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Braces are not just for kids anymore. You can have a beautiful smile at any age. At our office, we offer a variety of treatments for all age groups. As long as your bone and gums are healthy, you can get braces.

A beautiful smile at any age can enhance your personal appearance and improve your self-esteem. Crooked teeth and a bad bite can lead to gum disease and bone loss. This can also result in abnormal wear of the tooth enamel and tooth decay if you are unable to properly clean the teeth. Sometimes joint pain (TMD) and headaches may also result from improper alignment of the teeth.

The new techniques and appliances that we use allow you to choose from several treatment options. Your options may include metal braces, ceramic or clear braces, or invisible aligners (Invisalign).

Appliances

• Metal Braces
• Ceramic (clear) Braces
• Invisalign

Depending on your bite, an appliance may be needed before the braces are put on. Adult appliances include:

• Jones Jig
• Gianelli Jig
• Rubber Bands

Once treatment is completed, you will receive retainers.

Braces (Metal or Ceramic)
A. Ligature or elastic tie or o-ring (pick your color)
The archwire is held to each bracket with a ligature , which can either be an elastic or a small twisted wire.

B. Archwire
The archwire is tied to all of the brackets and creates force to move teeth into their ideal position.

C. Brackets
Brackets are connected to the bands, or directly bonded to the teeth, and hold the archwires in place.

D. Metal Band
The band is the cemented ring of metal which wraps around the tooth.

E. Elastic Hooks & rubber Bands
Elastic hooks are used for the attachment of rubber bands, which help move teeth toward their final position.

Invisalign
The Invisalign System combines advanced 3-D computer graphics technology with the 100-year-old science of orthodontics. Invisalign aligners are designed to move teeth in small steps to the desired final position prescribed by your orthodontist. Each aligner is precisely calibrated and manufactured to fit your mouth at each stage of the treatment plan.

Your first step is to visit our office to determine if Invisalign is right for you. After sending precise treatment instructions, Invisalign uses computer technology to translate these instructions in a sequence of finely calibrated aligners. Each aligner is worn for about two weeks and only taken out to eat, brush and floss. As you replace each aligner with the next, your teeth will begin to move gradually until the final alignment prescribed is attained.

There are several advantages to invisalign:

I. Invisalign is the the most cosmetic option we offer. When worn, aligners are almost invisible.

II. Aligners are removable for cleaning and eating, traditional braces are not.

III. Aligners are more comfortable than braces.

Jones or Gianelli Jig
The purpose of a Jones Jig or a Gianelli Jig is to push the back teeth towards the back of the mouth. By doing this we can make space and compensate for skeletal discrepancies. Often, we can use this device to avoid removing permanent teeth.

Retainers
The purpose of retainers is to hold the teeth in their final position. Without retainers teeth will move back towards their original position. We generally ask patients to wear retainers full time for 6 months after treatment then night time only. Eventually patients are allowed to wear retainers once or twice a week. However, retention is a lifetime commitment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rubber Bands
Braces align teeth within each jaw. The purpose of rubber bands is to help fit the teeth better between the jaws.

Triangles(Upper canine to lower canine and first premolar)

 

 

 

Class II(Upper canine to Lower Molar)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Class III(Lower canine to Upper Molar)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cross Elastics(Inner hook of upper molar band to outer hook of lower molar band)