How do I know if I need braces?
Most patients of any age seeking to improve the overall appearance of their teeth and smile can get braces. Correcting your bite can improve your jaw function and overall oral health. Early orthodontic treatment can improve the growth and development of children’s jaw and teeth.
How do braces work?
In their entirety, braces work by applying continuous pressure over a period of time to slowly move teeth in a specific direction. As the teeth move, the bone changes shape as pressure is applied. Braces are made up of the following components: … They wrap around each tooth to provide an anchor for the brackets.
How can I tell if my child needs braces?
Here are some signs that a child is likely to benefit from braces:
- Early, late, or irregular loss of baby teeth.
- Difficulty in chewing or biting.
- Crowding, misplaced, or blocked-out teeth.
- Jaws that shift or make sounds.
- Biting the cheek or roof of the mouth.
Is Orthodontic treatment affordable?
Phase One treatment for young children as well as Comprehensive treatment for adults/adolescents often ranges in cost depending on the extent and length of treatment needed. We offer a variety of payment options to meet your needs and flexible in office payment plans to help make your treatment more affordable. Incentives are also available for patients who pay in full at the onset of treatment. We thoroughly explain your options, so that we can accommodate your needs.
What does oral hygiene have to do with braces?
Orthodontic brackets and wires have many nooks and crannies that can trap food and plaque. This means your risk of tooth decay and gum problems may be higher while you are wearing braces. You need to pay special attention to cleaning your teeth everyday and to your diet. Permanent damage to tooth enamel can occur if the teeth and brackets are not kept clean. Areas on the enamel surface may begin to lose minerals (the early stage of tooth decay) leaving unsightly white spots. You may also develop inflamed, bleeding gums (gingivitis). Gingivitis and the early stages of tooth decay can be reversed by taking extra care with your cleaning and diet. If left untreated, they can lead to bigger problems that will require treatment and have lifelong effects. While you are having orthodontic treatment, you need to continue to have regular check-ups with your dental professional to ensure little problems don’t become big ones.
Is Invisalign painful?
In general, Invisalign is less painful than traditional metal braces, and like any type of orthodontic treatment, the discomfort fades after the teeth adjust to wearing the aligners and to having new aligners swapped in and out.
Is Invisalign for children as well?
With this type of treatment, it’s more about conditions than age. Theoretically, a person as young as 11 or 12 years of age can seek Invisalign Teen treatment, provided they meet the following criteria:
- Loss of all first (baby) teeth
- All permanent incisors and first molars must have erupted.
- Second and third molars (wisdom teeth) do not need to have erupted yet; Invisalign trays can allocate space for these to come in.
- There needs to be no significant tooth decay or damage.
- The patient must be mature enough to comply with treatment, meaning aligning trays must be worn 21 or more hours per day.
Girls will likely be eligible for Invisalign first, as they typically mature faster than boys.
What food restrictions are there with Invisalign/Braces?
If you have braces, it’s important to avoid special foods that can increase your risk for cavities or damage your braces. Cut down on sweets, chips and soda. Sugary and starchy foods generate plaque acid and that can cause tooth decay and promote gum disease. Sticky, chewy sweets like caramel can also cause wire damage and loosen brackets.
You should also stay away from hard, crunchy snacks. These types of snacks, including popcorn, nuts and hard candy, can break braces or make their impact less effective.
What are lingual braces?
You know about the traditional braces placed on the front of the teeth. What sets lingual braces apart is in their placement on the back of the teeth. Lingual braces are virtually invisible, and that’s the main reason eligible patients choose them. This partly explains why they are more common among adults than children. One other advantage is if you play a wind instrument or sport, lingual braces are easier to adapt to than traditional braces. Not all practices offer them because dentists need to take continuing education courses in order to learn to use the equipment required to place the braces.
Do lingual braces hurt?
Your teeth and tongue may be sore, especially for the first few weeks of treatment. Most patients report that their tongue feels swollen for the first week or so and that their speech is slightly affected. After the first few weeks, your tongue and speech will adapt and you will become completely comfortable with your lingual braces.
Why should an Orthodontic Specialist complete my treatment?
Teeth, and sometimes entire facial structures, are permanently changed by orthodontic treatment. It is important that the treatment be appropriate and properly completed. Orthodontic specialists have extensive and specialized training that enables them to provide their patients with professional, personalized treatments.
What age should I schedule for an orthodontic consultation?
The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that children be screened as early as age seven. An early visit helps us identify contributing problems that might require additional orthodontics in the future. Not every patient who comes into the orthodontist’s office at age seven requires or commences with a course of treatment. However, it is wise to have an educated exam with the patient to identify factors that may require early intervention. The probability of successful treatment and definitive impact is higher with a younger patient than with an older one. Age should not be the only determinant, however. It is never too early to schedule your child’s first orthodontic consultation. Orthodontists are often the first line of defense in identifying overlooked issues like tongue dysfunction and breathing problems. Early detection and treatment of these issues is vital.
Is it too late to have braces if I'm already an adult?
The short answer is no, it is never too late to have braces. In fact, many people do not pursue orthodontic treatment until they are adults. They are dissatisfied with crooked, crowded teeth or spacing issues. Braces for adults have become quite common and the evolving dental landscape presents various options. Many adults choose to use Invisalign clear braces rather than conventional orthodontics because they don’t detract from a professional appearance.
How often do I have to come in for appointments while in treatment?
Appointments are scheduled according to each patient’s needs. Most patients in braces will be seen every 4 to 6 weeks. If there are specific situations that require more frequent monitoring, we will schedule appointments accordingly.
Can I still play sports while having braces?
During orthodontic treatment with braces, a child can play any sport. However, we have to be careful to protect our lips and teeth from injury. The best way to protect our teeth is with an orthodontic mouth guard. Orthodontic mouth guards are different from a regular mouth guard.
Do I need to see my general dentist while in Orthodontic treatment
Yes, your primary dentist is still the best caretaker of your overall dental health. Your orthodontist, of course, will monitor your braces and the progress they are making to straighten your teeth or fix your bite, but it’s the regular cleanings and dental exams that will keep your mouth healthy for life. Remember: you can still get cavities when you are wearing braces so always remember to brush your teeth for two minutes twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and to floss daily.
How often should I brush my teeth in braces?
Patients should thoroughly brush their teeth AT LEAST three times a day (after every meal) and floss AT LEAST once a day before bed. Brushing, flossing, and maintaining regular cleanings with your dentist, are important in order to maintain good oral hygiene over the course of having your braces.
Do teeth straighten out as they grow?
If you have crooked teeth, the chance that they will become straighter as you grow older depends a great deal on what is causing them to be crooked. In most cases, the intervention of orthodontics will be necessary to ensure they become and remain straight.
Are shots necessary?
Getting braces isn’t like any other dental treatment. No injections or drills required! When braces are first put on your teeth, the skin of your lips and mouth will need to get used to your braces but this only takes a few days. Sometimes when your wires are adjusted and your teeth are moving, it creates pressure on your gums and teeth, but this becomes manageable in just a few days.
How can I recognize a potential bite problems?
Teeth that are protruding, crowded together, or erupting out of position are clear indications that treatment is needed. Less obvious signs are mouth breathing, frequent biting of the cheek or palate, speech difficulties, and thumb sucking that goes past 3-4 years of age. If teeth don’t meet properly when the mouth closes, or if jaws make sounds or shift as they move, this may also indicate an orthodontic problem.
When I finish braces, how do I know my teeth won't shift back?
After you’ve finished orthodontic treatment, you’re ready to acclimate to your new life with a straight smile. And while we can give you plenty of tips for life after braces, these are primarily aimed at making you comfortable. Ensuring that your treatment results stick around requires some additional work. Teeth shift, and they need ongoing maintenance to continue forming a straight smile. The unfortunate truth is that teeth always require some kind of guidance to stay straight after orthodontic treatment. If you quit wearing your retainer, your teeth will eventually begin to shift. In fact, most adult orthodontics patients actually had braces when they were younger. As time passes, factors emerge that we just can’t control – and they end up impacting our bites.
