up with my patient through telecommunication and will see them in person when and if necessary. That happens when the teeth aren’t following the treatment plan and require more attention. Except for clinical work (to scan the mouth, to proceed with IPR and attachments) appointments usually last 10-15 minutes.
If you really want an answer, in average, I could see a patient with an average case of 18-24 months, maybe from 8 to 12 times in clinic. This is not a rule, just a general answer based on 17 years plus of experience. I will see my patient as much as I need. We are bounded by a result, not a protocol.
That said, unless you have done something wrong on your part, something obvious like losing your aligners, skipping your appointments, losing teeth, etc, I personally do not charge extra for orthodontic follow-up. Again, that is something you have to discuss with your attending beforehand.
One last rule of thumb, some patients will require more supervision and motivation, if they see their attending more often, they will wear their aligners with more disciple. I will see these patients more often. The teeth and aligners parts are only 50% of the process, psychology and motivation are the other 50%.