Orthodontic problems as a whole are described as malocclusion. Orthodontic problems can be more than just unattractive, they can lead to tooth damage, make it hard to clean your teeth, and make it hard for you to chew.
When there is not enough space for all of the teeth to normally fit in the jaw, crowding can occur. Some teeth will push either forward or backward to make room. This can make it hard to clean some teeth, resulting in decay on their obscured surfaces. It can also cause some teeth to experience more wear than others. Often times this can be corrected using expansion, avoiding tooth removal.
Spaced teeth occur when there seems to be too much room in the jaw for your teeth. Large gaps appear between your teeth. This can be caused by many different factors, such as missing lateral incisors or other teeth and smaller than average teeth. This can be unattractive and it may allow food to get stuck between your teeth.
Overbite occurs when your upper teeth overlap more than half of you lower teeth when you bite down. Deep overbite can make it hard to chew and may result in damage to your teeth or gums as your lower teeth can strike the back of upper teeth or your gums.
Most common in the upper jaw, this is when your teeth point outward to a significant degree. Protruding teeth are more likely to get damaged from sports or falls and do not properly restrict the growth of the lower jaw.
Crossbite is when some of your upper teeth fit inside the teeth of the lower arch, while others fit outside. For example, if your upper molars are inside your lower molars, but your upper incisors are outside the lower incisors. This can make it hard to chew, and can result in increased wear and damage on the teeth where the crossover occurs.
This is when the center line of your upper and lower jaws do not coincide. This may be a result of jaw displacement, which means it may be part of significant jaw problems, or it may be just a cosmetic problem.
Phase I, or interceptive orthodontic treatment, starts at a young age to help developmental dental and jaw issues. Not only will it save your child from the problems becoming more serious, but it will also save you money later in life.
By incorporating tooth straightening and physical, facial changes, two-phase treatment maximizes your opportunity to achieve the most ideal, healthy, aesthetic orthodontic result. Throughout the first phase, we will concentrate on building a foundation for a beautiful smile through developing your jaw size to accommodate all of your permanent teeth and to align your upper and lower jaws to each other. Following the first phase, we will allow the remaining permanent teeth the freedom to erupt in the resting period. A successful first phase will have allowed room for your permanent teeth to come through in the correct path naturally. The second phase of treatment focuses on making sure that each tooth is guided towards its correct and final position in the mouth. This phase usually employs braces, followed by retainers, to make sure that all of your teeth end up in their exact place to ensure you straight, healthy teeth that will last a lifetime!
We offer the same discreet and timely treatment options for our adolescent patients as we do for our adult patients. As the mouth and jaw develop further during the teen years, it is important to monitor tooth movement and placement. With our teen orthodontic patients, we focus on taking advantage of this growth and aim to create a balanced facial profile as our patients enter young adulthood. Treatments for our teen patients include metal braces, clear braces, Invisalign Teen and more.
Temporary anchorage devices (TADs) are miniature, titanium screws that are positioned in the mouth to serve as an anchor for moving specific teeth in a controlled and predictable way. Eliminating cumbersome appliances, such as headgear, allows certain orthodontic cases to be treated that were nearly impossible before. The anchorage device, removed within a few months, assists in tooth movement to help your teeth position themselves into the correct locations in your mouth. TADs are strong, comfortable devices that can allow Dr. Peralta to move your teeth in a quicker, more efficient way.
Dentofacial orthopedics consists of normalizing the growth of your bone structure to repair any imbalances in your face and jaw. The maxilla (upper jaw) and mandible (lower jaw) affect the profile of the face. An upper jaw that is deficient or a lower jaw that is excessive gives the appearance of an underbite or sunken in midface. A lower jaw that is deficient or an upper jaw that is excessive gives the appearance of a soft or weak chin. The teeth within the jaws support the soft tissue as well and thus, also affect facial appearance. If teeth are set too forward in the face the lips may look too protruded or full, if the teeth are angled back too far the face may appear sunken in. Dentofacial orthopedics is a manipulation of the jaws with growth or surgery, as well as manipulating the position and angulation of the teeth to achieve a harmonious, esthetically pleasing and natural result.
The Invisalign System is an aesthetic solution that consists of clear aligners that gradually move teeth to their new, straight positions. With Invisalign, there is no need to adjust wires, to change bands, or to glue any metal brackets. You can achieve the smile of your dreams without anyone even knowing. Itll be your little secret!
We know our teen patients have a lot of milestones that bring plenty of photo opportunities, such as prom and graduation, and our Seattle orthodontic office is a proud provider of Invisalign Teen, a clear, wireless, removable solution that wont get in your teens way! The aligners are perfect for teens because they are undetectable and include a Blue Dot wear indicator, so your busy teen knows how long each aligner has been worn.
As the most common type of braces, metal braces are very strong and can treat the most severe cases because they consist of high-grade stainless steel brackets that are bonded to the teeth with a wire running through each bracket. Todays metal braces are smaller, more comfortable and can be a variety of different colors according to your particular preferences.
Clear braces are made of a translucent, ceramic material and are a great aesthetic alternative for those who do not want their braces to show as much, yet still desire the efficiency of traditional braces. These braces are quite popular among our adult patients due to their cosmetic appeal.
Incognito braces are lingual braces that are customized to the shape of your teeth and to your unique orthodontic situation, and they are even placed on the back side of your teeth so that they are hidden from view. With Incognito braces, you will receive efficient, effective tooth movement with amazing aesthetic appeal.
A lingual arch helps keep teeth stay in their correct position, so incoming teeth can move into their correct position without any problem. Lingual arches also help to shift molars and alleviate lower crowding.
As the name implies, habit appliances help patients break their habits, such as thumb sucking. Habit appliances are essential because thumb sucking habits can have long term effects on the alignment of the teeth.
After your orthodontic treatment is over, you will receive a retainer to hold your teeth in their new, correct positions. Your retainer will either be removable or fixed, per Dr. Peraltas request. Retainers are meant to prevent relapse, so please wear your retainer as directed.
Here at our Peralta Orthodontics, we believe that successful treatment and great results are the product of open communication, patient education and comfort during treatment. That is why we want to make sure that you are fully prepared for your experience with braces and know how to approach certain situations while wearing them. Below, our Seattle, WA orthodontist Dr. Jorge Peralta has outlined certain instructions that pertain to different aspects of your daily life and guidelines to follow while you are wearing braces. Please feel free to contact us if we have not answered your question below!
When you get your braces on, you may feel general soreness in your mouth and teeth may be tender to biting pressures for three to five days. If the tenderness is severe, take aspirin or whatever you normally take for headache or similar pain. The lips, cheeks and tongue may also become irritated for one to two weeks as they toughen and become accustomed to the surface of the braces. This pain can be relieved by rinsing your mouth with warm salt water mouthwash. Dissolve one teaspoon of salt in 8 ounces of warm water and rinse your mouth vigorously. You can also put wax on the braces to lessen this. Well show you how when you get your braces on!
To successfully complete your treatment plan, as our patient you must work together with Dr. Peralta. The teeth and jaws can only move toward their corrected positions if you consistently wear the rubber bands or other appliances that our Seattle orthodontist prescribes. Damaged appliances lengthen the treatment time.