Treatment Basics

We love seeing kids early in their dental development (7-8 years old) to see if we can aid mother nature as they grow. We frequently provide: habit-breaking appliances, tongue thrust treatment, treatment when you have a combination of baby and adult teeth and functional orthopedics.

Functional orthopedics can be an important adjunct to traditional orthodontics in the growing child. This type of orthopedics can help: decrease the need for surgery, decrease the need for extractions, decrease time in braces, improve the profile and provide a very stable, finished result.

Treatment is usually done in phases, Phase I treatment would be utilizing functional orthopedics such as expansion appliances, advancement of the lower jaw appliances, habit breaking appliances, and anything done to improve the growth and development of the face and jaws. Sometimes short term braces (6 months) are even required on these young children, mainly to prevent very difficult extraction or even surgical orthodontics later. Once Phase I treatments are completed, we follow the children for years to observe the eruption of the adult teeth and to make sure we have proper jaw growth and development.

Some Phase I treatments do so well that the children never need Phase II  or full mouth braces. The Phase I treatments do eliminate the complicated long term, old fashion braces that used to be on the teeth for 3-4 years. The Phase I treatments frequently eliminate the need for extractions, eliminate the need for head gear, eliminate the need for extractions and significantly shorten the time for Phase II or full mouth orthodontics.

Full mouth braces can be utilized on both adults and children. We use a light wire bonded braces system that does NOT require a monthly tightening for advancement. These braces cosmetically bond to the fronts of your teeth. At your visits, we remove the rubber bands that hold the wires in place, replace the wires, and replace the rubber bands. We do not physically twist and tighten your braces with these great new brace systems. Treatments are more efficient, work with your biology, and do not cause discomfort and are completed in less time.

Invisible type retainers are frequently used when you finish treatment. Hawley retainers with the metal wires are also sometimes utilized. Invisible retainer orthodontics are also possible for children and adults requiring minimal alignement issues.