Orthodontics By Dr. Karla W. Isaacs

Service 1 Braces for Children and Adults. Most insurances accepted.

• Why Braces?
• Types of Appliances
• Invisalign
• Retainers
• For Children
• For Adults

TYPES OF APPLIANCES
To successfully complete your orthodontic treatment plan, patients must work together with the orthodontist. The teeth and jaws can only move toward their corrected positions if the patient consistently wears the elastics (rubber bands), headgear or other appliances as prescribed.
The following paragraphs describe the types of appliances that may be used during your treatment.

Elastics (Rubber Bands)
Wearing elastics (rubber bands) improves the fit of your upper and lower teeth. Wear rubber bands as instructed because the rubber bands work far more efficiently if they are worn as prescribed.

Headgear
Headgear is used to treat patients whose teeth are in an “overbite,” (with the uppers forward of the lowers) or “underbite” (with the lowers forward of the uppers). Headgear gently “pulls” on your teeth to restrict further forward growth of your upper teeth and jaw.

Herbst Appliance
This Herbst appliance reduces overbite by encouraging the lower jaw forward and the upper molars backward. This fixed appliance is used mostly for younger, growing children and is worn for about 12-15 months.

Palatal Expander
The palatal expander “expands” (widens) your upper jaw by putting gentle pressure on your upper molars each time an adjustment is made. Your orthodontist will instruct you about when and how to adjust your expander. When you achieve the desired expansion, you will wear the appliance for several months to solidify the expansion and to prevent regression.

Positioners
Positioners complete the final tooth movements in your orthodontic treatment. With your full cooperation, you should only need to war the positioner appliance for 4-8 weeks.

Retainers
Retainers may be removable or fixed. They hold your teeth in their new, correct positions after your teeth have been straightened. Your orthodontist will instruct you on how to care for your retainer and about the duration of the wear. Wearing your retainer as directed is crucial to prevent regression of your treatment. 

Separators (or Spacers)
Separators are little rubber doughnuts that may be placed between your teeth to push them apart so that orthodontic bands may be placed during your next appointment. The separators will be removed before we place the bands. Separators do not mix well with sticky foods or with toothpicks and floss.

INVISALIGN
Consider Invisalign to get the beautiful straight teeth you’ve always wanted – without braces. A complimentary consultation with Dr. Karla Isaacs can determine if Invisalign is right for you.

What is it?
Invisalign uses a series of invisible, removable, and comfortable aligners that no one can tell you are wearing. So, you can smile more during the treatment as well as after. Invisalign is made with 3-D computer imaging technology and has been proven effective. More than 70% of orthodontists in the US and Canada are certified to treat with 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 straight your teeth will look when your treatment is complete.

How does it work?
You wear each set of aligners for about 2 weeks, removing them only to eat, drink, brush and floss. As you replace each aligner with the next in the series, your teeth will move – little by little, week by week – until they have straightened to the final position Dr. Karla Isaacs has prescribed. You’ll visit Brace Yourself, P.C. about once a month to ensure that your treatment is progressing as planned. Total treatment time averages 9-24 months and the average number of aligners is worn during treatment is between 9 and 12 months, but both will vary from case to case.
Learn more about Invisalign on their web site at www.invisalign.com

RETAINERS 

Retainer Instructions:

• Wear your retainers full time, until the doctor instructs otherwise.
• Take your retainers out when eating…and always put retainers in their case! (Most appliances are lost in school lunch rooms or restaurants.)
• Clean retainers thoroughly once a day with a toothbrush and toothpaste. Use warm but not hot water. Brushing retainers removes the plaque, and eliminates odors. Efferdent or other orthodontic appliance cleaners can be used, but do not take the place of brushing.
• When retainers are not in your mouth, they should ALWAYS be in a retainer case. Pets love to chew on them!
• Initially, you may find it difficult to speak. Practice speaking, reading, or singing out loud to get used to them faster.
• Retainers are breakable, so treat them with care. If retainers are lost or broken, call us immediately.
• If you have any questions or concerns about your retainers, or your retainers need adjusting, call us. Do not try to adjust them yourself.
• Always bring your retainers to your appointments.
• Retainer replacement is expensive…with proper care they will last for years!
• Remove retainers when swimming.
• Keep retainers away from hot water, hot car dashboards, pockets, the washing machine, and napkins.

FOR CHILDREN 

 It’s best for the orthodontist to see children by age 7 to advise if orthodontic treatment is required and the best time for that patient to be treated. The first permanent molars and incisors have usually come in by that time and crossbites, crowding and other problems can be evaluated. When treatment is begun early, the orthodontist can guide the growth of the jaw and guide incoming permanent teeth. Early treatment can also regulate the width of the upper and lower arches, gain space for permanent teeth, avoid the need for permanent tooth extractions, reduce likelihood impacted permanent teeth, correct thumb-sucking, and eliminate abnormal swallowing or speech problems. In other words, early treatment can simplify later treatment.

FOR ADULTS 

 Orthodontic treatment can be successful at any age, and adults especially appreciate the benefits of a beautiful smile. One of the every five patients in orthodontic treatment is over 21. Jaw surgery is more often required for adult orthodontic patients because their jaws are not growing. Adults also may have experienced some breakdowns or loss of their teeth and bone that supports the teeth and may require periodontal treatment before, during and/or after orthodontic treatment. Bone loss can also limit the amount an direction of tooth movement that is advisable.