FAQs

Orthodontics is the practice of moving teeth and modifying jaw growth to improve smiles and bites.

The American Association of Orthodontists recommends each child be screened for Orthodontic needs by age 7. An Orthodontist will let you know if treatment is necessary at that time, or if it should begin later, or not at all. Many problems that involve bites are not obvious to parents or patients who have not been educated about what to look for. Of course more obvious problems like crowding, spaces, front teeth that stick out, or lower teeth that bite on the outside of the upper teeth definitely need to be looked at by an Orthodontist.

Orthodontic treatment generally ranges from 6 months up to about 2½ years, but depends greatly on the severity of the problems. Bite problems are usually more complicated to treat than esthetic problems, so many mainly-cosmetic treatments will finish in a year or less.

With modern treatment techniques, we typically will only need to see our patients about every 6-8 weeks.

Just like the length of treatment varies greatly between patients, so does the cost. Since every patient is different, the only way to get an accurate fee quote is by scheduling a free consultation. Our fees typically run slightly below the average for our area.

Many dental plans have benefits for Orthodontic treatment. Sometimes there is an age limit that prevents adults from receiving any benefit, but we accept nearly all PPO insurance plans. Give us a call and we will be happy to verify if you have any Orthodontic benefits on your insurance plan. If you do not have any Orthodontic coverage, and are a cash patient, we give a discount that can bring the cost down for you.

The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that all children be screened by an Orthodontist by age 7. This does not mean that all children NEED braces at seven, but there are some children that–if not treated while young–may require much more extensive work, possibly even requiring compromises in treatment when older. However, NO PATIENT IS TOO OLD to be treated! We can always improve smiles and bites REGARDLESS of age.

In addition to regularly visiting your General Dentist, and keeping all your appointments with our office, you really only need to brush and floss as you did before getting braces. Of course with many more places for food and plaque to hide, it will take a bit longer to do just as good of a job as before! Using a Waterpik can be helpful as well. To care for the braces, make sure to stay away from hard or sticky foods and candy, as well as biting on objects such as pens, fingernails, or little brothers.

Actually it won’t hurt us at all! But seriously getting braces on is very much like starting a new exercise routine–the teeth are not used to moving yet, so there will be some initial soreness. Typically it’s no worse than what Tylenol or Advil can take care of, and usually lasts only about a week or two. Each time we adjust your braces, there may be a little soreness, but usually not as much as at first.

Yes! We have had football players, trumpet players, even a few boxers that have had braces! If you anticipate any jarring contact we recommend using a mouthguard to protect your lips and cheeks while playing. Just make sure not to use the boil-and-bite mouthguards, as they will prevent your teeth from moving the way we want them to!

Yes. If your teeth are crooked to begin with, then that’s what is natural for you. Making them straight puts them in a bit of an “unnatural” position. Everyone who has orthodontic treatment needs to wear a retainer–at least at night–to keep the teeth straight.

While everybody is different, the retainers need to FIT as long as you want your teeth to be STRAIGHT. For some people this means they need to wear them for a couple of years at night. For others, it may even mean a lifetime of wearing them to bed! BUT if you don’t have a problem remembering to put on your pajamas before bed each night, putting in a retainer won’t be any harder to remember! You just need to make the habit, and that only takes a couple of weeks.

Hard and sticky foods should be avoided, along with popcorn. Hard things break the brackets off the teeth. Sticky foods can too, but mostly just sit on the teeth a long time and can cause cavities. Popcorn leaves little orange husks up under the gums that can sit there for a long time, even after brushing. These husks can cause big problems if braces are on!

Call our office! Many things that patients believe are problems can be dealt with easily and quickly at home. For other things we will bring you into our office whenever is convenient for you to fix the problem. On rare occasions, we may need to see you right away. A staff member is always on call and can meet you at the office.

A free consultation is necessary in order to determine what problems you may have, and what will be the best way to address those problems. Next–usually at the same visit–we will take some pictures and one X-ray to look at the bone and roots of the teeth. From all this information, the Doctor creates a treatment plan. At the next visit the braces will be fixed to your teeth (or whichever appliance or system you need), and that’s it! Every six to eight weeks you will come in for a quick adjustment. When the teeth are straight, we remove the appliances and give you retainers to hold them. Then you enjoy your beautiful new smile!

Yes! Nobody is “too old” for orthodontic treatment. Teeth can move regardless of your age. We have several appliance systems (Clear, ceramic braces or Aligners) that are far less noticeable than traditional metal braces. Most of the time nobody will even know you are straightening your teeth, and will only notice that your smile is looking better!

The benefits are many: Self-confidence (you won’t need to avoid pictures or conversations!) Keeping your teeth healthy (straight teeth are MUCH easier to clean and will not need nearly as much dental work!). In kids, harmful habits like thumb-sucking can be eliminated, leading to fewer future dental or orthodontic problems. Early orthodontic treatment can prevent much more extensive work from being needed later (jaw surgeries or extraction of permanent teeth can be avoided). Plus LOTS more!

If you wear your retainer as instructed, you get to enjoy your new smile for a lifetime! You might even become more popular, rich, or famous! Just kidding–but then again, we’re NOT saying it WON’T happen either 🙂