Your child's first orthodontist visit: what to expect
In New Zealand the first orthodontist visit is a short check, not a treatment. At Milk it is a free 20 minute Smile Assessment with our Treatment Coordinator: a few photographs, a look at the teeth and the bite, a chat, an honest steer and a cost guide. No x-rays, no needles, nothing fitted, and most children are told to wait. Here is the visit minute by minute, what we look at, and the three things that can happen next.
Free first step, no referral needed. Choose Newmarket or Albany and switch at any time.
Reviewed by Dr Shaz MacAvoy, Specialist Orthodontist. Doctor of Clinical Dentistry (Orthodontics), registered with the Dental Council of New Zealand.
Before the visit
Three things worth knowing before you come, and none of them is homework.
Booking takes a minute
Book online for Newmarket or Albany, or call. No referral, no forms to print. If you would rather not come in yet, send a few photos from your phone and the assessment is done online instead.
Bring almost nothing
Your child, your questions and your dentist's name. If a panoramic x-ray was taken at the dentist recently, mention it and we can ask for it rather than repeat it later.
Tell your child what it is
A look and a chat, not a treatment. Nothing is fitted, nothing is taken out, no needles. Most children relax the moment they realise nobody is going to do anything to their teeth today.
The visit, minute by minute
What actually happens in the 20 minutes, in order.
Rather not come in yet? The same assessment is free online: send a few photos from your phone and our Treatment Coordinator replies within two working days with the options and a cost guide. Read how the free consultation works.
What we look at
Six things a specialist team checks in a child's mouth that a glance at the front teeth misses.
Room for the adult teeth
Whether the teeth coming through have space, and whether the ones still to come are likely to. Crowding that is clearly getting worse is the sign to act on.
The bite, front to back
How far the upper front teeth sit ahead of the lower ones. Teeth that sit well forward are at risk of knocks; lower teeth in front of the upper ones want an early look.
The bite, side to side
Whether any upper teeth bite inside the lower ones, and whether the lower jaw slides to one side as the teeth meet. A crossbite is one of the clearest reasons for early treatment.
How the jaws are growing
The shape of the face and the chin, and whether the upper and lower jaws are growing in step. This is what a specialist sees that a quick look at the front teeth misses.
Habits
Thumb, finger or dummy sucking past about age 5, mouth breathing, or a tongue that pushes forward. All three shape the teeth, and all three are easier to stop young.
Baby teeth and timing
Baby teeth lost very early or hanging on very late, and where your child is in the sequence of adult teeth. It tells us when, not just whether.
What happens next: three honest outcomes
The first visit ends with one of these, and you hear which before you leave.
Nothing needed yet: see you in a year
The most common outcome. We note what we saw, tell you what to watch for, and check again in about twelve months at no charge, until the adult teeth are through.
Something worth guiding early
A crossbite, a very narrow upper jaw, teeth at risk of being knocked, or a habit that will not stop. We explain the short first phase, from $4,500, and what it would achieve, before anything is booked.
Ready to plan treatment
The adult teeth are through and there is something to correct. We book the $390 New Patient Consultation with Dr Shaz: records, x-rays, a 3D scan, a written plan and an exact all-inclusive quote.
Not sure whether your child is ready for a first visit? Read when a child should first see an orthodontist and the ten signs your child may need braces.
What an early look can lead to
Real young Milk Orthodontics patients, treated by a specialist and shared with their permission.
See all the conditions we treat and more before and after results.
What it costs, and what is free
The first visit is free. If treatment is worth planning, the New Patient Consultation with Dr Shaz is $390 and includes records, x-rays, a 3D scan, a written plan and an exact quote. Early treatment starts from $4,500. Comprehensive braces or aligners for children and teens are from $9,900 all-inclusive, most cases around $10,400, with interest-free plans and a family discount for siblings.
Answered honestly
What happens at a first orthodontist visit?
In New Zealand the first visit is a short check, not treatment. At Milk it is a free 20 minute Smile Assessment with our Treatment Coordinator: a few photographs, a look at the teeth and the bite, a chat about what you have noticed, an honest steer on whether anything is needed now, later or not at all, and a cost guide. Nothing is fitted and there are no needles.
How long does the first orthodontist appointment take?
About 20 minutes. If it turns out treatment is worthwhile, the next step is a separate New Patient Consultation with Dr Shaz, which takes about 45 minutes because the records are taken then.
Are x-rays taken at the first visit?
Not at the free first visit. X-rays, a 3D scan and full photographs are taken at the $390 New Patient Consultation with the specialist, and only once we agree that treatment is worth planning. Most children seen for a first check do not need any of it yet.
Does the first orthodontist visit hurt?
No. It is looking, photographing and talking. Nothing is fitted, nothing is taken out, and no impressions are needed. Children who have been nervous about the dentist usually find it easier than they expected.
Is the first orthodontist visit free in NZ?
It depends on the practice. Some charge a consultation fee for the first look. At Milk the first visit is a free Smile Assessment with our Treatment Coordinator at Newmarket or Albany, or free online from photos on your phone. The only charge is the $390 New Patient Consultation with the specialist if treatment is worth planning.
What age should a child have their first orthodontist visit?
Around 7 to 8, when the first adult front teeth and the six-year molars are through. Most children need nothing done yet, and we say so. It is simply the age at which the few problems that are easier to guide early, such as a crossbite or a very narrow upper jaw, can be spotted.
Do I need a referral from my dentist?
No. You can book directly with a specialist orthodontist in New Zealand. Many families come because their dentist suggested it, and we keep your dentist in the loop, but a referral letter is not needed.
What should I bring to the first visit?
Very little. Your child, any questions you have, and the name of your dentist if you have one. If your child has had a recent panoramic x-ray at the dentist, tell us and we can ask for it rather than repeat it later. No forms to print, no records to gather.
What happens after the first visit?
One of three things. Most children are simply checked again in a year, at no charge. Some are ready to plan treatment, and we book the New Patient Consultation with Dr Shaz. A few have something worth guiding early, and we explain the short first phase and what it costs before anything is booked.
Book the first visit, free
A free 20 minute Smile Assessment with our Treatment Coordinator at Newmarket or Albany. No referral, no obligation, and if the answer is wait, we will say so.
Checking something at home first? Try the self checks for an overbite, buck teeth, an underbite and a crossbite.