You have been thinking about getting your teeth straightened and have decided to take the first step. A virtual orthodontic consultation — sometimes called an online braces assessment or a remote orthodontic review — lets you find out whether treatment is right for you without needing to book an in-person appointment first. But if you have never done one before, the whole process can feel a little uncertain. What exactly will you be asked? What do you need to prepare? And what will you actually learn from the response? This guide answers all of those questions. Whether you are considering braces for the first time, exploring clear aligners, or asking on behalf of a child, here is exactly what happens at each stage of a virtual orthodontic consultation — from the moment you start the process to the moment you receive your clinician's response. Key takeaway A virtual orthodontic consultation is not a substitute for an in-person clinical examination — it cannot produce an X-ray, assess your bite under clinical conditions, or create a formal treatment plan. What it can do is give you a qualified clinician's view of your situation based on your photographs and information, an indication of the treatment options that are likely to suit your case, and a realistic sense of what treatment might cost — all before you have to commit to attending a practice in person. For most people, this is enough to move from uncertainty to a confident decision about whether to proceed. A virtual orthodontic consultation is an online assessment process where you provide photographs of your teeth and answers to a short set of questions, and a qualified clinician reviews your submission and sends you a personalised written response. It is asynchronous — meaning there is no video call, no live session, and no need to be available at a specific time. You complete the assessment whenever suits you, and the clinician reviews it and responds within a defined time window — typically within 24 to 48 hours. This is different from a video call consultation, which involves a live appointment with a clinician via your phone or computer camera. Video calls can be a useful follow-up to an asynchronous assessment, but they are not a standard part of the Virtual Consultant Online process. The photo-based assessment is preferred because it gives the clinician higher-quality visual information — a still photograph in good lighting shows tooth position and alignment far more clearly than a live video feed. The most important thing you need for a virtual orthodontic consultation is a set of clear photographs of your teeth. Most people are surprised by how straightforward this is to do at home with a smartphone — you do not need any special equipment, just decent lighting and a few minutes. A standard virtual assessment typically requires five to six photographs: Some practices also ask for a profile photograph of your face in a natural resting position — this helps the clinician assess jaw profile, which is relevant for cases involving significant overjet or underbite. Getting the best photographs Take your photographs in good natural light or under a bright room light — avoid dim environments or flash photography, which creates shadows and glare. Clean your teeth before taking the photos. Use a mirror if you need to take side or arch photos alone, or ask someone to help. Blurry or dark photographs significantly reduce the quality of the clinician's assessment, so it is worth taking a minute to check each photo is in focus before submitting. The assessment platform will guide you through each photo with instructions. 10–15 min Typical time to complete a virtual orthodontic assessment from start to submission <24 hrs Typical clinician response time — most patients hear back the same day or next morning Free Cost of a virtual assessment through Virtual Consultant Online — no commitment, no consultation fee Alongside your photographs, the virtual assessment includes a short set of questions. These help the clinician understand your situation beyond what is visible in the photographs. The questions typically cover: Ready to find out where you stand? 😀 Complete a free virtual assessment in around 15 minutes and get a personalised response from a qualified clinician — with no obligation to proceed. Start your free assessment → When a clinician reviews your virtual assessment, they are using your photographs to form an initial clinical picture of your case. Here is what they are actually assessing: Crowding — where teeth overlap because there is insufficient space in the arch — and spacing — where there are gaps between teeth — are the most common reasons people seek orthodontic treatment. The clinician assesses the severity of crowding or spacing from your arch photographs and estimates whether the case is mild, moderate, or severe. Mild crowding can often be treated with clear aligners in a shorter timeframe; severe crowding may require fixed braces and potentially extractions to create enough space for the teeth to align correctly. Your bite — how your upper and lower teeth meet — is assessed from your side and front bite photographs. The clinician looks for: The clinician checks whether the centre of the upper and lower teeth is aligned with the centre of the face. Midline discrepancies — where the dental midline shifts to one side — can be caused by asymmetric tooth loss, jaw asymmetry, or skeletal factors, and have implications for the complexity of treatment. While a virtual assessment cannot clinically assess your gum health, the clinician will note any obvious indicators of gum recession, gum swelling, or significant plaque build-up visible in the photographs. If they see anything concerning, they will note it in their response and advise you to see your dentist before starting orthodontic treatment. It is important to remember that good oral health is a prerequisite for orthodontic treatment — no responsible clinician will recommend starting braces or aligners on a patient with active gum disease. The clinician response to your virtual assessment is personalised to your photographs and the information you provided. It is written by the clinician who reviewed your case — not generated by AI or produced from a template. Here is what the response typically covers: What your response will include What a virtual assessment cannot do Once you have received your clinician's response, you are in a much better position to make a decision about whether to proceed to an in-person consultation. Most people find that the response resolves the main uncertainties that were holding them back — they now know they are suitable for treatment, they have a realistic sense of cost, and they have a recommendation for which type of treatment is likely to work best for them. The next step is to book an in-person consultation with the practice. Your patient portal — the secure online space that is activated when you submit your assessment — will typically include a direct booking link. The in-person consultation is where the clinical relationship formally begins: the clinician will take full clinical records including X-rays and photographs, conduct a detailed examination, and produce a formal treatment plan with exact costs and timeline. If you want to find an orthodontist near you who accepts virtual assessments, the Virtual Consultant Online location tool will show you practices in your area and the treatments they offer. There is no pressure to book an appointment immediately after receiving your assessment response. Some people want to research treatment options more thoroughly, discuss the decision with a partner, or get a second virtual assessment from another practice. The treatments overview covers each option in detail, and the costs page gives you UK pricing context to compare what you have been quoted. If the clinician's response notes that your teeth or gums need attention before orthodontic treatment can begin, this is not a rejection — it is important clinical guidance. Starting orthodontic treatment with active decay or gum disease makes treatment harder, longer, and potentially damaging to your long-term dental health. Your dentist should address these issues first, and the orthodontic treatment can begin once your baseline oral health is established. Most orthodontic treatment timelines assume a healthy starting point. People considering a virtual assessment often have similar worries. Here are the most common ones, addressed directly. The assessment platform guides you through each photograph with clear instructions. If a photograph is too dark, blurry, or does not show the right area clearly, the clinician reviewing your assessment will note this in their response and may ask you to resubmit specific photos. It is better to try and get useful guidance from the clinician than to not submit at all because you are worried your photos are imperfect. Virtual assessments through Virtual Consultant Online are reviewed by real, qualified clinicians — not processed by an algorithm. The response you receive is written specifically for your case based on your photographs and information. You can verify the credentials of the clinicians reviewing assessments on the clinician profiles page. The virtual assessment is free. There is no consultation fee, no requirement to purchase anything, and no obligation to book an in-person appointment. If you decide not to proceed after receiving your response, that is entirely your choice — you have not committed to anything by completing the assessment. Your photographs and personal information are held securely under UK GDPR provisions. They are used by the clinician to assess your case and by the practice to manage your patient record if you proceed with treatment. They are not shared with third parties or used for marketing purposes without your explicit consent. The privacy policy on the platform explains exactly how your data is handled. Your Virtual Assessment Is Waiting 😀 Find out whether you are suitable for orthodontic treatment, which options are most likely to work for you, and what treatment might cost — all from home, in around 15 minutes, for free. A real clinician will review your photographs and send you a personalised response, usually within 24 hours.What Is a Virtual Orthodontic Consultation?
Before You Start: What You Will Need
The photographs you will need to take
The Questions You Will Be Asked
What the Clinician Looks for in Your Photographs
Crowding and spacing
Bite relationship
Midline alignment
Gum health indicators
What You Will Receive in Your Clinician Response
After Your Virtual Assessment: What Happens Next
If you want to proceed
If you want more information first
If the response suggests you need dental treatment first
Common Concerns About Virtual Orthodontic Consultations
"What if my photographs are not good enough?"
"Will the clinician actually look at my assessment or is it automated?"
"Is there a cost?"
"What happens to my photographs?"
What to Expect From Your Virtual Orthodontic Consultation
Published · 13 min read · by Virtual Consultant Online
Front smile photo: A natural, relaxed smile showing your front teeth. Not a wide open-mouthed grin — just how your teeth look when you smile normally. This shows the clinician the overall appearance of your teeth and gum line.
Front bite photo: Teeth together, lips pulled back to show both upper and lower teeth from the front. This gives the clinician a clear view of how your teeth meet at the front and whether there is an overbite, underbite, or open bite.
Right side bite photo: Teeth together, cheek retracted to show the right side of your mouth. This shows your molar relationship and whether your bite is aligned on that side.
Left side bite photo: The same view from the left side. Together with the right-side photo, this gives the clinician a full picture of your bite.
Upper teeth photo: Looking straight down into your mouth with your upper teeth visible. This shows the arch shape and spacing of your upper teeth.
Lower teeth photo: The equivalent view of your lower teeth. Arch shape, crowding, and any asymmetry are visible here.
Your age and general dental history: Whether you have had previous orthodontic treatment, any missing or heavily restored teeth, and whether you have had any dental work that might affect treatment options (such as implants, crowns, or bridges).
What is bothering you: What you would most like to change about your teeth. This is your opportunity to be specific — crowding at the front, a gap between two teeth, an uneven bite, a smile that feels asymmetric. The clinician uses this to focus their assessment on your priorities.
Your treatment preferences: Whether you have a preference for a particular type of treatment — fixed braces, clear aligners, or no preference. You do not need to know what you want at this stage, but if you do have a preference, noting it helps the clinician tailor their response.
NHS or private: Whether you are asking about NHS orthodontic treatment or private treatment. For children under 18, the clinician can give an initial view on whether the case is likely to meet the NHS IOTN threshold. For adults, treatment is almost always private.
Any concerns or questions you want addressed: A free text field where you can note anything specific — whether your gums have been an issue, whether you have been told you need extractions, or any questions you want the clinician to address in their response.
Overjet: How far the upper front teeth protrude forward beyond the lower front teeth (the horizontal distance). An increased overjet — sometimes called "buck teeth" — is one of the most common bite problems in the UK.
Overbite: How much the upper front teeth overlap the lower front teeth vertically. A deep overbite means the upper teeth cover a large proportion of the lower teeth. An open bite means there is a gap between the upper and lower front teeth even when the back teeth are together.
Crossbite: Where one or more upper teeth sit inside the lower teeth rather than outside them. Can affect front or back teeth and has implications for jaw growth in children if not treated.
Underbite: Where the lower jaw protrudes beyond the upper jaw, causing the lower front teeth to sit in front of the upper front teeth. Significant underbites may require jaw surgery as well as orthodontics in some cases.
Whether your case appears suitable for orthodontic treatment
Which treatment types are likely to be most appropriate
A preliminary indication of treatment duration
A cost indication or range for the likely treatment
Answers to any specific questions you submitted
Clear next steps if you want to proceed
Provide a formal treatment plan (requires in-person clinical records)
Assess bone levels or root positions (requires X-rays)
Give a clinically confirmed IOTN score (requires examination)
Confirm exact treatment cost (case complexity affects price)
Replace a dentist's examination for gum and tooth health
Confirm NHS eligibility (requires clinical IOTN assessment)
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References
BOS patient guidance on virtual and remote orthodontic consultations, including what a virtual assessment can and cannot assess, the importance of following up with an in-person clinical examination for treatment planning, and guidance on what photographs are needed for a useful remote assessment.
British Orthodontic Society — Patient information: Virtual consultations in orthodonticsGDC guidance on the professional standards that apply when dental professionals conduct remote or digital consultations, including the requirement that clinical advice given remotely is appropriate, accurate, and accompanied by clear guidance on when an in-person examination is necessary.
General Dental Council — Standards for the Dental Team: Remote and digital consultationsNHS information on what an orthodontic consultation involves, including the types of clinical records taken at an in-person assessment and the process for developing a treatment plan. This provides context for what the in-person appointment following a virtual assessment will entail.
NHS — Orthodontics: What it involvesBOS patient guidance on virtual and remote orthodontic consultations, including what a virtual assessment can and cannot assess, the importance of following up with an in-person clinical examination for treatment planning, and guidance on what photographs are needed for a useful remote assessment.
British Orthodontic Society — Patient information: Virtual consultations in orthodonticsGDC guidance on the professional standards that apply when dental professionals conduct remote or digital consultations, including the requirement that clinical advice given remotely is appropriate, accurate, and accompanied by clear guidance on when an in-person examination is necessary.
General Dental Council — Standards for the Dental Team: Remote and digital consultationsNHS information on what an orthodontic consultation involves, including the types of clinical records taken at an in-person assessment and the process for developing a treatment plan. This provides context for what the in-person appointment following a virtual assessment will entail.
NHS — Orthodontics: What it involves