FAQ's

Can I Have Just Retainers?

Most orthodontic problems are too severe, or are the wrong type of problem, to treat with just retainers (retainers are removable devices made of plastic and wire, which slip over the teeth, and can move the teeth a little).

Besides having limited capabilities, most retainers, being removable, do not get worn enough hours per day to accomplish much tooth movement. Braces are usually a more realistic solution.

Nevertheless, retainers are quite suitable for minor irregularities of the teeth and can be worn at night only and still be effective.

Back to top

Types of Braces Available

There are different kinds of braces available. There are inside behind-the-teeth braces, and ordinary (on-front-of-the-teeth) braces. Braces that fit on the outside of the teeth are either clear or metal (either silver or gold). Braces that fit behind the teeth are silver metal.

Most orthodontists prefer braces that fit on the outside of the teeth because they are more comfortable for the patient and easier for the orthodontist to adjust. Clear outside braces are very satisfactory in situations where appearance is particularly important (such as working adults). However, clear braces customarily cost more.

For patients willing to wear metal outside braces, the choices are silver or gold, and there is no cost difference. For patients only willing to wear inside braces, the cost is substantially more.

Back to top

How Braces Work

Braces work by putting pressure on the teeth, which causes the bone holding the teeth to remodel (changing the bone’s shape), allowing the teeth to move. Brackets are glued onto the teeth to serve as attachments to the teeth, and a flexible straight wire is tied to the brackets.

Tying the straight wire to the crooked teeth distorts or bends the wire. The elasticity of the wire makes the wire try to return to its original shape. This is the source of the pressure that moves the teeth.

Back to top

The Best Age for Braces

Baby teeth usually do not have braces put on them. Permanent teeth begin to grow in at age 6. All children should be examined by an orthodontist at age 7.

The most common age for braces is between ages 10-13, because this is usually when the last baby teeth fall out and the permanent teeth grow in.

Some children need to be treated earlier, especially if they have underdevelopment of either jaw. Such children are likely to have two stages of treatment; one early, to correct the jaw problem, and another at age 10-13 to straighten the teeth.

The early treatment will usually involve only a few permanent teeth, and the later treatment will usually include all the permanent teeth (except the wisdom teeth, which usually grow in closer to adulthood).

Back to top

Adult Braces

Most adults don’t realize they do not have to have a "metal mouth" in order to straighten their teeth, and get the smile they desire.

Clear braces and Invisalign have made orthodontic treatment possible for adults in literally every profession.

Adult teeth move much the same way as children’s teeth, and even though adults do not have growth to help them, tremendous remodeling of the jaw is still possible, with a significant improvement in smile appearance.

Back to top

Cosmetic Braces (No Metal Mouth)

Frequently, people who have had clear braces or Invisalign have reported to us that coworkers did not notice they had braces at all! They do not detract from one’s appearance. In fact, there are literally hundreds of thousands of people, mostly adults, wearing clear braces or Invisalign today.

Back to top

Additional FAQ's About Braces

http://www.invisalignusa.org/torrance/invisalign-torrance.php

Back to top

How Long for Braces?

Some treatments are less than a year, some take 3 years or more. Most take around 2 years. The time depends on the difficulty - the number of problems to be corrected - and the diligence with which the patient participates in the treatment. This includes keeping appointments, avoiding breakage of the braces, wearing elastics (rubber bands) on the braces, and other factors.

Back to top

How Long Between Appointments?

With the advanced technology available today, braces do not need to be adjusted as often as before. During the first year of most treatments, the appointment interval is around 8-12 weeks, since the tooth movements are larger and take a while, and the higher-tech materials continue delivering force to the teeth over extended time. During the second year, the appointments move closer together because the tooth movements are smaller and require less time, usually averaging 4-6 weeks apart, as the teeth near their finished positions.

Back to top

Cost for Braces

In our geographic area (Southern California), the main cost component of orthodontic treatment is the salaries of the skilled staff assisting the orthodontist. The cost of living in the Los Angeles’ South Bay requires us to charge between $3,000 and $5,500 for the average two-year treatment. Simpler and shorter treatments fall in the lower end of this range. Early treatment (called Stage One) is usually between $2,000 and $3,000. The fee is usually set at the first appointment.

Clear braces are $400 extra per jaw.

Back to top

What is Invisalign?

Invisalign is a method of straightening teeth using see-through plastic aligners over the teeth. Models of the crooked teeth are scanned into a computer. The computer technician moves the teeth a tiny amount inside the computer program, and the computer then guides the manufacture of a new model with the teeth in this slightly revised position. A plastic overlay aligner is made on that new model. This procedure is repeated many times, so that a numbered series of aligners are made, each moving the teeth a tiny amount beyond where they were in the last aligner, until they are straight. It may take between ten and forty aligners, depending on the beginning crookedness of the teeth. Each aligner is worn two weeks, and then the next one is begun. Patients are given several at a time. They are removed for eating and brushing.

Can Anybody Get Invisalign?

Although originally intended for adults who wanted to improve their smile but who were unwilling to wear braces, Invisalign is also available for older teenagers whose teeth have fully grown in.

Are There Limitations with Invisalign?

Until recently, Invisalign was used only to straighten mildly crooked teeth. It was not suggested for large overbites (top teeth too forward), underbites (top teeth too backward), and severe crowding or open bites (front top teeth do not come together with lower front teeth). However, with more experience and the use of auxillaries such as rubber bands, more difficult situations are finding satisfactory solutions with Invisalign.

What does Invisalign Cost?

Fees are similar to fees for braces, or somewhat higher. Insurance will cover Invisalign the same way it covers braces.

Back to top

Additional FAQ's About Invisalign

http://www.invisalignusa.org/torrance/invisalign-torrance.php

Back to top

Financial Arrangements

Fees may be paid in various ways:

If payment is made in full at the beginning of treatment, a discount is usually given, depending on the total treatment fee and the method of payment.
If terms are requested, we can usually extend no-interest 12-month terms, with an initial payment of one-third or more.

If longer terms are needed, we can recommend a low fee lender, who can allow 36 months or more of equal payments (depending on credit worthiness).

We accept MasterCard, VISA, Discover and American Express.

Back to top

Orthodontic Insurance

Insurance to cover the cost of braces is usually available through one’s employer, as part of dental insurance. There is one major difference, however. Unlike regular dental insurance, orthodontic insurance usually pays only 50%, with a lifetime maximum or cap.

The maximum orthodontic benefit depends on the policy, but we have seen benefits of $500, $750, $1,000, $1,500 and $2,000. Sometimes the coverage is for children only and excludes adults, so this should be investigated by the prospective patient or parent.

There is another type of "coverage," different than insurance, called a "plan," which is offered by many insurance companies. While it does not pay the cost of braces, it provides lower fees for treatment. This is because the insurance company has obtained agreement with preferred provider orthodontists for a lower than usual fee schedule. In cases like this, the insurance company usually pays nothing to the orthodontist, but the patient has the benefit of a lower fee, as if the insurance company had paid a portion of the normal fee.

Back to top

Why Treat Children Early?

Whenever possible, treatment should begin when a child’s baby teeth are gone and the permanent teeth have grown in. However, situations can occur that the child’s jaws are so small that the permanent teeth cannot grow in, or the jaws are positioned incorrectly enough that the jaws will not grow symmetrically or in balance.  In these cases, the orthodontist may begin treatment early, usually with specific limited objectives, such as to get the jaws in balance or to create enough room for the teeth to grow in properly. After an objective like this is achieved, it is best to stop the early treatment, utilize retainers, and wait for the permanent teeth to grow in. At this point the second stage of treatment would begin.

Back to top

Closing Spaces

Unsightly spaces between teeth can cause embarrassment and reduce a person’s tendency to smile. Spaces can sometimes be closed with retainers, but more often it requires braces or Invisalign. Some spaces occur because teeth are too small, so sometimes teeth can be widened with porcelain bonding. Some spaces occur because teeth are missing; in which case replacement teeth (such as a bridge or an implant) are needed. However, braces or Invisalign may be needed to rearrange or realign the teeth before restoration is done.

Spaces can also occur when the teeth drift due to loss of bone. In this case, braces or Invisalign and retainers may be used to reduce the spaces and then hold them closed.

Back to top

Overlapping Teeth

Overlapping teeth are one of the most common reasons people get braces. Overlapping teeth look bad; sometimes it even looks like one tooth is missing due to shadows and stains. Often the gums around overlapping teeth are shrunken or swollen, and consequently are hard to brush and floss. Rarely is there sufficient space for the overlapped teeth to be straightened with retainers.

Back to top

Crooked Teeth

One of the major causes of low self-confidence and inhibited smiling is crooked teeth. Teeth can be turned, tipped, too long or short, overlapping, above or behind other teeth; in short, there are many ways for a smile to look wrong. Straightening can relieve all these problems, and usually requires braces.

Back to top

Teeth Whitening

Most people’s teeth get darker as they age. Sometimes people just have dark teeth. We all realize that whiter teeth can make people look younger. Dentistry has an effective way to lighten the teeth using a low concentration bleach gel. The dentist makes a model of the teeth and makes a thin transparent rubber mold of the teeth. The mold is trimmed to fit the teeth, the bleaching gel is inserted into the mold and the mold is worn on the teeth for a few hours several days in a row. After 2 weeks or so, the teeth have generally lightened by several shades, and the effects are fairly permanent.

Back to top

What Makes a Nice Smile?

Here are some of the technical aspects of a good smile, which is the goal of the orthodontist.

• The teeth should be straight.
• The upper teeth should show their entire length.
• The upper gums should not show.
• The upper teeth should taper back gradually on the sides so the back teeth contribute to the width of the smile in the corners of the mouth.
• The upper teeth biting edges should be aligned on a line parallel to the lower lip when smiling.

These are the ingredients of a nice smile, and are the guidelines used in orthodontic treatment planning.

Back to top