What Is a Detailed Examination at a Daechi-dong Orthodontic Clinic? Yonsei Jeongwon Dental Clinic

If you are looking for a Daechi-dong orthodontic clinic for braces and are wondering what a detailed examination is, here is an explanation.

Orthodontic detailed examination

Hello. I am Yoon Jeong-won, chief director of Yonsei Jeongwon Dental Clinic, an orthodontic clinic in Daechi-dong.

After exam periods end, many students come in for orthodontic consultations. Today, I would like to explain the process of an orthodontic consultation.

Patient questionnaire

First, you fill out a questionnaire with the treatment concerns you have and answers to several questions. Through the questionnaire, we identify what the patient wants to improve, what oral habits the patient has, and whether the patient is in any special situation such as studying abroad, military enlistment, or wedding plans.

Sometimes among those who come for orthodontic treatment, there are people whose teeth look so well aligned that they could already be considered finished after treatment, and even I, as an orthodontist, find myself wondering why they want braces. That is why I think filling out the questionnaire and listening to the patient’s story is the most important first step in an orthodontic consultation.

Panoramic imaging and intraoral photography

After completing the questionnaire, Yonsei Jeongwon Dental Clinic begins the consultation by routinely taking a panoramic image to assess the overall condition of the teeth, as well as intraoral photographs. It would also be possible to proceed with the consultation after only a simple oral examination, but when we explain while the patient can visually confirm their own oral condition with us, patients and guardians alike tend to understand the previously unknown state inside the mouth more easily.

Panoramic image and oral photographs

After explaining the areas the patient wants to improve, as well as any areas that currently require treatment and the possible treatment methods, if a detailed examination is requested, the following seven tests are performed.

Detailed examination at Yonsei Jeongwon Dental Clinic

Lateral, frontal, and hand/wrist X-rays and CT scan

In addition to the panoramic X-ray taken first, a lateral facial X-ray is also taken. This lateral X-ray is used to analyze skeletal form by measuring skeletal and soft tissue landmarks of the side of the face through an analysis program called V ceph.

When I was in training, we manually clicked each landmark and drew the lines ourselves in a process called tracing to outline the facial bones and soft tissue. Nowadays, there is an auto tracing function, so analysis can be done quickly just by clicking. The accuracy of automatic tracing has become much better than before, but it still does require a few manual corrections for some landmarks (not strictly necessary, but I do it anyway out of habit) :)

The results of the lateral X-ray analysis produce findings like the ones below, which allow us to understand the skeletal structure and the positional relationship of the teeth.

Lateral X-ray results

In addition to the side facial X-ray, a frontal facial X-ray and, for children, a hand image are also taken to determine the current growth stage. If a CT scan is needed, it is also performed additionally.

Growth stage examination

iTero Lumina intraoral scan

In the past, to understand tooth alignment and occlusion, there was a process of taking dental impressions using a material called alginate. During the impression process, if alginate moved toward the throat, some patients would gag, so it was very difficult for many patients. But these days, with an intraoral scanner, all that is needed is a quick scan like taking a camera photo, so there is no need for the difficult impression process, and no need to wait for plaster to be poured into a dental model and set.

At Yonsei Jeongwon Dental Clinic in Daechi-dong, we perform intraoral scans with the latest intraoral scanner called iTero Lumina. Compared with the previous scanner, iTero Lumina has a smaller scanner wand and more cameras, making scanning faster and easier.

You can rotate the scan to directly see the shape of the teeth and the bite condition, and you can also simulate what the condition will look like after orthodontic treatment. The resolution is also excellent, making it possible to clearly check not only cavities and calculus between the teeth, but even the fine contours on the tooth surface.

Chief Director Yoon Jeong-won

Intraoral scan, Yonsei Jeongwon Dental Clinic

Facial photography

During the initial consultation, intraoral photographs are taken, and during the detailed examination, facial photographs are also taken. Like when taking studio photos, soft boxes with bright lights are installed so that facial photos can also be taken beautifully, at the level of a passport photo :)

In fact, when the interior construction was first completed, I had not even considered soft boxes and had created a photo zone for taking facial photos inside the consultation room. But after taking photos, it really... was not to my liking. There were shadows, and the light reflected on the face, creating bright spots. So although additional construction was needed after the interior work was finished, we made space in the examination room and installed soft boxes! Haha. So now we can take beautiful facial photos too.

Morpheus 3D facial scan

Finally, we perform a 3D facial scan with a machine called Morpheus. Through the facial scan, we can check the current degree of facial asymmetry and compare the volume of the left and right facial muscles. Above all, because it allows us to directly simulate changes in facial shape after orthodontic treatment or orthognathic surgery, facial scanning is also included in the detailed examination.

Morpheus, Yonsei Jeongwon Dental Clinic

Orthodontic simulation, Yonsei Jeongwon Dental Clinic

Vuno Med BoneAge growth plate examination

For children, an additional growth plate examination is also performed. The Vuno Med BoneAge test reads the hand X-ray image to determine the current bone age and predicted height. Vuno Med BoneAge is a test with approximately 72.5% accuracy, and it is a program whose agreement rate is more than 15% higher than when interpreted by a doctor’s visual assessment.

These days, when I perform diagnoses, mothers are clearly very interested in growth plate examinations. Since there are many children around them receiving growth hormone injections, many parents are curious about how tall their children will grow. After taking a hand X-ray, we perform the Vuno Med BoneAge test and explain the predicted height results during the detailed examination, and the mothers are very satisfied :) (Out of curiosity, I also took a hand image of my own son, and the predicted height came out to be 191.8 cm, which surprised me a lot haha.)

Vuno Med BoneAge test, Yonsei Jeongwon Dental Clinic

After about 30 to 40 minutes of detailed examinations, the patient schedules the next appointment for the detailed diagnosis.

Collecting various examination data is something anyone can do. But...

However, analyzing all of this data from multiple angles and making a treatment plan is not something just anyone can do. Based on the knowledge and know-how accumulated through four years of internship and residency at Severance Dental Hospital in Sinchon and more than 16 years of clinical experience in orthodontic treatment, we carefully analyze the data obtained through several detailed tests to understand the patient’s current condition and plan the possible treatment methods that fit the current situation.

After more than 16 years of orthodontic practice, of course, a certain treatment plan can be formed just by looking at the patient’s facial and oral photographs. But through these detailed examinations, we can identify details that were not caught during the simple consultation, consider a wider range of treatment options, and refine the treatment plan more precisely.

Yonsei Jeongwon Dental Clinic will do its best to help you find your bright smile and confidence. Thank you :)

If you are choosing a dental clinic for orthodontic treatment, we recommend having it done by a doctor with plenty of experience.

Chief Director Yoon Jeong-won of Yonsei Jeongwon Dental Clinic has dedicated more than 16 years to orthodontic treatment and has treated more than 6,000 diverse orthodontic cases to date. She is an orthodontic dentist and PhD from Yonsei University Dental Hospital, as well as an adjunct professor. As the chief director, she is always on site at the clinic, so there is no case where the attending doctor changes midway, allowing you to receive treatment with peace of mind. Another advantage is that appointments are flexible and emergency situations can be handled better.

With long experience in orthodontic treatment, she also has extensive experience with high-difficulty cases in which patients were diagnosed at other clinics as needing jaw surgery for underbite correction, but were able to be treated with non-surgical orthodontics, so anyone seeking orthodontic treatment can receive good care in any case.

Chief Director Yoon Jeong-won of Yonsei Jeongwon Dental Clinic

In addition, we have Dr. Ahn Ji-ho, a prosthodontics specialist who is in charge of general dental care, so there is no inconvenience of having to visit another clinic for dental treatment that may be needed during orthodontic treatment, such as extractions or cavities. This means that all the treatment needed for orthodontics can be handled in one place, and we can provide a high level of care.

In terms of facilities, we have a systematic seven-step diagnostic system using the latest equipment, including Panoramic X-ray, low-radiation 3D CBCT, iTero Lumina 3D intraoral scanning, before-and-after simulation through Morpheus 3D imaging, and VUNO Med®-BoneAge™ to determine orthodontic timing based on children’s growth.

Furthermore, Yonsei Jeongwon Dental Clinic sterilizes the instruments used during treatment and uses sterile treatment water through the NovaCare system, so you do not need to worry about the water used during treatment. We also maintain a pleasant indoor environment with an efficient air circulation system using a heat-exchange ventilator and a safe air purification system using dual filters (HEPA filter and pre-filter).

If you are considering orthodontic treatment, do not put it off any longer and feel free to contact Yonsei Jeongwon Dental Clinic for a detailed consultation. At Yonsei Jeongwon Dental Clinic, the orthodontic treatment fee includes the detailed examination fee and monthly fees (however, retainer costs are excluded), so you do not need to worry about additional expenses. In addition, because we have a general dentistry department, all the treatment needed for orthodontics, such as extractions and cavity treatment, can be done in one place, and we also offer an installment payment system to reduce the burden of paying a large amount all at once, which makes it even more attractive.

If you visit Yonsei Jeongwon Dental Clinic, an orthodontic specialty clinic in Daechi-dong, you can accurately understand your current condition through a simple oral examination at no additional cost, and you can also hear explanations about various orthodontic appliances, so please feel free to contact us for a consultation.

During the consultation, you can directly compare various appliances such as Clarity, Clippy-C, and Invisalign with your own eyes and hear detailed explanations of their pros and cons, so we recommend that you call or visit without hesitation for a consultation.

Yonsei Jeongwon Dental Clinic is close to Samseong Station, Hakyeoul Station, Daechi Station, and Hanti Station, making it very convenient to visit from Samseong-dong, Daechi-dong, Gaepo-dong, Dogok-dong, Irwon-dong, Yeoksam-dong, and Jamsil.

Next to BMW at the intersection by Woosung Apartment in Daechi-dong

(across from Starbucks / Samsung Store)

Yonsei Jeongwon Dental Clinic, the orthodontic clinic in Daechi-dong, offers

convenient and free parking

Consultation and inquiries: 02-501-2879