FAQs About Braces
1. What is orthodontics?
Orthodontics is the branch of dentistry that specializes in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of dental and facial irregularities.
2. How is an orthodontist different than a dentist?
An orthodontist is a specialist who has completed two to three years of advanced education following dental school to learn the special skills required to manage tooth movement and facial development.
3. What are some signs that braces may be needed?
- Upper front teeth protrude over the lower teeth, or are bucked
- Upper front teeth cover most or all of the lower teeth when biting together (deep bite)
- Upper front teeth are behind or inside the lower front teeth (underbite)
- The upper and lower front teeth do not touch when biting together (open bite)
- Crowded or overlapped teeth
- The center of the upper and lower teeth do not line up
- Finger or thumb sucking habits which continue after age six
- Difficulty chewing
- Speech difficulties related to the positions of teeth
- Teeth wearing excessively or unevenly
- The lower jaw shifts to one side or the other when biting together
- Spaces between the teeth
- One or more upper teeth fit behind or to the tongue side of the lower teeth when biting together (crossbite)
4. What are some benefits of orthodontic treatment?
- A more attractive smile
- Reduced appearance-consciousness
- Better function of the teeth
- Possible increase in self-confidence
- Increased ability to clean the teeth and gums
- Improved force distribution and wear patterns on the teeth
- Better long-term health of teeth and gums
- Guide permanent teeth into more favorable positions
- Reduce the risk of injury to protruded front teeth
- Aid in optimizing other dental treatment
- Better lip closure
- Reduced need for extractions of teeth
- May eliminate the need to replace missing teeth
- Reduced pressure and strain on the jaw joints
5. At what age should a child have an orthodontic screening?
Age 7, unless you or your dentist suspect a problem at an earlier age.
6. Why are children being treated at an earlier age?
Early treatment, before the eruptions of all the permanent teeth, can guide erupting teeth into more favorable positions, open and preserve space for permanent teeth, and avoid the fracture of vulnerable front teeth. Also, early treatment may shorten the total treatment time, make extractions of permanent teeth unnecessary, make the final result more stable, and make treatment easier and, in some cases, less expensive.
7. What are the social benefits of early treatment?
Appearance at an early age has been related to self-esteem, popularity, social behavior, and personality style. Early treatment may reduce appearance consciousness and the emotional scarring that can occur during critical developmental years. Also, young children are generally very receptive and, in fact, quite excited about orthodontic treatment.
8. When is an adult too old for orthodontic treatment?
Any adult who has healthy teeth and gums is never too old for treatment. With advances in clear braces and clear removable aligners, adult treatment is becoming more and more popular.
9. How much do braces cost?
That depends on the difficulty of your treatment. Dr. Damon will estimate your treatment time according to the difficulty of your corrections and you will then be given a treatment fee. We stress that the fees are determined on a sliding scale. One-fee-fits-all is used in some offices, but may not be fair to those people with minor problems.
10. Is a referral from my family dentist required?
No, you do not need a referral. Many of our patients are referred by their general dentist, yet many others take the initiative to schedule their own consultation.
11. How do braces work?
Braces use steady gentle pressure to gradually move teeth into their proper positions. The brackets that are placed on your teeth and the archwire that connects them are the main components. When the archwire is placed into the bracket slots, it tries to return to its original shape. As it does, it applies gentle pressure to move your teeth to their new, more ideal positions.
12. How long will my treatment take?
That will be determined at your first visit or when you are actually ready for braces or some other treatment. Phase I or early treatment is often around 6 months while Phase II or full braces ranges from just a few months to 2 years. Treatment with clear aligners, such as Invisalign, has a range similar to full braces.
13. Will I have to have teeth extracted?
It is much less common today to extract permanent teeth prior to braces than it was in the past. Today we can use expanders and superelastic archwires to broaden your dental arches and thereby avoid extractions.
14. How often will I have appointments?
Once in braces, you will be seen approximately every 6 weeks. Years ago, patients had many more appointments at shorter intervals. This was due to the stiffness of the archwires available at that time. Today, “memory” wires allow extended, yet gentle, wire activations that last for many weeks, even months.
15. Will I need to keep seeing my family dentist while in braces?
Yes, you will need to return to your family dentist, as usual, for cleanings and general exams. In addition to our efforts to maintain your good hygiene, it is especially important at this time that your dentist is also monitoring the condition of the gums and enamel.
16. Do braces hurt?
The placement of brackets (braces) and bands on your teeth does not hurt. You may experience some soreness of your teeth starting several hours after the placement of your braces, which may last from one to four days. Your lips and cheeks may need one to two weeks to get used to braces. We’ll provide you with all the tools necessary to make this adjustment period as comfortable as possible.
17. Will braces interfere with sports?
No. However, it is recommended that you protect your teeth by wearing a mouthguard when participating in any contact sport. While in braces, we recommend a flexible boil-in-water mouthguard which can be reshaped as needed. After braces, custom-made mouthguards, which are more rigid, are available through our office.
18. Do braces interfere with playing musical instruments?
No. However, for some instruments (most wind instruments) there is an initial adjustment period. If necessary, a custom lip-protector can be fabricated or wax may be used during the adjustment period.