Orthodontic check up

This February is another opportunity to find the smile you love. Whether it is a touch up or transformation, orthodontic treatment can improve esthetics and function of your teeth and smile. Invisalign, braces or a combination of efforts with your general dentist can be the right fit for your goals.

Back to school time means schedules, sports, homework and all the things families navigate together including their orthodontic appointments. For braces treatment plans it is important to have regular adjustment and checks (usually every 4-8 weeks on average). For Invisalign aligner treatment plans, regular checks are less frequent but equally as important (usually every 8-12 weeks on average). Regular appointments are needed to monitor the movement of teeth towards the treatment goals and complete the next steps or adjustments needed to get there. It is also important to check the care of the braces and the dental health that can be affected by oral appliances.

Orthodontics 20 years ago often involved extractions, surgeries, lengthy treatment times, extraoral devices (like headgear) and clear aligners (Invisalign) were just starting to be developed. Now, preventative evaluation, materials advancements and new techniques provide new treatment may also be possible!

Crowding can present generalized throughout the arch, localized to a particular region in the arch form, and also vary from upper to lower arch. Some factors to consider in crowding evaluation of the developing dentition are size of teeth, arch shape, supporting bone and tissues, arch symmetry, order of eruption, direction of erupting teeth, and rotational position of teeth. Once the crowding assessment is determined, then this information is applied to other factors to best manage the crowding for each patient. These additional factors include: chronological age, dental eruption schedule, jaw growth pattern, family history, impaction risk, and anterior functional arrangement (overjet, overbite, coordination). With this assessment, orthodontic treatment options, timing recommendations, and risks/benefits of a phase I treatment or waiting for more growth and eruption of teeth can be advised.