Benefits of Orthodontics
If you are considering orthodontics, you might need help understanding all the procedure’s benefits. Orthodontic treatment can:
- Give you a beautiful smile
- Improve your chewing
- Reduce tooth wear and trauma
- Make oral hygiene easier
- Improve oral health
- Give you a beautiful smile
- Improve your chewing
- Reduce tooth wear and trauma
- Make oral hygiene easier
- Improve oral health
Most people consider orthodontics a cosmetic procedure because it can give you a beautiful smile. Straight teeth are essential to an attractive smile, and orthodontics can give you that. However, it can also give you much more.
Straight teeth are more effective for chewing. Your teeth can deliver more crushing and tearing force to your food, ensuring that it gets broken up properly. There are also fewer spaces for teeth to escape chewing and get caught in your teeth. At the same time, straight teeth are less likely to impact each other, so you’ll experience less wear and tear on your teeth. Straight teeth are also better situated to distribute and disperse traumatic forces, so you’re less likely to damage your teeth in an accident.
Straight teeth are easier to clean than crooked teeth. As we noted above, less food will be stuck in your teeth. Even spaces that aren’t too tight let you get as much of your teeth as possible when brushing. Straight teeth also allow you to floss between your teeth easily.
With easier oral hygiene, you are likely to enjoy better oral health. Some studies suggest that people who get orthodontic treatment may lower their risk of gum disease by nearly 50%.
How Orthodontics Works
Orthodontics means “straight teeth.” It’s the science and discipline of moving your teeth, so they are straight and even.
The basic principles of orthodontics are the same, no matter what type of orthodontics you choose. It starts in your bones. You might think your bones are solid and unchanging but dynamic. Your body is constantly breaking them down and rebuilding them. As part of that process, all our bones reshape in response to constant or regular forces. Putting constant pressure on a tooth will cause your body to reshape the bones around it. Your body will remove bone from one side and build it on the other. This allows your teeth to move in your jawbone.
By carefully controlling how we apply force to our teeth, we can control where they move, making them straight.
How Traditional Braces Work
Traditional braces use brackets and wires to apply force to your teeth. At the beginning of the process, we will cement brackets to each tooth in the arch we are straightening. Elastics or steel ligatures bind the brackets to an archwire or guidewire, which provides the goal shape for your teeth.
Throughout treatment, we will change the elastics and the guidewire to continue encouraging the teeth to move in the desired fashion. Sometimes, we use additional tools such as molar bands, coil springs, and elastic bands between the top and bottom teeth. We apply these in particular situations to achieve specific movements in your teeth and jaws.
Patient Testimonials
“I had to take my daughter that is terrified of dentists in to get her cavity taken care of. A friend recommended Collins Dentistry and said they would make the experience a good one (as good as going to the dentist can be!). They used really good numbing gel and she didn’t even cry. I have recommended them to friends.”
– Amy H.
“This is a second generation business in Cheney. They are supportive of this community and are well liked and respected. The Collins brothers provide professional service and do a great job cleaning your teeth and making sure you leave with a great smile. I would recommend.”
– Jeffrey B.
“I used to be terrified of the dentist and of having any work done on my teeth due to terrible past experiences, but Dr. Chris and his team are amazing. They make me feel so comfortable, they explain everything, and they never hesitate to help me with whatever it is that I need.”
– Lacee G.
How Invisalign Works
Invisalign uses clear aligners to apply force to your teeth. After we take an initial impression of your teeth, the Align software will design a specific sequence of movements to achieve a perfect smile. Dr. Collins will evaluate this sequence and make adjustments if necessary.
Once we approve the sequence, Align will manufacture a series of clear aligners, and each intended to achieve a specific stage of tooth movement. You will wear each aligner for one or two weeks, then move on to the next aligner. When you reach the final aligner, your teeth should be in the desired position.
Retainers Are Always Essential for Orthodontics
You will need a retainer no matter what type of orthodontics you choose. Retainers hold your teeth in their desired position so they don’t drift and become crooked again.
It’s imperative to wear your retainer right after you finish treatment. At this point, the new bone your body built around your teeth is unstable, and your teeth are susceptible to drifting. You will wear your retainer as close to 24 hours a day as possible during this time. As your bones stabilize, you can wear your retainer every night, then just a few nights a week.
You can count on maintaining your orthodontic results as long as you keep wearing your retainer. Once you stop wearing your retainer, your bite forces can cause your teeth to drift.
Invisalign vs. Braces: Which Is Right for You?
At Collins Family Dentistry, we offer traditional braces and Invisalign because we know both treatments are excellent and effective. However, they are different, and choosing the one that’s best for you is essential.
Traditional braces might be best for you if you:
- Need tooth movements that are hard to achieve with Invisalign
- Aren’t good at keeping your aligners in or tend to lose aligners
- Don’t want to brush and floss after every meal
- Need tooth movements that are hard to achieve with Invisalign
- Aren’t good at keeping your aligners in or tend to lose aligners
- Don’t want to brush and floss after every meal
We’ll talk to you about the movements your teeth need and whether Invisalign can do them reliably.
On the other hand, you might choose Invisalign if you:
- Want discreet treatment
- Don’t want to limit your diet
- Don’t want to clean around brackets and wires
- Are you sensitive to irritants in your mouth
- Participate in contact sports
- Want discreet treatment
- Don’t want to limit your diet
- Don’t want to clean around brackets and wires
- Are you sensitive to irritants in your mouth
- Participate in contact sports
Although modern braces aren’t as visible, Invisalign is still more subtle. Because Invisalign is removable, it doesn’t affect your diet or make it harder to clean your teeth, even if you have to clean more often.
Get a Straight Smile in Cheney
Are crooked teeth making you unhappy with your smile? Orthodontics can help you get a smile you’ll be happy to show off. Let Dr. Chris Collins explain the benefits of orthodontics and help you understand which is best for you.
Please call (509) 235-8451 or use our online form today to request an appointment at Collins Family Dentistry in Cheney.
