Frequently Asked Questions

Orthodontics is the branch of dentistry that specializes in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of dental and facial irregularities.

An orthodontist is a dentist who has specialized in orthodontics, the specific area of dentistry that deals with the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of dental and facial irregularities. An orthodontist learns the skills required to manage tooth movement and guide facial development.

To become an orthodontist, a dentist must return to school to attend a 2-3 year full-time residency program of advanced education in orthodontics accredited by the American Dental Association.

• A more attractive smile

• Better function of the teeth

• Reduced appearance-consciousness / Possible increase in self-confidence

• Increased ability to clean the teeth

• Improved force distribution and wear patterns of the teeth

• Better long-term health of teeth and gums

• Guide permanent teeth into more favorable positions

• Reduce the risk of injury to protruded front teeth

• Aids in optimizing other dental treatment

• Upper front teeth protrude excessively over the lower teeth (bucked)

• Upper front teeth cover the majority of the lower teeth when biting together (deep bite)

• Upper front teeth are behind or inside the lower front teeth (underbite)

• The upper and lower front teeth do not touch when biting together (open bite)

• Crowded or overlapped teeth

• Spaces between the teeth

• The center of the upper and lower teeth do not line up

• Finger- or thumb-sucking habits which continue after six or seven years old

• Difficulty chewing

• Teeth wearing unevenly or excessively

• The lower jaw shifts to one side or the other when biting together

Orthodontic treatment can be started at any age. Many orthodontic problems are easier to correct if detected at an early age before jaw growth has slowed or stopped.

Early treatment may mean that a patient can reduce the time and complexity of later treatment and perhaps avoid more severe complications or even surgery.

The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that a child first visit an orthodontist by age 7 for routine screening.

Phase I, or early interceptive treatment, is limited orthodontic treatment (e.g., expander or partial braces) before all of the permanent teeth have erupted. Such treatment can occur between the ages of six and ten. This treatment is sometimes recommended to make more space for developing teeth, correct crossbites, overbites, underbites, or harmful oral habits.

Phase II treatment is also called comprehensive treatment because it involves full braces when all of the permanent teeth have erupted, usually between the ages of eleven and thirteen.

Orthodontic treatment can be successful at any age. Everyone wants a beautiful and healthy smile. 20% to 25% of orthodontic patients today are adults.

There really is no upper limit! As long as your teeth and gums are healthy, orthodontic treatment is possible.

Braces or removable appliances use steady gentle pressure to gradually move teeth into their proper positions. With braces, the brackets that are placed on your teeth and the archwire that connects them are the main components.

When the archwire is placed into the brackets, it tries to return to its original shape. As it does so, it applies pressure to move your teeth to their new, more ideal positions. With removable appliances, the plastic or wire will rest on the teeth and apply mild pressure to produce movement.

Treatment times vary on a case-by-case basis, but the average time is from one to two years. Actual treatment time can be affected by the rate of growth and severity of the correction necessary. Treatment length is also dependent upon patient compliance. Maintaining good oral hygiene and keeping regular appointments are important in keeping treatment time on schedule.

No. If you have concerns about your smile or your bite, please call our office and we will schedule a consultation. At that appointment, we can address your concerns, identify problems with your teeth alignment and make suggestions for correction.

However, it is very important that we work together with your family dentist to achieve our goals. We will need to ensure that you have had a recent exam and cleaning and that all necessary dental work is up to date before any braces are placed, or another treatment is started.

There are many factors that determine how long you will need to wear your braces. In general, the more difficult your problem, the longer your treatment will take, but most cases finish in 18-24 months. The time usually goes fairly fast, and at the end of that time, you have a beautiful smile and a healthy bite to show for your effort.

You can have a significant impact on how long your treatment takes by avoiding the breakage of your braces, following our instructions carefully, and attending all of your appointments.

Braces do not often hurt; however, you may feel a small amount of discomfort for a couple of days as your teeth, gums, cheeks, and mouth gets used to your new braces. The placement of orthodontic appliances on your teeth does not hurt. Once the wire and brackets are placed, you may later feel some soreness in your teeth for the next one to two days.

A great way to minimize this discomfort is to take ibuprofen (Advil and Motrin are two popular examples) about an hour or so before placement of separators, braces, or wire changes. Usually, any discomfort is short-lived. Your lips and cheeks may need one to two weeks to get used to the braces as well.

Playing an instrument or a contact sport may require some adjustment when you first get your braces, but wearing braces will not stop you from participating in any of your school activities. If you play a contact sport, it is recommended that you wear a mouth guard to protect your braces or appliance. In addition, brace covers can be provided to prevent discomfort.

Absolutely! It is very important that you see your dentist at least every six months while you have braces on so that you can be checked for cavities and to have your teeth cleaned. For some patients, we recommend even more frequent cleanings.

The teeth will feel some pressure or discomfort beginning the night after your adjustment to a few days afterward. You may take pain medication to relieve any discomfort during that period of time. If the discomfort seems unusual compared to other adjustment visits, please give us a call so that we can see you.

If one of the elastics fell off, it is unlikely to be a problem unless it is causing the wire to be very mobile. If you have more than one that has come off, please come in to see us.

As your teeth are moving, the wire may begin to poke out of the back braces during the middle to end of the month. In this case, you should place a ball of wax on the part of the brace that is bothering you and call us so that we can cut the wire for you.

If you notice that your cheek is white or red where you feel discomfort, begin rinsing with warm salt water at least twice a day to keep the area clean.

On occasion, we may need to use a wire to tie in your arch wire to the brace instead of the colored elastics. This wire has an end that can poke you if you eat something sticky enough to bring the end out of its place.

In this case, you can take a clean eraser on the end of a pencil and push the piece that is poking you back into place. If this doesn’t help, please give us a call and we will make you comfortable.

As long as the bracket is not the one that is furthest back in your mouth, you can wait until your next visit to have it fixed.

Please give us a call so that we can make arrangements to have enough time for you at that time to repair the brace. If the broken brace is bothering you, please call us so that we can take care of it immediately.