Your First Orthodontic Consultation: What Happens

What's included

• Full facial and intraoral photos
• 3D intraoral scan
• Panoramic and lateral x-rays
• Medical and dental history
• Examination (bite, gum health)
• Discussion of concerns and goals

Time

60–90 minutes total

Cost in Dubai

• Standalone consultation: AED 400–800
• Often credited to treatment if you proceed

What you leave with

• Assessment
• Treatment options
• Estimated cost and timeline
• Digital smile preview (for Invisalign)

Questions to ask

• How complex is my case?
• Is there a simpler alternative?
• What's included in the quoted price?
• How many refinements are typical?
• How will you handle retention?

Practical decision guide

Orthodontics works by controlled tooth movement over time. The best plan balances alignment, bite correction, gum safety, compliance, and lifelong retention rather than chasing the shortest timeline.

Check this first

• Bite classification, crowding, gum thickness, jaw growth, wisdom teeth, and any history of relapse.
• Whether aligners, braces, expanders, elastics, or a combined cosmetic plan is most predictable.
• The retention plan after treatment, because teeth continue to move throughout life.

When to book sooner

• A child has crossbite, severe crowding, mouth-breathing habits, thumb sucking, trauma risk, or jaw asymmetry.
• Aligners are not tracking, attachments are lost, elastics are not being worn, or teeth feel unusually mobile.
• You are considering direct-to-consumer aligners without in-person periodontal and x-ray assessment.

Questions to ask at the appointment

• What is the real treatment goal: cosmetic alignment, bite correction, or both?
• How many refinement stages are included, and what happens if teeth do not track?
• Will I need fixed, removable, or combined retainers after treatment?

Dubai patient note

For Dubai orthodontic treatment, ask whether the provider is DHA-licensed as an orthodontist or is a general dentist providing aligners, and confirm what is included in the quoted fee.

References

• American Association of Orthodontists