BRACES

staff member with smailing child

Welcome to Our Practice

Thank you for visiting the web site of Drs. Rogers. Our site provides important information about our practice that will help you become familiar with orthodontics. Our office is committed to providing you with the highest quality of care. We will make every effort to ensure that your first visit with us is a comfortable and informative experience.

Orthodontic problems require specialized care.Our specific qualifications in the design, application and control of corrective appliances will bring teeth, lips and jaws into proper alignment for optimal facial balance.

Our practicehas the specialized equipment, facility and staff to properly address today’s most demanding orthodontic needs in a warm and caring environment.

Your First Visit: Consultation

Our objective is to make sure your visits with us will be pleasant and informative. Your initial appointment will consist of an examination and a discussion of potential treatment options. This important visit will address the orthodontic needs of you or your child.

Diagnostic Records & Treatment Planning

If it is determined that treatment is indicated, you will be scheduled for diagnostic records. These records usually consist of study models, diagnostic photographs and orthodontic x-rays. Once these orthodontic records have been obtained, Dr.Nick Rogers or Dr. Nicole Rogers,will review them and determine a specific treatment plan for your orthodontic needs. Then our office will give you a call to review your treatment plan, set up the necessary appointments to begin your orthodontic treatment and set up financial arrangements for you.

Successive Visits

Periodic visits are an important part of orthodontic treatment. Generally, we will want to see you every 4 to 8 weeks to check your progress and make adjustments to your braces. During this time, you will need to keep appointments, follow instructions, eat nutritiously and practice good oral hygiene. Also continue to visit your dentist regularly.

Once your braces are removed, retainers are utilized to hold your teeth in their new positions until your bone, gums and muscles adapt to the new teeth positions. The retention period is an important part of your overall treatment and should not be neglected!

Length of Treatment

Braces may be on between12 months to 30 months or longer depending on the age of the patient, the severity of the problem, the patient’s cooperation and the degree of movement possible.

Dental Care

Before any orthodontic treatment, your family dentist should make certain that all cavities have been treated and the health of your gums and underlying bone are free of periodontal disease. Your family dentist should also schedule cleaning and cavity checkup visits during your orthodontic care. We would like to reinforce the need to keep your regular visits with your family dentist because we are only an aid to your family dentist and not a replacement.

Please contact our office if you have any questions. The timing of your treatment is very important. You or your child may or may not be ready for treatment. Therefore, a consultation will allow us to better understand your needs.

Financial Information

Financial Options

Financial considerations should not be an obstacle to a beautiful smile. Our practice offers a wide range of payment options including financing with a down payment and a monthly installment plan. Many orthodontic problems require only limited treatment. The cost of treatment will vary, depending on the severity of the problem. Our treatment coordinator will work out a plan suited to your individual needs.

For your convenience we accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express,and Discover. We deliver the finest care at the most reasonable cost to our patients. If you have questions regarding your account, please contact us.

Insurance Information

While many dental insurance plans now include orthodontic benefits for just a few dollars a month, our office will make every effort to provide you with the finest orthodontic care and the most convenient financial options. To accomplish this, we work with you to maximize your insurance reimbursement for covered procedures.

If you have any problems or questions, please ask our staff. Please bring your insurance information with you to the consultation so that we can expedite reimbursement.

Office Hours

We try to stay on schedule to minimize waiting at the time of your appointment. Delays to the schedule can occur and your understanding and patience are very much appreciated. If you have pain or an emergency situation, every attempt will be made to see you that day.

Home Care

Brushing

You will notice that it is much harder to keep your teeth clean with braces. Food compacts in the brackets and between your teeth, and can only be removed by brushing and flossing. If plaque remains on the teeth for any length of time, it will leave a permanent white scar on the surface. Brushing after meals should become part of your daily schedule. Use a soft toothbrushandbrush in small circles above and below the brackets. Your toothbrush will wear out faster because of your appliances, so be sure to replace it whenever the bristles start to fray. A Waterpik can be a useful addition but it cannot remove the sticky plaque that adheres to the teeth. Interplak toothbrushes are great. Flossing is important and should be done every day. The floss threaders are reusable.

Eating Habits

Please do not eat hard foods: nuts, ice, crisp taco shells, whole apples and carrots (cut them into pieces first), hard French bread crust and rolls, spareribs, corn on the cob (cut the corn off the cob before eating), and popcorn! These foods risk breaking brackets and wires. Also beware of nail biting and pen or pencil chewing habits, since these can damage your braces. Do not eat sticky foods: taffy, caramels, bubble gum, or sticky candy of any sort. Use common sense about most foods.

Absolutely No

Gum:

Sugarless or otherwise

Sticky Foods:

Caramels,

Sugar Daddies,

Starbursts,

Caramel Apples,

Sugar Babies,

Licorice,

Toffee,

Tootsie Rolls,

Now & Laters

Hard Foods:

Nuts,

Popcorn,

Bagels,

Apples,

Corn on the Cob,

Pizza Crusts,

Carrots (uncooked)

Doritos,

Pretzels.

Braces

Check braces once a week for anything loose or bent. If a bracket or band comes loose or you break a wire, please call our office so that we can arrange an appointment long enough to repair it. Try to explain what has happened by using the diagram provided. Be as specific as possible with the receptionist. If you lose your rubber bands, drop by the office and pick some up.

Sore Teeth

After braces are placed in the mouth it is normal for the teeth to be sore for about 2 or 3 days. Tylenol or Advil will help relieve this discomfort. Some irritation to the cheeks and tongue is normal, but if you feel anything sharp is poking you or any sores are developing, please call our office.

Elastics

Attached to your braces, elastics (rubber bands) exert the proper force that creates the right amount of pressure to move teeth. In order for this force to remain constant, elastics must be worn all the time and changed every day. Any time missed in wearing your elastics will only make your treatment take longer, so remember these things:

You are responsible for placing the elastics on your braces between appointments. Make sure to wear them as instructed. Remove them only when brushing your teeth, gums and braces after meals. Then put them back on immediately.

Always carry a few elastics with you, so if one breaks you can replace it right away. If you forget to insert your elastics one day, don’t double up the next day – just follow your regular instructions.

Elastics become worn out. When they lose their elasticity, they don’t provide the proper pressure on your teeth and jaws. It is very important to change them as directed, even when they are not broken.

If your elastics break frequently, a wire or band loosens, or a hook breaks off – call our office immediately. Don’t wait until your next appointment. These problems need to be corrected as soon as possible!

Treatment Information

Introduction

Common Orthodontic Corrections in Adults and Children

Orthodontics is the specialty of dentistry focused on the diagnosis and treatment of dental and associated facial irregularities. The results of orthodontic treatment can be dramatic – beautiful smiles, improved dental health and an enhanced quality of life for many people of all ages. Orthodontic problems, which can result from genetic and environmental factors, must be diagnosed before treatment begins. Proper diagnosis involves taking photographs, x-rays, and dental impressions, which enable our practice to make informative decisions about the form of treatment necessary.

Treatment typically lasts from12 to 30 months, depending on age and the severity of the orthodontic problem. Outstanding results are also dependent on maximizing the coordination of care between you and our practice. We are committed to delivering the best possible service in order for you to achieve your orthodontic objectives.

Treatment Timing

Dr. Nick Rogersand Dr. Nicole Rogers provide orthodontic treatment for adults, adolescents and children. We follow the guidelines established by the American Association of Orthodontists by recommending that an orthodontic evaluation take place at age 7 for all children. This early evaluation can help to determine the best time to begin any necessary treatment.

Many progressive treatments are now available for patients 7 to 11 years of age, that provide significant benefits, especially when jaw irregularities are present. These treatments may also prevent certain conditions from worsening. Treating children with these types of problems during their growth stages allows our practice to achieve results that may not be possible when face and jaw bones have fully developed. This early treatment can simplify or eliminate additional treatment for the child.

Crossbite

Crossbite can occur in the front and/or the sides of the mouth. One or more upper teeth bite on the inside of the lower teeth. This can occur with a single tooth or multiple teeth. Early correction of crossbite is recommended.

Crossbite should be corrected because it can:

cause premature wear of the teeth
cause gum disease including bone loss
cause asymmetrical development of the jaws
cause dysfunctional chewing patterns
make your smile less attractive

How can a crossbite be orthodontically corrected?

If there is a single tooth crossbite, the tooth can be moved with braces into the correct position. In some cases, a retainer can be utilized. With multiple teeth in crossbite, the arch needs to be expanded with braces or other intra-oral appliances.

Openbite

Openbite is an insufficient vertical overlap of the teeth. It is caused by oral habits such as tongue thrust, digit sucking or when the jaws don’t grow evenly. Timing of treatment is critical to the overall success of the therapy.

How can an openbite be orthodontically corrected?

Openbite can be corrected through growth modification of the jaws using braces, extrusion of the front and anterior teeth and in some cases surgical correction of the jaws. Also breaking oral habits, such as digit sucking, will facilitate the correction of an openbite.

Overbite

Class II Overbite

Class II Overbite

Overbite occurs when the upper front teeth protrude over the lower front teeth. Generally there is no contact between the upper and lower front teeth. Often you cannot see the lower incisors. Overbite is due to a disproportionate amount of eruption of front teeth or over development of the bone that supports the teeth and a front to back discrepancy in the growth of the upper or lower jaw (Class II Relationship). Overbite is also known as a deep bite. Overbite should be corrected because it can:

cause improper functioning of your front teeth
result in the lower front teeth biting into the gum tissue of the upper palate leading to tissue
problems.
unusual wear of the lower front teeth
cause jaw or joint problems
make your smile less attractive

How can an overbite be orthodontically corrected?

Overbite can be corrected through moving the front teeth up and/or bringing the back teeth together, which will “open” the bite so the teeth are properly aligned and the deep bite is eliminated.

Underbite

Class III Underbite

The lower teeth protrude past the front teeth. An underbite is usually caused by undergrowth of the upper jaw, overgrowth of the lower jaw, or a combination of the two (Class III Relationship). Underbite can also be caused by flared upper incisors, missing lower teeth or a combination of all the above. Early correction of underbite is recommended.

Underbite should be corrected because it can:

prevent proper functioning of the front teeth or molars which can lead to premature wear of the
teeth
cause chewing or eating problems
cause jaw or joint problems
make your smile less attractive

How can an underbite be orthodontically corrected?

Underbite can be corrected through growth modification of the jaws, extraction of teeth and in some cases, surgical correction of the jaws.

Crowding of the Teeth

Crowding is the lack of space for all the teeth to fit normally within the jaws. The teeth may be twisted or displaced. Crowding occurs when there is disharmony in the tooth to jaw size relationship or when the teeth are larger than the available space. Crowding can be caused by improper eruption of teeth and early or late loss of primary teeth.

Crowding should be corrected because it can:

prevent proper cleaning of all the surfaces of your teeth
cause dental decay
increase the chances of gum disease
prevent proper functioning of teeth
make your smile less attractive

How can crowding be orthodontically corrected?

Extra space can be created by expansion of the arches or extraction of teeth. Once space is created, braces will eliminate crowding and align the teeth. Correction of crowding can help prevent dental decay and periodontal disease by improving the ability to remove plaque from the teeth.