First Visit
We do our best to ensure that your scheduled visits are both informative and friendly. For your first visit, you or your child's orthodontic needs will be evaluated. We do this by carrying out tests in order to select a choice of treatment from the available treatment choices. Kindly download and fill the form from the link below.
Find below the list of requirements for your first visit.
- List of all drugs you are currently taking
- All x-rays
- Your filled online first visit form
- Your dental and medical insurance forms (if any) duly filled. This ensures quick processing of your insurance claims.
Please alert the office if you have a medical condition that may be of concern (i.e. latex allergy, diabetes, high blood pressure, artificial heart valves and joints, rheumatic fever, etc.) or if you are on any medication (i.e. heart medications, aspirin, anticoagulant therapy, etc.)
Cancelled Appointments:
Contact us at (575) 885-2020. If for some reason you are unable to attend your scheduled appointment, please contact our office 24 hours in advance. If there is no cancellation call or inadequate notice given, you may be charged $35 for a missed appointment. Appointments cannot be re-scheduled by leaving messages on the answering machine. The answering machine is for emergencies.
Diagnostic Records & Treatment Planning
Once it is concluded that you need an orthodontic treatment, we will book you for diagnostic record examination. This consists of orthodontic X-rays, diagnostic pictures, and evaluation models. Dr. Waters will evaluate the records once they are ready, and recommend the most suitable treatment regimen for your orthodontic needs. We will then contact you to help set up your orthodontic treatment plan. This set up includes booking of required appointments to start your treatment, preparation of your financial documentations, etc.
Subsequent Visits
Once you have started your orthodontic treatment, it is very important that you maintain your scheduled return visits - usually every 4 to 8 weeks. This helps us monitor and evaluate your progress and make any necessary adjustments to your braces. It is recommended very strongly that during this period, you adhere strictly to all the rules and regulations guiding your treatment. These rules border on the practice of good oral hygiene, eating healthy foods, sticking to your orthodontic appointments, and paying regular visits to your dentist.
After the braces have been taken out, they will be replaced with retainers, which help keep your teeth in their new positions until when your muscles, bone, and gums are fully adapted to these new positions. Do not neglect this retention period.
Length of Treatment
This depends on the patient's age, the seriousness of the condition, the allowable movement, and the patient's ability to adhere to set rules. Usually, wearing of braces lasts from 6 to 30 months.
Dental Care
We can never replace your family dentist; our role is only to assist him or her. Therefore, you must ensure you maintain your regular dental visits during your orthodontic care. Your dentist will make sure you receive adequate cavity and cleaning checkups during your orthodontic treatment. Prior to your treatment, your dentist will ensure that any dental decay has been treated and that your gums, tissues, and bone are healthy and strong enough to withstand the rigours of treatment. It is also the responsibility of your dentist to extract any teeth recommended for removal by Dr. Waters, as a necessity for bite correction.
Let us know if you have any further questions. It is best we discuss these procedures thoroughly in order to select the best time for your orthodontic treatment. This is because getting the timing right is a significant factor for a successful treatment.
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