While there is no exact age for children to begin orthodontic treatment, the American Association of Orthodontists recommends visiting the orthodontist around age seven.

By this age, most children have a mix of baby teeth and adult teeth, making it easier for the orthodontist to diagnose and correct tooth and jaw problems sooner and without surgery.

Early treatment allows your orthodontist to:

• Correct and guide the growth of your child's jaw to help the permanent teeth come in straight
• Regulate the width of the upper and lower arches
• Create more space for crowded teeth
• Avoid the need for permanent tooth extractions later in life
• Correct thumb sucking and help improve minor speech problems

For parents, it's not always easy to know if your child may need orthodontic treatment.

Here are a few things to look for that may mean your child needs to see an orthodontist:

• Early or late loss of baby teeth
• A hard time chewing or biting food
• Mouth breathing
• Finger or thumb sucking
• Crowded, misplaced, or blocked teeth
• Teeth that come together abnormally, or do not come together at all
• Jaws and teeth that are not proportionate to the rest of the face

Please contact our practice to schedule an appointment for an orthodontic evaluation. Early treatment now will give your child a healthy, beautiful smile for the future.

Orthodontic treatment is no longer just for teens. In fact, the American Association of Orthodontists states that one in five orthodontic patients is over the age of 21. Many adults are choosing to receive treatment because they understand the importance of maintaining their health, and they want to feel better about their appearance. Adults everywhere are taking advantage of the opportunity to receive orthodontic care, and now you can too.

Common reasons why adults consider orthodontic treatment:

• A bad bite or malocclusion, causing teeth to fit together incorrectly
• Teeth are crowded or spaced apart, possibly causing tooth decay or gum disease
• Abnormal jaw pain, or pressure that is caused by crooked teeth
• Desire for a healthier mouth and a more confident smile

Treatment options for adults

For many adults, the thought of having metal braces is enough to discourage them from receiving treatment. However, today's orthodontic treatment options offer a variety of braces and appliances that are comfortable, aesthetic, and customized to meet your needs. Types of braces include:

• Clear braces
• Traditional metal braces

The difference between adult orthodontics and orthodontics for children and teens:

The main difference between orthodontics for adults vs children is that younger patients are still growing. For adults this may mean the possibility of orthognathic surgery to align the jawbones. Other differences include:

• Gum or bone loss (periodontal disease) — Adults are more likely than children to experience gum recession or even bone loss due to gingivitis or advanced periodontal disease. 
• Worn or missing teeth — Over time teeth can become worn down unevenly from grinding or chipping . Missing teeth can cause other teeth to shift and tilt, creating an unbalanced bite and increasing the possibility of gum disease.
• Incomplete orthodontic treatment as a teen — Many adults received some orthodontic treatment as a child or teen, but never completed their treatment. As an adult, they choose to complete their orthodontic treatment to achieve the healthy, beautiful smile they always wanted.
• Our practice also recognizes that adults and children have different needs, and require a different level of attention and care. We will work with you to ensure that you receive the most appropriate treatments, and that your needs are met with understanding and respect from us.

Why should you consider orthodontic treatment?

• Straight teeth are healthy teeth — Teeth that are properly aligned are easier to keep clean with flossing and brushing, and may help prevent other health problems.
• A beautiful, straight smile builds confidence — Orthodontic treatment can help boost your self-confidence, giving you a better quality of life and the freedom to smile without holding back!
• Mouths left untreated can get worse — Not receiving orthodontic treatment when it's needed can create long-term health issues costing you more in the end.

To learn more about the benefits of adult orthodontics please contact our practice to schedule an appointment. We understand that you have a busy schedule, and we will work with you to make sure each office visit is as convenient as possible.

What is the advantage of two-phase orthodontic treatment?

Planning for two-phases of treatment often means that there are severe dental problems in younger children who still have most of their primary teeth. Taking care of earlier growth related problems when children still have growth potential helps us to minimize many problems in the future 

What if treatment is put off?

Putting off treatment can result in a need for more invasive treatment later in life.

Phase One

The goal of Early Intervention or Phase One treatment is to help the jaw develop in a way that will accommodate all of the permanent teeth and improve the way the upper and lower jaws fit together. Children often exhibit early signs of jaw problems as they grow and develop. An upper jaw that is growing too much or is too narrow can be recognized at an early age. If children over the age of six are found to have this jaw discrepancy, they are candidates for early orthodontic treatment. Also, if children around the age of eight have crowded front teeth, early treatment can prevent the need to extract permanent teeth later.

• Children benefit tremendously from early-phase treatment. Receiving early treatment may prevent the removal of permanent teeth later in life, or the need for surgical procedures to realign the jaws. 
• Orthodontic records will be necessary to determine the type of appliances to be used, the duration of treatment time, and the frequency of visits. Records consist of models of the teeth, X-rays, and photographs. 

Observation Period

After Phase 1 most appliances are removed and teeth are allowed to erupt naturally for the next few years. Different types of retainers are provided to maintain the progress that was accomplished in Phase 1.

• At the end of the first phase of treatment, teeth are not in their final positions. Children in this age range are usually losing many of the primary molars and also undergoing their growth spurts. The transition to full adult dentition will be monitored to see if a second phase of orthodontics is necessary.

Phase Two

The second phase of treatment begins once all the permanent teeth have erupted. After you achieve the smile you’ve always wanted retainers are worn to prevent the teeth from shifting back to their original position.

Orthodontics is occasionally involved with other dental specialties when there is a need for gum surgeries, extractions, implants, or jaw surgery. Adult patients who have a skeletal imbalance between their upper and lower jaws may require a surgery to correct the foundation of their bite. Both Dr. Ken and Dr. Kevin communicate with maxillofacial surgeons around the Bay Area to ensure that you receive the best care possible. 

When might surgical orthodontics be needed?

Orthodontics in conjunction with orthognathic surgery is used to treat jaw discrepancies like severe underbites, facial asymmetries, and recessed jaw profiles. Other situations such as severe open bites, developmental syndromes, or sleep apnea may indicate a surgical correction.

How does orthodontics and orthognathic surgery work?

Usually braces are placed to achieve initial alignment of the upper and lower teeth independently to correct any initial crowding or alignment concerns. An oral and maxillofacial surgeon will then perform your orthognathic surgery in a hospital and allow you to heal for several weeks.The surgery corrects the major disharmonies in the bite and gets the teeth to fit together. The following months in braces fine-tune your bite just like every other orthodontic treatment.

What are the risks associated with orthognathic surgery?

As with any major medical surgery, there may be certain risks of having orthognathic surgery. However, the process of orthognathic surgery is not new, and it has been performed for many years in practices and hospitals. If you're concerned about an upcoming treatment with orthognathic surgery, please contact our practice and let us know. We are happy to answer any questions that you may have, and provide you with any additional information. Your comfort is important to us.

Appliance

Anything your orthodontist attaches to your teeth that moves your teeth or changes the shape of your jaw.

Archwire

The metal wire that acts as a track to guide your teeth as they move. It is changed periodically throughout treatment as your teeth move to new positions.

Band

A metal ring that is cemented to your tooth that goes completely around it. Bands provide a way to attach brackets to your teeth.

Bond

The seal created by orthodontic cement that holds your appliances in place.

Bracket

A metal or ceramic part cemented (“bonded”) to your tooth that holds your archwire in place.

Coil Spring

A spring that fits between your brackets and over your archwire to open space between your teeth.

Elastic (Rubber Band)

A small rubber band that is hooked between different points on your appliance to provide pressure to move your teeth to a new position.

Elastic Tie

The tiny rubber band that fits around your bracket to hold the archwire in place. They come in a variety of colors.

Headgear

Headgear uses an external wire apparatus known as a facebow to guide the growth of your face and jaw gently by moving your teeth into proper position. The force is applied to the facebow by a spring-loaded neck strap or head strap. The straps have a safety release that disconnects if the facebow is pulled or snagged.

Headgear Tube

A round, hollow attachment on your back bands. The inner bow of your headgear fits into it.

Hook

A welded or removable arm to which elastics are attached.

Ligature

A thin wire that holds your archwire into your bracket.

Lip Bumper

A lip bumper is an archwire attached to a molded piece of plastic. The lip bumper holds back the molars on your lower jaw to provide more space for your other teeth.

Mouthguard

A device that protects your mouth from injury when you participate in sports or rigorous activities.

Palatal Expander

A device that makes your upper jaw wider.

Retainer

An appliance that is worn after your braces are removed, the retainer attaches to your upper and/or lower teeth to hold them in place. Some retainers are removable, while others are bonded to the tongue side of several teeth.

Separator or Spacer

A small rubber ring that creates space between your teeth before the bands are attached.

Tie Wire

A fine wire that is twisted around your bracket to hold the archwire in place.

Wax

Wax is used to stop your braces from irritating your lips.

Orthodontic Procedures

Banding

The process of fitting and cementing orthodontic bands to your teeth.

Bonding

The process of attaching brackets to your teeth using special orthodontic cement.

Cephalometric X-ray

An X-ray of your head that shows the relative positions and growth of the face, jaws, and teeth.

Consultation

A meeting with your orthodontist to discuss a treatment plan.

Debanding

The process of removing cemented orthodontic bands from your teeth.

Debonding

The process of removing cemented orthodontic brackets from your teeth.

Impressions

A model of your mouth made by biting into a soft material that hardens into a mold of your teeth. Your orthodontist will use these impressions to prepare your treatment plan.

Invisalign®

An alternative to traditional braces, Invisalign straightens your teeth with a series of clear, custom-molded aligners. Invisalign can correct some, but not all, orthodontic problems.

Ligation

The process of attaching an archwire to the brackets on your teeth.

Panoramic X-ray

An X-ray that rotates around your head to take pictures of your teeth, jaw, and other facial areas.

• Teeth ALWAYS have a tendency to move back to the way they started, and unfortunately for most of us that isn’t straight! Consistency with your retainer is the biggest factor to maintaining your beautiful smile.
• Retainers are a life time commitment. Even 1, 2, or 10 years after your treatment you should still be wearing your retainers at night time to prevent any shifting of your teeth.
• When your retainer is not in your mouth, it should ALWAYS be in its case. Pets love to chew on them!
• Clean your retainers every day with a toothbrush and soft liquid soap. Avoid tooth pastes if possible since they can scratch or scuff up the retainers. Brushing your retainers removes plaque, bacteria, and old saliva to help eliminate odors.
• Initially, you may find it difficult to speak. Practice speaking, reading, or singing out loud to get used to it faster.Retainers are breakable, so treat yours with care. If your retainer gets lost or broken, call us immediately.
• If you have any questions or concerns about your retainer, or you believe it needs adjusting, call us. Do not try to adjust it yourself.
• Always bring your retainer to your appointments.
• Keep retainers away from hot water, hot car dashboards, pockets, the washing machine, and napkins.
• Clean the retainer thoroughly once a day with a toothbrush and toothpaste. Use warm but not hot water. Brushing retainers removes the plaque, and eliminates odors.
• Retainer replacements are expensive, but with proper care they will last for years!