A straight, healthy smile is something all of our patients deserve. Before you or your child begin your orthodontic treatment plan, you may want to review the answers to our orthodontic frequently asked questions here. You can also feel free to contact Rio Dental & Orthodontics in Farmers Branch or Irving to find out more or schedule an orthodontic consultation. We want you to feel completely confident before beginning any orthodontic treatment plan, and our knowledgeable dentistry team is always happy to answer your questions.
What are my Options?
At Rio Dental & Orthodontics, we’re happy to offer traditional bracket and wire orthodontics and Invisalign clear braces. Both forms of orthodontic treatment deliver flawlessly aligned teeth, and our skilled team will help you choose the best option to create your beautiful smile.
How Long Does Treatment with Traditional Braces Take?
Traditional braces orthodontics can take anywhere from 18 to 24 months. In some cases, patients need longer than this to complete their alignment plan.
How Long Does Invisalign Treatment Take?
Your custom Invisalign orthodontic plan can be completed in as little as eight months or as long as 18. Your specific plan depends on a number of factors, including the number of alignment trays, your own compliance, and the extent of your misalignment.
Do I Have to Wear a Retainer?
Following the repositioning of your smile using traditional braces or aligners, you’ll need to wear a retainer. These appliances hold the teeth in their new placement while the supportive gum and bone tissue reattaches to the tooth roots cementing the repositioned teeth. In addition to traditional metal retainers, we can also use clear retainers that resemble your Invisalign trays.
What Other Orthodontic Appliances are Available?
In addition to traditional braces and clear aligners, we may also need to use a number of other orthodontic appliances, including retainers, palatal expanders, space maintainers, and more to achieve specific movements. We will carefully explain the use of these appliances to you prior to beginning your treatment.
When Should I Start Orthodontic Treatment?
Our skilled orthodontists are happy to work with patients of all ages who want to straighten their smiles. We offer orthodontic appliances and early intervention orthodontics for kids who show signs of misalignment during dental development, we can use bracket and wire braces and Invisalign for teens, and we can even partner with adults to straighten teeth. Whatever your age, we’ll customize a treatment plan to meet your needs.
How do I take Care of my Smile During Orthodontic Treatment?
Depending on the type of orthodontic treatment, you’ll need to make some adjustments to your oral hygiene routine. For those patients with traditional bracket and wire braces, you’ll need to carefully brush teeth between meals to remove stuck on foods. This between meals brushing should be done in addition to your morning and evening tooth brushing routine. You may also need to make adjustments to your flossing routine. Cleaning around the brackets and wires with floss requires the use of specialized flossing tools or water flossers. One of our skilled hygienist will be happy to show you the proper technique.
If you use alignment tray orthodontics, you will be able to brush and floss as usual, but as is the case with traditional braces, you should add between meal brushing. You will also need to carefully brush your aligners using cool water to avoid warping the plastic.
