shirley traditional braces

When you have an uneven smile, this could mean serious trouble for your oral health. To correct the alignment of your teeth, then we could offer traditional braces. For a more cosmetic approach, we could even offer them with ceramic brackets instead of metal ones. In today’s blog, your Shirley, NY, pediatric dentist and orthodontist about braces.

The Potential Risks of Poor Alignment

We want to see kids and adults alike to treat misalignment, as malocclusion could cause serious problems with oral health and smile function. For example, you could be more likely to suffer tooth decay and gum disease as the uneven teeth provide places for food and drink particles to become trapped beyond the reach of floss or toothbrush bristles. The uneven nature of your smile could strain the jaw joints and bite balance too, leading to painful complications like TMJ disorder or even bruxism (teeth grinding). You may also feel self-conscious about your oral health and your smile’s appearance. To avoid these issues, we suggest orthodontic treatment.

Traditional Braces

With traditional braces, we can address more severe cases in teens and adults alike. The process involves carefully planning the treatment with digital technology, and then attaching metal brackets to the front facing side of each tooth. We then connect a portion of an arch wire to them with a band, and may connect the upper and lower arch with bands as well. The orthodontist the adjusts the tension in the wires at periodic visits to shift the teeth into proper positions. This could offer optimal results and even smiles in about two years for most patients.

Ceramic Brackets

Our team understands that a few teens or adults are excited by braces and may feel a little self-conscious about their appearance during treatment. To make them less visible, we could talk about ceramic brackets. Made from a material we can shade to blend with your teeth, this means they’re less visible. This could make our older patients feel a lot better about their appearance! Now, these are also a little more brittle, so we could recommend them for the upper arch and for adults more often than teens.

If you or a member of your family has an uneven smile and would like to seek treatment, remember that we offer care for people of all ages in our community. Schedule a consultation so we can see what option is best for you or them, and help everyone on their journey to an even and beautiful smile.

Make a Visit With Your Shirley, NY, Orthodontist and Pediatric Dentist Today

Our team is ready to help transform the appearance of the smile with orthodontics. To learn more about our metal and ceramic braces, then contact Shirley Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry in Shirley, NY, by calling (631) 399-1600.