7&Up Smile Club
Did you know?
The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) recommends children get their first check-up with an AAO orthodontist either at the first recognition of an orthodontic problem or at age 7. Think of it as your “orthodontic well check”.
Around age 7, children have a mix of baby (primary) and permanent teeth. An examination at this age gives the orthodontist a wealth of information. If a problem exists, or if one is developing, your orthodontist is able to advise you on which treatment is recommended, when it should begin, and estimate its length.
Learn more info from the AAO by clicking here.
Why join the 7&Up Smile Club?
It’s fun, it’s free (YES FREE!), and it’s an amazing opportunity to ensure the best smile for your child! 7&Up Smile Club was created to recognize your efforts as a family as your child progresses through his or her orthodontic journey. When your child comes to an initial appointment, they will get their very own 7&Up Smile Club t-shirt. What’s even more exciting, their initial and all follow up visits will have your child entered into drawings for fantastic prizes!
While we monitor the growth and tooth development every 6-9 months, your child will earn Smile Bucks to turn in for great prizes and be entered into our monthly drawing each visit.
Through an early orthodontic evaluation, you’ll be giving your child the best opportunity for a healthy, beautiful smile. Because patients differ in both physiological development and treatment needs, our goal is to provide each patient with the most appropriate treatment at the most appropriate time.
7 Reasons Your Child Should Get An Orthodontic Check-up No Later Than Age 7
Through an early orthodontic evaluation, you’ll be giving your child the best opportunity for a healthy, beautiful smile. Because patients differ in both physiological development and treatment needs, our goal is to provide each patient with the most appropriate treatment at the most appropriate time.
- Identify Missing or Extra Teeth
- Habit Correction
- Tooth Eruption Guidance
- Correct Jaw Growth Abnormalities
- Create Room for Crowded Teeth
- Improve Self Esteem
- Prevent Damage to Teeth & Gums
Phased Orthodontics
For some patients, orthodontic treatments are more effective if intervention is started early. By age seven, your child’s mouth has enough structure and growth for us to determine how development will occur as permanent teeth begin to emerge. Dr. Lily is trained to recognize issues that may require orthodontic intervention at an early age.
When intervening early, orthodontic treatment can:
- Correct issues such as cross bite, deep bite, or open bite
- Lower the risk of damaging any protruding teeth
- Create a better functioning arrangement of lips, face, and teeth
- Prevent more invasive treatment in the future
- Guide the jaw’s growth to accommodate teeth that are emerging
- Suggest ways to correct bad habits such as tongue thrusting or thumb sucking
- Improve your child’s self-esteem and thoughts about their smile
If we determine your child may benefit from early treatment, a two-phase approach will likely be followed. Phase one begins right away while your child still has many of their baby teeth. Phase two happens as your child ages and we can more accurately determine his or her corrective needs and growth, generally when all or almost all of the permanent teeth have erupted. Orthodontic treatment and growth go hand in hand. Timing your child’s treatment just right allows treatment to alleviate the need for more invasive and drastic procedures later by taking advantage of your child’s growth spurts.
Phase one orthodontics can treat the following
- Harmful oral habits
- Intercept problems as they develop
- Correct issues with chewing and biting
- Guide permanent teeth into a better position
- Lower the risk of breakage or damage to front teeth that are protruding
- Guide the jawbone and teeth to grow into a correct alignment
During phase two, orthodontic treatment will:
- Move teeth into permanent, final positions
- Continue to improve facial appearance and teeth function
- Correct bite issues
The following conditions can benefit from early treatment:
- Cross bites
- Deep bites
- Open bites
- Crowding
- Poor spacing
- Overjets
- Teeth that do not emerge in the correct order
- Missing teeth
- Ankylosed teeth (teeth that stop erupting and cause the permanent teeth to emerge incorrectly)
Traditional Braces
Braces are used to correct crooked, crowded teeth (malocclusion), or bad bites. Sometimes braces are recommended because the teeth are straight but the lower and upper jaws do not align correctly. Jaw or tooth alignment issues can be inherited, from early or late tooth loss, or thumb sucking. Correcting these issues with braces gives you a beautiful smile, but more importantly, gives you a healthier mouth.
If the issues mentioned above are not corrected, further oral issues could result including:
- Gum disease
- Tooth loss
- Tooth decay
- Jaw issues
- Abnormal tooth enamel wear
- Difficulty with speech or chewing
- How do braces work? →
- When can I get braces? →
- Adults →
- How long will I need my braces? →
- Do braces hurt? →
How do braces work?
Traditional braces move teeth by applying pressure. They consist of small brackets that are metal or ceramic. The brackets are attached to the teeth and connected with a wire. Patients progress through a wire series that gradually moves the jaw and teeth over time.
When can I get braces?
We recommend that children be evaluated for braces around age 7. Treatment that begins between the ages of 8 and 14, while a child is still growing, produces optimal results. That is not to say that adults cannot benefit greatly from orthodontic treatment as well. Approximately one of every five orthodontic patients is an adult! It is never too late to work toward a beautiful, healthy smile.
Adults
Adult orthodontics often requires special treatment. Unlike other offices which may involve a variety of practitioners in your care from different practices, all of your needs can be met right here in our office. Some patients may have gum tissue or bone loss around their teeth. This may require periodontal treatment before, during, or after having braces. During treatment, regular dental checkups to monitor your gums and teeth are very important. If you are missing or have worn teeth, implants may be needed. We may also need to bond or veneer teeth after orthodontic treatment. Being able to have all your needs met in our office allows you to achieve optimal results without having to worry about communication among several practitioners.
How long will I need my braces?
Treatments vary for everyone, but you will typically wear braces for one to three years. After braces are removed, you will be fitted for a retainer that helps keep teeth in their new positions.
Do braces hurt?
Braces are more comfortable now than in the past. New metals or ceramic materials can apply a constant, gentle pressure to move teeth and typically require less adjustments. These new designs make results more predictable as well. We are always reviewing new orthodontic techniques to continue to give you the most up-to-date and proven treatments.
Invisalign®
There’s never been a better time to straighten your teeth with the most advanced clear aligner in the world. Our office is proud to be a certified provider of Invisalign clear aligners, which give you a clear, convenient, and comfortable option to achieve the smile you’ve always wanted.
Why Invisalign® Treatment?
- Faster Treatment →
- Proven Results →
- Better Fit →
- Effective →
- Virtually Invisible →
- Comfortable →
- Convenient →
Faster Treatment
With weekly aligner changes, you’re on your way to the smile you want even faster. Depending on your response to treatment, particularly in mature adults, we may consider longer periods between aligner changes.
Proven Results
SmartTrack® material and SmartForce® features are clinically proven to improve control of tooth movement with Invisalign clear aligners.
Better Fit
Aligners made from SmartTrack material are comfortable, fit well, and are easy to put on and take off.
Effective
Invisalign clear aligners can treat a wide range of teeth-straightening conditions, including crossbites, crowding, open bites, gapped teeth, overbites, and underbites.
Virtually Impossible
Most people won’t even know you’re going through treatment, because Invisalign aligners are virtually invisible!
Comfortable
Invisalign clear aligner trays are not only smooth and comfortable to wear, but they’re also removable. That means you can continue doing all the things you normally would, from brushing and flossing to eating whatever you like.
Convenient
Invisalign treatment is ideal for your busy schedule, since you only need to visit our office every six weeks.
The Invisalign Treatment Process
To learn more about the Invisalign system and all your orthodontic treatment options, please feel free to schedule an appointment at our office. We look forward to meeting you and helping you achieve a smile that’s made to move!
Invisalign® for Teens
No two teen cases are the same, which is why Align Technology is constantly advancing its Invisalign digital treatment solutions. This allows our office to deliver a unique, customized teeth-straightening solution that’s more precise and keeps your teen moving forward.
With the Invisalign system’s proprietary innovations, such as SmartTrack® material, your teen’s smile can transform up to 50% faster.* And as your teen becomes the person you’ve always seen, he or she will continue to enjoy the things that make your teen unique.
* With weekly aligner changes, compared with two-week aligner wear
** The Invisalign Teen Confidence Survey was conducted in 2014 and polled 3,577 U.S. teenagers ages 13–17 and 2,118 U.S. mothers of teens ages 13–17; plus an oversample of 101 mothers of teens ages 13–17 who wear or have worn Invisalign clear aligners. The survey was conducted by Kelton, a leading global consumer insights and research firm. Invisalign and the Invisalign logo, among others, are trademarks of Align Technology, Inc., and are registered in the U.S. and other countries.
TPDS Aligners
“Social 6” aligner treatment is ideal for patients looking to correct minor orthodontic issues. t is not uncommon for people to be generally happy with their smile but would like a little correction on their front 6 “smiling” teeth. For those people, TPDS Aligners could be the answer you’ve been waiting for. Whether you’ve got one particular tooth that you’re unhappy with, or you’ve stopped wearing your retainers and have noticed movement with your front few teeth, TPDS Aligners can be an attractive and cost-effective treatment option.
Our orthodontists’ custom designs your case to address your orthodontic needs utilizing the latest technology available.
For more information contact us for your complimentary consultation.
Airway Evaluation
You may be surprised to find out that orthodontics involves more than just straightening teeth. How you breathe has a direct impact on your oral health, so all patients can benefit from an airway evaluation by our orthodontists. Breathing problems are more often noticed in children. Airway issues are often caused by enlarged tonsils, adenoids, or turbinates. They could also be caused by improper jaw positioning. Our office often works hand in hand with local ENTs to aid in the correction of certain components of airway issues. However, treatment by an ENT alone may not fully address the entire concern. Additional orthodontic treatment may be required to fully resolve any airway issues.
Signs your child may not be breathing properly include:
- Mouth breathing
- Chronic sinus infection
- ADHD/hyperactivity
- Poor school performance
- Shallow, rapid breathing
- Poor sleeping habits
- Enuresis
Improper breathing leads to the tongue resting incorrectly in the mouth. This may lead to poor facial growth and cause teeth to come in crooked. Even if teeth are straightened with braces, they can become crooked again if breathing problems are not diagnosed and corrected properly.
Here are some benefits of airway treatment:
- Reduce or eliminate the need for braces
- Reduce or eliminate the need for jaw surgery
- Better sleep
- Improved overall health
Orthodontic Appliances
There are many different orthodontic appliances available to aid in reaching treatment goals. Some appliances are fixed or cemented to the patient’s teeth – typically the first molars. Others are Removable. Both types have their own advantages and disadvantages.
While the list below includes those that are common options, it is very important to note that each patient has different needs. Appliances will be chosen based on what issues should be addressed for each patient and which appliance will do the best job in reaching our treatment goals. The specifics of each appliance will be discussed during the Orthodontic Consult appointment, as well as during the delivery of the appliance after it has been fabricated.
