Dr. Iacobelli spends a great deal of time on educating his staff not only on the proper techniques utilized in orthodontics but also on the science behind it. He feels that the more his staff understands about the reasons that a patient is undergoing treatment the more effectively they will be able to apply these techniques to each individual patient.

I have been working in orthodontics for over 18 years. The doctors are extremely caring, knowledgeable, and straightforward with their patients. They care about treating patients when they need treatment, and not over-treating. Our entire team believes in creating a positive experience for patients by providing the right treatments and making each office visit as short, comfortable and fun as possible.When Im not at the practice, I enjoy spending time with my family. I also enjoy traveling in the summertime. I am married, and my husband and I welcomed our first child in May 2010. I am really enjoying my new role as a mom to my son!

I have been working in orthodontics for almost 30 years, and 20 of those for Dr. Iacobelli. I truly enjoy working with Dr. Iacobelli and his associates. I have worked with other orthodontic practices over the years, and I can honestly say that the doctors and staff are the best! Making our patients happy and seeing them smile with confidence after their treatments are complete are just two of my favorite things about my job!I am a registered dental assistant, certified in all areas of dentistry and I am also the coordinator for our Sterling Heights and Clarkston practices. Outside of the practice, I enjoy spending time with my family. My husband, John, and I have four children, Blake, Shane, Tyler, and Kayla. I also enjoy softball and bowling.

I have been working at Orthodontic Specialists for almost five years now, I am the coordinator for our Lapeer practice. I enjoy working with Dr. Iacobelli and the staff. In this field of work , I enjoy watching the confidence grow in our patients throughout their treatment the most. I obtained my dental assisting certificate from Ross Medical Center. Outside the practice, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. I have a four year old son, named Ryland. In the summer time, we enjoy boating and camping.

I have been an orthodontic assistant for two and a half years now. I currently take care of our Grand Blanc office and love the responsibility that comes with this job. Dr. Iacobelli is great to work for and I love working with all the staff at orthodontic specialist. On my free time I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, and playing softball with my husband. My husband and I just got married in September 2015 and are enjoying every second.

Its usually best for the orthodontist to see children by age 8 to advise if orthodontic treatment is required and when it is sometimes the best time for that patient to be treated. The first permanent molars and incisors have usually come in by that time and crossbites, severe crowding, and other problems can be evaluated. In severe cases, when treatment is begun early, the orthodontist can augment the growth of the jaw and guide incoming permanent teeth. Early treatment can also improve the width of the dental arches, gain space for permanent teeth, avoid the need for permanent tooth extractions, reduce likelihood of impacted permanent teeth, correct thumb-sucking, and eliminate abnormal swallowing or speech problems. In other words, early treatment can simplify later treatment.

Orthodontic treatment can be successful at any age and adults especially appreciate the benefits of a beautiful smile. One of every five patients in orthodontic treatment is an adult over 21. Jaw surgery is sometimes required for adult orthodontic patients because jaws may not be growing. As a result of this malocclusion, adults also may have experienced some breakdown or loss of their teeth and bone that supports the teeth and may require periodontal treatment before, during, and/or after orthodontic treatment.

For most people, a beautiful smile is the most obvious benefit of orthodontics. After your braces come off, youll feel more self-confident. Equally important, properly fitting teeth are healthy teeth that will last a lifetime. During your treatment, we want you to feel as comfortable as possible.

Orthodontic appliances can be made of metal, ceramic, or plastic. They may be removable or they may be brackets bonded to the teeth. By placing a constant, gentle force in a carefully controlled direction, braces slowly move teeth to a corrected position. This is a great time to wear braces! Gone are the days when a metal band with a bracket was placed around each tooth. You can choose brackets that are clear or metallic in color. You can choose the color of the ties that hold the wire in brackets. Wires are also less noticeable than they used to be, and the latest memory wire alloys move teeth faster with less discomfort to patients.

Duration of Treatment nTreatment time typically ranges from six months to 2 ½ years, depending on the growth of the patient’s mouth and face and the severity of the problem. Patients grow at different rates and will respond variously to orthodontic treatment, so the proper timing of orthodontic treatment is crucial to minimizing treatment duration

Treatment Timing nA child will accomplish two-thirds of their overall growth in the early adolescent years (11-14 years for girls and 13-15 for boys). Therefore, we find that approximately 9-18 months of treatment during this rapid growing period will generate greater and more stable jaw bone growth than four or five years of treatment either too early or too late during the child’s slower growing years. nEarly orthodontic treatment (before the early adolescent years) is begun for two reasons only: 1) To avoid extraction of permanent teeth and 2) To correct severe skeletal or dental imbalances. In both cases, the early treatment stimulates bone growth in the jaws. nThe following graph depicts this concept:

If teeth do not fit together in this manner, they are said to be in malocclusion. When you consider the amount of force which is produced during chewing, how the teeth fit becomes very important. Every time you chew, 760 pounds per square inch of stress is generated. Therefore, teeth in a bad bite or malocclusion continually clash against each other in a traumatic end-to-end relationship. This causes the teeth to wear down and loosen in their supporting bone, and eventually the teeth can be lost. (See Fig. 2)

The goal of first-phase treatment is to develop the jaw size in order to accommodate all the permanent teeth and to proportionately relate the upper and lower jaws to each other. Children sometimes exhibit early signs of severe problems as they grow and develop. An upper or lower jaw that is growing too much or not enough can be recognized at an early age. If children after age 7 are found to have his jaw discrepancy, they are sometimes candidates for early orthodontic treatment.

Because they are growing rapidly, children can benefit enormously from an early interceptive phase of orthodontic treatment utilizing appliances that properly re-direct the growth of the jaw and align teeth. Thus, a good foundation and dental arches, can be established, providing adequate room for eruption of all remaining permanent teeth. This early correction may prevent later removal of teeth to correct overcrowding and/or prevent surgical procedures to align the upper and lower jaws. Leaving such a condition untreated until all permanent teeth erupt could result in a jaw discrepancy too severe to achieve an ideal result with just braces alone or ultimately require the unnecessary removal of permanent teeth.

In this phase, the remaining permanent teeth are allowed to erupt. Retaining devices are not usually recommended since they interfere with tooth eruption and inhibit jaw growth. It is best to allow the jaws and permanent teeth some freedom of growth and development while final eruption occurs. A successful first phase will have created room for teeth to find proper eruption paths. Otherwise, they may become severely displaced.

Each tooth has an exact location in the mouth where it is in harmony with the lips, cheeks, tongue and other teeth. When this equilibrium is established, the teeth will function and wear together properly. They will be more stable and stay healthy as well as look attractive. This is the goal for the second phase of treatment.

The second phase is initiated when all the permanent teeth have erupted and usually requires braces on all the teeth for an average of 9 to 18 months for ideal bite alignment. Final retainers are worn after this phase since growth is completed.

Interceptive two-phase orthodontic treatment is a process that encompasses early jaw development, tooth straightening and physical facial changes. The major advantages of two-phase treatment is to maximize the opportunity to accomplish the ideal healthy, functional, aesthetic result that will remain more stable without tooth removal.

The disadvantage of waiting for complete eruption of permanent teeth and having only one phase of treatment, for someone with severe discrepancy, is having to face the possibility of permanent tooth extraction or having a compromised result that may not be as stable.

Traditional metal braces are the most common type of braces and are more comfortable today than ever before. Made of high-grade stainless steel, metal braces straighten your teeth using metal brackets and archwires. With metal braces, you have the option of adding colored elastics (rubber bands) for a more unique and colorful smile. We use a very low nickel content brace to reduce allergies and hypersensitivity. Orthodontic Specialists uses twin brackets to provide extra-secure control and more efficient tooth-movement guided by gentle but continuous force.

Similar to traditional metal braces in many ways, they are uniquely coated in gold. The gold coating may be considered a more cosmetic option than traditional metal braces. And, the cost of gold braces is surprisingly comparable to most clear braces, plus they are more hypoallergenic.

Ceramic braces are made of clear materials and are therefore less visible on your teeth than metal braces. For this reason, ceramic braces are used mainly on older teenagers and adult patients who have cosmetic concerns. While they are visually less prominent, they do require more attention as ceramic braces are larger and are more brittle than their metal counterparts. For these reasons, ceramic braces tend to be used more on upper front teeth than on lower teeth.