Frequently Asked Questions

Braces not only straighten your teeth and give you a beautiful smile, they can also help correct your bite to ensure healthy teeth, gums and jaws.

The ideal age to see an orthodontist is age 7. Early (aka Interceptive) Orthodontic Treatment may benefit growing kids while they still have not lost all of their baby teeth. Indications for treatment include: Anterior and/or posterior crossbite Buck teeth/ proclined incisors Severe crowding Early loss of baby teeth Harmful habits (thumb sucking) Impacted teeth Asymmetric or poor jaw growth

While many problems can be avoided if treatment is implemented at the correct time, it is never too late to improve your smile and bite. 30% of orthodontic patients are adults.

The length of treatment will depend upon how severe the orthodontic problem is. Most commonly, treatments range from 12-30 months, with the average orthodontic treatment lasting approximately 22 months.

Yes! During your orthodontic treatment, it is very important for you to continue seeing your dentist for cleanings and check-ups every 3-6 months.

Depending on each patients specific needs, most appointments will be scheduled between 4-8 weeks.

It is not painful to put braces on. The teeth are polished and then braces are placed on each tooth using a light cured adhesive paste. The last step is attaching the wire.

A few days of minor sensitivity following adjustment of your braces is normal during orthodontic treatment. We recommend eating softer foods and taking an over the counter pain reliever, like Tylenol or Advil, if necessary.

You will want to avoid eating really hard, sticky and chewy foods that could break and damage your braces. These include hard and sticky candies, hard nuts and crusty breads. Don’t stop eating the healthy, crunch fruit and veggies; just cut them into small bites and eat them with the back teeth.

Many factors are involved in calculating the cost of your customized orthodontic treatment, including the severity of malocclusion, time of treatment and type of appliances used (ie, metal or clear braces or Invisalign).

Yes, you can continue to play the same sports with your braces! Specific mouthguards are available specifically designed for braces (not the “boil and bite” kind). We recommend: www.shockdoctor.com/braces-mouthguard

Many orthodontic treatments are possible using clear aligners, like Invisalign. Since Invisalign needs to be worn 22 hours a day, the discipline required to wear the aligners as indicated is one of the most important factors in deciding if Invisalign is right for you. If you would like to know if you are a candidate, come in for a complimentary consultation. You can even get a preview of what your new smile could look like.

Like orthodontic treatment with braces, the cost of Invisalign is based on many factors, including severity of malocclusion and treatment time.

If one of the braces becomes loose, please call our office so that we can schedule your appointment with adequate time to adhere the bracket to your tooth. Be careful, often loose braces are due to eating food that is too hard.

If there is a sharp part of the braces poking, you can use relief wax to cover the sharp area until you can come in to have it adjusted. If you don’t have wax, you can chew a piece of sugar-free gum and place it over the sharp area.