ORTHODONTIC BRACES

About Kids’ Teeth

You may have heard the word malocclusion used to describe a variety of tooth and jaw problems. It simply means “teeth and jaws that don’t fit together properly.” Teeth could be irregularly spaced, crowded, or out of alignment. In children, bad habits like fingernail biting, tongue thrusting, thumb sucking, or mouth breathing can be the cause. Sometimes malocclusion is inherited – you can get a small jaw from one parent and a large jaw from the other, and that can spell trouble all around.

Teeth and jaws that don’t line up in a good biting position can set the stage for tooth decay and gum disease. Poorly arranged teeth can trap food particles and allow plaque and tartar to build up. Chewing can be difficult and that can affect diet and digestion. Malocclusion can even cause speech problems. In infants, poorly fitting baby teeth won’t give permanent teeth room to grow in straight.

Orthodontists deal with straightening teeth and altering bone growth. They carefully assess each case with radiographs, and use special tools such as bands, wires, elastics, and appliances to guide teeth into their proper positions. Even in the very young, early orthodontics can fix alignment problems before they affect the permanent teeth. That can save a lot of cost and trouble down the road. Thanks to orthodontics, there’s no reason we can’t put crooked teeth on the straight and narrow.

With Invisalign, the choice is clear

Orthodontics is the branch of dentistry that corrects teeth that are crowded, protruding, are too far apart, or which don’t bite together properly. Until recently, orthodontic treatment was focused mainly on teenagers and the preferred method was metal train-track braces. Today, about 20% of orthodontic patients are between 20 and 60 years of age!

Dental researchers have produced a revolutionary new technique that has brightened the smiles of thousands of patients. The system is called Invisalign^®, and it’s the invisible way to straighten teeth using a series of custom-made, nearly undetectable aligners.

Here’s how it works. During a consultation, we determine if Invisalign is right for you. If it is, we create a treatment plan, take an impression of your teeth, and submit it to Invisalign who translates our instructions into a series of medical-grade plastic aligners.

Each one of your comfortable aligners is precisely calibrated and manufactured to fit snugly over your teeth and gently move them through every stage of your treatment plan.

No more metal mouth means you’ll smile more during treatment and you’ll spend less time in our office having adjustments! Because Invisalign aligners are removable, you can still enjoy your favorite foods and smile without holding back. With Invisalign, there’s nothing to avoid and nothing to hide!

We welcome you to call our office to ask questions or to arrange a consultation to discover how Invisalign can help give you the smile you’ve always wanted!