The Final Countdown… to Orthodontic Treatment

Right Here, Right Now

“When is the right time to begin orthodontic treatment?” is a frequently asked question at Chamblee Orthodontics—and for good reason! Each smile is unique, so there is no one-size-fits-all answer. However, there may be a “one size fits most”.

The American Association of Orthodontists recommends a child’s first orthodontic visit take place before the age of 7.  At this age, orthodontists can determine whether early intervention is needed, and if it is, which treatment method will be the most successful. Even if your child’s teeth are straight, there may be subtle problems with jaw growth and emerging teeth, or indications of a sleep disorder. Other symptoms that may signal the need for orthodontic treatment include:

• Mouth breathing
• Jaw clenching or teeth grinding
• Inability to fully close lips
• Misaligned bite (also known as malocclusion)
• Popping jaw
• Frequent cheek biting

The Benefits of Early Intervention

Many parents are surprised to learn that orthodontic treatment may be recommended before their child hits their teenage years. “Even before they lose all their baby teeth and have their adult teeth emerge?”

That’s right. Intervening in the stage where a mix of primary and permanent teeth are in your child’s mouth is referred to as Phase 1. In this phase, Atlanta orthodontist Dr. Caroline Ceneviz seeks to correct problems that may be occurring with jaw growth and bite formation. Phase 2 begins when all their permanent teeth have erupted and may be shorter in length if Phase 1 was implemented.

There are two specific conditions orthodontists highly suggest intercepting, and those are:

• Crossbite – if one or more your child’s upper front teeth close inside their lower teeth, they have a condition called crossbite. This is different from an underbite, in which all the lower teeth protrude past the upper teeth. Crossbite can cause the jaw to grow unevenly, which could require corrective surgery later in life. It’s also known to cause wear of the teeth, gum disease, and bone loss.
• Overjet – this is another term for protrusion of the front teeth. Protruding front teeth are more susceptible to fracture and injury and can cause bite problems for molars, and TMJ (temporomandibular joint) pain. Habits like thumb-sucking can cause this misalignment.

Adolescent Orthodontics

A lot of us remember having friends in middle school and high school with braces, or you may have been one of the friends flashing a metal mouth! Braces today have been fine-tuned for more comfortable and predictable treatment, but there are even more appealing options in the field of modern orthodontics. If your teenager is self-conscious about their smile, or their oral hygiene routines could be simplified with proper alignment, Invisalign® or Invisalign Teen® may be an option for them.

The benefits of treatment with Invisalign include:

• Virtually invisible aligners, so very few people will even realize they’re being worn.
• Aligners are removable so that oral hygiene routines can be conducted without difficulty—and there are no dietary restrictions!
• Fewer visits to the office are needed. You’ll see us every four to six weeks for progress checks and new sets of aligners.
• Treatment times can be up to 50% shorter! There are different technologies available that can speed up the process of smile straightening, but even without them, most Invisalign smile makeovers are completed within a year.

Adult Orthodontics

If you’ve been unhappy with the appearance of your smile, you experience TMJ pain because of a misaligned bite or want to strengthen your prevention of gum disease, orthodontic treatment can change the way your smile looks, how you feel about it, and improve your health. If you’re worried that orthodontic treatment is for kids and teenagers, we’re happy to let you know that one in five orthodontic patients today is an adult.

With the expansion of straightening methods available, treatment can be more comfortable, discreet, and affordable than you thought possible! There are translucent ceramic brackets, tooth-colored wires, and even lingual braces as a potential option.

Your treatment plan can be customized to meet your smile needs and goals, and all it takes to begin is a consultation.  If you’re interested in scheduling an appointment, contact Chamblee Orthodontics today! We’d love to take the smile journey with you or your child!

The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

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Chamblee Orthodontics
5070 Peachtree Blvd. Suite E150
Atlanta, GA 30341
(678) 554-3143
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