Orthodontics

Orthodontics in Bradenton, FL

Orthodontics is the specialty of dentistry that involves changing the position of teeth in your mouth, using braces or other orthodontic technologies. Using either brackets & wires or clear aligners, orthodontics can reposition your teeth in a variety of ways. It can straighten rotated teeth, separate crowded or overlapped teeth & close gaps between teeth.

Improve Your Smile With Orthodontics

Improving your smile with orthodontics can increase your confidence & self-esteem. But straight teeth are beneficial for more than just your appearance. When teeth are not properly aligned, they can be difficult to clean well enough to prevent tooth decay. If you can’t get floss between your teeth to clean out plaque, you risk unchecked tooth decay & gum disease.

Additionally, orthodontics can be used to treat problems with how the teeth of your upper & lower jaws line up, known as your bite. Called malocclusion by dentists, you might have an underbite, overbite or crossbite that can cause a host of issues. For example, misaligned teeth may rub against each other or collide, wearing them down unnecessarily; or a misaligned jaw may cause TMD symptoms, such as pain in the head, neck or shoulders.

The Best Time For Orthodontic Treatment

The best time to get orthodontic treatment is between the ages of 10 & 14 while the teeth are still moving into their final places. However, teeth move throughout life, so there isn’t a bad time to get treatment. In fact, adults are straightening their teeth more commonly these days due to the benefits to both appearance & functionality of straight teeth, as well as the increased options available to them.

Traditional braces, using metal brackets & wires, are still common, but cost & treatment times have gone down over the years. Some braces systems were created to be quick, with treatment as short as six months. There are even ceramic or plastic options that are less visible than the metal brackets. And, of course, clear aligners are very popular because they are not visible & can be removed.

While orthodontic technologies work moving your teeth, it’s important to keep up with regular cleaning habits & visits to your dentist. If you have traditional braces, you might be tempted to skip flossing, but because food easily gets stuck in the hardware & between moving teeth, it’s even more important to floss every day, or even after every meal. Your dentist will show you how to thoroughly clean around your braces, including how to use threader tools to get floss behind the wires.

Cleaning your teeth is much easier with clear aligners, as you simply need to remove the aligners to brush & floss your teeth like normal.

Orthodontic treatments can give you the beautiful & straight smile you desire, but they can also benefit your oral health. So while you’ll certainly have a more beautiful smile at the end of your orthodontic treatment, you’ll also have a more functional, healthier smile!

We are proud to offer a range of orthodontics options for our patients. If you are interested in orthodontics for either cosmetic or functional reasons, please start a discussion with us about your options.

Orthodontics Services & Treatments:

ClearCorrect™ clear aligners—which look very similar to teeth whitening trays—are a new, subtle form of bite correction. They let you avoid the metallic look of traditional braces & you can remove them whenever you need to!

In addition to your overall oral health, our office is committed to giving you a beautiful smile that you can be proud of. For many people, a straight set of teeth is a cornerstone of self-confidence. We understand that straightening your teeth with traditional metal braces can seem like a daunting & unappealing way to get a nicer smile, which is why we have decided to offer more attractive alternatives to patients with mild to moderate orthodontic cases.

What Is ClearCorrect™?

ClearCorrect™ works by using a series of aligners that push crooked teeth into place. The dentist will take an impression of your teeth & send it off to a lab where your individualized aligners are made. You only wear each set for a few weeks & you’ll get new pairs of aligners at every checkup appointment.

ClearCorrect™ has three options for your orthodontic treatment:

  • Limited 6 (six aligners to complete treatment)
  • Limited 12 (12 aligners to complete treatment)
  • Unlimited (as many aligners as necessary)
Each pair of aligners will take you closer to your cosmetic goals. For most patients, it takes about a year on average to get their desired smile. Your dentist or orthodontist can tell you the approximate length of your treatment before you get started. It all depends on how complex your individual case is.

ClearCorrect™ vs. Other Clear Aligners

ClearCorrect™ has a couple of advantages over other brands of clear aligners. ClearCorrect™ aligners extend over the gum line, which helps apply more force with greater leverage. This means they require fewer engagers & are therefore less intrusive than other systems. ClearCorrect™ also offers “limited” treatment options, which can treat simple cases more affordably than other systems. Other than these differences, ClearCorrect™ & other brands of clear orthodontics are virtually the same in form & function.

Procedure Overview

Some stubborn teeth have a harder time shifting & need extra help. A ClearCorrect™ engager (also known as an attachment) is a small bump of bonding resin that we can temporarily put on a tooth to help the aligner make contact. Better aligner contact puts more pressure on the tooth, ensuring it will shift with the rest of your teeth.

When placing engagers, we adhere to a conservative process with a focus on maintaining your smile’s aesthetics. We use a tooth-colored material that blends with your smile & that is easily removable without shots or drilling.

To ensure the greatest possible result for your new smile & to avoid a prolonged & more costly process, you need to wear your clear aligners for most of the day, including when you sleep. Dentists recommend wearing your ClearCorrect™ aligners for around 22 hours a day. The only times you should take them off are to eat, drink, brush or floss. You can also remove them for special occasions, but you need to keep track of how long you have your aligners off & make sure you remember to put them back on! The convenience of removable orthodontics can be a blessing, but it won’t do you any good if you don’t stay on top of your treatment.

Call us today to find out if ClearCorrect™ is the smile solution you’ve been looking for!

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