An orthodontic consultation can cover a lot in one visit. You may arrive thinking about one crooked tooth and soon find yourself asking about braces, Invisalign, appointments, and retainers. Having a few questions ready helps you work through those details before choosing treatment.
At Stroope Orthodontics, we welcome children, teens, and adults at our Springdale and Farmington, Arkansas offices. Dr. Brittany Stroope is a board-certified orthodontist with specialty training in tooth movement, jaw growth, and bite correction. We offer traditional braces, clear ceramic braces, and Invisalign, and we can show you which options could make the changes your teeth need.
Start with what you’ve noticed at home. Maybe one tooth sits forward, your child’s front teeth are getting crowded, or you’ve never liked how your teeth meet when you bite. From there, we can explain what treatment would involve, including the parts that happen between appointments.
What Are We Trying to Correct?
“Straighter teeth” may be why you scheduled the consultation, but we also check how the upper and lower teeth fit together. Crowding, gaps, overbites, underbites, and crossbites can require different movements. Sometimes the front teeth catch your eye while the back teeth need changes to help the bite meet evenly.
During the consultation, we show you those areas and explain what we recommend moving. When needed, digital X-rays, 3D scans, and photographs help us see tooth position and the bite more closely. We can then explain how braces or Invisalign would move the teeth, or why waiting for more growth may help.
Include the concern that brought you in, even if it seems small. You may have watched one crowded tooth for years, while your child is more concerned about how braces will look at school. We can address both while explaining any bite changes needed to finish treatment.
Does Treatment Need to Start Now?
For children, permanent teeth are still arriving, and jaw growth can affect when treatment works best. Some problems benefit from care during growth, while others can wait until more teeth have come in. If we recommend starting sooner, ask what we want to change now and whether another stage of treatment may follow later.
Children should have an orthodontic evaluation by age seven, or earlier if a problem is noticed. By then, many have both baby and permanent teeth, allowing us to check space and the developing bite. If treatment can wait, we explain what we’re watching and when to return.
Teens and adults may be wondering whether to start after putting it off for years. Perhaps crowding has become harder to clean, or you’re finally ready to address a bite that has always bothered you. We can explain the changes needed and whether any dental work should happen before the teeth start moving.
Would Braces or Invisalign Fit Me Better?
Your bite and the movements needed help determine which treatments we recommend. After that, we look at how each option would work during an ordinary week. If several treatments could work, you can compare the routines as well as how they look.
Braces stay attached, so there are no trays to remember after lunch. However, brackets and wires require careful cleaning and changes around hard or sticky foods. Clear ceramic braces stay attached as well, with brackets that blend in more than metal ones.
Invisalign trays come out for meals and cleaning, but they need to go back in afterward. Breakfast, lunch, an afternoon snack, and a long dinner can add up to more time out than you expect. If your teen tends to leave things in a backpack until someone reminds them, include that when comparing removable trays with braces.
We can show you the options that apply to your teeth so you can see what you would wear. For some bites, one approach gives us better control of the movements needed. When several options could work, we explain the differences in cleaning, wear, food restrictions, and cost.
How Long Will Treatment Take?
Most people want an estimated timeline before starting. You may be thinking about graduation, a wedding, or getting settled before college. Bring up those dates so we can explain what may be possible by then.
Two people with crowded teeth can need different treatment lengths. One may need limited movement, while another also needs changes to how the upper and lower teeth meet. We give you an expected range after checking your teeth and explain which parts of treatment are likely to take longer.
Broken brackets, missed visits, and inconsistent aligner or elastic wear can slow progress. Even with consistent care, a tooth may take longer to move than expected. If that changes the finish date, we show you where more movement is needed and explain whether we’re adjusting a wire, adding trays, or giving the teeth more time.
How Often Will I Need Appointments?
Follow-up visits need to fit around school, work, sports, and family schedules. Some appointments involve checking progress, while others include wire changes, new scans, or adjustments. Ask how often we expect to see you and how much time to allow for different visits.
We see patients at both our Springdale and Farmington offices. If one location is easier for school pickup and the other is closer to work, ask how scheduling could work for you. We can explain which appointments are available at each location.
Also, bring up travel or stretches when getting away from work will be difficult. We can discuss whether to see you before you leave and what supplies or aligners you’ll need while away. Planning those visits early helps avoid a long gap when an adjustment is due.
What Will Eating Be Like With Braces?
Hard, sticky, and very chewy foods can loosen brackets or bend wires. Ice, hard candy, popcorn kernels, and chewy candy are common problems. Apples and similar firm foods may still work when prepared according to our instructions, such as cutting them into small pieces instead of biting straight into them.
Teeth may feel tender for a few days after braces are placed or adjusted. During that stretch, eggs, pasta, yogurt, soup, and cooked vegetables can be easier to chew. As soreness settles, you can add more texture while continuing to avoid foods that could damage the braces.
If your child buys school lunch, we can go over the choices they’re likely to encounter. A crunchy apple or chewy snack may need a different option, while softer foods can be easier to manage. Ask about their usual favorites so you can plan lunch before the first day with braces.
What Will Eating Be Like With Invisalign?
With Invisalign, the trays come out for meals, so you can usually enjoy your normal foods. Afterward, clean your teeth as instructed and put the trays back in. Leaving them out because another snack might be coming can turn a short meal break into hours without wear.
Plain water is fine while the trays are in. Remove them for coffee, soda, sports drinks, sweet tea, and other beverages, since sugar and acid can collect beneath the trays. Hot drinks can also distort the plastic.
For students, lunch often takes a little practice at first. Keep the case handy, because an aligner wrapped in a napkin can leave with the lunch tray. A small cleaning kit can help your teen finish eating, clean up, and replace the trays before returning to class.
How Will I Keep My Teeth Clean?
With braces, take time above and below each bracket and along the gumline. We demonstrate how to angle the brush and reach around the wires. A floss threader, small between-teeth brush, or water flosser may help with spaces your usual technique struggles to reach.
Because aligners come out, you can brush and floss without working around brackets. However, putting them back over leftover food can hold that residue against the teeth. We show you how to clean your mouth and the trays, including which products to use without damaging the material.
Continue seeing your general dentist for exams and cleanings during treatment. We monitor tooth movement and the bite, while those visits check for cavities, gum problems, and other dental needs. If a tooth needs repair, we can coordinate that appointment with your orthodontic care.
What if a Bracket Breaks or an Aligner Goes Missing?
A bracket can loosen, a wire can poke, or an aligner can disappear from a lunch tray. Before treatment starts, ask how to reach us about those problems, including after hours. We can explain what may wait and what needs an earlier visit.
If a bracket loosens or a wire becomes sharp, contact us for instructions. Orthodontic wax may cushion a rubbing area temporarily. Avoid pulling or adjusting the hardware unless we’ve shown you what to do.
For a lost or cracked Invisalign tray, check with us before moving to another set. Depending on your progress, we may recommend the previous tray, the next one, or another step. Keep any damaged tray so we can examine it if needed.
How Much Soreness Should I Expect?
Teeth can feel tender after braces are placed, following certain adjustments, or when you begin a new aligner set. You may notice it most when biting into food. That tenderness usually eases over the following days as you adapt.
Brackets can also rub the cheeks or lips at first. Wax can cover the spot while the tissues adjust, and softer foods may help while the teeth are sore. With aligners, a new tray may feel snug during the first day or two.
If the feeling changes from ordinary pressure to sharp pain, or soreness keeps getting worse, contact us. A wire may be poking, a tray may fit poorly, or another problem may need checking. We can explain what to do while arranging an adjustment when needed.
Sports and Musical Instruments During Treatment
Include sports and instruments when discussing treatment options. For contact sports, we recommend a mouthguard that fits around braces and leaves room for teeth to move. As treatment progresses, we may need to check its fit again.
Wind and brass players can usually continue playing with braces. However, the lips may need time to adjust to brackets, particularly during longer rehearsals. If one area rubs, wax may help, and we can check any spot that keeps causing trouble.
Aligners may offer flexibility for some activities, but they don’t replace a sports mouthguard. We can explain when to remove the trays and how to manage wear time around practices or performances. Bring up your usual schedule so you know what to pack and when to put the aligners back in.
What Will Treatment Cost?
Before treatment starts, we explain the fee and what it includes. Ask about retainers, replacement appliances, and any costs outside the treatment fee. We can show the estimated insurance contribution and the amount you would pay.
We offer flexible financing and can go over payment options with you. If you have orthodontic insurance benefits, bring the policy information so we can check how it applies. Coverage limits and payment timing may affect your share even when orthodontic treatment is included.
If more than one child may need treatment, include that in your questions about scheduling and payments. Each child’s timing depends on their development, so they may start at different stages. We can explain the costs for treatment being recommended now and what we’re watching for another child.
What Happens After Braces or Invisalign?
Once the teeth have moved, retainers help hold their new positions. Teeth can continue shifting throughout life, so long-term retainer wear protects the alignment. Before treatment ends, we explain which retainer you’ll have and how to clean it.
Many patients wear retainers more often at first and later move to nighttime wear. Follow the schedule we give you, even after the retainer feels like a familiar part of bedtime. If it starts feeling tight, the teeth may have shifted before you can see much change in the mirror.
We also provide retainer replacement. If yours breaks, disappears, or stops fitting, contact us before going a long stretch without it. We can check the teeth and explain whether a replacement will fit their current positions or another step is needed first.
How Much Will I Need to Do at Home?
With braces, daily care includes cleaning around brackets, avoiding foods that can damage them, and wearing elastics if prescribed. With Invisalign, you also need to keep track of the trays and meet the daily wear schedule. Either option depends on following those instructions between visits.
Talk through the routine with your teen before choosing treatment. They may love how little aligners show but be less enthusiastic about cleaning after lunch and remembering the case. Braces may fit some habits better, while Invisalign may work well for a teen who can consistently manage the trays.
Adults face similar practical questions. Frequent coffee breaks, work travel, or meals on the go can affect how you manage aligners. Describe a normal day, and we can explain what would need to change with each option.
Dr. Brittany Stroope’s Orthodontic Training
Orthodontists complete dental school followed by specialty training in tooth movement, jaw growth, and bite correction. Dr. Stroope earned her Doctor of Dental Medicine degree at the University of Louisville School of Dentistry. She then completed a Master of Science in Dentistry and Certificate in Orthodontics at the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine.
Dr. Stroope is also a board-certified orthodontist. Board certification involves additional examination and evaluation beyond completing an orthodontic residency. During your consultation, she can explain how the recommended movements relate to your teeth, bite, and jaw development.
If you’re unsure why one option is recommended, ask us to show you the teeth involved. You may want to know how a crowded tooth will move or why the back teeth need adjustment when the front ones are what bother you. We can work through those questions before you choose treatment.
What Else Should I Bring Up?
Along with the changes you want to see, include anything that could affect the treatment routine. Your child may play contact sports, or you may travel frequently for work. Those details help us explain wear schedules, cleaning, and appointment timing.
Previous dental work also affects planning. Crowns, implants, missing teeth, and gum problems can change which teeth we move and how we move them. We check those areas and coordinate with your general dentist when care is needed before or during treatment.
Finally, mention the one thing about your smile that keeps bothering you. It may be a gap, a tooth that sits forward, or how your teeth meet when you bite. We want to address the reason you came in while explaining any other changes needed to finish treatment.
Orthodontic Consultations in Springdale and Farmington
Bring your questions about the crowded tooth, the school-lunch routine, or the treatment you’ve been considering for years. Dr. Stroope can show you what needs to move and explain the options, appointments, and costs. Contact our Stroope Orthodontics team in Springdale or Farmington, Arkansas, to schedule a consultation, and let’s find an approach that works for your teeth and your everyday routine!
