Orthodontics
More and more adults today are seeking orthodontic treatment to improve their smile. Often times, because adults usually are more compliant in their orthodontic treatment, their results turn out far greater than with a child and or a teen. Orthodontic treatment is not only designed to improve your smile's appearance, but also, to improve the health of your teeth and gums. If you have crowded or overlapping teeth, you may be unable to reach those areas and run the risk of severe tooth decay, gum and bone loss, irregular wear of tooth enamel and possible TMJ/TMD pain. Recent improvements in traditional braces have resulted in smaller, stronger, more efficient and less conspicuous brackets. Conventional braces with metal brackets are the most familiar, however, clear and tooth-color ceramic and plastic brackets are now available.
Dr. Jory, an Invisalign dentist in Stockton, often recommends an Invisalign procedure rather than traditional braces. Invisalign is the breakthrough technology that lets you have the smile you've always wanted without the hassle of braces. By using a series of clear, removable aligners, Invisalign straightens your teeth with results you'll notice sooner than you think. The course of treatment involves changing aligners approximately every two weeks, moving your teeth into straighter position step-by-step, until you have a more beautiful smile. And unlike conventional braces, these clear aligners can be removed while you eat and brush your teeth as usual. An average Invisalign course of treatment takes about a year.
| Â | INVISALIGN | BRACES |
|---|---|---|
| Effectively treats a wide variety of cases, including crowding, spacing, crossbite, overbite and underbite. | X | X |
| Straightens your teeth | X | X |
| Average cost is about $5,000* | X | X |
| Allows you to eat whatever foods you enjoy | X | Â |
| Lets you remove the device when you want | X | Â |
| Lets you enjoy virtually invisible teeth-straightening | X | Â |
| Allows you to brush and floss your teeth normally for better periodontal health | X | Â |
| Consists of smooth, comfortable plastic instead of sharp metal that is more likely to irritate your cheeks and gums | X | Â |
| Frees up your busy schedule, with office visits only every four to six weeks | X | Â |
| Invisalign Teen: Provides up to six free replacement aligners if lost or broken.** | X | Â |
* November 2010 Invisalign Patient Survey
** Invisalign Teen Only
Invisalign Website
Invisalign Self Assessment
What do aligners look like?
Aligners are clear and nearly invisible. If you've ever seen clear teeth-whitening trays, that should give you a good idea of what the aligners look like. Invisalign aligners are custom-made to fit and move your teeth.
Will the treatment be painful?
Each time you change to a new aligner, there may be some temporary discomfort while your teeth adjust to their new position. This is completely normal, and is a good sign that the treatment is working.
Will wearing Invisalign aligners affect my speech?
Some people are affected more than others, but most adjust in a short period of time to the feeling of the aligners and do not have permanent changes in their speech.
How often will I have to wear my aligners?
Invisalign only works while you're wearing the aligners. It's recommended that you wear your aligners full-time, day and night, except to eat, brush, and floss your teeth.
What happens after treatment to prevent my teeth from moving again?
This varies person to person and depends on the outcome of the treatment. Some patients might need a positioner, or conventional retainer. Other patients might need a clear plastic retainer.
Invisalign is clear and practically invisible.
- Unobtrusive in business meetings or social gatherings
- No metal wires or bands to irritate your mouth
- Most people won't notice you're wearing aligners
Over one million patients, many whom are adults, have benefited from Invisalign. Invisalign offers the clinical outcomes people want, all with a removable appliance that's virtually undetectable when worn. It's an ideal solution for the majority of adults.
Invisalign Website
Invisalign Self Assessment
Invisalign Teen is the only clear orthodontic aligner therapy designed to address the unique concerns of treating non-adult comprehensive patients. Because aligners are removable, patients can continue to eat their favorite foods and brush and floss normally to help keep teeth and gums healthy.
Invisalign Teen has all the features of Invisalign Full, plus:
- Compliance indicators track the patient's approximate wear time and help provide reassurance for parents that the teen is being compliant.
- Six free individual replacement aligners are included with Invisalign Teen to replace lost or broken aligners.
- Many teens present for treatment with erupting permanent dentition, so Invisalign Teen has been engineered with a feature to help prevent supra eruption of the second molars.
Invisalign Website
Invisalign Self Assessment
Braces are bonded brackets, archwires and elastic bands that move crowded or spaced teeth into the proper position for appearance and function.
Over a period of time, teeth will shift if constant, gentle pressure is applied. Brackets are bonded to the front surface of each tooth and wires are attached to the brackets with elastic bands. The slight tension on the wire is gently transferred to the bracket through the elastic band.
Today's orthodontic treatment is faster, comfortable and more fashionable than ever for children, teens and adults.
Are you one of the millions of adults who are unhappy, self-conscious or even embarrassed of your smile?
Many adults spend their entire lives covering their mouths when they laugh, smile or talk. They feel stuck because they do not want to wear metal braces for years or they are concerned that other corrective procedures could be too invasive or too expensive. Now, there is an effective, safe and affordable cosmetic solution that fits your lifestyle.
A revolutionary combination of proven orthodontic techniques, modern materials, and innovative thought - Six Month Smiles® utilizes specialized clear braces to gently straighten and align teeth in an average time of just six months.
A gadget that the orthodontist gives you to wear after your braces are removed. The retainer attaches to your upper and/or lower teeth and holds them in the correct position. You wear the retainer 24 hours a day at first then at night to make sure that none of your teeth move while your jaw hardens and your teeth get strongly attached to your jaw.
When closing a diastema (gap between teeth), differing amounts of movement of the two teeth is often needed. In this appliance, coil springs are placed to the side of each tooth. An arch wire acts as a guide and keeps the teeth from tipping as the space is closed.
Anterior cross bites occur when the upper front teeth are inside of the lower front teeth. Over time, the lower jaw grows into a forward position abnormally, thus inhibiting the growth of the maxilla (roof of the mouth or upper jaw). Once the source of the interference causing the cross bite is eliminated, the appliance guides the maxilla back into position. The front of the appliance is moved outward through the tension of an expansion screw at the base of the unit while the back teeth are used for anchorage.
Class II - A malocclusion where the upper teeth stick out past the lower teeth commonly referred to as an 'over bite', 'over jet', 'deep bite' or 'buck teeth'.
A lower lingual arch is a space maintainer for the lower teeth. It maintains the molars where they are, it does not move them. It keeps the molars from migrating forward and prevents them from blocking off space of teeth that develop later. Used when early loss of baby teeth or when lower teeth are slightly crowded.
A palatal expander is an appliance placed in the roof of the mouth to widen the upper dental arch, which allows the arch to be painlessly separated and spread. A treatment used for younger patients. Many times a palatal expander can be used to create a proper alignment of the arches so permanent teeth have room to erupt in a natural position. Often, the use of an arch expander early may eliminate the need for braces later.
A posterior cross bite can appear at an early age, and depending on its cause (mal-positioned teeth or misaligned jaws) treatment may be warranted early. It can involve one or both sides of the molar area and in some cases in can cause a 'shift' of the bite. Many appliances are available for treating the condition and your dentist will discuss in detail the risks and benefits of treating a posterior cross bite.
A space maintainer is a removable or fixed appliance designed to maintain an existing space. They are usually fitted to children when they have lost baby teeth early. The gap left from losing this tooth needs to be held open for the permanent tooth to erupt in its correct position.
After completing orthodontic therapy it is not uncommon to still need a little fine tuning of tooth alignment. This is particularly true in patients who have undergone extensive orthodontic therapy and are simply 'burned out.'
This retainer is useful in correcting minor rotations and crowding. When worn, the spring action of the wires, provide a light force to align the teeth. The appliance is constructed to the 'ideal' setting and the patient's teeth adapt to their new position.
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