Braces are almost an adolescent rite of passage, a hated yet curiously exciting milestone.
Dr. Alan F. Justin, DMD, of Capital Region Braces (with offices in Saratoga Springs, Clifton Park, Burnt Hills and East Greenbush) lays out the basics of orthodontics.
Before any decisions are made, Justin meets with the patient to see what the best course of treatment is — and the earlier the better.
“In most cases, we start by age nine. To determine what needs to be done, we take study models to get representation of where the child is, X-rays of the teeth to determine the presence, size and shape of the adult teeth not yet present, and a head X-ray to determine growth potential and space potential of the jaw,” said Justin.
The head X-ray gives a complete picture of what’s going on inside a child’s mouth and helps orthodontists better decide what path the treatment will take.
“Just like the boundary lines on the soccer field, we play within the boundaries,” said Justin.
Get into gear
Now come the options. Some children need a widening of the upper jaw, growing of the lower jaw, or moving teeth forward, backward, up or down to achieve the best function and aesthetic results.
There are a slew of common appliances that achieve the desired results, but not all are necessarily needed for every child; it varies person to person.
Headgear is a sometimes dreaded but simple appliance that’s worn only at night. It makes space in the top of the mouth by pushing top teeth back. Lip bumpers do the same thing except they’re worn all the time and on the bottom. Expanders widen the top and sometimes can be used on the bottom of the mouth too. Bite plates help level out the bite and retainers are used to hold the teeth in a position, either at the end of treatment or when a phase of treatment is completed.
“It all depends on the complexity of the case. We try to do a lot of early treatments so the kids are in braces themselves for a relatively short period of time,” said Justin. “That doesn’t mean the treatment is short because there are other treatments before the braces.”
For braces, there are several options. There are the familiar metal brackets on the front of the teeth. For mild to moderate cases, invisible aligners can sometimes be used. These are plastic aligners worn 20 hours a day and changed every two to three weeks. The downfall of these is that the young person needs to closely follow the schedule.
One treatment that’s offered at very few orthodontic practices in the area is incognito braces, which go on the inside of the teeth. They’re slightly more expensive, said Justin, but are very effective for all types of cases and virtually unnoticeable.
“We had a senior in high school who didn’t want to be seen in braces,” said Justin. “We put a set of these on a gal who was going to get married and no one at her wedding knew she had braces on.”
A cooperative process
Now for the orthodontic myths. Contrary to what some may think, orthodontics isn’t painful and there are no needles or drills involved. In fact, said Justin, most appliances are relatively comfortable and only apply a pressure that’s comparable to lightly pushing on your tooth with your finger.
The most important thing to remember is that cooperation is essential to achieving a successful result.
“The orthodontist rarely makes the teeth move. Most of the time, elastic rubber bands are the power behind the movement. Poor elastic wear equals slow or no progress,” said Justin. “Kids that wear their elastics finish faster with a better result.”
Even though there’s extra equipment in their mouths, kids shouldn’t forget to brush! Justin said poor brushing habits can lead to incomplete treatment.
“I would rather have a child have crowded teeth versus straight teeth with a bunch of cavities,” said Justin.
Some orthodontists hand out a list of “no no” foods, but Justin said he doesn’t restrict his patient’s diets or activities.
“Use common sense. If it’s going to break a brace, don’t do it,” said Justin.
Albany Braces is a large orthodontic practice with offices in Albany, Delmar and Latham. There are five orthodontists available to treat children and patients can reach a doctor 24 hours a day with questions or concerns about appliances.
The first visit is done at no charge and is when X-rays are taken to determine the next steps in treatment. Albany braces can tackle underbites, spacing issues, protrusion, crowding, crossbites, overbites, openbites and other common issues.
The orthodontists at Albany Braces suggest starting treatment or discussing treatment options no later than age seven when the first molars erupt. Even though no appliances may be necessary at that moment, it allows for better planning and hopefully, saves time and expense.
Albany Braces offers metal braces that have fast results, shorter treatment time and fewer appointments. For older patients there are translucent braces, which have improved appearance and greater comfort but are more fragile and prone to discoloration between orthodontic visits. There’s also Invisalign for adults and teens.
Although Justin doesn’t have food or behavior restrictions, orthodontists at Albany Braces encourage their patients to stay away from several foods and habits.
Biting nails, pencils or other foreign objects is a bad idea and can lead to breakage. Sticky foods should be avoided to prevent damage to wires, like gum, licorice, caramels, Starburst, or anything else of a similar nature. Hard foods also pose a threat, like ice, nuts, crusty rolls/pizza crust, corn on the cob, apples or carrots that aren’t cut into small pieces, among others.
For information about Capital Region Braces, treatment options, orthodontists and locations visit www.capitalregionbraces.com. For information about Albany Braces, visit www.albanybraces.com.
