Should You Have More than One Child in Braces at the Same Time?

August 13, 2019 Austin Orthodontics

When you have kids, you’ll often find yourself juggling the different needs of each child while trying to meet your own at the same time. As you’ve watched your kids grow, you’ve likely been mentally preparing for when they will need to get braces to straighten their teeth. If you have more than one child, the idea of having multiple kids in braces at the same time may sound a bit intimidating, but this actually has some benefits you should consider. 

You Can Schedule Appointments at the Same Time

The thing about having more than one kid with braces at once is you will have to go through the process fewer times, perhaps just once depending on how many kids you have and how you time their treatment. If you have multiple kids in braces, you can take care of their appointments at the same time, from when they get their consultation to when they get their braces off. Since each person’s treatment will be different, one may be in treatment longer than the other, but they will mostly be on the same schedule.

It Will Be Easier to Keep Track of Food Restrictions

When a patient has braces, there are certain things they should avoid eating so they don’t damage their braces or get food stuck in them that they can’t remove. Having one child who can eat anything and one who can’t can be tricky. If both of your kids have braces, neither one of them will be able to eat crunchy or sticky foods, so you can simply eliminate them from your grocery list. Once their treatments are over, you can go back to buying all of the foods you normally would and not have to worry about food limitations again. 

Your Kids Are Less Likely to Tease Each Other

If one child has braces and the other doesn’t, it can be a headache dealing with one sibling teasing the other. It can also cause added stress on your child during their treatment. If your kids have braces at the same time, it evens the score and they have no reason to tease each other. Plus, if they encounter any teasing from their peers, they can support each other since they know what the other is going through. 

You Have to Keep Track of Treatment Fewer Times

When your kids have braces, you will need to help them stay on track with their treatment plan. This includes making sure they are eating foods that are safe for their braces, but it also entails other factors. You’ll need to make sure they are keeping their elastics in and replacing them on time, avoiding rough play without a proper mouthguard, and keeping up with good oral hygiene. 

Multiple Family Member Discounts

Orthodontists understand treatment is an added expense and the thought of paying for two or more sets of braces can be daunting. To make braces more affordable for families, many orthodontists, including Austin Orthodontics, offer discounts to those who have more than one child in treatment at the same time. This discount also lessens the need for parents to decide who is going to get treatment first, which can be a hard decision to make.

If your kids are close in age and you manage to get them in braces at the same time, you can deal with the process once and save some money. Obviously if your kids are spread out in age or not ready for treatment at the same time, this won’t work, but if you have two or more that are ready for treatment, consider doing them both at once.

If you have any questions or concerns about orthodontic treatment for your kids, feel free to contact Austin Orthodontics today! 

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Why You Still Might Need Braces Even if Your Teeth Look Straight

July 25, 2019 Austin Orthodontics

For people who are unhappy with their smile, getting braces makes sense. However, if you like the way your teeth look, you may not think you need braces. While this could be the case, there may also be issues that aren’t as noticeable when you look in the mirror.

Unseen Crowding

Even if you have a good-looking smile, there could be problems you can’t see. When you get orthodontic treatment with braces or clear aligners, it fixes far more than cosmetic issues.

One common issue is crowding, which is caused by a shortage of space between your teeth. When your teeth are crowded, it often affects the appearance of your smile, but some people can have crowding in the back of their mouth, leaving their smile still looking straight. The problem with crowding is food can easily get stuck in between your teeth, making it difficult to thoroughly clean them. This will inevitably lead to tooth decay and possibly worse oral health problems.

Crowding can also cause one or two teeth to be positioned higher than the surrounding teeth. This will cause a disproportionate amount of force to be put on those teeth, which erodes the tooth over time unevenly or causes cracking, both of which you want to avoid.

Underlying Issues

Not all orthodontic issues occur above the gum lines. X-rays often discover problems that need to be fixed but are currently not affecting a smile’s appearance. For example, some patients have adult teeth that have never erupted, either because there wasn’t enough space or the baby teeth never fell out. These trapped teeth can even end up sideways under the gums in an attempt to move into their proper positions.

Braces are often needed to fix these types of underlying issues, either as part of the initial treatment, or after the fact to return the smile to its straight, healthy state.

This is one of the many reasons we don’t recommend mail-order orthodontic treatment. These providers rely on impressions and selfies submitted by their customers, which means any issues hiding under the gums are not addressed.

Misaligned Bite

While your smile may look straight to others, many people have to force their smile to look normal due to an overbite or underbite. Both of these conditions can complicate your oral health by leading to uneven pressure in your mouth, speech or eating problems, or jaw pain. By getting braces or clear aligners, you can get your bite to a normal position and always bite down comfortably while never having to adjust your jaw to make your smile look straight.

To schedule a free consultation and see how braces can improve your oral health, contact Austin Orthodontics today!

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Is Mail-Order Orthodontic Treatment Right for You?

July 9, 2019 Austin Orthodontics

Throughout the history of orthodontics, there have been several key innovations that have made orthodontic treatment more effective, convenient, and comfortable. One of the most significant developments in orthodontics is the Invisalign Clear Aligner system, which allows you to get straight teeth with invisible, removable aligners. 

One fascinating and slightly disconcerting development in orthodontics more recently is the trend of companies marketing mail-order aligners similar to Invisalign. The treatment is completed entirely at home and you get your aligners delivered to your doorstep. Sounds like the next big thing, right? Unfortunately, there are several major issues with this new type of treatment that should make you seriously think twice before using it. 

No In-Person Visits

Interestingly enough, the main selling point of mail-order braces is that you never have to leave your home to get orthodontic treatment. However, with no orthodontist, there is no actual orthodontic treatment. Instead, there’s mostly a lot of guesswork while you attempt to take care of your teeth on your own. Any help you get is all done remotely through images on computer screens.

This means you can never get the precision and personalized guidance that comes with having a certified expert looking at your teeth in person and taking xrays to uncover any underlying issues in your smile. During the whole process, you have to do the work yourself, trust the images you take, and hope it ends up well. You also miss out on the personal relationship you develop with an orthodontist and the team when you are seen at an office.

Inaccurate Impressions

The aligners you receive during the whole course of your treatment are based on impressions you take yourself. Again, this is meant to add to the convenience factor; however, and no offense to you, you’re not an expert at taking dental impressions. Sure, you will get instructions, but there are nuances to getting accurate impressions that can only be learned through the years of training and practice, which all orthodontists and their teams are required to complete. 

Possible Damage to Your Teeth

Without professional, in-person guidance, the inherent risks of doing mail-order braces go beyond just getting subpar results. For one, the at-home impressions often result in aligners that don’t quite fit the way they should. This can result in severe discomfort while your teeth are adjusted in the wrong direction. And since you don’t have anyone looking at your teeth, it is very easy to miss problems under the surface. 

Even if your mail-order braces give you teeth that look straight, that’s not the only reason you should get orthodontic treatment. You can have perfectly straight teeth but still have underlying issues that need to be fixed. If you simply rely on mail-order braces, those problems will never be addressed, leading to long-term oral health problems. 

When you see an orthodontist for the first time, he or she will draw up a comprehensive plan to treat all of your issues. However, this plan may need to be modified slightly throughout your treatment if things are not progressing as planned. With no follow-up visits, mail-order treatment cannot be altered, which means you may not be getting the treatment you really need.

To learn more about how expert, personalized guidance can get you the smile you want while setting you up for long-lasting oral health, contact Austin Orthodontics today to set up a free consultation.

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What the Elastics on Your Braces Do

July 3, 2019 Austin Orthodontics

During your orthodontic treatment with braces, you’ll become familiar with the various aspects of the orthodontic products being used. One of the most important parts of your braces is rubber bands, or elastics. Elastics play a major role in the process of correcting your teeth during your treatment, so it’s worth getting to know a little bit more about what they are and how they work.

What Are Orthodontic Elastics?

It may seem strange to put elastic bands in your mouth, but these bands are specially designed to provide necessary adjustments to your teeth. Orthodontic bands are quite a bit smaller than the typical rubber bands you might think of and are stiffer than conventional rubber bands to provide the force needed for adjustment. Orthodontic elastics are also made to be durable and to last a significant amount of time attached to your teeth.

There are two types of elastic bands you may end up having as part of your orthodontic treatment: elastic ligatures and interarch bands.

Elastic Ligatures

Most likely, you’re familiar with what braces look like. One thing you’ve probably noticed when you see someone with braces or a photo of braces is the tiny bands that surround each bracket of the braces. These small elastic bands hold the archwire in place against the bracket. The level of tightness of your elastic bands also helps in creating the pressure needed to straighten your teeth.

Your elastic ligatures will stay on your braces throughout the course of your treatment, and your orthodontist will often adjust or replace them when you go for your follow-up appointments. Many orthodontists have these bands in different colors, which means you can get them in your favorite colors, be festive for the holidays, or wear the colors of your school or favorite team.

Interarch Bands

Whether you get traditional metal braces or the Invisalign Clear Aligner System, you could also have interarch elastic bands. Rather than helping straighten your teeth to fix issues of crowding, large spaces, or crookedness, interarch bands fix problems with the jaw alignment. Interarch elastic bands run from the lower jaw to the upper jaw, connecting at attachments on your brackets, or on your teeth when it comes to Invisalign.

The pressure created by the interarch wires helps fix instances of overbites or underbites. As you wear your interarch bands with your braces, the pressure pulls the jaw in a direction that corrects your bite over time. In the instance of an underbite, the elastics attach towards the front of the jaw on the bottom and attach towards the back on the upper jaw, and vice versa for instances of an overbite.

When it comes to interarch bands, you’ll most likely wear these for the full length of your treatment, but you will need to replace them frequently yourself rather than waiting until an appointment to have them changed.

To learn more about how elastics play a role in your treatment, contact Austin Orthodontics today!

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Which Invisalign is Right for You?

May 29, 2019 Austin Orthodontics

Modern innovations in orthodontics provide excellent alternatives to traditional metal braces, and the most innovative solution available today is the Invisalign clear aligner system. Invisalign allows you to get thorough correction for your misaligned teeth without having to usemetal braces. The system is completely clear and can be removed when you need to eat, drink or brush your teeth. There also are several types of treatment you can get based on your specific needs.

Invisalign Full

The most common form of Invisalign is the full version of the treatment. This type can treat a wide range of orthodontic problems, including moderate to severe crowding, gaps, and some instances of underbites and overbites. While each case will last different lengths of time based on the individual needs of each patient, this form of Invisalign usually lasts around 9-24 months.

Invisalign Lite

Some patients have mild or moderate cases of crowding that won’t require Invisalign Full. This treatment is less expensive than the full version, so it comes with fewer aligner trays, but the amount provided will be sufficient to make the necessary corrections. Since Invisalign Lite is designed to treat milder cases than the full version, there are fewer appointments needed, and treatment only lasts five to eight months, significantly less than the full version.

Invisalign Express

Sometimes people strike the genetic lottery and have a smile that looks nearly perfect as is. However, since any misalignment can cause oral health problems later on in life, such as decay or wear, it’s advisable to correct even those really small issues. Invisalign Express is an affordable option for people who only need mild correction to their teeth. It uses five to 10 trays throughout the course of the treatment and can last as little as 10 weeks.

Invisalign Teen

Invisalign Teen is the perfect solution for students in high school or in college. This treatment plan includes all the benefits of Invisalign Full, with the ability to tackle tough orthodontic adjustments. Invisalign Teen offers the discreet look teenagers want while also making life more convenient with the ability to remove the aligners for meals or sports events. One of the added perks of Invisalign Teen is the six complimentary replacement trays in case of damage or loss. The system also includes eruption tabs to guide the growth of permanent teeth in younger teens and has indicators that show how frequently the aligners are being worn.

Invisalign could be a great choice for you or your child’s orthodontic treatment, offering a clean look, complete alignment, and convenience throughout your treatment. Contact Austin Orthodontics today to schedule a complimentary consultation to see which version of Invisalign is right for you.

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Do I Need Braces?

May 15, 2019 Austin Orthodontics

By now, you’ve no doubt heard about braces as a way of getting a better smile. While getting a better smile sounds fantastic, it is also a significant investment when it comes to your time, effort, and finances. So you may be wondering, “Do I need braces?”

A common misconception is that braces only serve the purpose of straightening your teeth, but there are plenty of reasons people get braces other than just fixing crookedness. When you complete your orthodontic treatment, your teeth will be optimally positioned to keep your smile both looking better than ever and healthy for as long as possible. Here are some signs braces could be right for you.

You Have Crooked Teeth

Starting with a rather obvious reason, braces are for you if you want to have a straight smile you are proud to show off. Crooked teeth are often pretty easy to see, making the results of a treatment with braces pretty dramatic. But what exactly is crookedness? Crowding is a major culprit of crooked teeth, causing teeth to appear jagged and stick out in awkward places. Excess gaps result in crookedness as well.

Crowding can also cause some teeth to stick out more, putting too much pressure on just one or two teeth when you bite down, and leading to wear. By fixing crowding, your bite can evenly put pressure on all of your teeth.

You Don’t Bite Down Correctly

Braces can also fix instances of misaligned bites. Normally, your upper jaw rests a little bit over your lower teeth, allowing the bottom of your lower teeth to still show. If your jaw sits too far forward and starts to perhaps even hit your lower gums, or if you can’t fully bite down without forcing your upper jaw forward, you could benefit from braces. Having a set of braces with elastic bands can fix instances of underbites and overbites, allowing your bite to feel smooth and natural.

Frequent Cavities

When teeth are crooked, it makes it far easier for food to get trapped in your mouth. This leads to decay over time, even if you keep up with recommended oral hygiene habits. Even if your smile looks perfectly straight, getting braces can be beneficial in spacing your teeth in a way that allows you to actually reach all parts of your teeth.

To really answer the question of whether or not you need braces, you should schedule your free consultation with our team of orthodontic specialists today. We can get a complete look at your teeth and find out if there are any issues you aren’t aware of. If you experience frequent jaw pain, tooth sensitivity, or can’t seem to bite or speak comfortably, these problems could be solved with braces. Schedule an appointment at Austin Orthodontics today!

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Comparing Different Types of Braces

April 23, 2019 Austin Orthodontics

Before visiting Austin Orthodontics for a free consultation, you may be under the impression that there is only one type of braces for you to choose. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. There are more options than ever to get a beautiful, straight smile you will be happy to show off. Here are the types of braces we offer.

Self-Ligating Braces

Let’s start with the basics, shall we? Most people picture silver braces with brackets and wires when they think about orthodontic treatment. This tried-and-true method of straightening teeth has been used for decades to straighten people’s smiles and to fix jaw issues.

Self-ligating braces use the same bracket-and-wire approach, but instead of using elastic bands to attach the archwire, each bracket has a small gate that holds the wire in place. The elimination of the bands definitely has benefits, including a sleeker, less-cluttered smile and the increased ease of brushing and flossing. Patients have also experienced less discomfort compared to regular braces because the gate on each bracket allows more freedom to move than elastic bands do.

During the course of treatment, your orthodontist will adjust your braces during your visits to start the next correction phase. These adjustments with self-ligating braces often take less time than with traditional braces because it is faster to open the gate on each bracket to change or reposition the archwire than to remove and replace elastic bands.

Clear Braces

While metal braces are smaller and more discreet than they were in the past, they still are the most visible form of braces. An alternative to metal braces that delivers excellent results is clear braces. By replacing the metal brackets with a clear material, typically porcelain or ceramic, the braces are far less noticeable and result in a less cluttered smile. This can be a great option for people who are in college or who are trying to advance their careers but still want to correct their smile.  

At Austin Orthodontics, our clear braces are also self-ligating, which means your braces are even less noticeable since they do not require elastic bands on each bracket.

WildSmiles

While older teens and adults are often looking for ways to make their orthodontic treatment less noticeable, many younger teens and tweens embrace their braces (pun intended) and incorporate them as part of their personal style. WildSmiles, available here at Austin Orthodontics, gives kids the ability to add fun-shaped brackets to their smiles. They still get great results since the braces are just as effective as traditional braces, but instead of only sticking to the plain bracket shape, they can express their personality by choosing from various sports ball shapes, flowers, stars, and more!

Contact Dr. Briggs and the team at  Austin Orthodontics today to learn more about these great options for braces. We offer free initial consultations so you can determine what type of treatment would work best and if we are the right fit for you.

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