About Orthodontics

Have you ever held back your laughter or a full smile because you were embarrassed by the esthetics of your teeth? The most common reason people seek orthodontic treatment is to improve the esthetics of their smile. A beautiful well-balanced smile has the power to improve overall quality of life. Your new smile can improve your self-confidence in both your personal and professional life. And while a beautiful smile is the obvious benefit, did you know that a proper occlusion or bite can improve your facial balance, facial profile, oral hygiene, and occlusal function? Working closely with you and your dentist, we as a team can determine if orthodontic treatment is right for you, and regardless of the reason you are seeking treatment, Family Orthodontics will work with you to make your family’s smile shine!

Technological breakthroughs in medicine and dentistry over the last few decades have far exceeded what we ever thought was possible. Gone are the days of full banded appliances where every tooth had an unsightly metal band covering nearly the entire tooth. There are now numerous esthetic appliances to choose from, such as nearly invisible removable plastic aligners, ceramic or clear brackets, and even the traditional metal brackets which are now smaller and have a lower profile. If you don’t like the braces on the front of your teeth, did you know that we can even put them on the back of your teeth?

No matter what type of appliance you choose or the location (front or back of your teeth) all teeth move the same way and are limited by bone turnover. All of our teeth are securely anchored by fibers in a boney socket. By placing a constant, gentle force in a carefully controlled direction, braces slowly move teeth through bone to a corrected position. The ability of your body to resorb and create bone will limit how fast your teeth move, not the type of appliance used. Be extremely careful when choosing an orthodontist, and the orthodontic appliance for your treatment; do not be persuaded by advertising suggesting that your treatment will be shorter with a certain type of appliance. There is no magic appliance to change your body’s rate of bone turnover.

Lastly, one recent technological advance that does affect your treatment is the type of wire used in your orthodontic treatment. The chemical composition of the latest wires, originally developed by NASA for aerospace application, allows your orthodontist to apply a very gentle and continuous force to your teeth. These wires do maximize the time your body is moving your teeth (resorbing and creating bone) with less discomfort.

Treatment time typically ranges from 12 to 24 months, depending on the patient’s dental development, growth of the patient's mouth and face, and the severity of the dental problem. Individual growth rates and response to treatment do vary; therefore treatment completion estimates are only estimates and are not a guarantee. Additionally, a patient’s compliance to follow eating instructions to not break or damage their appliances, as well as following rubber band prescriptions, are important factors in achieving the most efficient and shortest treatment possible. Finally, interceptive or early treatment procedures may take as few as six months, and are designed to limit the severity of future orthodontic problems and potentially limit the need for extractions or more serious procedures.