When I explain DentalMonitoring at a consultation, I start with the basics. Your child scans their teeth at home once a week with a phone, and I review every scan. Most parents like the idea. Their next question is usually about getting started: how much will I need to help?
You’ll probably be more involved at the beginning, especially with a younger child. We help with setup in the office, and you may sit nearby for the first few scans at home. Once your child knows what to do, most of that help becomes unnecessary.
If you’ve read about what your week looks like with DentalMonitoring, you know the routine. Here’s how we help your family get comfortable with it during the first month.
Day One: Getting Set Up
We introduce DentalMonitoring at the visit when your child gets braces or their first aligners.
For some families, that’s a separate appointment after the free VO Smile Assessment. Others begin treatment at the assessment itself. Our Same-Day Start option makes that possible when treatment is recommended and your family is ready.
Before you leave, we set up the app on the phone your child will use at home. Then someone from our team helps them take their first scan.
Your child puts in the cheek retractors, which hold the lips away from the teeth, and places the phone in the ScanBox. The app guides them through the angles it needs. Practicing with us gives them a chance to ask questions before trying it at home.
We’ll also help you decide whether to connect to your child’s account so you can see the updates. Parents of younger children often want that access. Older teens may be ready to manage more of the routine themselves. We can talk through what makes sense for your child.
Then we choose a scan night. Pick an evening that’s fairly predictable. Sunday may work well if everyone is usually home before the school week starts. Another night may fit your family better. Connecting the scan to something your child already does each week makes it easier to remember.
If siblings are both in treatment, each uses their own account. Many families choose the same scan night for both children so there’s one evening to keep track of.
Week One: The First Scan at Home
A younger child may want you nearby for the first scan at home. You don’t need to know anything about orthodontics to help. The app provides the instructions; you’re there to help them follow along.
The scan itself takes about a minute once your child knows the steps. Allow a little extra time for that first attempt while they get the phone and ScanBox set up.
A teen may handle the whole thing without you in the room. You can still check that the scan was uploaded and look for the update afterward.
I usually review the scan within a day. Within a day or two of that first scan at home, our team also sends a short personal welcome video. We introduce ourselves and make sure your family knows how to reach us.
You’ll receive some automated messages from the app, such as reminders to scan or a thank-you after uploading. Treatment instructions come from me or someone on our team. When I see something that needs attention, we explain what to do next.
Weeks Two and Three: Getting Comfortable
By the second or third scan, the steps usually feel more familiar. Your child scans on the agreed night, and an update comes back through the app after review. You can see it too if you’re connected to the account.
Most updates confirm that treatment is progressing as expected. Occasionally, there’s something to follow up on.
The app may ask your child to repeat a scan because an image wasn’t clear enough. Our team may send instructions for managing a poking wire at home. Sometimes I’ll recommend an office visit, and we’ll contact you to arrange it.
During my review of your child’s weekly scan, I look at how the teeth are moving and whether treatment is progressing as expected. That review helps me decide whether we continue with the current plan or need to change something.
You can also contact us between scans. If your child notices a problem on Wednesday, there’s no need to wait until Sunday’s scan. Message us through the app or call the office.
Keeping up with the weekly scans matters. They let me follow progress between appointments and replace many routine office checks. When scans are repeatedly missed, we may need more office visits to keep track of treatment. If your child is having trouble with the routine, tell us so we can help.
Week Four: A Video From Me
Around the four-week mark, I record a short personal video for your child. I explain what I’m seeing in the scans and what comes next in treatment.
It’s also a chance for your family to ask about anything that has come up during the month. You’re welcome to send questions sooner, too. You don’t need to save them for an appointment or a video.
By this point, many children need less help with scanning. They know how to set up the ScanBox and follow the app’s instructions. Some still need a reminder or a parent nearby, particularly younger children. That’s fine. The goal is to get a clear scan each week, and we’ll help you find a routine that works.
What You’ll Need to Do as a Parent
Most of your help happens at the beginning: getting the app ready, choosing a scan night, and helping with the first scan at home.
After that, your role is usually to help your child remember the weekly scan and keep up with any instructions from our team. Teens often manage the scan themselves. Younger children may need your help longer.
For most families, the start visit is the only office trip during the first month. After that, scans become part of your child’s treatment calendar, with office visits for wire changes, adjustments, and other steps that need to happen in person.
Across treatment, most of our patients need about half as many office visits as they would on a traditional schedule. Your child’s plan determines their actual schedule, and some cases need more frequent visits.
The first month also varies a little depending on whether your child has braces or aligners.
If Your Child Has Braces
The first few days with braces can be sore. Having a few suitable meals ready helps, and our guide to what to eat with braces covers the options.
After the first week, we send a reminder through the app about foods to avoid. As your child starts feeling more comfortable eating, it’s useful to revisit what could damage a bracket or wire.
The weekly scans let me check the brackets and wires as well as tooth movement. A loose bracket or another visible problem may show up in a scan, but your child should still tell us whenever something feels wrong.
We also use the scans to help decide when your child is ready for a wire change. That may happen after the first month, depending on how the teeth are moving. We’ll tell you when a visit is needed. Our post on how DentalMonitoring works with braces explains that process in more detail.
If Your Child Has Aligners
With aligners, the weekly scans help me check how the trays fit against the teeth.
Your child follows the scan and tray-change instructions we give them. Before moving to the next tray, we want to know that the current one is fitting as expected. If it isn’t, I may ask your child to wear it for a few extra days.
That fit matters in clear aligner treatment. The scans help us spot when a tooth isn’t keeping up with the planned movement so we can give your child instructions before they continue.
Getting Started
If you’d like to know what the first month would look like for your child, book a free VO Smile Assessment. We’ll examine their teeth, discuss treatment and timing, and answer your questions about the schedule.
When DentalMonitoring is appropriate for your child’s case, we’ll explain the setup and what you’ll need to do at home. If treatment is recommended and your family is ready, our Same-Day Start option lets you begin that day.
You can also read the full picture of DentalMonitoring before your visit, including how the ScanBox works and what I look for during review.
We see families at our Creve Coeur and St. Peters offices. Bring your questions about getting started. We’ll walk through it with you.
