Please alert the office if you have a medical condition that may be of concern (i.e. diabetes, high blood pressure, artificial heart valves and joints, rheumatic fever, etc.) or if you are on any medication (i.e. heart medications, aspirin, anticoagulant therapy, etc.)

Broken Appointments: If for some reason you cannot make it to your appointment, please contact our office at 413-443-0644. By doing so you allow another patient to use that time as well as reschedule your appointment. As a service to our clients we have an automatic telephone reminder service to assist you with keeping or making changes to your appointment if that becomes necessary.

Diagnostic Records & Treatment Planning

If it is determined that treatment is indicated, Dr. Hanson will ask if you would like to have orthodontic records taken. These records usually consist of study models, diagnostic photographs and orthodontic x-rays. Once these orthodontic records have been obtained, Dr. Hanson will review them and determine a specific treatment plan for your orthodontic needs. Dr. Hanson will then meet with you at your discussion appointment to discuss your treatment options, answer your questions and set up your financial arrangements.

Successive Visits

Periodic visits are an important part of orthodontic treatment. Generally, we will want to see you every 6 to 8 weeks to check your progress and make adjustments to your braces. During this time, you will need to keep appointments, follow instructions, eat nutritiously and practice good oral hygiene. Also continue to visit your dentist regularly.

Once your braces are removed, retainers are utilized to hold your teeth in their new positions until your bone, gums and muscles adapt to the new teeth positions. The retention period is an important part of your overall treatment and should not be neglected!

Length of Treatment

Braces may be on between 6 months to 30 months or longer depending on the severity of the problem, the patient's cooperation and the degree of movement possible.

Dental Care

Before any orthodontic treatment, your family dentist should make certain that all cavities have been treated and the health of your gums and underlying bone are free of periodontal disease.

In addition, your dentist or an oral surgeon will remove any teeth that Dr. Hanson prescribed to correct your bite. Your family dentist should also schedule cleaning and cavity checkup visits during your orthodontic care. We would like to reinforce the need to keep your regular visits with your family dentist because we are only an aid to your family dentist and not a replacement.

Please contact our office if you have any questions. The timing of your treatment is very important. You or your child may or may not be ready for treatment. Therefore, a consultation will allow us to better understand your needs.