Dr. Christopher Pescatore
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8 FAQs About Orthodontic Treatments

In Orthodontics September 16, 2020

Orthodontic care is a crucial part of maintaining the health, beauty, and function of your smile. Besides the aesthetic concerns, crooked teeth are more challenging to keep clean. This can increase your risk of developing cavities and gum disease.

A proper bite and straighter teeth can have many positive many benefits, along with improved oral hygiene. If you’ve been thinking about straightening your teeth, here are eight of the most frequently asked questions about orthodontics.

1. What is Orthodontics?

Orthodontic treatment focuses on diagnosing and treating alignment issues and improving oral function. By implementing customized appliances, orthodontics helps you achieve straighter teeth and a healthy bite.

2. What Can Orthodontic Treatment Fix?

Orthodontics can give you a more confident smile and help to prevent other related issues, such as temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD). It can also correct:

  • Overbite
  • Underbite
  • Crossbite
  • Open Bite
  • Misplaced Midline
  • Uneven Spacing
  • Crowding
  • Crooked Teeth

3. Is Orthodontic Treatments Only for Teens?

While most dentists recommend orthodontics evaluation starting at around age seven, modern treatment options make care available for kids, teens, and adults. This allows your entire family to achieve a healthier smile at every stage of life.  

4. What are the Treatment Options?

  • Invisalign® & MVS® Aligners are transparent braces with virtually invisible plastic trays that straighten teeth gradually. They are often recommended for responsible teens and adults because of their removable design. When worn for at least 22 hours a day, these aligners can effectively treat mild to moderate alignment issues.
  • Traditional Metal Braces use metal brackets attached to the surfaces of your teeth. Wires and sometimes rubber bands help achieve proper alignment. These braces are a reliable option for correcting complex issues.
  • Lingual Braces are fixed appliances like traditional metal braces. However, they sit on the back of your teeth instead of the front surfaces.
  • The Damon System uses self-ligating braces to tighten your teeth over time. Unlike traditional braces, they do not need regular adjustments to work.
  • SureSmile® uses tooth-colored brackets and a customized ceramic wire instead of metal to straighten your teeth. This technique uses 3-D imaging, planning software, and robotics to create a comprehensive treatment.
  • Six Month Smiles are clear braces that straighten the most visible front teeth in your smile in around six months. This system delivers fast results because it focuses on addressing only the visible teeth in your smile.

5. How Long Does Orthodontic Treatment Take?

Treatment time will vary from one person to another. The amount of time you will wear braces depends on your age and the complexity of your case. If you only have a few teeth that need to be straightened slightly, treatment can take as little as six months. Complex cases with multiple issues can take as long as two years to address effectively. Most orthodontic cases can be treated within 12-18 months.

6. Do Braces Hurt?

Typically, getting braces does not hurt. However, it is normal to feel slightly uncomfortable for a few days as your teeth, gums, and cheeks get used to your new braces or aligners.

7. How Do I Take Care of My Teeth During Treatment?  

While undergoing treatment, you can make sure your smile remains clean and healthy by doing the following:

  • No matter which orthodontic treatment you choose, always brush your teeth twice a day and floss once a day.
  • Make sure to rinse with mouthwash to help get rid of food debris and bacteria.
  • If you take out your aligner or retainer to eat, clean it with warm water, a toothbrush, and toothpaste.
  • Always keep aligners or retainers in a proper storage box and a safe place when you have to remove them.
  • Do not put your aligners or retainer in boiling water or the dishwasher!
  • Try to avoid sugary foods. These can increase bacteria in your mouth, causing plaque buildup and possibly cavities.
  • Avoid sticky and chewy foods, hard foods, or any foods that could get stuck in your braces, such as corn on the cob, soft bagels, ribs, and taffy candy.
  • Always attend your routine cleanings and examination every six months.

8. How Much Does Orthodontic Treatment Cost?

Since everyone’s mouth is different, every treatment is unique. The price of your treatment will depend on the severity of misalignment, which option you select, and if you need other procedures, like an extraction. With insurance benefits, flexible spending accounts, and payment plans, you can probably find an option that works for your budget and your lifestyle.

Do you have any suggestions for those who are considering orthodontic treatment? Feel free to share in the comments below!

The post 8 FAQs About Orthodontic Treatments first appeared on Dental Signal.

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Dr. Pescastore,

I just had to take a minute to let you know how much me and my family appreciate everything you have done for us. When we met in 2001 I was honestly anxious about the work I needed to have done. I was nervous about the results and also about the potential pain it might take to achieve the smile I wanted. You were so thorough in your evaluation of my extensive dental history and so clear in your explanation of the procedures required that I felt confident to take your recommendations and trust my smile to you. I have never regretted that decision. I am so grateful for the way you and your wonderful staff made every appointment as easy and comfortable as it could possibly have been. I was always happy to be going there knowing I would be treated so well and love the results. I still feel the same way, and look forward to my appointments with you and your caring staff. I really enjoy the spa like feeling and always leave there more relaxed than when I arrived. My friends are always surprised to learn that I look forward to my dentist appointments as they are lamenting about theirs.

I am especially grateful for the way you have treated my daughters. They too had many dentists before you and were nervous about going to the dentist. Thanks to you and Stacey and the rest of your wonderful staff they now share my feeling about going to the dentist and are happy to be there. Brooke is so afraid of needles that even at seventeen years old she still cries if she thinks she might get a shot at the doctors office. She was very nervous before her first appointment with you, in spite of mine and her sisters assurance that it really wouldn't hurt. Thank you for proving us right. Now even Brooke is not afraid to go to the dentist. I also want you to know how grateful I am for the emergency care you gave Sadie when she chipped her front tooth. I really appreciate you changing your own plans for the day to help her. She was so upset about the way her tooth looked that she cried all the way to your office. She, like me, left your office that day feeling great about herself and her smile. You have really made a positive difference in our lives and we are all so grateful to you for it. We all look forward to seeing you and your great team for our future dental needs.

With Great Respect and Many Thanks,

Pennie Gaddis

I look back at old photographs and realize I spent years hiding teeth. I had braces in my 30s and made the mistake of having my orthodontist apply veneers to my discolored, misshapen teeth. I was his first veneers patient, and I learned that when you're having cosmetic dentistry done, you should have a cosmetic dentist do it. When I decided to have those veneers replaced, I found an expert Dr. Pescatore. In fact, it was just a few weeks before my wedding that I asked Dr. Pescatore to do my smile makeover. I trusted him completely and knew from my first appointment that I was in good hands. He impressed me with his concern that my veneers look natural, and they do. My smile is huge in my wedding pictures, not only because I had a new husband but also because I had fabulous new teeth! I'm grateful to Dr. Pescatore and his caring, attentive staff for what they did for me. I finally have the smile I'd always wanted.

Evelyn Dalton

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