Braces and Orthodontics

Garden Grove Dental Care offers a variety of ways to treat patients of all ages, from children to teens and adults, who have crooked teeth or misaligned bites and want them corrected to not only achieve their ideal smile, but make it easier to keep their teeth and the gums that support them healthy. This is known as orthodontics. With training, experience, and technology, we are able to provide this service for most cases without the expense of a specialist.

Usually, treatment can start when permanent teeth have all come in around 12-14, though it is advisable to have a child who appears to have overcrowding with the baby teeth to be examined and monitored starting as early as seven. Today, a quarter of patients undergoing orthodontic treatments of all kinds are adults. It is never too late in life to start straightening your teeth and correcting your bite.

The most popular orthodontic treatment is traditional metal braces, because they can treat even complicated cases (many crooked teeth, severe overbites) and they are relatively inexpensive. Depending on how many teeth need to be moved and how much straightening they need, braces may need to be worn from a few months to a few years. During this time, sticky and hard foods will need to be avoided and cleaning around the braces after eating needs to be careful and thorough.

An alternative that is less unsightly is lingual braces, which are similar to conventional braces except the wires and brackets are placed on the back side of the teeth and so don’t show unless you open your mouth wide. They are more expensive than conventional braces.

Invisalign is an orthodontic treatment that involves creating plastic trays or aligners that are worn typically for a couple of months before a new set is made, applying pressure on teeth to move them into position. They can be removed before eating, so brushing and flossing is done just as it was before treatment. The process is shorter for most patients than for braces, usually 6-18 months. However, it does not work as well as braces for complex cases. Invisalign can worn by patients of all ages.

Call Garden Grove Dental Care to set an appointment for a full examination and a discussion about what treatment method would work best for creating a more beautiful smile.