Did you know that we take a cosmetic approach to help our teen and adult patients obtain straighter smiles? In today’s blog, your Fort Worth, TX, orthodontist talks about how we correct smiles with a cosmetic and barely noticeable approach using tooth-colored ceramic brackets and clear Invisalign® aligners.
When to Seek Orthodontic Treatment
If you have misalignment, which means your teeth are crooked, crowd one another, or may overlap, then you should consider treatment. We can offer care for people of all ages. We can start as young as age seven, with a phased approach to guide the growth of the smile and reduce the severity of misalignment until the teen years, when we start the final phase of treatment. We can also help teens and adults as well, correcting minor or severe misalignment with an array of orthodontics. A straighter smile is not only more attractive, but also less likely to develop tooth decay, gum disease, or jaw joint disorders like TMJ disorder or chronic teeth grinding (bruxism).
Braces with Tooth-Colored Brackets
For teens and adults with more severe misalignment, we may suggest braces. Treatment involves attaching brackets to the front of each tooth, and then connecting a portion of an arch wire to them with a band. We then adjust tension in the arch wire to begin shifting the teeth into new positions. To make them more attractive and less visible, we don’t use metal to make the brackets. Instead, each one is custom-made from ceramic, a strong material that can be shaded to blend with the tooth. In fact, dentists use ceramic to create lifelike crowns and replacement teeth for this reason. We then connect the wire to them with a clear band.
Clear Invisalign® Aligners
We also have a nearly invisible option with Invisalign®. We don’t need brackets or wires at all, instead we take detailed images of your smile with the iTero® digital scanning system, and create a series of aligners from a clear plastic material. Each set is worn for about 20 to 23 hours a day, only removed for meals or brushing and flossing your teeth. After two weeks, you move on to the next set and this process continues as your smile is corrected. Optimal results could be possible in as little as one year!
If you have any questions about tooth-colored ceramic brackets or about the Invisalign® system, then contact our team today to learn more.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT COSMETIC ORTHODONTICS?
We want to help you enjoy straighter smiles with a cosmetic approach. To learn more about our almost invisible treatment options, then please call Lake Country Orthodontics in Fort Worth, TX at (817) 236-7846. Our office proudly serves patients who live in White Settlement, North Fort Worth, and all surrounding communities.
