More and more adults are focusing on improving their personal health. They're taking vitamins, exercising, and even straightening their teeth with braces. Braces not only makes your teeth and smile look better but often improves chewing function. This promotes better digestion and better health.
Before braces can be put on your teeth, you must first have a written treatment plan for braces. This plan for your braces is specially made to meet your problems. It is done using records for braces taken on you during a special 3 hour diagnostic appointment. We take impressions to make models for braces of your teeth, photographs to document the relationships of the teeth, and several types of x-rays to analyze your skull and it's relationship to your teeth. The doctor studies the information and approximately two weeks later you are invited back and a treatment plan presentation fro your braces is done. At this time the needed care is carefully reviewed and a final cost for the care is determined.
The development of tooth bonding and modern miniature brackets for braces has revolutionized the treatment with dental braces. Many old concepts and myths about treating adults have been disproved so that many adults are now enjoying the benefits that braces can provide them. Once brackets for braces are bonded to a patient's teeth an orthodontic wire is then attached to the brackets. The wire forms a beautiful rounded arch but this ideal arch form is deformed by twisting it into the brackets. The wire then wants to return to it's original beautiful shape and so pushes or pulls the attached teeth on it's way back. Each month a stronger wire is placed into the brackets so that the attached teeth will continue to move. Finally, the attached teeth form a beautiful rounded arch themselves.
After the upper and lower arches are rounded they must next be made to fit together using elastics which are attached to both the upper and lower arches at the same time. This slides the teeth along the archwires until they fit better. This is a very simple way of viewing the mechanics of braces but is just intended to give you an idea of how braces work. There are many, many modifications of braces to correct different situations and each case is treated for that patient's situation.
After treatment with braces is completed retainers are constructed which the patient must wear full time, except for eating, for a year and after that only at night. Almost always, adults must wear their retainers for their lifetime. Initial consultations for braces are free, so if you're at all interested in improving your smile and bite, be sure to make an appointment to consult with Atlanta Cosmetic Dentist, Dr. Mark Allan Padolsky by calling 404-874-7428.