Treatments

We strive to provide our patients with highly specialized and individual care. Our goal is to help you a achieve a beautiful and healthy smile.

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Phase 1 (Early Treatment)

The goal of the Phase I treatment is to develop well-oriented jaws, healthy bones and gums, and adequate room for permanent teeth. Children sometimes exhibit early signs of jaw problems or severe crowding as they develop. And certain problems can be better treated while the jaws and teeth are still developing.

Examples of situations that can benefit from early orthodontic treatment include:

Flared front teeth
Severe crowding where adult teeth lack room to erupt
Upper or lower jaw that grows too much or not enough, resulting in extreme overbite or underbite

Early treatment is not needed for most patients and is not a substitute for traditional adolescent orthodontics. We only recommend Phase I for problems that we are concerned will become worse or be more difficult to correct as jaw development completes. If your child is 6 years or older and you are concerned about their teeth or bite, please contact us for an evaluation.

Goals of Phase I treatment include:

Creating room for crowded, erupting teeth
Creating facial symmetry through guiding jaw growth
Reducing the risk of trauma to protruding front teeth

Braces

Metal Braces

Traditional metal braces are the backbone of orthodontic treatment. They were the first appliance that was widely used and considered effective in straightening teeth. Even today, they are still the most commonly used type of braces.

Metal braces have many benefits. They are highly effective, even when treating complex cases. Because they are mass produced, they are cheap. Finally, they are customizable with fun brackets, colors, and more.

Some patients are against wearing traditional metal braces because they have heard bad things about them. However, these are based on older versions. Modern metal braces are comfortable, smaller, and more effective than options from the past. Most any patient can benefit from wearing metal braces.

Ceramic Braces

Not everyone likes the look of traditional metal braces. For some, sporting a silver smile just isn’t ideal. However, sometimes there are orthodontic abnormalities that require the power of braces over clear aligners.

For individuals who need both the power of traditional braces and a more discreet look, there are ceramic braces. These braces have brackets that are colored to blend in with the teeth. While they are not fully invisible, they are much less visible than metal brackets.

There are limitations to ceramic braces. Because they are delicate, they can only be placed on the upper front teeth. They also stain easily. However, responsible patients who do not play contact sports can use them for a more discreet form of treatment.

Invisalign

If you want straighter teeth but do not like the way braces look, you still have options. One of those options is Invisalign. Invisalign uses clear aligners to gently but quickly move teeth into place. These aligners are made just for you based on digital scans of your mouth, allowing them to perfectly fit against your teeth, rendering them invisible to those around you. The are comfortable because they do not rub against the soft tissues of the mouth, and since you can remove them for eating, drinking, brushing, and flossing, they are also incredibly convenient.

Below are the types of Invisalign we provide:

Invisalign – Traditional Invisalign for Adults
Invisalign Teen – Similar to the traditional Invisalign with added features for teens
Invisalign First – Designed to straighten teeth in growing children

Airway Orthodontics

Restricted airways can cause significant health problems. From trouble sleeping to difficulty being active, people with restricted airways have a reduced quality of life. There are also secondary issues that can arise from restricted airways that can cause larger health problems. Orthodontists can treat restricted airways caused by problems with the alignment of the jaw. When they are not able to treat the cause of the problem, they can still take diagnostic images that other doctors can use in their treatment.