Ordinarily children should be checked by an orthodontist at the time permanent teeth begin to erupt to detect any deficiencies in the child’s teeth formation; this is usually at 7-10 years of age. Adults should visit the orthodontist to improve the appearance of their smile and their overall dental health. It’s never too late to achieve a beautiful smile!

No, you do not. While dentists often refer patients to our practice, many of our patients have heard about our practice and make the appointment themselves.

While individual treatment requirements vary, new advances in orthodontic treatment have reduced the need to extract teeth while still achieving quality results. 

Your initial visit will give you an opportunity to meet the doctor and our knowledgeable staff, who will answer any questions. They will schedule you for a consultation appointment to determine a course of treatment and an estimate of the treatment duration and your financial investment.  If necessary, x-rays, and a convenient appointment will be made for your fitting. For more information refer to our new patient link. 

In the past, there was only one type of braces available, and it wasn't designed for looks. We enjoy offering our patients a range of choices including traditional stainless steel braces, clear ceramic braces and Invisalign which is very popular with our adult patients.

We also offer self-ligating brackets (Innovation-R), which offer greater comfort and can significantly shorten treatment time.

Phase One, sometimes referred to as early treatment, is usually prescribed for patients between the ages of 7 and 10. This type of treatment corrects problems early on and prevents more severe orthodontic problems from occurring.

Orthodontic fees depend on the complexity of the case, the age of the patient, the type of appliances used, and the estimated length of treatment. Since every case is different, a visit to our office for a consultation appointment will allow us to give you an accurate quote of what your financial investment will be.

There have been some fantastic advances in the way we do things now in orthodontics to make treatment more comfortable for our patients. These include smaller, smoother brackets, and gentler wires which provide a continuous small force over a long period of time rather than a strong force for only a short period. Typically there is some discomfort two to three days after each adjustment that over the counter pain relievers can take care of.

You should be able to play just about any sport or activity. Although we do highly recommend wearing a mouth guard in contact sports or any sport where there is a chance you can get hit in the face.

Retainers help keep your teeth straight at the completion of treatment. If they are not worn as instructed, your teeth will move, or tend to relapse. Retainers are particularly important right after the braces are removed while the teeth stabilize.

Appointments are scheduled according to each patient’s needs. Most patients are seen every 4 to 8 weeks.

Yes. It is important to visit your dentist for regular cleanings and checkups.

Yes. Once treatment begins, we will provide a list of foods to avoid, along with detailed instructions. Some foods to avoid are ice, hard candy, raw vegetables and sticky foods.

You should brush your teeth at least four times a day. This includes brushing after each meal and before bed.

Phase I or Early Interceptive Treatment usually starts while the child has most of their baby teeth with few of their permanent teeth. The goal of Phase I treatment is to intercept moderate or severe orthodontic problems early in order to reduce or eliminate them. These problems include jaw bone problems, cross bites and developing crowding. This phase does not use full braces as braces are never put on baby teeth. Generally we use expanders, removable appliances, herbst appliance (instead of headgear) and retainers during this phase. These treatment approaches take advantage of the active growth to change the jaw bone structure to either make extra room or address jaw bone discrepancies. This helps reduce the need for extractions or jaw surgery and delivers better long term results and treatment options.

It is never too late for braces! A number of our patients are adults and that percentage is growing. No patient is ever too old for braces.