A lot of patients come to our Edgewood dentist office wanting to straighten their smile. For many of those patients traditional braces aren’t an option: they simply don’t want to be burdened with the stigma, discomfort, and long treatment times of braces. While we do offer several different orthodontic treatments there’s a reason braces are still around: they’re able to do more.

The best orthodontic option depends on several factors, all of which we want to discuss with you today. You might not want to wear braces but you may very well be happier with the results they can give you!

What’s Your Starting Point?
For a lot of patients there are simple things to correct: a misaligned tooth here, a gap there … that’s simple stuff that’s a great solution for cosmetic orthodontic treatments. But when you have more serious correction needs things are much different.

Those more serious issues are where braces come in. They are able to correct serious alignment issues, pull teeth further faster, and even resolve issues you may not know are caused by a bad bite! While Invisalign and other treatments are great for getting a perfect smile there are a lot of other problems that braces can fix besides just the ones you can see.

Pain In Your Jaw?
We see a lot of patients who complain about jaw pain. The temporomandibular joint, or TMJ, can easily suffer from malocclusion, or a bad bite, leaving you with some serious discomfort and pain! While most patients can find TMJ pain relief with a simple oral appliance it’s also possible to find relief and straighten your smile at the same time with braces!

Orthodontic treatment can straighten your teeth at the same time that it repositions your jaw, completely changing your bite. It’s amazing how much this can change the function of your jaw, but it does! Many patients who have come to us to straighten their teeth have told us that their jaw feels better, and they didn’t even realize it was something they needed to tell us about.

If you come to see us for either braces or TMJ treatment we’ll use our X-rays and 3D imaging to get the perfect picture of your teeth. That’s how we’ll determine which treatment is best for you. We want to be sure you don’t just get pain relief or a great smile: we want you to get both!

Guiding New Teeth Into Place
Braces are especially beneficial for younger patients, even those who don’t have all of their adult teeth yet. When we see your children at Edgewood Dental Care we’re able to develop a long-term picture of their teeth, and in many cases we can intercept problems before they even begin!

As permanent teeth start to erupt it’s easy to nudge them in the right direction. For many patients this can drastically shorten the time that they need to be in braces, leaving them free to enjoy those last few years of being a kid without a mouth full of metal. This process is called interceptive orthodontics and is one of the best uses of traditional braces available.

It’s ideal for young patients to start braces as early as possible, which is why interceptive orthodontics are such a great choice. For many parents it’s a way to give their child a way out of years of embarrassment, and for the child it’s an ideal treatment that allows them to grow into healthy, perfect teeth.

Braces Are A Great Choice!
Seeing us for orthodontic care is a collaborative effort. We’ll use all of our imaging and modeling techniques to discover the perfect treatment for your unique smile, and combined with your treatment desires we’ll create a plan that will be perfect for you. Don’t worry about us pushing you into traditional braces if you don’t want them: your treatment is always your decision and we won’t ever decide for you!

If you’re on the fence about orthodontic care for you or a member of your family it’s best to come see us so we can discuss your treatment options, the current state of your smile, and what will be the ideal solution for you.

If you’re ready to find out what braces can do for you or someone you love, don’t wait: call Edgewood Dental Care today! You can reach us at 859-474-7830 or you can request an appointment by filling out our online form. We look forward to seeing you soon!