5 things you need to know before getting braces

Braces continue to be the most popular choice for orthodontic treatment, effectively correcting tooth and bite misalignment to create a beautiful smile. At Donna Lim Orthodontics, there is nothing our Specialist Orthodontist Dr Donna Lim loves more than witnessing the expressions of joy on her patients’ faces as they unveil their new smile after completing their braces treatment.

While the end goal of treatment is to create an amazing new smile for you that you will love, it’s important that you know some basic information about braces before you start treatment, such as:

1. How long will your braces’ treatment take:

“How long will my treatment take?” is a common question Dr Donna Lim hears during a patient’s initial consultation and with good reason as the answer will vary from person to person! Ultimately, the length of your braces treatment will depend on how complex your case is, your age, and how well you maintain your braces during treatment. 

For some patients who only require a minor cosmetic improvement from their braces, they can expect treatment to take anywhere from 6-12 months. While some patients who have more complex issues such as crowding, or bite malocclusion may require treatment for up to 24 to 30 months. 

On average, our braces patients are in treatment for 12-18 months. This gives enough time to achieve superior results, without rushing the process and compromising dental health.

2. How often do you need to see your orthodontist during treatment:

Another important thing to know before you start treatment is how often you need to visit the practice. On average, our braces patients visit us every 8-12 weeks for adjustments. This is important to know, especially if you have travel plans during your treatment! These braces visits can be as short as 10 minutes in duration and we can often accommodate these shorter visits during before and after school times.

3. How to care for your braces during treatment:

To ensure your treatment progresses at the rate in which Dr Donna Lim has planned, it’s important to take care of your braces during treatment. This means ensuring that you brush your teeth at least twice a day, floss and avoid hard or sticky foods such as nuts, gum, or toffee! It is also important to ensure that if you play sport, that you wear a properly fitted mouth guard, especially if it’s a contact sport.

If your braces aren’t properly maintained during treatment, they could be prone to damage, slowing down the treatment time and requiring more visits to the orthodontist.

4. What the cost of your braces’ treatment will be:

If you are starting braces treatment, it’s important to know how much your treatment will cost, and how much you can afford. At Donna Lim Orthodontics, our patients enjoy beautiful smiles from as low as $79 per week! 

We offer interest free payment plans that are flexible to meet your needs and budget. For children with baby teeth, it is expected treatment may range from $950 to $5,000. For moderate orthodontic work it is typical for this to range from $5,100 to $7,500. And for more complex orthodontic work, treatment will likely cost between $9,850 to $11,800. 

5.What you need to do after treatment:

A common misconception with orthodontic treatment in general, is that once the treatment is finished, your new smile will stay in place forever! While this is the goal, as we age our teeth can become susceptible to change from many factors, resulting in your teeth becoming misaligned once again.

In order to prevent this, your orthodontist will recommend wearing a retainer for a set time period after treatment. The duration of wear will vary from individual to individual. By wearing this retainer as recommended, you can rest assured that your perfect smile will last a lifetime!

Starting Orthodontic Braces Treatment In Auckland

Are you an Auckland local looking to improve your smile? If so, book in an initial consultation with our Specialist Orthodontist Dr Donna Lim today to find out more information about our braces, and clear aligner treatment options.