Orthodontics
The purpose of orthodontics is to straighten your teeth and align your bite. While you may consider braces only from an appearance standpoint, properly aligned teeth are critical to long-term oral health. Having crooked, crowded, or overlapping teeth makes it more challenging to keep your teeth clean, which can lead to problems like gum disease and tooth decay.
When Should a Child Visit an Orthodontist?
The American Association of Orthodontics states that kids should visit an orthodontist by age seven. Although this is too early to begin orthodontic treatment, it allows Dr. Bradley Bullard, Dr. Alicia Bullard, or Dr. Carly Sherod to determine if your child will need braces. We typically wait until children have lost all primary teeth before starting orthodontic treatment.
Adults Can Benefit from Orthodontic Treatment
If you have concerns about your oral health or feel dissatisfied with the appearance of your smile, it is never too late to receive care from our orthodontic team. Not only do braces align your teeth and make them easier to care for, but your chewing ability also improves. We understand that adult patients may not want to wear metal brackets and wires associated with children, so we offer several options for wearing braces.
Types of Braces Available at Walnut Street Dental
Standard braces include a wire bracket attached to each tooth and a thin wire connecting the brackets. These braces require adjustment approximately once a month to ensure that they continue applying pressure to the teeth to move into a new position. Clear brackets and wires are also an option for patients who receive traditional braces.
Clear aligners
Completing orthodontic treatment with clear aligners has become an increasingly popular choice over the last one to two decades. Although aligners work the same as braces, they are clear and removable. If you opt for clear aligners, your dentist takes impressions of your top and bottom rows of teeth. Dr. Bradley Bullard, Dr. Alicia Bullard, or Dr. Carly Sherod will then forward the molds to our laboratory to create customized aligners for you.
When your aligners are ready, we will contact you to come in for an initial fitting. Your dentist will make any necessary adjustments at that time. You wear the first aligner in the set for approximately two weeks before replacing it with the next one and repeating the process.
Patients appreciate clear aligners for the flexibility to remove them when necessary. However, we recommend keeping your aligners in at least 22 hours a day and only removing them to eat and brush your teeth. You should brush and rinse your aligner at the same time.
Are you ready to learn more about these and other types of orthodontics in Winona, MN? Please contact us to schedule a consultation.
