Straightening

Do You Need Treatment?

Have you ever wondered if you should be among the people who wear braces, who are picky about the food they eat, who may struggle with rubber bands and cope with occasional days of tooth soreness?

Mirror Test Your Smile.

Look at your child’s smile or your own smile in a mirror for the conditions below. If you see warning signs of a bad bite, give our office a call!

Simply looking at your teeth, examining your teeth when biting them together, or looking at your face may reveal the following: 

	Crowding (overlapping, some teeth pushed in, some out)
	Rotations (turning)
	Spaces
	Protruded Upper Teeth (top teeth are too far forward compared to bottom teeth)
	Underbite (bottom teeth are too far forward compared to top teeth)
	Deep Overbite (bottom teeth bite against the roof of the mouth)
	Posterior Crossbite (bottom teeth do not all bite inside the top teeth)
	Midline Discrepancy (midlines between the top and bottom teeth do not line up exactly under each other)
	Anterior Openbite (front top and bottom teeth cannot come together)
	Gummy Smile (the gums show too much when smiling)
	Your teeth stick out beyond your lips.
	Your lips are too full.
	Your lips are usually apart instead of together.

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Our Approach to Teeth Straightening

For Children

Although we like to examine children of any age, generally we postpone treating with braces until the permanent teeth have grown in, which is around age 12. By postponing treatment we are trying to reduce the total time in braces as well as the cost and number of visits. Occasionally it is necessary to treat a child earlier in order to help the permanent teeth get enough room to grow in or to correct some dangerous condition, but these situations are evaluated and explained carefully.

However, we do recommend an orthodontic exam at age 7 when the permanent teeth start to grow in, even though chances are that treatment will be postponed.

For Adults

We enjoy treating adults of any age who want straighter teeth, and our only rule is that their teeth be clean and any cavities restored before starting orthodontic treatment. There are so many options, using clear or invisible braces, that nearly any goal can be attained for adults.

We are also an Invisalign Certified Orthodontic office and are happy to offer this form of "aligner" treatment to qualifying patients who would rather not wear any "braces."

We enjoy the appearance of wide smiles with full lip support, so we tend not to remove permanent teeth. In fact, for children and adults we extract teeth less than 10 % of the time.

By using new, high-tech materials, visits are usually 2-3 months apart, requiring fewer appointments yet still finishing the treatment in the predicted time.

After we have finished aligning the teeth, we provide custom "retainers," which hold the teeth in their new positions. We discourage people from wearing their retainers in the daytime because they often get lost, but we encourage long-term nighttime use of the retainers.

Tongue Thrusting Appliance

If a youngster has sucked a finger or thumb too aggressively, they may have caused the upper and lower front teeth to be apart (called an open bite). This can also happen from incorrect positioning of the tongue on a constant basis. If there is an open bite, we often treat it by placing a fence-like device inside the upper jaw, with the fence just behind the front teeth, to keep the tongue (and fingers or thumb) out from between the upper and lower front teeth. This is left for 6 – 12 months until the bite spontaneously closes by eruption of the front teeth.

Interproximal Re-contouring

Sometimes there is a gumline space between adjacent front teeth which appears to be a dark triangle. Normally that space would be concealed by the gum which grows into it, but if the gum is receded, the dark space can be unattractive. It can be reduced by sanding between the teeth where the surfaces contact each other, and moving those surfaces closer together, shrinking the triangle.

Tooth Whitening

Teeth normally darken with aging. Some people have unusually dark teeth. Teeth can be whitened by either in-office or at-home treatments, applying a weak bleach solution. People who have Invisalign will frequently use their last aligner to apply the bleaching gel to whiten their teeth after finishing the aligner treatment.

Damon Brackets

The bracket is the small device glued to the tooth during braces. A flexible wire is attached to all the brackets to apply pressure to move the teeth. In the old days we used to attach the wire to the brackets by wrapping a tiny elastic around each bracket, securing the wire into the slot in the bracket, as if using a tiny bungie cord. Because of the tightness of the elastic (bungie cord), the tooth could not easily slide on the wire to move, and it required greater pressure to move the tooth. This process hurt more and took longer.

The Damon bracket does not require the tiny elastic tie to secure the wire in the slot. Instead, it has a "door" which slides closed over the wire and converts the slot into a tube. The result is that there is very little friction on the wire,  and the tooth slides easily and quickly with little force and little discomfort. Several months have been eliminated from treatment times due to this innovation.
http://www.damonbraces.com/q02.php

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Before and Afters

Here are some before and after photos.

Before	After
Narrow Dental Arches
Open Bite
Crowded Fang Teeth
Spaces and Deep Bite
Uppers Tipped Backward
Uppers Too Forward
Can't See Lower Teeth
Crossbite
Crooked Teeth
Double Row of Teeth

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Testimonials

Check out our reviews from currently finished patients at:

Click on “Reviews” to see reviews.

Here are some things patients are saying about Eckhart Orthodontics:

“My son is very pleased, especially when you comment on how well he brushes.”

“We feel very comfortable every time we are in your office.”

“You’re all friendly and polite – and we don’t have to wait!”

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Nice Smiles

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