Welcome and thank you for visiting the Orthodontic Department here at Brighter Dental Care.

The Orthodontic Department is comprised of a group of Orthodontic Specialists who together focus on two goals:

The first is to provide you and your family with the highest quality of orthodontic care available.

The second is to make you feel comfortable and relaxed so that you not only enjoy your visits to our office, but that you look forward to them.

Whether our patients are young children, teenagers, or adults, we promise that you will be treated like family!

What Is an Orthodontist?
When Is The Best Time to Begin Orthodontics?
What Are The Benefits of Early Orthodontic Evaluation?
Why Is Age 7 Considered the Optimal Time for Screening?
What Are The Advantages of Interceptive Treatment?
Why Should Malocclusions Be Treated?
Are You a Candidate for Orthodontic Treatment?
What Causes Crooked Teeth?
How Do Braces Straighten Crooked Teeth?
How Long Does Orthodontic Treatment Take?
Adult Orthodontic Treatment?
What to Expect at Your First Visit?
Does The Orthodontic Department Take Outside Referrals?
Is Invisalign offered Brighter Dental?
Glossary of Orthodontic Terms

What is an orthodontist?
An orthodontist is a dental specialist that has not only completed college and 4 years of dental school, but has also completed an additional 2 to 3 years residency program accredited by the ADA of advanced education in orthodontics.

After receiving the additional years of training and education, an orthodontist has learned the skills that are required to treat the misalignment of teeth and facial development with braces, headgear, retainers, and other methods.

Only a dentist that has completed the additional years of training and education after dental school is an orthodontist.

When is the best time to begin orthodontics?
Though an orthodontist can enhance a smile at any age, there is an optimal time period to begin treatment. Beginning treatment at this time ensures the greatest result and the least amount of time and expense. The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that the initial orthodontic evaluation should occur at the first sign of orthodontic problems or no later than age 7. At this early age, orthodontic treatment may not be necessary, but vigilant examination can anticipate the most advantageous time to begin treatment.

What are the benefits of early orthodontic evaluation?
Early evaluation provides both timely detection of problems and greater opportunity for more effective treatment. Prudent intervention guides growth and development, preventing serious problems later. When orthodontic intervention is not necessary, an orthodontist can carefully monitor growth and development and begin treatment when it is ideal.

Why is age 7 considered the optimal time for screening?
By the age of 7, the first adult molars erupt, establishing the back bite. During this time, an orthodontist can evaluate front-to-back and side-to-side tooth relationships. For example, the presence of erupting incisors can indicate possible overbite, open bite, crowding or gummy smiles. Timely screening increases the chances for an incredible smile.

What are the advantages of interceptive treatment?
Some of the most direct results of interceptive treatment are:

• Creating room for crowded, erupting teeth
• Creating facial symmetry through influencing jaw growth
• Reducing the risk of trauma to protruding front teeth
• Preserving space for unerupted teeth
• Reducing the need for tooth removal
• Reducing treatment time with braces

Are you a candidate for orthodontic treatment?
Orthodontics are not merely for improving the aesthetics of the smile; orthodontic treatment improves bad bites (malocclusions). Malocclusions occur as a result of tooth or jaw misalignment. Malocclusions affect the way you smile, chew, clean your teeth or feel about your smile.

Why should malocclusions be treated?
According to studies by the American Association of Orthodontists, untreated malocclusions can result in a variety of problems. Crowded teeth are more difficult to properly brush and floss, which may contribute to tooth decay and/or gum disease. Protruding teeth are more susceptible to accidental chipping. Crossbites can result in unfavorable growth and uneven tooth wear. Openbites can result in tongue-thrusting habits and speech impediments. Ultimately, orthodontics does more than make a pretty smile, it creates a healthier you.

What Causes Crooked Teeth?
Just as we inherit eye color from our parents, mouth and jaw features are also inherited. Local factors such as finger sucking, pacifier sucking, high cavity rate, gum disease, trauma and premature loss of baby teeth can also contribute to a bad bite. One out of every five school age children have a severe bite problem so it is not surprising that you might need braces.

How do braces straighten crooked teeth?
Braces use steady, gentle pressure over time to move teeth into their proper positions. They don't look like they're doing much just sitting there, but in fact, every moment of your orthodontic treatment, there's something happening in your mouth. Something good for you. The brackets we place on your teeth and the main arch wire that connects them, are the two main components. The bracket is a piece of specially shaped metal or ceramic that we affix to each tooth. Then we bend the arch wire to reflect your 'ideal" bite, what we want you to look like after treatment. The wire threads through the brackets and, as the wire tries to return to its original shape, it applies pressure to actually move your teeth. Picture your tooth resting in your jaw bone. With pressure on one side from the arch wire, the bone on the other side gives way. The tooth moves. New bone grows in behind. It may look like nothing is happening but we're making a new smile here. Thanks to new materials and procedures, all this happens much quicker than ever before. It's kind of an engineering feat.

How long does orthodontic treatment take?
The length of treatment varies depending on the complexity of the orthodontic problem that requires correction, growth and tissue response to treatment, as well as the level of patient cooperation during their treatment. Orthodontic care requires a team approach in which the family dentist, the orthodontist and the patient play key roles that can impact the length of treatment and the quality of the end result. Generally, the length of comprehensive orthodontic treatment can range from approximately 18 months to 30 months, depending on treatment options and individual characteristics.

Adult orthodontic treatment?
Braces aren’t just for kids anymore. Tooth alignment can be changed at any age if your gums and bone structure are healthy. We offer a variety of treatments that are designed for different age groups, including adults. A new smile can begin today.

Orthodontic treatment at later stages in life can dramatically improve your personal appearance and self-esteem. Improving the health of your teeth and gums is equally important. Crooked teeth and a bad bite can contribute to gum and bone loss, tooth decay, abnormal wear of the tooth enamel and surfaces, headaches and jaw joint (TMJ/TMD) pain.

Good news! The new techniques and appliances we use greatly reduce discomfort levels, decrease the frequency of visits, shorten treatment time and may allow you to choose from several options. Your options may include metal braces, translucent braces or transparent aligners that can be worn at night to improve mild cases of misaligned teeth.

A large percentage of our patients are adults, and they agree that it’s never too late to improve their smile.

What to expect at your first visit?
We look forward to meeting you on your first visit to our office. During this time, we will help you get acquainted with our office and learn about your orthodontic treatment. We understand that each patient's orthodontic treatment is different, and we promise to give you the personal attention you deserve. Your first orthodontic visit will consist of an examination and discussion of potential treatment options. This important visit will address your orthodontic needs to determine if this is the proper time to begin treatment.

After we have evaluated your records, we conduct a treatment consultation to explain all aspects of your treatment in detail. We will provide a complete clinical diagnosis regarding the nature of the problem and a detailed plan that outlines your treatment, goals and estimated fees. We encourage questions from both the patient and the parent, and as such, we provide ample time to answer your questions.

Does the Orthodontic Department at Brighter Dental accept referrals from other dentists?
Absolutely, in fact a great deal of local doctors in our areas refer their patients to our orthodontic department for all of their orthodontic needs. Please note that if you are referred to our orthodontic department by your family dentist, our office policy is to refer you back to such referring doctor for your non-orthodontic dental needs and care.

Is Invisalign offered at the Orthodontic Department at Brighter Dental?
Yes, Invisalign is offered and commonly performed here at the Orthodontic Department at Brighter Dental Care.

Glossary of orthodontic terms:

Archwire:
A wire engaged in orthodontic attachments, affixed to the crowns of two or more teeth and capable of causing or guiding tooth movement.

Band (orthodontic):
A thin metal ring, usually stainless steel, which serves to secure orthodontic attachments to a tooth. The band, with orthodontic attachments welded or soldered to it, is closely adapted to fit the contours of the tooth and then cemented into place.

Bracket:
An orthodontic attachment that is secured to a tooth (either by bonding or banding) for the purpose of engaging an archwire. Brackets can be fabricated from metal, ceramic or plastic.

Ceramic Brackets:
Crystalline, alumina, tooth-shade or clear synthetic sapphire brackets that are aesthetically more attractive than conventional metal attachments.

Crowding:
Dental malalignment caused by inadequate space for the teeth.

Debanding:
The removal of cemented orthodontic bands.

Elastics (rubber bands):
Used to move teeth in prescribed direction (commonly connected to molar band and upper ball hook). Found in numerous colors for better appearance.

Gingiva:
The tissue that surrounds the teeth, consisting of a fibrous tissue that is continuous with the periodontal ligament and mucosal covering.

Headgear:
Generic term for extraoral traction (attached around the back side of the head) for growth modification, tooth movement and anchorage.

Herbst Appliance:
Fixed or removable appliance designed commonly for overbite problems and more.

Imaging:
The process of acquiring representations of structures in either two or three dimensions.

Lingual:
Of or pertaining to the tongue. A term used to describe surfaces and directions toward the tongue.

Lingual Appliances:
Orthodontic appliances fixed to the lingual surface of the teeth.

Maxillary:
Of or pertaining to the upper jaw. May be used to describe teeth, dental restorations, orthodontic appliances or facial structures.

Orthognathic Surgery:
Surgery to alter relationships of teeth and/or supporting bones, usually accomplished in conjunction with orthodontic therapy.

Overbite:
Vertical overlapping of upper teeth over lower teeth, usually measured perpendicular to the occlusal plane.

Retainer:
Any orthodontic appliance, fixed or removable, used to maintain the position of the teeth following corrective treatment.

Retention:
The passive treatment period following active orthodontic correction during which retaining appliances may be used.

Straight Wire Appliance:
A variation of the edgewise appliance in which brackets are angulated to minimize multiple archwire bends. Brackets and molar tubes have specific orientation in three planes of space.