Learn About the Stages in Orthodontics You Will Go Through While Your Teeth are Being Straightened in Palos Verdes Estates

While performing orthodontics treatments, we can straighten our patient's teeth and turn their smile into something healthy and beautiful.  Before getting started, we will examine your teeth to make sure that they are healthy.  It is important to remove any infection and treat any cavities so that your teeth and gums are in good shape prior to wearing braces.  It is far easier to treat the infection before starting the process than after.

Once your teeth are in good health, we will discuss your options for straightening them and the various things that you don't like about your smile. By listening to your needs and concerns, we can make recommendations that are tailored to your specific needs and health.  Whether you straighten your teeth with braces, aligners or cosmetic dentistry, we can help you to improve your appearance and oral health at the same time.

When using orthodontics to straighten teeth, there are several stages that you must go through before the braces can come off.  The first stage is to make sure that there is enough room for all of your adult teeth.  Many people have a pallet that is simply too small for all of their teeth and some need to be pulled or removed as a result. We offer an alternative solution where a metal expander is placed on the roof of your mouth and secured to your teeth. Every day for several weeks, you turn the device, and it slowly expands and pushes your teeth outwards.  As a result, more room is made for your teeth. Many children will wear an expander prior to getting braces as it can solve their overcrowding issues.

Once there is room for your teeth, they can be moved into place using metal braces or clear aligners.  If metal braces are used, a bracket will be placed on each of your teeth, and a wire threaded between them.  The wires are held in place using rubber bands and over the course of the treatment; the wires will be adjusted in order to move teeth into position.  Typically, teeth are targeted so that they are not all moving at the same time.  This makes the process more comfortable, and a similar technique is used with aligners except that the aligners can be switched out at home.

As your teeth are moving into place, your bite will also be adjusted.  It is important to have a bite that is perfectly aligned so that the upper teeth can fit securely over the lower teeth.  When we adjust your bite, we will make sure that your teeth are fitting front to back, side to side, and top to bottom.  By aligning your bite, your jaw won't hurt as much; headaches can be reduced, and it becomes easier to eat.  This can be done by using rubber bands, headgear, and other orthodontics treatments.

To learn more and to get a recommendation for how to straighten your teeth, give us a call.