Orthodontics : Keep Your Smile Alive

An orthodontist can serve as a smile-saver for people of any age. Most orthodontists recommend that children go in for a consultation by the time they are seven. Keep reading to learn more about how to tell if your child should see an orthodontist.

Pay attention to when your child loses his or her baby teeth, as both early and late loss of teeth can signify the need for orthodontic treatment. If a child has problems chewing or biting or teeth that meet abnormally, it could also indicate a problem. Children who suck their thumbs or breathe through their mouths should also see an orthodontist determine if those habits could be signs that orthodontic treatment is necessary.

When the time comes for you or your kids to see an orthodontist, Our Dental Office is here for you. With our commitment to straight teeth, we can resolve your issues and give you a beautiful smile. Call us for more information.

In the past, many people shied away from treatment at the orthodontist that could have given them a better smile because of the many downsides of metal braces. Invisalign has revolutionized the art of straightening teeth, however, and now it is easier than ever to get a beautiful smile. Keep reading to find out how this method trumps traditional metal braces:

Invisalign Offers a Shorter Treatment Time
Generally, Invisalign only requires six to 15 months to provide noticeable results that lead to a nicer smile. This short treatment time is one of the reasons why so many orthodontic patients choose Invisalign to straighten their teeth and get the smile they want.

Invisalign is a Subtle Treatment Option
Invisalign aligners are clear, which means that a person can wear them without anyone else knowing about it. Metal braces are extremely noticeable and make many people feel self-conscious throughout the duration of their treatment time. If you want to get straighter teeth without being so obvious about your treatment, Invisalign might be the right treatment option for you.

Invisalign Makes It Easy to Keep the Mouth Clean
Regular oral hygiene is always important, and Invisalign makes it easy to keep up with brushing and flossing. Since the aligners can be easily removed, patients have easy access to their teeth and gums. This allows them to get rid of food buildup and bacteria that would otherwise harm their oral health.

At our Dental Office, we want you to be proud of your smile. With state-of-the-art equipment and a qualified orthodontic team, we make it easy get straight, healthy teeth. Come in today to learn about Invisalign and how it can work for you. Call us for more information on our services.

Having straight teeth can make it easier to bite, chew, and speak. A proper bite can also make it easier for a person to have healthy teeth and gums. Properly aligned teeth and jaws can even prevent certain health problems. They can also help create a more aesthetically appealing smile and make a person feel confident and happy with his or her appearance. Call us to find out more about the advantages of getting straighter teeth through orthodontic treatment.

Our Dental Office is here to help you get straight teeth to help boost your health and confidence. We work with our patients to determine their specific needs and to find the best way to meet those needs. Call us to learn more about the orthodontic services we offer.

Gum disease is a serious affliction that can eventually lead to tooth loss and other medical issues. Knowing about periodontal disease and how to fight it can help you maintain a clean and healthy mouth. Keep reading to learn more about gum disease:

Gingivitis
Gum disease ranges in severity. Gingivitis is the mildest form of it and leads to gums that swell, turn red, and even bleed. The most common cause for gingivitis is poor oral health, but other factors can also contribute to this form of gum disease. Diabetes, smoking, stress, hormonal fluctuations, and certain medications can all lead to gum issues. Talk to your orthodontist if you think you might have gingivitis so you can come up with a solution to reverse the condition.

Periodontitis
It is important to get gingivitis treated or it might advance to periodontitis. If left untreated, periodontitis can break down the tissues that keep the teeth stable and damage the supporting bone of the jaw. The more advanced periodontitis grows, the bigger the gaps between the teeth and gums can become. Without proper treatment, this can loosen the teeth and cause tooth loss to occur, which can lead to the need for more invasive treatments in the future.

Other Factors
Some patients who are in otherwise good health suffer from aggressive periodontitis that leads to rapid bone loss. Others deal with chronic periodontitis that causes inflammation in the tissues. Periodontitis can also occur as a side effect of systemic diseases like heart disease, respiratory disease, or diabetes.

If you think you might have gum disease, make an appointment with our Dental Office today. Our orthodontics team is here to help you maintain healthy teeth and gums. Call our office to learn more about our services.

Orthodontics: Braces Will Straighten Your Teeth

The main way that we realign the teeth these days is with the use of braces. This is something that is insanely common here in the United States, so common, in fact, that one out of every three people in the country will, at some point, have their teeth realigned with the use of this amazing series of pieces designed to help put the appropriate force on the teeth. This being the case, there’s been a constant improvement in the technology that we use to realign the teeth, and I do mean constant. There is a lot of improvement yet to come, I’m sure, but for the time being, we’ve still made a whole lot of progress when it comes to fixing the alignment of our teeth, and no mistake.

Now, if you pay attention to the way that technology goes, you can always find a pattern. In some cases, the pattern is that things are getting bigger (like when it comes to televisions), or they’re getting more defined (again, we’re talking about televisions and the like, although in an interesting twist, you can actually watch the evolution of the cellphone go from big to small to large again as soon as we were able to use the internet in order to watch things like television shows or Netflix. If you can figure out the demands that people will have, you can literally watch as the technology charts its course.

So, having said all of that, here are just a few things that have been done to improve the standard metal braces since it came out in the seventies, or to improve on the design in some way.

1. Ceramic or porcelain brackets

The first big upgrade was the use of things like ceramic or porcelain brackets. I know, this doesn’t sound like a big deal to a lot of people, but the reality of the matter is that one of the biggest complaints that people had when it comes to the whole idea of braces was that they are, in fact, so very visible. You see, it’s very hard to hide the fact that you have a mouthful of metal, and the only thing you could do to hide it, for a long time, is to never smile and to never talk in public if you want to make sure that no one knew you had braces for kids, teens, or adults.

With the advent of porcelain and ceramic brackets, though, you had a big change in how discreet your brackets were. No longer were they something that you had to work hard to hide, but rather, you only had to worry about hiding the long metal wire that goes around brackets. Having said that, no, you couldn’t replace that wire with anything ceramic or porcelain, and so far, they haven’t developed a bracket that has the same amount of ability to hold the tension required in order to allow the teeth to realign.

2. New metals

Now, another big upgrade is that they changed the metals that you use in the whole thing. Now, if you skip over the ceramic options, you can get newer metals, metals that are more long-lasting than the ones that came before. You see, for a long time, the problem that came up from time to time was that, well, the mouth just isn’t a hospitable place. When you leave your brackets in the mouth, they wear down. Now, on the other hand, these newer metals are more able to last long without having any issues with them falling apart or anything similar, and this is a good thing for you if you’ve got them in your mouth for a long time.

3. Invisalign

Invisalign is basically a rebuild of the idea, starting from the ground up. Invisalign is a series of retainers, basically, which are made of hard plastic, and when they are put in the mouth, they slowly realign the teeth in order to make them more and more straight, until you get done with the treatment plan and, hopefully, you end up with teeth that are straight and a smile that you can be proud to show off for the rest of your life. It also allows you to do the work of fixing it with a lot less hassle than you would think.

So, in the long term, braces have changed, and over time, they’re going to continue to change, and the reason that they’re changing is that we have new demands on what we’re doing and how we like to live.

Our Practice

You have chosen a professional team that will do their utmost to serve you and your family. We realize you have choices in your orthodontic provider and we thank you for the confidence and trust you have placed in our office. Know that we are dedicated to you and your child’s needs. You can be confident that you have made the right selection!

You can expect cutting edge technology and vast experience in this office. Each of the doctors is committed to the field of orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics, and they will provide the best possible and most timely treatment modality for you or your child. All are honor graduates and recipients of numerous awards. All are active in national and local professional associations. Our doctors are supported by an experienced team of certified assistants and an extremely knowledgeable administrative staff.

We believe that continuing education for our doctors and staff is crucial in order to provide the highest quality and most up to date treatment approach. As such, our office is committed to an ongoing education program, encompassing the latest in the vastly changing world of orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics.

Our Treatment Approach

Our examination process is thorough and complete. We will outline functional, cosmetic, and treatment goals…tailored, of course, to the specific needs of each patient. All findings and recommendations will be explained to you and your child in a manner that is easy to understand. We want you to be completely comfortable with our treatment plan; we love to answer questions so please feel free to talk to the doctors and staff at any time. Find more information here: McOmie Cosmetic Dentistry
e are committed to keeping your dentist informed of our orthodontic progress. We will work in concert with your general dentist, periodontist, oral surgeon and any other health professional participating in your case. Ongoing communication between all parties involved is our forte!

We are fortunate to have an in house laboratory, manned by our own extremely experienced technicians. Because of this, we can provide the highest level of quality control and the convenience of fast appliance fabrication. This translates into highly efficient treatment timing, so we can provide you with the optimal care and hence, the optimal outcome.

Long term, supervised retainer checks, visits, and adjustments are included in your fee. Should you ever have a problem with a retainer, or questions about your case, we are only a phone call away.

For Your Convenience

It is important to us that our patients miss as little work or school as possible. Therefore, we strive to schedule appointments so that each patient receives their fair share of the most desired appointment times. We will work with you to make appointments as convenient as possible.
You can reach us when you need to. Orthodontic emergencies are rare, however we still maintain round-the-clock emergency coverage. You can reach us most any time….even on the weekends. The emergency pager number is provided on the office recording should you need to reach us after hours. If an emergency appointment is necessary, we have time reserved in the daily schedule to accommodate your need. Again, we are only a phone call away.

We have flexible monthly payments, outside financing options, and are able to answer all your insurance questions. Our administrative staff is happy to arrange a plan that is easy on your budget, without hidden costs. Let us help you achieve your orthodontic goals without the worries of financing.