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Braces have come a long way in the last 20 years. Pictures of patients with large, ugly metal rings on every tooth are now found in the history books. One of the more recent developments in orthodontic treatment, especially adult orthodontic treatment, that has caused a lot of excitement in recent years is Invisalign or clear aligners.

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Invisalign is a series of clear aligners that straighten your teeth a little bit at a time. This reduces the discomfort felt from moving the teeth into alignment and allows patients to easily brush and floss their teeth because the aligners are removable. There are also no diet restrictions with Invisalign because the aligners are removed while you are eating. Not to mention, they are nearly invisible when placed on your teeth. Invisalign allows patients who would never consider traditional braces to be potential candidates for orthodontic treatment.

The other side of the coin with Invisalign is that removable aligners don’t work well if they are always being removed. You have to wear the aligners literally 22 hours/day for the treatment to be effective. There are also some limits to what Invisalign can do compared to traditional braces for certain bite problems. It is important to see an orthodontist who is an expert in orthodontic treatment as an “Invisalign Certification” can be acquired in one weekend and does not an expert make.

In our office we offer complimentary initial exams and can tell you whether or not you would be a good candidate for Invisalign treatment and answer any questions you might have. If you are interested, come and check it out! We look forward to meeting you.

There are basically three ways an orthodontist can create the space needed to straighten crowded, crooked teeth.  The most common is to widen and expand the smile to create a little more room for big teeth in a small jaw.  Thankfully, this option will work for most patients. The second way is to “slenderize” the teeth by polishing them to make them a tiny bit smaller.  As long as the reduction is minimal, there are generally no long-term negative consequences to this approach – and for people with really big teeth it can be a great option.

Occasionally, there is so much crowding that even a combination of widening and “slenderizing” just does not create enough room to fit in all the teeth with braces.  In these few cases, it is better to have fewer teeth that fit in your mouth then it is to try and jam all the teeth into a small jaw.  Trying to jam teeth into the bone when there isn't enough space can cause periodontal disease over the long term. If some teeth are removed (extracted), the remaining teeth and gums end up being healthier and they look better too.  We can discuss all the available options with you to find out what is going to give you the smile you want and deserve. Please call our Scottsdale orthodontic office or our Phoenix orthodontic office location for a free consultation.

This may be the most common question I am asked as an orthodontist.  In the digital world that we live in, we have all become accustomed to having things the minute or even the second we want them. While the average length of orthodontic treatment has been significantly reduced as a result of developments in technology over the years, orthodontic treatment is still usually measured in months and sometimes years, not in days or weeks.

Asking how long braces will be on for is like asking how long it will take to drive to San Diego.  Are you leaving from Philadelphia or from Phoenix?  How long it takes to arrive at your destination depends a lot on where you are leaving from.  The same is true for orthodontic treatment with braces or Invisalign.  The severity of the bite problems that are in place at the beginning of treatment will significantly affect how long it takes to get to the end of treatment.  Treatment can be as short as a few weeks or as long as a few years depending on the severity of the bite problem to begin with.  We can drive a faster car to shave down the time we spend in the car, but no matter how fast the car is you still have to obey the speed limit and it is still going to take a while.

The “bottleneck” in orthodontic treatment is the rate at which the bone around the roots of the teeth remodels.  Stimulating bone to remodel is how we move teeth with braces.  While there are techniques to speed up this process, bone remodeling is still a relatively slow process.  This is the same reason you have to have a cast on a broken arm for several weeks to allow the bone to set in the proper position.  So hang in there and know that your braces will come off as soon as your smile is perfect.  Good things come to those who wait!  If you have questions about how long braces might take in your individual case, please contact our office at Budd Orthodontics for a free consultation.

Ideally, everyone would be able to wait until all their baby teeth were gone to begin needed orthodontic treatment, and more often than not, this is the right course of action.  This allows for shorter treatment times and less patient burn out.  However, there are certain problems that if addressed in earlier stages of growth tend to result in better overall outcomes.

Once a patient is done growing or growth has slowed significantly, some options for achieving a great smile simply don’t work as well.  Also, early orthodontic treatment – sometimes referred to as Phase I treatment – makes sense to protect the teeth from chipping, breaking, or wearing unevenly as in the case of severe protrusion of the front teeth.

Other common reasons for Phase I treatment include certain types of crossbite, underbites, severe crowding, and unusual eruption patterns of adult teeth.  Each child is unique, and therefore it is impossible to generalize what will be the best plan for everyone.

We offer free initial examinations to patients, so they can get the information they need to be informed without worrying about the cost.  If you are concerned or even just curious about your child’s orthodontic needs, contact Budd Orthodontics so you can make the right choice for your child’s smile.