Q&A: Treatment length

Q: How long will orthodontic treatment take?
A: In general, active treatment time with braces ranges from one to three years. Early treatment procedures, may take only a few months. The actual time depends on the .growth of the patient's mouth and face, the cooperation of the patient and the severity of the problem.

Everybody Benefits from Braces!

Braces aren’t just for pre-adolescents and teenagers anymore! Anyone, at any age, can benefit from orthodontic care; whether it is correcting a problem not treated in your younger years, or catching a problem early.

To ensure the best overall treatment, the American Association of Orthodontists recommends that children receive an orthodontic consultation as early as age seven. If a problem is evident, taking action early can spare a lot of treatment and expense down the road.

If you never received orthodontic treatment when you were young, don’t worry! You’re never too old for a beautiful smile. Set up an appointment for a consultation and find out how adult orthodontics will transform your smile, and your life!

Don't Forget!

Send us your summer pictures for our PHOTO CONTEST !!!!

Hey Everyone, are you traveling anywhere fun, exciting or new??? It could be down the street, a different state or in another country, we just want you to send us your COOL photos!!!!

Send us a picture of your AWESOME smile while on vacation having the time of your life!!!

All you have to do is email your favorite smiling photo in a digital jpeg format, no larger than 5mg, to Lisa@wiseorthodontics.com by September 15th.

We have already received tons of great picture yet we want yours too! The winning photos will be blown up and displayed in our offices. After all of our patients have had the opportunity to enjoy looking at the winning pictures, we will give them back to the individual winners so they can show off their photos at home.

So put your imagination to work and get busy sending those photos!!!!

When Are Two Phases of Treatment Necessary?

Usually patients in orthodontic treatment already have their permanent teeth – they are pre-teens, teens and adults. But in some cases we have to start treatment earlier, even before the patient’s permanent teeth come in. We call this “two-phase treatment.”

When we have patients with clear developmental problems at an early age, it’s best to start work when they are young, before the problems get bigger and more difficult to treat.

Examples include:

· An upper or lower jaw that is not growing correctly
· A mouth growing in a way that doesn’t leave enough room for all the permanent teeth to come in
· A severe malocclusion, or bad bite, which means the jaw doesn’t fit together correctly

In these cases we will start early and do one round of treatment – phase one – while the patient still has their baby teeth. Phase one usually does not involve braces, but can include a different type of appliance that helps the jaw grow into place properly. We’ll follow up with phase two usually a few years later, when permanent teeth are in place. Generally phase two involves standard braces.

In order to catch early problems, we recommend that children have an orthodontic check-up no later than age seven (and so does the American Association of Orthodontics). However, if your dentist or pediatrician sees any sign that early treatment might be necessary, he or she may recommend your child visit our office even sooner.

Why you would want Invisalign

Why would I want it?

Not only are the aligners invisible, they are removable, so you can eat and drink what you want while in treatment, plus brushing and flossing are no problem. They are also comfortable, with no metal to cause mouth abrasions during treatment. And no metal and wires usually means you spend less time in your doctor's office getting adjustments. Invisalign also allows you to view your own virtual treatment plan when you start, so you can see how your straight teeth will look when your treatment is complete.

Ortho Tips

Eating Habits and Orthodontics
A careful orthodontic patient can eat almost any food and do no damage to their appliance. However, these three types of foods may cause trouble:

Hard Foods may do damage by bending the wires, loosening the cement under the bands, or breaking the little brackets and tubes that are attached to the teeth.

Sticky Foods damage appliances by bending wires and pulling the cement seal loose.

Foods High in Sugar Content should be avoided between meals. Brush your teeth thoroughly immediately after eating sweets. You should be brushing your teeth at least three times a day.

Carbonated Beverages and Sports Drinks like Gatorade, especially sugared sodas are an absolute No-No. You will get white spots if you drink sugared colas (Coke, Dr. Pepper, 7-Up, etc.).

We support our community

	CHARITY We've been part of Collin County since 1992 and are grateful for what this community has given us and even more proud to return the favor. Since charity is so important to us, we also like to give our patients an opportunity to help those less fortunate. For first time "offenders" who lose or break retainers, expanders, and other appliances, we will make a charitable contribution to the charity of your choice for HALF of the normal replacement cost. Normal replacement costs range from $75.00 to $200.00 or more depending on the type of appliance. You can also help make a difference just by paying your orthodontic bill through our Community Rewards Program. This program allows you to donate a portion of your bill to the charity of your choice. To find out more about this program, just give us a call. Here are some of the charities we support. FRISCO FAMILY SERVICES - www.friscocenter.org Collects and distributes goods and services to individuals and families in need. Services include food and clothing distribution, emergency aid, job referrals, literacy classes, GED preparation classes and scholarships for CCCC. COLLIN COUNTY CHILDREN'S ADVOCACY CENTER - www.cacplano.org A child centered, homelike setting where victims of child abuse and their families can be taken through the legal process in a safe and non-threatening environment. TEXAS SCOTTISH RITE HOSPITAL FOR CHILDREN - www.tsrh.org Provides extensive treatment and therapy for more than 13,000 children challenged by conditions such as arthritis, cerebral palsy, scoliosis, spina bifida and other orthopedic conditions as well as certain neurological disorders. No patient family ever receives a bill for services. TEXAS DENTISTS FOR HEALTHY SMILES - www.tdhsmiles.org Our ultimate mission is to improve the oral health of all Texans, children and adults, by ensuring access to dental care and raising public understanding of the importance of oral health. RITE TO SMILE GOLF CLASSIC AND GALA - www.ritetosmile.com This year's event was again held at the beautiful Dye Course in McKinney's Stonebridge Ranch and the Westin Stonebriar Resort. We were able to raise $60,000 for our charity groups - Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children and Texas Dentists for Healthy Smiles.