The aim of orthodontic treatment is a good bite—meaning straight teeth that mesh well with the teeth in the opposite jaw. A good bite makes it easier for you to bite, chew and speak. This can enhance your dental health and your overall health, and may improve self-esteem.

Orthodontic treatment is often part of a comprehensive dental health care plan. With good care, including orthodontic treatment when necessary, teeth can last a lifetime.

Treatment in children or teenagers who are still growing may yield results that may not be possible once the face and jaws have completed their growth.

A healthy bite is as important at age 60 as it is at age 16. Even though adults are no longer growing, they can also enjoy improvements that come from orthodontic treatment. Your age is not a consideration for orthodontic treatment. Healthy teeth can be moved at any age.

Orthodontic treatment is a smart investment in your dental, physical and emotional health.

Orthodontist are qualified dentists, who after graduating from dental school, go on to additional full-time university-based education in an accredited orthodontic residency program supervised by orthodontists. That training requires at least three academic years .By learning about tooth movement and guidance of facial development , orthodontists are the only educated experts in dentistry to straighten teeth and align jaws.

For the first year of being braces free, you should aim to wear your retainers 24 hours/day. When your orthodontist feels confident that you are achieving some stability, they will give you the go-ahead to transition to nighttime only wear. You should continue wearing your retainer every night until you have been in retainers for about a year. After a year has passed, you should be okay to wear your retainer every other night or all night for the rest of your life.

If you ever feel that your retainer feels tight, you should resume wearing it every night until the retainer slightly loosens into a more comfortable position. As you age your teeth will begin to naturally shift forward. This process doesn’t happen instantly, but over time it can have a noticeable effect on your smile. Wearing your retainers regularly will help prevent this from happening.

During your orthodontic treatment the bone and elastic tissues (the periodontal ligament) around your teeth are manipulated to allow the teeth to move into their new positions. When your braces are removed your mouth needs time to adjust to the new tooth positions and retainers allow this to happen in an orderly fashion.

Regardless of whether you had traditional braces or Invisalign treatment, you will still need to wear a retainer in order to maintain the results achieved through orthodontic treatment. Without consistent wear for the rest of your life, you risk the chance of your teeth returning to their pre-orthodontic position.

Early or late loss of baby teeth (your child should typically start losing teeth around age five, and will have all their permanent teeth around age 13)

Difficulty chewing and/or biting

Mouth breathing

Your child continues sucking their thumb after age five

Speech impediments

Protruding teeth (the top teeth and the bottom teeth extend away from each other)

Teeth that don't come together in a normal manner or even at all

Shifting of the jaw when your child opens or closes their mouth (crossbites)

Crowded front teeth around age seven or eight

The First Phase

Children can show signs of developing jaw problems as they grow. For example, sometimes the upper jaw, lower jaw, or both may be growing too quickly or too slowly, creating an imbalance. In many cases, an area of concern may be visible from very early on. A child displaying jaw asymmetry who is at least six years old typically will be a candidate for first phase orthodontic treatment. The initial stage of the procedure is designed to help build a strong, healthy foundation for the permanent teeth that will one day erupt. We do this by gradually adjusting jaw size to improve bite alignment and function for the life of your child’s smile.

Making a Plan

Our phase one treatment is designed to work with your child’s natural development. The orthodontic appliances help adjust the shape of the upper and lower jaw as they are growing, which can minimize discomfort and improve the treatment experience. Furthermore, this can establish adequate room for when the adult teeth come in. Crowding, and therefore the need to remove permanent teeth, can be significantly reduced.

Customizing Treatment

At our practice, we specialize in tailoring treatment to best suit you and your child’s needs and goals. We will begin by creating records that detail the type of orthodontic appliances to be used over the course of the first and second phase. Additionally, we will determine the expected length of treatment time and how often you should schedule appointments. Other records we will utilize include models of teeth, photographs, and X-rays.

Resting Phase

Between phase one and phase two is a period of rest. During this time, the adult teeth are given time to finish erupting. The first phase is designed to create the necessary jaw space for the permanent teeth to fit comfortably without crowding, impaction, or displacement. However, this doesn’t mean that the teeth will naturally settle into their final positions. Some individuals will need to wear a retainer to help maintain the results of phase one, but this will depend on your child’s unique plan.

School may be out, but there is a summer session. During the resting phase, we will monitor your child’s progress with occasional check-ins. If some of the baby teeth are slowing or disrupting the emergence of the permanent teeth, one or more may need to be removed. In most cases, we recommend scheduling an appointment every six months.

The Second Phase

The second stage of treatment typically will be easier and faster as a result of going through phase one. At this juncture, teeth will be moved into their functionally and aesthetically ideal positions. This phase typically begins when most if not all of the permanent teeth have erupted.

We will continue to utilize the orthodontic records and treatment plan developed when we began phase one. Braces are the most common orthodontic devices used at this point, and they will likely be applied to both the upper and lower teeth. Most treatment plans require about 24 months to complete, although your child’s experience may vary. For a certain period after the braces are removed, a retainer should be worn to help maintain the results long-term. We will be happy to discuss the details of your child’s unique treatment with you during your appointment.