If you are planning a straighter smile in Scarborough or Gorham, ME, it helps to know the steps from day one to retainers. Here is a clear orthodontic treatment timeline from Southern Maine Orthodontics that uses the same technology and services offered in our offices.
What is the orthodontic treatment timeline?
Your orthodontic journey moves through three big phases: getting ready, active treatment, and retention. The details can vary for each person, but this guide shows the path most patients follow at Southern Maine Orthodontics.
Step 1: Free exam and smile evaluation
Your first visit is simple and friendly. We review your health history and take diagnostic records like photos and digital X rays. A quick digital scan helps us see your bite in 3D without messy putty. Then we talk about goals, timing, and costs, and answer questions. You leave with a plan you can understand and feel good about.
Step 2: Custom plan and options
After we study your records, we create a custom plan for your case. We only recommend options that fit your bite and lifestyle. At Southern Maine Orthodontics, treatment choices include:
- Metal braces for reliable, time tested tooth movement
- Ceramic braces that blend in with your smile
- LightForce custom braces designed from your 3D scan for a more personalized fit
- Invisalign clear aligners for a nearly invisible, removable option
Some patients may also benefit from appliances like expanders, spacers, elastics, or Forsus springs. These tools guide jaw growth, align your bite, or create space so teeth can move into better positions.
Step 3: Start of active treatment
Once you choose braces or aligners, we place your braces or deliver your first sets of aligners. You will learn how to brush, floss, and protect your smile. If you are in aligners, you will switch to the next set on a regular schedule. If you wear braces, you will visit for adjustments and coaching.
We offer Dental Monitoring virtual check-ins to save you time. With a quick weekly scan from your phone for aligner cases, our team can review your progress and tell you when to move to the next tray or when we need to see you in person. Braces patients also benefit from fewer, more targeted visits thanks to our digital tracking.
How long does treatment take?
Treatment time depends on your specific needs, how your body responds, and how closely you follow instructions. Many comprehensive cases for adults finish in about 15 to 18 months on average. Adjustment visits for braces are often spaced about 8 to 10 weeks apart. Aligner check ins can be even more flexible with virtual monitoring. Younger children who are not ready for treatment may be placed on a supervisory program, where we see them about every 6 to 8 months to watch growth and choose the best start time. Two phase care may begin with an early phase to guide jaw growth, followed by a shorter second phase in the teen years.
Step 4: Finishing and smile detailing
As your bite improves, we make fine adjustments. With LightForce custom braces, we can use 3D planning to place brackets precisely. With Invisalign, we may add small tooth colored attachments to help trays grip and move teeth. The goal is the same in every case: a healthy bite that looks great and feels comfortable.
Step 5: Retainers and long term smile care
When active treatment ends, retainers hold your teeth in place while the bone and gums stabilize. Most patients wear retainers full time for the first year, then nighttime after that. Some cases also use a fixed retainer behind the front teeth for extra stability. We will show you how to clean and care for your retainers and will check your smile at the intervals we recommend.
Tools that make treatment smoother
- 3D digital scanning improves comfort, accuracy, and speed from the very first visit
- iTero digital impressions create detailed models for aligners, appliances, and retainers
- Dental Monitoring reduces time in the chair while keeping your progress on track
Ready to begin?
Southern Maine Orthodontics offers friendly care, modern tools, and treatment choices for kids, teens, and adults. If you are in Scarborough or Gorham, ME, we would love to help you build a confident, healthy smile. Your new smile can start with a simple free exam and a plan that fits your life.