About Braces

The goal of orthodontic care is not only to make your smile more beautiful but also to improve your overall oral health. Misaligned teeth and incorrect bites can contribute to tooth decay, gum disease and even tooth loss. A poor bite can be the instigator of jaw joint pain or dysfunction (TMJ.) Receiving orthodontic treatment can build confidence in your smile, improve oral hygiene and alleviate or prevent pain and discomfort in your mouth or jaw.

Your dentist and orthodontist work together with you to form a team committed to your best possible oral health. The orthodontist specializes in tooth movement and guiding facial development, while the dentist is concerned with helping you maintain good oral hygiene, even more important while wearing braces.

The ideal time for a first orthodontic appointment is at around age seven. This allows the orthodontist to recommend the best time for treatment, which often doesn’t start until age nine or older. However, even adults can realize numerous benefits from orthodontic care. Just because you didn’t receive orthodontic care as a child doesn’t mean it’s too late!

Your treatment with braces won’t require any major lifestyle changes. Certain foods will be off-limits, such as caramels, popcorn and chewy candy. You may experience some minor discomfort after adjustments. But advances in orthodontic care have helped make fewer, less frequent visits necessary to achieve a much-improved smile and a healthier mouth.

Types of Braces

We offer several styles of braces. The well-recognized standard is braces that are attached on the cheek side of teeth. We offer these in metal or less-visible ceramic.

There's an even less-visible alternative that we offer--braces that attach on the tongue side of teeth . For more information about iBraces, visit their website or call our office today.

For many of our patients, we use the latest orthodontic technology--self-ligating braces. These speed up your treatment by eliminating friction between wires and brackets. Self-ligating braces require fewer adjustments and appointments and generally provide a more comfortable experience. When you come in for your first appointment, we'll discuss which type of braces will be best for your treatment.