Orthodontics

For many children and adults, braces are the best solution for straightening teeth and closing spaces.Teeth are moved using wires, elastics and different types of appliances. No matter whether you are a child or an adult, braces can greatly enhance your smile and the way your teeth fit together.

Having straight teeth is important. Teeth that are crooked or out of place (misaligned) affect the way a person chews and talks and how their smile looks. Because they have unnatural spaces, crooked teeth are harder to clean and are more likely to have cavities.

In some cases, crooked teeth can affect the way the jaws line up and can cause pain and discomfort. Remember that braces are cosmetic...nobody has ever died of crooked teeth!

One method to correct this is to have Orthodontic treatment or braces. Orthodontic treatment works by exerting a gentle pressure over time to straighten teeth that are growing, or have already grown, out of place.

Braces have three basic parts:

Brackets - brackets that are attached to each tooth
Band or brackets attach to the back big teeth (molars) - this anchors the arch wire which connects to the front teeth
Arch Wire - a thin metal wire that runs from bracket to bracket

Braces have come a long way from the "train track" look of years ago. Today, many orthodontic metal brackets are much smaller than they were several years ago. Transparent brackets are available but can increase the cost of treatment by 25%-30% and are only used on the top teeth. We only recommend these brackets in adults as they can not be de-bonded and "tweaked" as with the standard metal brackets

A retainer is used following de-bonding of the brackets and a custom-made, removable appliance is made for the top that helps keep teeth in their new, straightened position after braces have been removed. We bond a lower metal retainer (wire) on the inside of the lower front teeth to keep these teeth straight as long as possible.

Remember that teeth change with time, just like your face does. A picture of you five years ago is not the same a picture today. Your body goes through the aging process and teeth move and shift with time. Lower anterior crowding is not unusual as teeth have a natural tendency to move toward the middle of your face.

We do about 85% of our own orthodontics; however, some cases are beyond our scope and require the treatment to be completed by an Orthodonist, and so a referral may be given in these situations.