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Orthodontic
Topics
Orthodontics
Crowded teeth, thumb sucking, tongue thrusting, premature loss of baby
teeth, or an airway obstructed by enlarged adenoids or tonsils can all
contribute to poor tooth positioning. And then there are hereditary
factors. Extra teeth, large teeth, missing teeth, wide spacing, small
jaws - all can be causes of crowded teeth. And crowded teeth need
orthodontic treatment.
The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) recommends an
orthodontic screening before your child turns 7 years old. By the time
your child is 7, their teeth and jaws are developed enough so that we
can see if there will be any serious bite problems in the future.
Generally, we don’t need to provide orthodontic treatment at such a
young age, but this screening will give you and us time to watch the
development your child and decide on the best mode of treatment. When
you have time on your side you can plan ahead and prevent the formation
of serious problems.
All that being said, we do
recommend beginning needed orthodontic treatment when your child is
fairly young. While your child’s skeleton is still growing and flexible,
we can more easily correct serious orthodontic problems – translating to
less time in orthodontic appliances! By correcting skeletal problems at
a younger age we can prepare your child’s mouth for the eventual
eruption of the permanent teeth. If the permanent teeth have adequate
space to erupt they will come in fairly straight. After the permanent
teeth have erupted, usually from age 12-14, complete braces are placed
for final alignment and detailing of the bite. Thus, the final stage of
treatment is quicker and easier for you and your child, with many
children only spending approximately 18 months in braces.
Basically, orthodontic
treatment means that we are repositioning your child’s teeth, for both
function and aesthetics. By applying light pressure over a period of
time, we can successfully move your child’s teeth into correct
alignment. Pressure is applied by using a variety of orthodontic
hardware (appliances), the most common being a brace or bracket attached
to the teeth and connected by an arch wire. Periodic changing of these
arch wires puts pressure on the teeth. At different stages of treatment
your child may wear a headgear, elastics, a positioner or a retainer.
Most orthodontic appointments are scheduled 4 to 8 weeks apart to give
the teeth time to move.
When teeth are first
moved, discomfort may result. This usually lasts about 24 to 72 hours.
Our patients report a lessening of discomfort as the treatment
progresses. Pain medicines such as ibuprofen (Advil) usually help
relieve the discomfort.
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Orthodontic Treatment
Options include:
Occlusal Guides
Full Braces – Revolutionary Damon Bracket System
Invisalign – Invisible Braces
T4k
Financials:
Orthodontic treatment from $98 per month
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