Starting braces is like building a house. If you start to build before a plan is completed, the result will be less than ideal and take longer to complete.
The orthodontist needs to evaluate your wants and needs before presenting a detailed plan. To do this they will interview you and your family, evaluate diagnostic x-rays, photos and a model of your teeth. This all takes anywhere from a few days to a week or more.
At our office the patient and family is presented with a detailed plan that outlines all the issues to be addressed, the initial treatment plan and any known problems or limitations regarding the treatment. Only when everyone agrees with the plan are the braces started.
An important part of the orthodontic plan is that is needs to be re-evaluated at every appliance adjustment to be sure everything is on track and no changes need to be made. Almost every treatment lasting for more than 12 months will be reevaluated at about the mid-point to see if adjustments need to made to the plan.