Can I Get Orthodontic Treatment While Living Abroad? A 4-Month Short-Term Front Tooth Orthodontics Story

Hello

This is Yonsei Baro Dental Clinic, an orthodontic clinic in Apgujeong.

At Yonsei Baro Dental Clinic, we place great importance on patient centered care, meaning patient-centered treatment.

Rather than applying textbook normal standards uniformly to every patient, this is an approach that considers each patient’s priority values and aesthetic standards individually when providing treatment.

What happens if textbook normal standards are applied uniformly to every patient?

"After orthodontic treatment, the doctor says everything looks normal on the X-ray, but I don’t like how my mouth looks."

Cases like this can happen.

Also, if a patient’s treatment goal is limited to the front teeth, I think it is also a skill to carry out the appropriate treatment within a limited period of time.

23.10~24.01

Of course, it would be ideal if everything could be rated 100 points, but if reaching that 100-point goal requires more than a year and a large cost, then it is worth considering a treatment plan that aims for around 80 points in a relatively shorter period with reasonable adaptation costs.

In this case, it is also important to understand the patient’s needs and circumstances well.

Today’s story is about that.

This patient is a Korean living overseas.

Q. I live overseas. Is orthodontic treatment in Korea possible?

A. Yes, it is possible. However, it is important to create a treatment plan by accurately considering the patient’s length of stay, return schedule, and treatment goals. In many cases, limited-goal treatment such as partial front tooth orthodontics is more suitable than full orthodontics.

Around this time last October, a patient in their 40s came to us for front tooth orthodontic treatment.

Their schedule was to come to Korea once a year, and this particular stay in Korea was 4 months.

If the patient is in their teens or 20s, 4 months is certainly not too short a time for partial front tooth orthodontic treatment.

There was also a crossbite, and given the patient’s age, the treatment had to be approached carefully.

23.10

The front tooth indicated by the blue arrow bites in the wrong direction.

The tooth that bites in the wrong direction is positioned farther back, and the two central incisors appear relatively protruded forward.

23.10

The molar bite was good.

First of all, the patient’s request was, "Before I leave the country, I want at least my front teeth to be aligned for the next 3-4 months."

There were rotations and height differences in the premolars, but they were not functionally problematic, and oral hygiene was also not bad, so we decided to address those parts later with full orthodontic treatment when circumstances allowed.

Since the patient can only come back to Korea about once a year after leaving, we strongly asked them to visit at least once a year for regular maintenance checkups even after orthodontic treatment is completed.

We only had 3-4 months, and there was a crossbite as well, but if we used all treatment elements that help resolve the crossbite, it was still doable.

We planned from the beginning to use bite blocks so that the tooth biting in the wrong direction could move over without resistance, and then began treatment.

24.01

This is what it looked like in the 4th month after treatment began.

Interproximal reduction was also performed to align the front teeth, and auxiliary appliances and elastics were used to close the gaps that formed.

24.01

The blue resin on the molars is a bite block, also called an occlusal pad.

It is used to temporarily raise the bite so that the front teeth do not contact each other.

It is not commonly used in partial front tooth orthodontics, but we proceeded with it considering the patient’s situation and the limited time available.

24.01

After 4 months of treatment, we finally completed treatment in January 2024.

Left: before treatment / Right: after treatment

23.10~24.01

The originally good bite was well maintained.

Bite blocks attached to the molars are often used in full orthodontic treatment, but if they are used for too long, the affected tooth may intrude into the bone, causing the bite to open.

Since this was a short-term partial front tooth orthodontic case, the bite blocks were used for only 3 months, and after removal, the bite in this area remained well maintained.

23.10~24.01

We completed the fixed wire retainer and the removable retainer, and then the patient left the country.

Let’s compare the before-and-after facial photos.

23.10~24.01

23.10~24.01

In this way, the treatment was completed well, and the patient left the country at the beginning of this year.

There were no issues such as wire detachment or discomfort with the retainer, and maintenance has been going well consistently.

Q. Does short-term orthodontic treatment have no side effects?

A. Any treatment has its pros and cons. Short-term orthodontic treatment has a shorter duration, but because the treatment scope is often limited, it is difficult to perfectly resolve every problem. Instead, the key is to efficiently improve the areas the patient finds most uncomfortable.

Q. What is the most important thing for patients living overseas?

A. Maintenance. In particular, if retainer care is not done well after orthodontic treatment, there is a high chance that teeth may shift again. For patients living overseas, we recommend receiving regular checkups at least once a year.

If you have any additional questions, feel free to contact us anytime.

#ApgujeongOrthodonticClinic#PartialOrthodontics

#Crossbite

#StudentOrthodontics

#OrthodonticsForOverseasResidents

#ApgujeongDentalClinic

#YonseiBaroDentalClinic

#PartialFrontToothOrthodontics #ShortTermOrthodontics