韓国歯科 Orthodontic treatment is an important part of your overall oral health. It can reduce your risk for cavities and gum disease, as well as improve chewing and speech function.
Orthodontists use a variety of appliances, which most people call ‘braces’. These can be fixed or removable, depending on your individual needs.
Braces
Braces are used to correct a number of dental problems including crooked teeth, overcrowding, or jaw misalignment (also called malocclusion). They also help improve your oral hygiene and can help prevent bone loss in the jaw.
The most common reason patients have braces is to straighten their teeth. However, they also have many other benefits that are worth considering.
Aside from straightening your smile, braces can also fix speech issues like lisps or whistles. They can even reduce your risk of injury during sports and other accidents, as they prevent you from letting certain teeth stick out more than others.
During treatment, your orthodontist will apply constant pressure to slowly move your teeth into 韓国歯科 the right position over time. This process requires patience and can cause discomfort for a few days while the teeth are getting used to the new pressure.
As your teeth move, your orthodontist will need to change the brackets and archwires every few weeks or so. These can be made of stainless steel, tooth colored ceramic, or plastic.
To attach the brackets to your teeth, your orthodontist will clean them with an etching solution and then chemically prepare them with a resin bonding agent. This resin is the same material used for fillings.
Your orthodontist will then bond them to your teeth using a special liquid that hardens after it’s mixed with a small amount of LED light. The bonded brackets are then placed on the front of your teeth and accompanied by archwires, which are attached with tiny rubber bands.
After the orthodontic treatment, you will need to wear a retainer to hold your teeth in their new positions for about a year or so. This is a crucial period to ensure your teeth stay in the right place for proper tooth growth and gum health.
Invisalign®
The Invisalign® brand of clear aligners is a popular alternative to traditional metal braces. Unlike traditional braces, Invisalign clear aligners are virtually invisible and removable, making it easy to maintain proper oral hygiene while getting straight teeth.
When patients choose Invisalign, they typically get a personalized treatment plan from a trained orthodontist or dentist. These professionals are experts at shaping healthy smiles and are often better suited to treating complex issues that other invisible aligner companies may not be able to fix.
During an Invisalign consultation, a dentist or orthodontist will examine your teeth and develop a customized treatment plan using x-rays, 3D models, and pictures of your smile. This information is then sent to the Invisalign laboratory where your customized aligners are crafted.
Each aligner will progressively move your teeth until they reach the desired alignment. This can take anywhere from six to 24 months. During this time, you’ll wear your aligners at least 20 hours a day and visit your orthodontist every six weeks to check progress and make any adjustments as needed.
Invisalign is a great option for a wide range of dental problems, including most cases of crowding and spacing and some mild bite issues like overbite and underbite. However, more severe bite problems or misalignments are best treated with traditional braces.
Many dentists are qualified to provide Invisalign treatment, but some simply haven’t had the training necessary for this type of orthodontic work. The best way to find a good Invisalign provider is to ask around or look at online reviews.
Invisalign Teen
When it comes to orthodontic treatment, it is important to choose a solution that fits into your teenager’s lifestyle. Between homework, extracurriculars, and all of the new responsibilities, teens often have little time to focus on oral health care.
When you decide to treat your teenager with Invisalign, we’ll create a customized treatment plan that will work best for their needs. They’ll wear their aligners for 20-22 hours every day to move their teeth into place gradually over the course of their treatment.
They will also need to remove the aligners before eating and brushing their teeth as instructed by their orthodontist. Failure to do so can set back treatment, which will cost you more money and delay their results.
Our Simpsonville and Greer Invisalign Teen patients report that they enjoy wearing their clear aligners throughout treatment because they are virtually invisible. They’re also comfortable because they’re molded to fit the mouth and don’t cause any discomfort.
Another benefit of Invisalign is that it’s easier for teens to take out their aligners to eat and brush. They can do this with braces, too, but it requires more attention and effort.
During treatment, your teen will switch to a new set of Invisalign aligners every one or two weeks, depending on their specific treatment plan. The length of their treatment will depend on the severity of their tooth misalignment, but most teens finish Invisalign treatment in between 12 and 18 months.
Aligners can get lost, but Invisalign Teen has up to six free replacement aligners built into the system. If you’re concerned that your teen won’t be able to keep track of their aligners, you may want to consider getting them traditional metal braces instead.
ClearCorrect®
ClearCorrect® is a convenient, comfortable alternative to traditional braces that uses clear plastic aligners to straighten teeth. It’s a great choice for adults and teens who want to improve their smile without the hassle of metal brackets and wires.
Your dentist will take impressions, photos and x-rays to send to ClearCorrect for manufacturing your custom aligners. You’ll then be able to preview your treatment plan and make changes on the spot, if necessary.
Once your aligners are made, you’ll need to keep them clean and maintain proper oral hygiene. It’s important to brush your teeth gently and floss twice a day to remove food particles from between your teeth and between your teeth and your aligners. You should also avoid drinking coffee, red wine or other dark liquids while wearing your aligners to prevent them from staining.
During treatment, you’ll need to wear your aligners 22 hours a day to see the best results. You can replace them with new ones every 2-4 weeks, so you should always have a fresh set when you arrive at your next appointment.
To ensure your oral health and your smile are always healthy, you should be sure to brush your teeth at least twice a day with a soft toothbrush and non-abrasive toothpaste. This will help to prevent the buildup of plaque and bacteria that can lead to cavities and gum disease.
While ClearCorrect can be a great option for mild misalignments, it’s not the best choice for more severe cases or for those who prefer more personalized treatments. It can be expensive and time-consuming, and you’ll have to meet with your doctor in person each month to see how your treatment is going.
AcceleDent®
If you’re ready to improve the appearance of your smile, but you don’t want to spend years in braces or Invisalign, you may be interested in AcceleDent®. This FDA approved device speeds up orthodontic treatment by up to 50% while reducing discomfort.
You simply insert a mouthpiece fitted around your existing braces or aligners and wear the activator for 20 minutes every day, accelerating bone remodeling and moving teeth more quickly than normal. SoftPulse Technology(r) gently vibrates your jaw bone, speeding the remodeling process and encouraging faster movement of teeth while reducing your discomfort in a safe way.
This hands-free device is a great addition to any orthodontic treatment, regardless of the type. The soft pulsating vibrations accelerate tooth movement and encourage bone remodeling to make your Invisalign or braces treatments more effective.
It’s a simple device that fits comfortably in your mouth, providing you with an opportunity to enjoy your daily routine while using AcceleDent. You simply connect the mouthpiece to the activator, bite down firmly on the mouthpiece, turn on the device and relax while it generates micropulses for 20 minutes per day.
After you’ve used it for 20 minutes, simply remove the device and brush your teeth as usual. You’ll find that utilizing the device helps you avoid cavities and gum inflammation while also helping you achieve better overall dental health.
AcceleDent is a Class II FDA approved device that is safe and easy to use. It can be used by anyone in orthodontic treatment – adults, teens and children. To see if you are a candidate for this innovative add-on therapy, call our office to schedule an appointment with Dr. Kwong.