Being the parent of a teenager is tough. They have a lot of pressure in school and in their social lives. Plus, you are trying to prepare your not-so-little one for college or to enter the workforce.
And then there’s his or her teeth. You know your son or daughter will need orthodontic care, but where should you take them for treatment in or around Lexington?
The answer is one of the three Beaumont Family Dentistry locations. We offer a variety of orthodontic options, including Invisalign and Fastbraces®, and we offer care for our patients that can’t be beat.
Your first visit
You probably already have a good idea if your child will need orthodontic treatment. We understand your children are the most important people in your lives. That affects how we treat your teen throughout his or her orthodontic treatment.
His or her first visit will take about an hour and a half. We will start by taking X-rays of your child’s teeth.
It’s important to first establish the position and the condition of their teeth. We will take some time to discuss your X-rays and what they mean. We will talk to you and your child about the goals of the orthodontic treatment as well.
This will help us understand what type of treatment is needed and what options are available to straighten his or her teeth.
We understand you will have a lot of questions, and we will be happy to answer any and all of them. This includes details about the different treatment options, how long those treatments will take, and the cost for the different orthodontic options available through any of our Lexington offices.
What are orthodontics?
Orthodontics are designed to fix crooked teeth and bite problems. Some examples of bite problems are:
– Overbites (when your top teeth overlap your bottom teeth)
– Underbites (when your bottom teeth stick out further than your top teeth)
– Cross bites (when you top and bottom teeth overlap one another)
– Gaps (when you have wide spaces between your teeth)
– Crooked teeth (when your teeth are sitting at an angle rather than parallel to one another)
– Crowded teeth (when your teeth are too close together)
The good news is that no matter the problem with your bite, there is an orthodontic solution. In most cases, there are multiple options.
Orthodontic care is designed to improve both the appearance of your teeth and the health of your teeth. Straight teeth look better, and they are easier to keep clean.
Orthodontic options
At Beaumont Family Dentistry, we want to find the orthodontic solution that works best for you and your teenager. Here is a quick overview of some of the options that may be available depending your teen’s situation:
- Braces — Braces are a proven method for fixing nearly every problem your son or daughter may have with his or her bite. Brackets and wires are effective at straightening teeth and improving our patients’ bites.
Traditional braces are designed with metal wires and brackets, but we offer ceramic as well.
Ceramic braces are less noticeable than traditional braces because the ceramic more closely matches the color of your teeth.
- Fastbraces® — This is exactly what it sounds like, braces that work faster than traditional braces. Fastbraces® use triangular-shaped brackets to move your crowns and roots at the same time. This means they can give you a straight smile in half the time (or less) than the same treatment with traditional braces.
- Invisalign — You may have heard of this as “clear braces,” which is a bit of a misnomer. Invisalign does not use brackets to change the position of your teeth. Instead, this system uses a series of clear, plastic retainers to gently push your teeth into their new position.
Because these are clear plastic, many people will never know that you are wearing them. For people who can use Invisalign, the treatment takes around 12 months — about half the time of traditional braces.
- Phase I orthodontics — This kind of treatment can start with children as young as 8 years old. In some cases, this will eliminate the need for Phase II orthodontics (braces, Fastbraces®, Invisalign, etc.). In others, this will reduce the time needed to complete his or her orthodontic treatment.
Call to make an appointment
If you live in or near Lexington and your child will need orthodontic treatment soon, please contact any Beaumont Family Dentistry location to discuss your care options.
Providing top quality care for our patients is our priority.
Feel free to contact any of our offices or fill out one of our online forms to make an appointment. New patients are welcome as well, and we have a special form for you.