What Exactly is a Smile Assessment & Why is it Important for Orthodontic Treatment?

The orthodontic treatment journey always ends with a healthy, stunning smile that a patient can take with them for a lifetime, but a lot of people forget how these journeys typically begin with what’s known as a smile assessment.

For people considering orthodontic treatment like braces or invisible aligners, there are many preliminary steps that need to be taken into account. Smile assessments are just one of these preliminary steps, but it’s still very important for patients and parents to understand the importance of smile assessments in regards to the grand scheme of the orthodontic treatment journey.

The smile assessment dublin ohio specialists at JK Orthodontics have helped us decode what smile assessments are and what they entail, and below is a comprehensive overview detailing what you need to before you or your child’s next smile assessment appointment!

What Exactly is a Smile Assessment?

A smile assessment is a detailed evaluation of an individual’s oral aesthetics and overall health, these assessments entail comprehensive examinations of a patient’s gums, teeth and bite alignment.

During smile assessments, an orthodontist will accurately measure a patient’s teeth alignment while also checking for common issues like crooked teeth and overcrowding. They’ll then provide their assessment of where a patient’s oral health status is currently at, and the main goal of a smile assessment appointment is to better prepare a patient for either invisible aligner or braces treatment.

Some of the key elements included within smile assessments include:

• Medical history review: An orthodontist will carefully look through a patient’s dental and medical history toward the beginning of a smile assessment appointment, which helps them to consider any pre-existing conditions that could potentially affect the treatment process.

• Visual examination: This includes a detailed visual examination of a patient’s current smile aesthetics, which includes their gums, teeth and jaw alignment. Orthodontists will be sure to check for signs of dental issues like gum disease, cavities and severe misalignment.

• Digital imaging: 3D digital scans, x-rays and photographs are all taken during smile assessments, and these images go a very long way to help orthodontists thoroughly examine the alignment and structure of a patient’s jaw and teeth.

• Bite assessment: Your bite is a major component of your smile’s functionality, which is why orthodontists also carefully evaluate a patient’s bite during smile assessments. This means they’ll take a close look at how your lower and upper teeth come together, and they’ll look for signs of improper bites like overbites, underbites, open bites or crossbites.

• Tooth alignment evaluation: This type of evaluation focuses on how a patient’s teeth align together, and it focuses on issues like wide spacing, overcrowding, rotated teeth and much more.

• Oral health assessment: This assessment is oriented around the presence of tartar or plaque within a patient’s mouth, a patient’s gum health, and any warning signs of oral diseases.

• Aesthetic assessment: There are also some aesthetic considerations that orthodontists keep in mind during these appointments, including the shape, color and size of a patient’s teeth.

• Feedback & discussion: An orthodontist will eventually go over their findings with you toward the end of your smile assessment appointment, and this type of feedback will include a detailed discussion about what your best treatment options are going forward.

How Smile Assessments Support Invisible Aligner Treatments

Successful smile assessments are also very important foundational steps for invisible aligner treatments. These assessments allow orthodontists to more carefully develop a personalized treatment plan that addresses the unique needs of each patient.

Below are a few of the ways that smile assessments support invisible aligner treatments:

• Customized treatment plans: Smile assessments are very important steps for orthodontists as they personalize a patient’s invisible aligner treatment plan. Smile assessments are crucial for determining the overall severity of a patient’s misalignment and malocclusions, and these assessments make it easier for orthodontists to estimate the overall duration and aligner sequence that’s needed for each patient.

• Complication prevention: Smile assessments are also very important when it comes to detecting any lingering dental health issues that a patient doesn’t already know about, and this is particularly relevant when these oral health issues might impact the orthodontic treatment process. By identifying these issues at the very beginning of the treatment, orthodontists can maximize the chances of providing smooth and successful treatment processes.

• Realistic expectations: Your orthodontist will also go over what you can realistically expect from your invisible aligner treatment during your smile assessment appointment. This type of transparency is important for a patient as they begin this often complicated medical treatment.

Reach Out to JK Orthodontics When You Need a Smile Assessment in Dublin, Ohio!

There’s a lot that orthodontic patients need to keep in mind regarding smile assessment appointments, but in general, these assessments are necessary parts of the pre-treatment stage of your orthodontic journey.

One of the top-rated orthodontists in the Dublin, Ohio area is Dr. James Karpac, and you can learn more about his smile assessments when you check out the link to his practice’s website that’s located at the beginning of this article!