ORTHODONTICs

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Orthodontics not only improves the appearance of your smile, boosting your confidence and self-esteem, but it also offers important oral health advantages. When your teeth are properly aligned, they’re easier to clean, helping to lower the risk of tooth decay and gum disease. Effective flossing between teeth prevents plaque buildup and its potential negative effects. Additionally, orthodontics addresses bite issues, such as malocclusion, which includes conditions like underbite, overbite, and crossbite. These misalignments can cause problems like teeth rubbing together, excessive wear, or symptoms of temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD), including head, neck, and shoulder pain.

Metal Braces 

The traditional Braces consists of metal brackets that are cemented to each tooth, and archwires that run across them. The archwires come in different sizes and stiffness levels depending on the stage of treatment, and they are held in place by colorful elastic ligatures. 

Ceramic Braces 

Ceramic braces are just as effective as traditional metal braces at moving teeth into position quickly. What distinguishes them from metal braces is that the brackets are made of transparent ceramic, so the braces blend in with your teeth. Ceramic braces may be preferable for adult patients who don’t want their treatment to be so visible.

How Will I Brush My Teeth With Braces? 

The only difference between brushing with braces and without is that there are a lot more nooks and crannies for food to get stuck and plaque to build up. Be very thorough as you brush, and don’t forget to floss! We will show you how to floss when you have your braces placed.

What is “malocclusion”?

Malocclusion is Latin for “bad bite.” Malocclusion can include Crossbites, Overbites, among others. Each type of malocclusion can cause problems, like esthetic and appearance problems That can affect the self confidence of patients or functional problems, that can affect the Health of patients, Like not being able to properly chew food, Not being able to clean completely the teeth or TMJ problems.

Clear Aligners 

Clear aligners are a big trend now. Aligners provides A more comfortable and Modern way to perform orthodontic treatment. You will receive a series of aligners that shift your teeth into their proper position one step at a time. Each aligner is slightly different than the aligner before it. In this way the teeth are moved a little with each aligner. It is recommended that the patient wear his or her aligner for at least twenty two hours each day. 

New aligners are switched out approximately every two weeks. from being nearly invisible, one of the best things about clear aligners is that they are removable, which makes eating and keeping your teeth clean during your orthodontic treatment much easier, and there’s no banned foods list! 

What Are The Advantages Of Clear Aligners? 

Clear aligners are extremely simple to keep clean, there is no wires or metal on the way, which makes it easier to maintain healthy gums and teeth. They are less likely to irritate gums and cheeks than brackets and wires. They prevent wear and tear on your teeth from tooth grinding. Best of all, they are removable, which means the patients can eat everything they like with no restrictions

Do Orthodontics Hurt? 

After orthodontic visits, your teeth may be sore for a few days as they get used to the change. Over the counter pain medicine can ease the discomfort.

At What Age Should I Bring My Child In For An Evaluation? 

The American Association of Orthodontists recommends age seven as the ideal time to get an initial orthodontic screening. By this age, adult teeth will have begun to come in, which allows us to evaluate how much room there is and if everything is coming in where it should. 

What Foods Should I Not Eat With Braces? 

Any kind of food that is Hard or too Crunch. Some of the foods you should avoid while your braces are ice, hard candy, raw vegetables, and all sticky foods (such as caramel and taffy). Instead of eating apples and corn on the cob, you’ll have to stick to apple slices and kernel corn. Eating banned foods is the easiest way to break a bracket, but it can also harm your teeth. Patients should use common sense to select appropriate foods.

Do I Need To See My regular Dentist While I Have Orthodontic treatment? 

Absolutely! Regular dental checkups are always important.

Orthognatic surgery

Some patients, specially adults, May have a discrepancy on the growth, position and size of their Jaws. A combination of orthodontic treatment and surgery can help to achieve a better occlusion.

Tooth Impaction

When teeth can’t erupt like they’re supposed to, there can be complications like infections, gum disease, damage to adjacent teeth, nerve damage, and cavities. Symptoms include bad breath or a persistent bad taste, tenderness and pain around the jaw, jaw and headaches, and swollen gums or lymph nodes. They also leave visible gaps between teeth where the impacted tooth should be. 

These symptoms don’t affect everyone with an impacted tooth. If it’s the upper canine, the baby tooth might not ever become loose because the adult tooth isn’t in the right place to push on it. The canine teeth form the “corners” of the smile, in a sense, so this can have a big affect on appearance. 

Tooth impaction can’t really be prevented, but impacted wisdom teeth can be extracted and impacted canines can often be moved into place with a combination of oral surgery and orthodontic treatment.

Retention

The day we finish orthodontic treatment is an amazing day for any patient, but don’t get ahead of yourself, because now that you have the smile you’ve always wanted, you have to keep it. 

Retainers are crucial at the end of any orthodontic treatment, whether you’re using Invisalign or traditional wire braces, because it takes time for teeth to get used to their new positions. Make sure to wear your retainers as Instructed.

Removable Retainers

Removable Retainers, whether wire and acrylic or clear plastic, have the obvious advantage that you can take them out, which makes it much easier to clean both the retainers and your teeth.

Non-Removable Retainers

Non-removable or bonded retainers are strips of wire cemented to the backs of the teeth to hold them in their post-braces position. But they can make flossing between those teeth difficult.

How Does Invisalign Work?

The Invisalign process begins with a consultation at our office, where we’ll assess your smile and determine if Invisalign is the right option for you. Using advanced scanning technology, we’ll create a detailed 3D image of your teeth to design your treatment plan. Based on this plan, a series of custom aligners will be created just for you.

You will wear each set of aligners for about 1-2 weeks, gradually shifting your teeth into the desired position. As you move through the aligner sets, you'll begin to see noticeable improvements in the alignment of your teeth. With regular visits to our office to track your progress, your treatment will be completed, giving you the smile you've always dreamed of.

Is Invisalign Right for You?

Invisalign is effective for a variety of dental issues, including:

• Crooked teeth
• Gaps between teeth
• Overbite, underbite, or crossbite

However, not all patients may be suitable candidates for Invisalign. During your consultation, we’ll evaluate your needs and discuss the best treatment options to achieve your perfect smile.