The Old and the New Combined

While Invisalign® uses transparent aligners to adjust and straighten crooked teeth, and while it’s just a great innovation for many users, not all crooked teeth situations are treatable with Invisalign alone.

There are cases where some teeth would be more difficult to move even with this technology, so orthodontists have discovered that combining it with traditional orthodontic appliances gives it a push or pull in the right direction.

But how about the metal braces showing up when you smile?
There is no need to worry. Braces can be placed just on the back teeth or the teeth below which will make them unnoticeable. Clear or ceramic brackets can be used, making them less visible since they closely resemble natural teeth color.

Cases that can use both Invisalign and traditional braces are those that involve severe tooth rotation, where the tooth has rotated or tipped facing sideways, it’s root movement travelled too long a distance. Another situation is the use of rubber bands in conjunction with Invisalign to correct overbite, and underbite; also to help with bite alignment and correction. Here, clear attachments that are not too noticeable are affixed to the teeth to provide stability and where the rubber bands can be attached.

Other combinations are not just both systems being used at the same time. Others involve using one first for particular issues and then the other can be started after the first treatment ends. For example, initially using braces first and completing the rest of the correction process with Invisalign.

Depends on What’s Best for the Patient

Having difficulties deciding between traditional braces and Invisalign for the best results? Consult with Bellevue Overlake Dental and let’s talk Bellevue dental braces! Maybe Invisalign will work alone. Or let’s see if a combination of the two is the better for you. Call for an appointment now.

The Science Behind Orthodontic Braces

Do you realize that your teeth can move? They do, and in fact, you can be responsible for the direction they take. Simply put, your teeth are subject to all forms of stresses – biting, cutting, gnawing, mashing, among others – and are not set in concrete, but in living bone. Periodontal ligaments are elastic tissue strands that attach teeth to the bone and causes teeth to move with the forces applied to them. There are micro-movements happening around teeth all the time. Being living tissues, there is constant changing and remodeling.

If a pulling, controlled tension is applied on a tooth, it will cause new bone to be formed on that side of the force. With it will be formation of new ligament and new cementum (that layer which covers the roots of teeth). On the one hand, controlled pressure is applied on the same tooth, there will be some bone reduction or cells trying to resorb bone tissue and ligament tissue on that side, allowing for movement of the tooth. In orthodontia, because the forces applied are controlled and measured, it will enable the final positioning of dentition in the bony arches, securing and stabilizing teeth in the places they are designed to stay.

Such is the goal of orthodontic treatment. Your dentist or orthodontist will work on a treatment plan just for your unique case, creating the brackets, the bands and wires, so that the right pull and pressure are applied to particular teeth. Depending on the amount of movement required for your dental condition, the treatment can be as simple or as complex.

Bellevue Dental Braces for the Right Candidate

If you think you might need orthodontic treatment, better to consult first with Overlake Dental. Know more about dental braces from our caring experts. Here, we offer Bellevue braces plus other options not just for esthetics, but also for return to normal function and overall health.

Orthodontic Treatment: By these signs you would know

While your dentist or orthodontist can determine if one is a candidate for orthodontic therapy, it’s good for a parent to be able to tell if his or her child’s dental condition warrants such a treatment.

If you have observed the following on your child’s dentition, it might be time to take stock of things and think ortho treatment.

Your child has an overbite. This is when the upper front teeth tend to extend further out over the lower front teeth. They tend to stick out and that’s why they are referred to as “buck teeth.” On the other hand, there’s the ‘bulldog profile, when the lower front teeth tend to stick further out than the upper or that the front upper are too far back. This is called an underbite.

When the upper teeth do not come down slightly in front of the lower teeth when biting together normally, a crossbite occurs. And do you observed that when the back teeth bite together, there appears a space or a gap that shouldn’t be there between the upper and lower front teeth coming together? You have an open bite in this case and it is also observed on the side teeth; they don’t touch when they should.

Do you also observe crowding? Teeth seem to ‘overlap’ because they grew at an improper angle. Sometimes, they are referred to as ‘crooked’. Sometimes, there seems to be one tooth too many. Do you also see spaces where missing teeth should be? And here’s another – misplaced midline – when the center of your upper front teeth does not line up with the center of your lower front teeth.

These are the signs that should warn you to seek professional help. Your child may not seem to be bothered by them yet, but it is wise to have a dental check-up and inquire, so that potential dental issues arising from the above conditions can be averted.

Orthodontic Help in Bellevue

Seek out Overlake Dental for your ortho queries when you observed these signs. We can gladly help you or your child to address orthodontic issues and see if Bellevue braces are warranted. Do give u a call or drop by.