If you live in İncek or Gölbaşı, are clear aligners a practical option?
In places where each trip to the clinic can take half your day, how many in-person visits treatment requires is an important question. In clear aligner treatment, aligners are changed at home according to the orthodontist's plan, usually every 7–14 days. Checkups are generally every 6–10 weeks. For this reason, for many patients coming from İncek and Gölbaşı, clear aligner treatment can be carried out with fewer trips than methods that require regular wire adjustments. Still, not every case is suited to this; some tooth movements require fixed treatment or additional clinical steps. Treatment is planned at Funda Sarıkaya Oral and Dental Health Polyclinic in Çankaya Oran by Funda Pekyılmaz Sarıkaya, specialist orthodontist (Uzm. Dt.), who assesses suitability at the examination.
What do patients from this area usually care about?
Detached houses, new residential complexes and homes with large gardens are common in İncek and Gölbaşı. A large share of the patients who come to us from here are adults who work from home or have flexible hours, and families who do not go into the city center every day. The priorities we often hear are:
- Keeping the number of trips to the clinic as low as possible.
- Scheduling the appointment on the same day as another errand in town (shopping, meetings, school matters).
- Keeping treatment on track when roads become difficult in winter.
- Not having to set off right away when an aligner is lost or does not fit.
How many times do you need to come to the clinic?
The exact number becomes clear after the examination and digital plan, but a typical process consists of these steps:
- Examination and records: Intraoral examination, X-rays if needed and an iTero digital scan. If suitable, the scan can be done on the same day, saving you one trip.
- Plan review and aligner delivery: The ClinCheck 3D plan is reviewed together; if there are attachments, they are bonded at this appointment.
- Checkups: Usually every 6–10 weeks. If the orthodontist considers it appropriate, enough aligners to last until the next checkup are given at once.
- Completion and retention: When the aligners are finished, impressions are taken for a retainer and it is delivered.
For information on the digital tools used, see our technology page.
Why can wearing aligners be harder when working from home?
Adults from this area often describe the same situation: snacking on and off during the day while working from home. While the clear aligner is in, nothing but water should be eaten or drunk; the aligner is removed for each snack, then the teeth are brushed and the aligner is put back in. Scattered snacking throughout the day can push total wear time below 20 hours without you noticing. Grouping meals at set times and drinking only water at your desk is the simplest way to keep the plan on track. When driving into town, keeping your aligner case and a small toothbrush in the car also makes days when you eat out easier.
What happens to appointments in winter?
Snow and ice around Gölbaşı can make it hard to set off on some mornings. If you need to postpone your checkup on such a day, simply call the clinic in advance. If you have your next aligner on hand, the orthodontist will tell you whether to stay on your current aligner until the next appointment or to continue with the plan. Wearing an aligner for a few extra days usually causes no problem; moving ahead through the plan on your own, however, is not recommended. Discussing a backup plan based on the weather at your last checkup before winter makes things easier.
If an aligner is lost or does not fit, do you need to set off right away?
In most cases, no. First, contact the clinic by phone at 0312 911 60 36 or via WhatsApp. If the aligner does not sit fully on the teeth, a quick photo helps the orthodontist make a preliminary assessment. For a lost aligner, the orthodontist may tell you to go back to the previous aligner or move on to the next one; that is why it is important to keep your old aligners. In situations such as an attachment falling off, a sharp edge or gum irritation, a clinic visit may be needed. A list of possible problems is on our clear aligner problems page.
Can remote monitoring replace an examination?
It cannot. Photos and messaging are useful for reducing trips and quickly solving minor problems; however, treatment decisions, gum and bone assessment and checkups are done at the clinic. If you would like a preliminary opinion based on photos as a first step, you can follow the steps on our online preliminary assessment page; this is not a diagnosis. For the risks of aligner programs sent only by mail without an examination, you can read our article on online clear aligners and the risks of treatment without an examination.
How do you get to the clinic from İncek and Gölbaşı?
The clinic is in Çankaya Oran, inside Park Oran Ofis on Kudüs Caddesi, Dükkan No:70; it is next to Panora Mall and across from One Tower Mall. From Gölbaşı and İncek by car, you usually come north toward Oran via Konya Yolu or the İncek connecting roads. Travel time varies depending on your starting point and traffic. Simply entering 'Park Oran Ofis' into your navigation app is enough. If you are coming by public transportation, check the EGO Cep'te app for up-to-date route and transfer information.