For most people, achieving a healthy, beautiful smile is the reason to receive orthodontic care. If you’re self-conscious about your smile, correcting your concerns with braces will greatly improve the way you look and feel.
When your treatment is complete, you will have the smile you’ve always dreamed of, and the confidence to show it off! We also want you to feel comfortable and confident throughout your entire orthodontic experience. Our practice is dedicated to making sure you receive the quality care you deserve.
How Orthodontic Treatment Works
Orthodontic appliances are made of metal, ceramic, or plastic. They may be removable or they may be brackets bonded to the teeth. By placing a constant, gentle force in a carefully controlled direction, braces slowly move teeth to the proper position.
Gone are the days when a metal band with a bracket was placed around each tooth. You can now choose clear or metal brackets and, in some cases, the color of your appliance. Wires are far less noticeable, and the latest materials are designed to move teeth faster with more comfort. Today, any age is a great time to wear braces!
Duration of Treatment
Treatment time varies and can last between one and three years, depending on several factors, including age, treatment method, and how minor or severe your case is. A big factor in a successful treatment is you! The more involved and diligent you are, the more efficient your treatment will be. For children, receiving interceptive or early treatment can also help provide a quicker treatment time.
Before beginning your orthodontic care, Dr. Carrie will discuss all your options and provide an estimate for how long your full treatment may take. Please contact our practice to schedule an appointment and learn more about orthodontics and the treatments we provide.
Treatment Options
Invisalign®
Imagine a braces treatment that doesn’t use wires or metal brackets, a treatment that is virtually pain-free and doesn’t require you to change your current lifestyle. Not everyone is a good candidate for Invisalign, but you can definitely discuss your options with Dr. Carrie at your initial consultation. It is often a great choice for our adult patients. With Invisalign, you can straighten your teeth and experience the benefits of a great smile without having to deal with a mouth full of metal! Invisalign uses a series of clear, removable, comfortable aligners that straighten teeth.
Clarity™
Orthodontic treatment no longer means having a mouth full of unsightly metal wires and brackets. Clarity self-ligating braces are an aesthetic alternative to traditional metal braces. Clarity braces are clear, small in size, and customized to fit your teeth and mouth. Clarity braces are safe and effective, and are a great option for patients of all ages.
Dentofacial Orthopedics
What is dentofacial orthopedics? Many patients wonder what it means when their orthodontist specializes in dentofacial orthopedics. This means your doctor has training and experience in working with the management of tooth movement (orthodontics) as well as the guidance of facial growth and development (dentofacial orthopedics), which usually occurs during childhood.
TMJ/TMD Treatments
What is TMJ/TMD and why does it matter to you? Temporomandibular Disorder is a condition in which the joints in your jaw become sore and movement is restricted. Millions of Americans suffer from chronic face and neck pains as well as recurring headaches. These can all be signs of a TMD/TMJ condition that may require treatment.
Surgical Orthodontics
Orthodontics is designed to reposition and straighten teeth, but surgical orthodontics may be needed in some cases to correct more severe jaw irregularities. Surgical orthodontics is used to straighten the jaw into alignment, which often improves a patient’s ability to chew, speak, and breathe. Braces are often worn in conjunction with orthodontic surgery to make sure the teeth stay in the proper position as well.
We have an entire page on surgical orthodontics, visit there to learn more!
Ideal Bracket Placement
If your gums haven’t receded properly, or if a tooth is erupting slower than expected, a laser can be used to remove excess tissue and reveal enough tooth surface to place a bracket.
Impacted Teeth
Impactions refer to teeth that haven’t erupted properly through the gums. By using laser treatment, we can assist a tooth’s eruption without the need to wait months for the tooth to erupt on its own, or to refer an expensive surgical procedure.
Aesthetic Gingival Recontouring
Following the removal of your braces, Dr. Thangamani may recommend recontouring your gum line to maximize the aesthetics of your smile. Aesthetic gingival recontouring is a procedure to reshape the gum line and improve the aesthetics of your smile by exposing more of your teeth. Dr. Carrie will use a laser to remove excess gum tissue around the upper teeth to make them look longer. If the gum line is uneven, aesthetic gingival recontouring can also sculpt it to produce a more symmetrical, balanced smile.
AcceleDent® Aura
You want to improve the look of your smile, but does the thought of spending months, or even years, in braces sound like too much of a hassle? With AcceleDent® Aura, you can now speed up your tooth movement by up to 50%! Using this pain-free, easy appliance, you’ll achieve your most perfect smile in no time at all.
It’s Fast.
AcceleDent Aura is a light, comfortable, and hands-free appliance that is used 20 minutes per day as a complement to orthodontics. The exclusive SoftPulse Technology’s™ precisely-calibrated micropulses gently accelerate the movement of your teeth as they’re guided by your orthodontics.
It’s Gentle.
With patented SoftPulse Technology, AcceleDent Aura’s micropulses allow your teeth to move more quickly. The micropulses actually exert much less force (up to eight times less) than a power toothbrush!
It’s Safe and Reliable.
The best part of AcceleDent Aura is that it’s safe as demonstrated in US clinical trials. AcceleDent has been prescribed to thousands of patients worldwide since its introduction in 2009. Cleared by the United States Food and Drug Administration, AcceleDent is only available by prescription from your orthodontist.
The benefits of AcceleDent Aura will make you smile!
- You’ll accelerate your orthodontic experience without sacrificing aesthetics.
- AcceleDent can be used for adolescents, teens, and adults, and it is completely safe for patients of all ages.
- The AcceleDent appliance is lightweight and comfortable. You may even forget you’re using it!
- The hands-free design allows you to achieve a beautiful, straight smile faster than you ever thought possible — even while reading, watching television, listening to music, or doing school work.