Orthodontic Treatments
What is Orthodontic Treatment?
Orthodontic treatment straightens your teeth so they look and work best. It may even make your face look best, and help your jaw muscles function properly. Orthodontic treatment uses braces or other appliances to place gentle pressure on your teeth and eventually go them into the right position.
Your dentist may do basic orthodontic treatment or refer you to an orthodontist -- a dental specialist with two to three years of extra university training in this area.
Why you may need orthodontics:
A number of factors may affect the size and position of your teeth and jaws. Problems like bent teeth may “run in your family.” You may have a habit that affected your teeth, such as thumb-sucking. You may have lost a tooth (or teeth), and the teeth that are left may have went or shifted.
No matter what the cause, your dentist or orthodontist can treat:
- crowded teeth
- bent teeth
- an overbite, an underbite and an overjet
- an openbite
- too much space between teeth
- the results of extra or missing teeth.
It’s valuable to treat these problems because teeth that are crowded, bent or protruding can make you miserable with your appearance. You may be shy and unwilling to smile because of your teeth.
Teeth that are misaligned affect your bite. This misalignment can make it hard to chew some foods and may cause some teeth to wear down. It can also cause muscle tension and pain.
Crowded and bent teeth are harder to clean. Cavities and gum disease may develop as a result. Teeth that stick out are more easily chipped or broken.
Some orthodontic problems should start to be treated before all the adult (or permanent) teeth come in. Your dentist or orthodontist can do a screening to find out if your child will have any orthodontic problems.
An orthodontic screening by the age of seven can help your dentist or orthodontist treat (or intercept) a problem as it is developing. This type of screening is called interceptive orthodontics.
Orthodontic Treatment Types:
- A procedure where a weak acid smeared on your teeth to ready your teeth for brackets. The acid etch helps your brackets stay on best.
- Banding: The process of cementing orthodontic bands to your teeth
- Bonding: the process of attaching brackets to your teeth using a special safe glue
- Cephalometric X-Rays: An x-ray of the head that shows whether your teeth are aligned properly, and whether they are growing properly.
- Debanding: The confiscation of cemented orthodontic bands.
- Debonding: The confiscation of the brackets from your teeth
- Extraoral photograph: facial photos.
- Impressions: The first step in making a model of your teeth. You bite into a container filled with algenate, and the algenate hardens to yield a mold of your teeth.
- Interceptive Orthodontic Treatment: Orthodontic treatment usually done when you are 6-8. The objective of interceptive orthodontic treatment is to expand your palate and make other corrections, so that your later orthodontic treatment goes quicker and is less painful.
- Ligation: A process where an archwire is attached to the brackets on your teeth.
- Ligating: An adjective used to describe components used to attach archwires to brackets. For example a ligating module is a small plastic piece that goes over the brackets to hold in your archwires.
- Panoramic x-ray: An x-ray taken by a apparatus that rotates nearly your head to give the orthodontist a picture of your teeth, jaws and other valuable information.
- The records appointment: One of the early appointments with your orthodontist. The orthodontist or his/her assistant takes pictures of you, x-rays, and impressions so that they can figure out what treatment needs to be done.
- Tightening your braces: A process which occurs every 3-6 weeks when you have braces. You go into the orthodontist’s office and the orthodontist’s assistant either makes adjustments to the wires in your braces, or changes the wires.
- Wax bite: A procedure to measure how well your teeth come together. You bite a sheet of wax and place bitemark in the wax. The orthodontist looks at the bitemarks to see how well your teeth are aligned
Orthodontic Insurance Plans
Does your dental insurance plot take in orthodontic care such as braces? Many people who currently have dental insurance assume that they have some coverage for orthodontic care but that is not always the case. If your children will soon need braces you will now want to start the search for a excellent dental insurance plot to help offset the costs of orthodontic care.
Review Your Current Dental Plot Coverage
The first step in early your search for orthodontic insurance is to review what you have currently. Take a look at your individual or employer sponsored dental insurance plot to see what coverage you have for braces and orthodontic care. If you find you have no or small coverage you can investigate other dental insurance plans.
Dental Insurance Plot or Dental Discount Plot?
Researching dental plans is not too complicated. First, choose if you want a dental insurance plot or a dental discount plot. With a dental insurance discount plot you will get a certain percentage off your dental visits and orthodontic care. Usually you will have to use certain doctors that accept the discount plot. With a dental insurance plot you would use it as you would health insurance… you would possibly pay a co-pay for some services and maybe a deductible before some services depending on what you choose. You can learn more about dental plans at Choices in Dental Insurance Plans
What Orthodontic Procedures are Covered?
After you have chose which dental plot you would like, either a dental insurance plot or a dental discount plot, next you will want to investigate what orthodontic care is covered. Along with researching the orthodontic coverage, you will want to investigate four more areas of the dental plot: Premiums, Deductibles, Co-pays and Exclusions. Everyone’s situation is different so just because you find a dental plot with a low premium, that does not mean it is the best plot for you.
Don’t Forget Your Employer and Dental Professionals
As you are doing your investigate it is valuable to always check with your employer to see what coverage they offer and you can also check with dental and orthodontic doctor’s offices to see if they have any recommendations. Knowing what insurance certain doctors accept is especially valuable if you want to go to a specific doctor.
Finding an Orthodontist
How to find an orthodontist: The process finding an orthodontist is a vitally important process. An orthodontist will be involved in the orthodontic care for a long period of time, treating a highly visible area of the body – the smile. The following information can be used to make the process of finding an orthodontist a pleasant experience.
First, specialists in orthodontics are dentists that have pursued an additional 2-3 years beyond dental school in an accredited orthodontic specialty program. The residency will result in an orthodontic specialty certificate and sometimes a Master’s degree. To determine if a dentist is a specialist, ask. Dentists are only allowed to advertise “Specialist in Orthodontics”, or “Orthodontic Specialist” and limit their practice to orthodontics if they have received the training mentioned above, and have received a specialty certificate. Many orthodontists have also received a Master’s degree during their training, and will have this designation alongside their name (i.e. Jane Doe, DDS, MS). Some specialists may not have obtained a master’s degree.
To find an orthodontist an additional way to determine if a dentist is a specialist is through the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO). The AAO is an organization that limits their membership to orthodontic specialists only. Therefore, dentists who display membership in the AAO can also be regarded as specialists (this may make your search to find an orthodontist easier).
The American Board of Orthodontics (ABO) is another good way to look for well qualified orthodontists. Board certification is a voluntary process that orthodontists pursue in order to have their clinical knowledge and competency evaluated. The ABO, which was founded in 1929, was created to establish and maintain the highest standards of clinical excellence in orthodontics. As discussed on the ABO web site, “A board certified orthodontist is a dentist who has completed an American Dental Association accredited graduate program in the specialty of orthodontics. A dentist who graduates from a specialty program becomes an orthodontic specialist who is eligible to become board certified through the voluntary examination process of The American Board of Orthodontics (ABO). Involvement in the certification process is a demonstration of the orthodontist’s pursuit of continued proficiency and excellence.” Board certified orthodontists can be found on the ABO web site, and will also be noted in their advertising as “Diplomate, American Board of Orthodontics”, or “Certified, American Board of Orthodontics.”
A friend or neighbor who has had braces may be able to provide a recommendation. The best way to determine the kind of care someone provides is by asking someone who is currently in treatment. They can describe how the doctor and staff treat the patients and parents. Have they had any problems? Would they recommend the orthodontist to their friends? Have the procedures and treatment been explained well? Try to distinguish between normally painful or uncomfortable procedures and rough or uncaring treatment. Remember that braces make the teeth sore for everyone to varying degrees. Having pain does not necessarily mean that the orthodontist is a poor practitioner.
The general dentist can be an excellent source of information regarding where to go to find an orthodontist. The dentist likely refers patients to specialists that treat their patients well. If they have issues with a specialist, they will likely no longer refer patients to them. There are some instances where dentists are required to refer their patients to certain providers for insurance reasons. In this case, their choices for referrals may be limited.
A dental insurance company may provide referrals to participating providers. While the quality of the provider cannot always be determined with certainty, most insurance companies have a credentialing process that may prevent poor practitioners from maintaining provider status.
Magazines and newspapers sometimes print articles on the “Best” or most highly rated dentists and specialists. Be wary of these types of articles since they do not necessarily represent those with the highest qualifications. The rating systems and the basis for the results may be suspect, since they seem to be more of a popularity contest than a true reflection of their ability. Word of mouth and a little research will usually lead to the best practitioner to provide the orthodontic treatment.
Lastly, a state board of dentistry may be another place to look for information. Most state licensing boards will now have their information available online. Verification of dental license status and if there have been any actions brought against them will be available for review. Do your research to find an orthodontist, you will not regret it.
Tour of Dr. Gregg’s Office – Orthodontist
Take a tour of Dr. Gregg Ortho’s office.
What can I do to prepare for Orthodontist school?
I really want to be a orthodontist when I graduate institution but I’m in High School, my senior year really. I’ve downloaded apps about dentistry and have been reading them. My uncle is an endodontist and my orthodontist likes me and I’m asking if I can shadow them. What are some key things i should question them? And What are key things I should be studying in school?
How many years of college does an Orthodontist have to learn?
i want to know how many years an orthodontist has to learn in institution and how much do they get payed after they start working.
how much does a dentist get payed and how many years of institution do they have to go for?
how many years of institution does a dental assistant have to go for and how much do they get payed after working? thanks
so its, orthodontist, dentist, and a dental assistant. how many years for each one, and how much pay for each one
How much is an orthodontist and dentist salary?
This certain orthodontist/dentist works in Los Angles near a busy intersection. He/She also has a excellent fluctuation of patients.