Orthodontic treatments offers at our offices in Lawrenceville & Norcross, Georgia

Early Treatment

Adolescent & Teenage Treatments

Even though most people think of pre-teens and teens when they think of orthodontics, there are good reasons your child should get an orthodontic evaluation much sooner. The American Association of Orthodontists recommends a check-up with an orthodontic specialist no later than age 7. Why your child should get an orthodontic check-up no later than age 7?

Orthodontists can spot subtle problems with jaw growth and emerging teeth while some baby teeth are still present. While your child’s teeth may appear to be straight, there could be a problem that only an orthodontist can detect. The check-up may reveal that your child’s bite is fine. Or, the orthodontist may identify a developing problem but recommend monitoring the child’s growth and development, and then, if indicated, begin treatment at the appropriate time for the child. In other cases, the orthodontist might find a problem that can benefit from early treatment. Early treatment may prevent more serious problems from developing and may make treatment at a later age shorter and less complicated. In some cases, the orthodontist will be able to achieve results that may not be possible once the face and jaws have finished growing. Early treatment may give your orthodontist the chance to: guide jaw growth, lower the risk of trauma to protruded front teeth, correct harmful oral habits, improve appearance, guide permanent teeth into a more favorable position, improve the way lips meet. Through an early orthodontic evaluation, you’ll be giving your child the best opportunity for a healthy, beautiful smile.

Because patients differ in both physiological development and treatment needs, the orthodontist’s goal is to provide each patient with the most appropriate treatment at the most appropriate time. Below are the list of problems to watch in the primary/early mixed dentition

Anterior crossbite (one or multiple teeth)
Posterior crossbite
Underbite (class III)
Significant dental/skeletal protrusion (class II)
Anterior openbite
Deepbite
Thumb habits
Tongue thrust
Impacted teeth
Lower incisor crowding
Significant spacing
Midlines discrepancy
Over-retained primary teeth
Delayed eruption of permanent teeth
Diastema between maxillary incisors
Premature loss of primary canine
Early loss of primary molars
Ectopic eruption of first permanent molar
Ankylosed primary molar
Premature contacts with functional shift of mandible

Getting braces as a teenager is so common. Your teenage years are the best years to get braces because your permanent teeth have just come in and the surrounding bones are the most flexible. Investing in your smile is no doubt an expensive and lengthy process but you can't underestimate the value of having a perfect smile for the rest of your life. Even though one of the goals of getting braces is to straighten your teeth, there are many other issues that your orthodontist can analyze and treat which will maximize the health and longevity of your smile. Some of these problems include fixing a deep overbite or underbite. Having a bad bite makes you vulnerable to wearing down your teeth. Straightening your teeth with braces also makes it easier to clean your teeth so that you don't develop pockets, which harbor plaque and bacteria. Whatever your dental problem may be now, it's important to talk to the orthodontist about your goals for treatment so that you can achieve the best results in the shortest time possible.

Adult Treatments

Braces aren’t just for kids anymore. Tooth alignment can be changed at any age if your gums and bone structure are healthy. Orthodontic treatment at later stages in life can dramatically improve your personal appearance and self-esteem. Improving the health of your teeth and gums is equally important. Crooked teeth and a bad bite can contribute to gum and bone loss, tooth decay, abnormal wear of the tooth enamel and surfaces, headaches and jaw joint (TMJ/TMD) pain. Your options may include metal braces, translucent braces or transparent aligners (invisalign) that can be worn at night to improve mild cases of misaligned teeth. During the initial examination, we will be able to determine the best possible treatment for your individual needs and outline the treatment plan, time of treatment expected and the approximate cost. A large percentage of our patients are adults, and they agree that it’s never too late to improve their greatest asset – their smile.

Problems to watch for in the primary or mixed dentition
Courtesy of the American Association of Orthodontists

Problems to watch for in adult
Courtesy of the American Association of Orthodontists

Orthognathic Surgery

Most of the time orthodontics alone will correct minor jaw discrepancies. In other time orthodontics in conjunction with temporary anchorage device (temporary pin that places in the bone to help anchorage) will correct a lot of severe cases. However, in very few cases orthognathic surgery may be needed to correct severe jaw discreapncies. These surgeries applies most common to class 2 skeletal, class 3 skeletal, and crossbites. Some people may choose not to correct them, but for others it is quite a life changing experience. Often, these abnormalities cause difficulty associated with chewing, talking, sleeping and other routine activities. A poor bite can lead to issues such as TMJ, speech problems and difficult chewing properly. With the help of orthognathic surgery in conjunction with braces, your bite and face can be drastically improved.

Our office uses advanced technologies in orthodontics such as computer imaging and miniature implants (temporary) to correct a lot of severe cases. We will determine if orthognathic surgery is the correct treatment option for you.