I am a general
dentist who also does braces.
There have recently been many developments in braces/orthodontics. There also
are some different philosophies in treating patients. If you require surgery
I would refer you to an orthodontist. Some orthodontists are more surgically
or extraction orientated. Our office philosophy is to treat these non-surgically
via functional orthodontics.
The first thing is to classify the lower jaw relationship to the upper jaw:
Class-one
is ideal.
Class-two is when the lower jaw is further back than the upper jaw, which is
the most common mal-occlusion.
Class three is where the lower jaw is too-far forward.
The other concern is over-crowing, or too much space. With over-crowding, sometimes
it's required to move teeth to gain space or disc between the teeth. Often some
misalignments can be corrected via porcelain laminates as an alternative to braces.
First we would require a consultation visit, where we visually evaluate your
dentition for braces. The second visit is a records visit in which we take photographs,
x-rays, and models. After this we can begin the braces. Sometimes you may only
need retainers and other times you would need braces.
Many children
should be evaluated for braces to catch early functional problems
at or before the age of six. Twelve years of age is also an important
milestone because all of the permanent teeth are coming into to
the mouth soon, therefore they should be orthodontically evaluated
prior to the age of twelve.
Call us for your consultation visit! (805) 925-8767 Ask for Jodi.
