Most Important in Orthodontics: The Patients’ Wishes
Orthodontists have learned the ideal image of the teeth and jaw position, and thanks to their training, they know how often they can achieve perfection. A schematic concept in order to produce ideal results is medically and ethically unjustifiable because tooth and jaw positions have no significant disease value. Therefore, it is fair to ask our patients for their wishes and ideas in order make it the basis for orthodontic treatment planning.
Adolescent Patients
Nevertheless, teenagers are usually treated without much discussion to get an ideal result. This means, in general, not only will the teeth to be straightened, but also the bite is adjusted ideally. Usually achieving ideal results without much effort is possible in young patients because of growth of the jaws.
Rather than opting for treatment on their own, young patients are usually brought to on behalf of their parents, who want a comprehensive treatment with a perfect result. In the public health insurance (in which 90% of the population are insured) comprehensive orthodontic treatment is prescribed and covered. Nevertheless, even when treating young patients, there are often alternatives in treatment planning and procedure, whereby our orthodontists take into account the wishes of patients and parents.
Adult Patients
However, our adult patients are usually more exact and have their own ideas of what it is they hope to gain from orthodontic treatment. Some patients want to only straighten a few front teeth, whereas others wish to change their bite or facial features. Therefore, it’s better for our adult patients to first ask about their wishes and ideas and then make them the basis for treatment planning. At our practice, the survey and discussion of the patients’ wishes is always at the beginning of diagnostics and treatment planning.
Esthetic and Invisible Orthodontic Treatment Options
The strong focus on patient desires is also reflected in the fact that we have been offering aesthetic and invisible orthodontic treatment options for years. These include the lingual technique we have been working with since 1999 and Invisalign – a method of tooth straightening with removable, transparent aligners – which we have been offering since its market launch in Germany in 2001. Our orthodontists have a lot of experience with both methods and thus can perform almost any orthodontic treatment using these invisible techniques.