Our family-oriented offices are all designed to be child-friendly, with childrens videos playing in the reception area and with dentists who are well-trained and highly experienced in providing high quality general denistry for children. We work hard to make dental visits a healthy and fun experience for children and their parents. We begin seeing children as young as one year old.
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Only your dentist or orthodontist can determine whether you can benefit from orthodontics. Based on diagnostic tools that include a full medical and dental health history, a clinical exam, plaster models of your teeth, and special X-rays and photographs, an orthodontist or dentist can decide whether orthodontics are recommended, and develop a treatment plan thats right for you.
An improper bite doesnt look good. That is the usual reason people seek treatment from an orthodontist. In addition, an improper bite causes difficulty in chewing. In people with crowded teeth, it can lead to more cavities or gum disease. Treatment of an irregular bite can improve your overall oral health and stabilize your bite.
Crossbite Here, the upper teeth rest significantly inside or outside the lower teeth. A crossbite often can make it difficult to bite or chew. It also may cause the jaw to shift to one side as it grows.Crowding Permanent teeth may not have room to move into the right position: If there is not enough room for the teeth If the teeth are unusually large compared with the size of the dental arch If the jaw is narrower than it should beDeep overbite This occurs when the upper front teeth (incisors) overlap too far over the lower teeth. In some cases, the biting edges of the upper teeth touch the lower front gum tissue and the lower front teeth may bite into the roof of the mouth.Underbite A crossbite of the front teeth is commonly referred to as an underbite if the lower teeth are ahead of the upper teeth. This may also be a sign that the jaws are not in the correct position. Sometimes surgery is needed.Openbite If your upper and lower front teeth dont meet when you bite down, this is called an openbite. This may make it impossible to bite off food with the front teeth. It also can affect speech. Because the front teeth dont share equally in the biting force, the back teeth may receive too much pressure. This makes chewing less efficient. It can lead to premature wear of the back teeth.Spacing problems Some people have missing teeth or unusually small teeth in a normal sized jaw. This can result in large spaces between the teeth. People who have lost one or multiple teeth may have uneven spacing because adjacent teeth may drift into the unoccupied areas. Braces can be used to shift the position of these teeth so the missing tooth or teeth can be replaced.Many different types of appliances, both fixed and removable, are used to help move teeth, retrain muscles and affect the growth of the jaws. These appliances work by placing gentle pressure on the teeth and jaws. The severity of your problem will determine which orthodontic approach is likely to be the most effective.
Sleep Apnea Sleep apnea is typically indicated by snoring and often awakening during sleep gasping for breath. Sleep apnea causes restless nights and drowsiness during the daytime hours. Sleep apnea can also lead to more serious health issues including increased blood pressure and the restriction of oxygen to the brain and blood stream.Braces the most common fixed appliances, braces consist of bands, wires and/or brackets. Bands are fixed around the teeth or tooth and used as anchors for the appliance, while brackets are most often bonded to the front of the tooth. Arch wires are passed through the brackets and attached to the bands. Tightening the arch wire puts tension on the teeth, gradually moving them to their proper position. Todays braces are smaller, lighter and show far less metal than in the past.Space Maintainers if a baby tooth is lost prematurely, a space maintainer is used to keep the space open until the permanent tooth erupts. A band is attached to the tooth next to the empty space, and a wire is extended to the tooth on the other side of the space.Palatal expander a device used to widen the arch of the upper jaw. It is a plastic plate that fits over the roof of the mouth. Outward pressure applied to the plate by screws force the joints in the bones of the palate to open lengthwise, widening the palatal area.Headgear with this device, a strap is placed around the back of the head and attached to a metal wire in front, or face bow. Headgear slows the growth of the upper jaw, and holds the back teeth where they are while the front teeth are pulled back.Archwire: The metal wire that acts as a track to guide your teeth along as they move. It is changed periodically throughout treatment as your teeth move to their new positions. Band: A metal ring that is cemented to your tooth, going completely around it. Bands provide a way to attach brackets to your teeth.Impressions: The process of making a model of your teeth by biting into a soft material that hardens into a mold of your teeth. Your orthodontist will use these impressions to prepare your treatment plan.![Vital Smiles Administrative Office - General dentist in Birmingham, AL]()
