FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

WHAT IS THE RIGHT AGE FOR YOUR CHILD'S FIRST VISIT TO THE ORTHODONTIST? The most accurate answer to this most important question is that it depends on a number of factors. The guiding principle is that the more severe the problem, the earlier one should seek orthodontic treatment. In other words, a child with very crooked teeth, or very crowded or spaced teeth, or a significant overbite, underbite, or crossbite will often benefit from earlier orthodontic treatment than a child with less severe problems. The optimum time to begin treatment of a child with average orthodontic problems is slightly before they lose their last baby teeth. But if in doubt as to the significance or your child's orthodontic problems, it is always better to make their first visit earlier rather than later because it is never too early for a brief exam but it can be too late for some interceptive orthodontic care. It is this principle that underlies the American Association of orthodontists' current recommendation that all children receive an orthodontic evaluation at seven years of age. *Please click here for more information regarding Early Treatment

AM I TOO OLD FOR BRACES? You are never too old for braces just because of your age. The same characteristics that make a good younger orthodontic patient - healthy teeth and gums and a desire to improve - also make a good older orthodontic patient. As the adult population grows and places an ever-greater emphasis on optimizing their health, esthetics, and quality of life, more and more adults are pursuing orthodontic treatment. Recently, esthetic alternatives to conventional braces such as clear and even so-called "invisible" braces have encouraged may adults who were previously unable or unwilling to enter orthodontic treatment to pursue their dream of a beautiful smile. In fact, adults have been so enthusiastic about the available esthetic options provided by modern orthodontics that today adults comprise the fastest growing proportion of patients in orthodontic practice.

DO BRACES HURT? Having braces placed and having braces adjusted does not "hurt" in the sense of experiencing acute or sharp pain. Patients are never given numbing injections nor prescription pain medications as this is simply not necessary. Most all patients find orthodontic treatment to be a relatively easy and even a fun and rewarding experience. After initial placement of braces and after orthodontic adjustment appointments, patients do often feel some mild pressure or tenderness around their teeth. The feeling is nothing like a sharp "pain" but rather feels much like a slightly sore muscle after a good workout at the gym. Typically the tenderness goes away completely in one to three days and the patients' teeth feel just like normal or even better for the next four to eight weeks until the next adjustment. Perhaps the most telling fact about the ease of contemporary orthodontic treatment is that given the choice, the vast majority of patients prefer to come for adjustment more rather than less often, clearly feeling that the momentary tenderness of their teeth is more than worth it in order to achieve progress toward their goal of a great smile.

WILL BRACES KEEP ME FROM PLAYING SPORTS OR A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT?
The answer to this question is, 'No, No, No!!!" You can basically do anything in braces that you can do without braces. With minor accommodations, you should be able to play most any musical instrument, and a close-up look at the smiles of some of the most famous professional athletes (even NFL football players) demonstrates that with a proper mouth guard, you can play absolutely any sport in braces. The only difference will be that you will be playing your instrument or sport with a better bite and a more beautiful smile than you ever had before.

HOW LONG WILL TREATMENT TAKE?
The length for orthodontic treatment for each individual case varies and depends upon numerous variables: The difficulty of the case and the scope of treatment goals, patient compliance with elastics, headgear and/or any other prescribed appliance, patient avoidance of prohibited foods and excessive breakage of orthodontic appliances, patient maintenance of good oral hygiene, and patient's keeping all scheduled adjustment appointments.

Unlike many other areas of healthcare where the patient goes to the doctor and the doctor performs a procedure or prescribes a medication that "fixes" the patient's problem, orthodontics is truly a team effort. The orthodontist is the coach and the patient is his star player. As the coach, the orthodontist has the job of diagnosing or discovering the patient's or player's problems and developing a winning game plan to solve these problems. As the star player, the patient has the job of giving his very best effort to following the coach's instructions and implementing the game plan. At each adjustment appointment, the orthodontist evaluates treatment progress and coaches the patient to implement various aspect of the game plan in order to accomplish the winning case goals. Like in all team sports, it is teamwork in orthodontics that wins the "game" and achieves the most beautiful smile!

Individual variation is the absolute reality of orthodontic treatment time. However, as a general guideline, the more simple, limited orthodontic cases can often be treated in 8-12 months, the average comprehensive orthodontic case can often be treated in 18-24 months, and even the more sever, complex cases can often be treated in approximately 36 months.

As a final note, a time-tested truth in orthodontic treatment is that all things being equal, good patients finish first! An excellent patient who diligently follows all the directions of the orthodontist can sometimes even complete treatment early, while a patient with poor compliance can extend treatment time to double its predicted length or even more.

YOUR DENTIST
Involvement of a patient's family or pediatric dentist is a critical to successful orthodontic treatment. the primary care dentist and the orthodontic specialist must work together as a team to properly prepare the patient for orthodontics, to establish appropriate treatment goals and objectives to successfully achieve the desired changes and to perfect and maintain the final results.

Upon initiation of orthodontic treatment, you should never view this as a "leave of absence" from you general or pediatric dentist: in fact, just the opposite is true. While in orthodontic treatment, following you dentist's recommendations for timely recall exams and cleanings, and working with your dentist to identify and sequence additional dental needs is more critical than ever.

If you have no primary care dentist at the time you visit our office, we will be happy to assist you in selecting one of the outstanding general or pediatric dentists in your area.