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Our Orthodontic Team is Kid-friendly but can help mom and dad achieve their dream smiles as well. But proper tooth alignment does not only enhance aesthetics, it has been proven to help prevent gum disease, increase better function, and prevent future tooth loss. The orthodontic treatment period requires braces for 18-30 months for full, active treatment but sometimes as little as 6-12 months will do the job.
Ideally your child should be examined by age 7 because some problems require early intervention and careful growth monitoring.
At Zak Dental, we are dedicated to help adults achieve the smile of their dreams while minimizing the embarrassing effects of wearing braces. Metal braces are not the only option now a day. We offer a number of nearly invisible solutions to serve yourself presentation needs.
Learn about the Orthodontic Treatment provided at Zak Dental offices in Agoura Hills, Covina/San Dimas, Downey, Long Beach, North Park, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Simi Valley, Temecula, Valencia, Ventura, and Whittier/La Mirada.
How can one make orthodontic treatment more affordable using 3 lesser-known ways?
Three little-known ways to make orthodontic treatment affordable for patients who find the price to be a pain point.
The first tip is to check with your dental insurance provider to see if they cover orthodontic treatment and to ask specific questions to get thorough answers.
The second tip is to look for offices that offer financing options with affordable payment plans at 0% interest.
Lastly, signing up for an in-house annual savings plan with a dental office that looks trustworthy to you can also help you save money on orthodontic care.
Why is it important to consider more than just looks when it comes to orthodontic treatment?
The biggest misconception about orthodontic treatment is that it’s only for aesthetic purposes.
While a beautiful smile is a benefit of orthodontic treatment, the most important thing is having a healthy bite structure. Misaligned jaws and teeth can cause wear and tear, chipping of enamel, and tooth decay, which can require costly and intensive treatment.
The American Orthodontic Association recommends getting a bite structure and jaw assessment by an orthodontist at age 7 or younger. Correcting the bite structure while the child is young is cheaper and more effective than getting the same treatment during teenage or adult years. The earlier the treatment, the better the outcome, and it can avoid serious issues in the future.
The writer gives an example of his personal experience of not getting orthodontic treatment when he was younger, which now requires jaw surgery costing $20,000-$25,000.
What would be the top 5 crucial factors to consider when seeking affordable orthodontic treatment?
Cost can be a pain point for patients when it comes to getting orthodontic treatment. There are 5 ways to lower that out of pocket expense and be more financially to make the treatment more affordable.
1. Check to make sure your dentist is in network with your dental plan.
2. Make sure you’re getting treatment done by an Orthodontist not a General Dentist.
3. Ensure you are compliant with the guidelines of your treatment.
4. If your kids need treatment then start them as soon as possible.
5. Have an understanding of the financial options available and choose them wisely.
What are some tips for taking care of my braces to keep my mouth healthy and clean?
Orthodontic treatment is performed to straighten and properly align the teeth and jaws.
After your teeth are straightened, they’re usually much easier to take care of. Cleaning around brackets and bands can be tricky, but it’s very important to prevent cavities and frosty white demineralized spots that can damage your teeth during therapy, which can last several years.
A floss threader is a flexible yet rigid plastic tool that is used to thread dental floss under the arch wires to remove plaque from between the teeth. After passing it between adjacent teeth, remove plaque with an up-and-down motion. When using this device, be sure to floss between all your teeth every day.
An interdental brush can remove plaque around brackets and in the triangle formed by archwires and two adjacent teeth. Combined with regular brushing, these devices can help keep your teeth and gums healthy so that when your braces are removed, your teeth will look their best.
When brushing teeth with bands and brackets, it’s especially important to clean beneath the gum line. Failure to do so may cause the gums to become inflamed and swell, making it more difficult to insert a brush in the first place. Angle the tips of the bristles just below the level of the gums; gently wiggle the brush over just a few teeth at a time and sweep the plaque away.
A toothpick may be helpful to remove plaque if the brackets are placed at the gum line.
Gently pull the pick along the gumline, tipping it under the brackets. Do not force the toothpick into the gum to avoid injury.
Other techniques for cleaning teeth during orthodontic treatment, such as oral irrigators and mechanical toothbrushes, are sometimes recommended by dental professionals. Mouth rinsing, topical fluoride, and other preventive solutions may also be recommended. In some cases, it may be a good idea to consider having your teeth professionally cleaned more often during your orthodontic treatment.
Be sure to ask your dental professional if you have any questions.
If I have braces, how can a floss threader help me keep my teeth clean, and what exactly is it?
A dental floss threader is a flexible yet rigid plastic tool used to thread dental floss under fixed bridgework, behind orthodontic wires and under removable denture brackets. Floss threaders look like large plastic “needles.” They are effective at getting floss between connected teeth.
Without it, it would be difficult to push the string into areas like this.
Simply thread the dental floss into the eye of the dental floss threader. The ends are easily manipulated to clean under bridges, behind archwires and under retainer bars once the floss is inserted. Removing plaque in these areas helps prevent cavities, gum disease and bone loss.
There is also a dental floss available that has a rigid/wire section approximately every 18 inches. If you cut off the floss at this point, the rigid end of the floss can be placed under the bridge or orthodontic wire. Gently polish the surfaces until they are free of plaque.
Flossing can help keep your mouth healthy and extend the life of your dentures, along with regular brushing and the use of an interdental brush.
For best results, use the floss threader at least once a day and be sure to clean all accessible surfaces.
What can occur if my teeth erupt abnormally and how can a dentist help?
An “ectopic eruption” of the teeth is a condition in which the teeth move in an abnormal path into the mouth and end up in an improper position.
If the ectopic tooth is a permanent tooth that normally displaces a primary tooth, the roots of the primary tooth may not dissolve or resorb. The result of this may be that the loss of the primary tooth will be delayed.
Having the primary tooth removed by a dentist may be advisable in some cases.
In general, the permanent tooth that has erupted ectopically will then move to a more normal position.
Normally, an erupting permanent tooth will follow a path into the mouth that follows the roots of the baby tooth. This causes the primary tooth to loosen and eventually be lost or “exfoliated”.
Children’s teeth and jaws develop relatively quickly, which is why it’s important to start seeing a dentist when they’re young.