About Orthodontics

What You Need to Know

We know this is an anxious, but exciting time for you. You are probably asking "What am I going to do when I see the orthodontist?" This page will let you know what to expect when you come to visit our office. It will show you what foods to be careful with and foods not to eat. As you will see, it is all really very easy, so relax, and enjoy our time together.

Here are the steps we will take:

Examination - We will determine your orthodontic needs. We will only talk to you at this point.

Records - We need these to help us discover how to make your smile the best that it can be. Records include impressions of your teeth, cool x-rays, and facial and oral photos (fun).

Consultation - This is for both you and your parents.

We will discuss the treatment, the estimated treatment time, your cooperation, and payments.

Separators (spacers) - Rubber bands placed between the back teeth so bands can be fitted.

Appliance Placement - This is when we place the braces on your teeth. The BIG day.

Instructions - We will want you to accept these easy instructions so that we will have a great relationship with you.

Appointments - Short appointments are often after school, but longer appointments must be during school. Remember, most of our patients are students, so everyone can't be seen after school. Please do us a huge favor and call us 24 hours in advance if you can't keep your appointment. Thank you.

Now that you know what to expect when you come and see us, we need to ask you to please read the next section carefully. Remember this will not only help you, but it will also help us.

What foods can you not eat?

It is usually safe to stay away from hard, brittle food and soft, sticky food. These include ice, corn chips, popcorn, hard edges of pizza, hard candy, gum, sticky candy, and, also, please don't suck on lemons, limes, or ice.

Be Careful When Eating These Foods

Whole fruits and vegetables Make sure you slice them up.

Hard, crusty breads Should be broken up to eat.

Corn chips and potato chips Require special care, too.

Corn on the cob Should be sliced off the cob.

Please use common sense when choosing food to put in your mouth. And remember...keep all hard objects out of your mouth!

Map of Orthodontic Appliances

"Why Do We Need Those Things?"

Well, everyone wants straight, nice-looking teeth. Right? Braces are the way to get them. Braces involve many different parts that work together to straighten your teeth.

These parts include:

Bands go around your BIG teeth (molars) in the back of your mouth. You may need spacers to be inserted between your teeth so that these will fit.

Brackets are the things you can see clearly on each tooth. They hold the archwire.

Archwires (wire) help move the teeth. They are what you see going across the teeth from bracket to bracket.

Ligatures (wire and rubber) also called O-Rings hold the archwire in place in the bracket. You can get many different colors.

Hooks are placed on the braces so rubber bands can be worn.

Rubber Bands are worn on the hooks to correct the bite. Easy huh?

Now that you know what the braces are all about and why we need them, it is time to talk about how the braces actually move the teeth. Bands and brackets are attached to the teeth and they are connected together by the archwire. You will wear different sizes of wires throughout your treatment in order to move the teeth into a straight row. Rubber bands, elastic chains, coil springs, etc., are used to apply light pressure to your teeth so they will move. Auxiliaries such as headgear, jaw repositioning appliances, expanders, and removable appliances are sometimes necessary to correct your bite. As the teeth move, bone will grow in the space where the teeth were originally. Now that is amazing!

Thank you for taking the time to learn what orthodontics is all about. The end result of your treatment will depend on how well you cooperate and the overall effort you give during treatment, so make your orthodontist proud. Make this time of your life fun and remember to do what the doctor tells you. If you listen to the doctor and do what you are told your treatment will be shorter, your result better, and your braces experience more enjoyable.