The number of office visits required for orthodontic treatment depends on the duration of treatment and the length of the ordering intervals. In Germany, orthodontic treatments of adolescents last 3-4 years. During this period, 40-50 appointments with the orthodontist can be expected. Including travel and waiting times, this is a considerable amount of time.
During training to become an orthodontist at the relevant departments of university hospitals, patients are usually routinely seen once every four weeks. However, such a tight control regime is not necessary in modern orthodontics. Experienced orthodontists usually have somewhat longer ordering intervals.
However, the decisive factor for the number of visits to the practice is the duration of treatment, which internationally is about 2 years, whereas in Germany it is 3-4 years. The difference is easily explained by the fact that in Germany an early start of treatment in mixed dentition and the use of inefficient, removable appliances are the rule. In combination with short ordering intervals, this results in a conspicuously high number of visits to the practice per treatment.
Tip for parents: In our orthodontic practice in Mannheim, the treatments of adolescent patients last on average 16.5 months. During this period, about 20 visits to the practice are necessary. We have thus succeeded in undercutting the usual treatment duration and number of visits to the practice in Germany by more than 50 %.