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Let Us Straighten Your Dental Problem

The hallmark of a wonderful smile is straight white teeth! For the most part, your general dentist is the starting point for all things related to teeth. But when those pearly whites and/or your bite are off, it could be time to make an appointment with an orthodontist. 

At the office of Smile Concepts Orthodontics, our team of highly skilled professionals includes orthodontic specialists, which offers you the convenience of complete dental care under one roof. In the past, orthodontic treatment was associated with children and teens. Today, however, many adults go to orthodontists to correct long-standing issues that can grow worse over time. 

These issues include:

  • Overbites
  • Occlusions
  • Misaligned teeth and jaws
  • Overcrowded mouths
  • Gaps between teeth (diastema)

An orthodontist can resolve these placement problems in several ways. Braces are the most popular solution. These appliances are bands that encircle the teeth. An orthodontist bonds brackets around the teeth or on the front surfaces of the teeth. The brackets are connected to each other via wires. Then, over time, the appliances work to move the teeth into their correct positions. Yes, the process isn’t expedient, but it’s extremely effective. After the braces have done their job, retainers then work to preserve and stabilize the results of orthodontic treatment. 

If braces aren’t an option, the orthodontist may instead use a removable aligner, which uses metal wires or brackets that them more aesthetically pleasing than braces. In extreme cases, two options include a palate expander that can widen the arch of the upper jaw, giving the area more space; and headgear is a device that connects the back of the head to a wire in the front of the mouth to pull back front teeth while slowing an upper jaw that’s in danger of growing too fast.

At the office of Smile Concepts Orthodontics, we’re dedicated to providing the highest quality of skilled and compassionate dental care. For more information on our orthodontic services as well as our other dental services, please don’t hesitate to contact us today. We look forward to explaining how we can help you achieve a perfect smile. 

Let Us Care For Your Child’s Teeth From the Start

When it comes to the development of their teeth, some children are lucky enough right out of the gate. Their baby teeth grow in nicely aligned with each other, and when all of those teeth have fallen out, their replacements also grow in straight and beautiful. The icing on the cake is when their upper and lower bites are lined up with each other. And as those kids progress through their teens, it’s apparent that their teeth will remain that way into adulthood. Unfortunately, though, the aforementioned dental scenario isn’t the case for many young people.

At the office of Smile Concepts Orthodontics, our mission is to ensure that children get the opportunity to enjoy healthy, attractive permanent teeth that will last throughout their lives. By starting orthodontic care early, our knowledgeable and caring professionals will ensure that your child’s oral health is in the best of hands. 

Around age 7, kids’ permanent teeth start taking the place of baby teeth, and as the face and jaws mature, we gather a wealth of information as to their progress. If a problem is evident, or if one is developing, we will be able to advise you on whether treatment is recommended, when it should begin, what form the treatment will take, and estimate how long it will take. 

Untreated orthodontic problems can become worse and more difficult to treat as a child ages. These problems lead to tooth decay, gum disease, broken front teeth, and loss of the bone tissue that holds teeth in place.

Orthodontic treatments are not only about aesthetics but proper function as well. Early intervention will help your child bite and chew correctly and contribute to his or her clear speech. An attractive smile is a great byproduct of treatment, and it can lead to your child being happier and more self-confident.

In the matter of getting teeth professionally straightened, earlier is better. At the office of Smile Concepts Orthodontics, we’re dedicated to providing the highest quality of skilled and compassionate care. For more information about our office and the many services we provide, please don’t hesitate to contact us today.

Have You Examined Your Tongue Lately?

This muscular organ does more than help to churn up food. It’s also an important component in your complete oral health. Most people don’t associate tongues with medical maladies. 

That’s why at the office of Smile Concepts Orthodontics, our dental experts pay close attention to your tongue to ensure that it’s healthy. Of course, we also take immaculate care of your teeth and gums. Everyone on our team is a friendly, highly trained specialist who helps you and your family feel comfortable and relaxed, while providing the very best in oral healthcare.

Cancer can show up on tongues. The most conspicuous form of tongue cancer starts in the thin, flat squamous cells that line the tongue’s exterior, where it’s more likely to be perceived. This type of tongue cancer tends to be diagnosed when the cancer is small and more simply removed through surgery.

White patches on your tongue imply that you are a smoker. The patches, which are also called lesions, are made up of the growth of excess cells. There’s a 17 percent chance that they could develop into cancer. Your tongue is actually doing you a favor in that it’s telling you that your prolific consumption of cigarettes is making the cigs’ bad chemicals overproduce the cells that make up those white patches. 

If you notice that it looks like cottage cheese is covering your tongue, whether you’re male or female, you probably have a yeast infection called thrush. Thrush crops up for a variety of reasons, but it’s often due to using antibiotics because antibiotics kill certain types of bacteria in your body. (Your body has untold types of “good” bacteria, which are used to keep your body running smoothly.) 

Thrush or other kinds of yeast infections upset the normal balance of microorganisms in your mouth. Thrush can cause a disagreeable taste in your mouth and sometimes a little pain. While it sometimes disappears on its own, other times medication in the form of prescription tablets and mouthwash are required. 

At the office of Smile Concepts Orthodontics, our compassionate and highly educated staff of professionals enthusiastically provide our patients with personal and superior care in all aspects of your oral health. Whatever your needs, please call us today to schedule an appointment!

ClearCorrect: Straighten Your Teeth with Discretion

Most people aren’t crazy about wearing braces to straighten their teeth. And many of those people are under the misconception that dental braces involve shiny metal, food getting stuck between them and lots of unwanted visibility. But the world of braces has changed dramatically with the advent of choosing transparent straighteners. ClearCorrect is one of those choices. 

At the office of Smile Concepts Orthodontics, our top priority is to provide dental healthcare solutions that best suit your needs. We can help you achieve straight teeth and an even bite with an effective alternative to traditional metal braces. Your comfort and appearance aren’t compromised in the process of using ClearCorrect.

ClearCorrect is an increasingly popular approach to orthodontic treatment, as it allows image-conscious teens and adults to wear virtually invisible clear plastic aligners to adjust their teeth and improve their smile. Clear braces can correct misalignments and bad bites to improve the health, appearance and function of your teeth. 

To design your course of care with ClearCorrect, our orthodontist utilizes 3-D computer technology to take images of your mouth and teeth; the images are then sent to a ClearCorrect laboratory, where they make aligners designed specifically to you. 

The aligners work by gently and gradually guiding your teeth into their desired positions. Our orthodontist will periodically examine your progress to determine when you’re ready for a new set of aligners. Throughout your course of treatment, our team of professionals will address any questions or concerns you may have and offer helpful guidance on how to properly wear and care for your ClearCorrect aligners. 

In addition to being comfortable and discreet, you can also briefly remove your aligners to enjoy your favorite foods and to brush and floss with ease. 

At the office of Smile Concepts Orthodontics, we’re dedicated to providing the highest quality of skilled and compassionate care. For more information on ClearCorrect and the many services that we provide, please contact us to make an appointment.

Find Out If Invisalign® Is Right for Your Teen

Remember when getting braces meant having to wear those unattractive metal “railroad tracks” to straighten them? They were most teenagers’ nightmare, if for only visual reasons. Those days are over for teens whose teeth can be straightened using Invisalign® treatment. 

If your teen needs braces, come to the office of Smile Concepts Orthodontics. We will evaluate her (or him) to see if she would be a good candidate for Invisalign treatment. Instead of using wires and brackets, Invisalign manipulates teeth with a sequence of clear and customized removable appliances. Though not invisible, they’re barely noticeable, which will give your teen more comfort and confidence while her teeth are being repositioned. 

Those aren’t Invisalign’s only advantages. Others include not needing to change the way she brushes and flosses, having no restrictions on the food she eats, being free of painful sores on her interior cheeks and not having to endure frequent adjustments. 

Here’s how the Invisalign treatment starts. You and your teen will have a consultation with one of our Invisalign-trained orthodontists. The orthodontist will evaluate the configuration of your daughter’s (or son’s) teeth and decide if they are conducive to Invisalign treatment. If they are good candidates, the orthodontist will work out an exact, individualized digital treatment plan that showcases the step-by-step transformation of her smile.

After your approval of the plan, your teen’s sets of aligners will be made. She’ll wear each set for 20 to 22 hours per day, and she’ll get a new set every one to two weeks. The aligners will gently and gradually shift her teeth into place until they’re beautiful! Invisalign has more than 20 years of proven excellence in perfecting smiles.

The office of Smile Concepts Orthodontics skilled and compassionate team of professionals are committed to the highest-quality orthodontic care. In addition to Invisalign, we employ a variety of state-of-the-art techniques and appliances that are at the forefront of orthodontic care to make our patients’ treatments very effective. Properly aligned teeth do wonders for smiles and oral health! For more information on the many choices we provide, please make an appointment with us today!

You’re Never Too Old to Have a Healthy, Beautiful Smile

If you think orthodontic treatments like braces and aligners are just for children, think again. Our teeth can come out of alignment at any age, and leaving them that way can lead to tooth decay, gum disease and trouble chewing. We’re never too old to have a beautiful smile. That’s why one in four orthodontic patients nowadays is an adult.

At the offices of Smile Concepts Orthodontics, our orthodontists have advanced training in providing treatment to customize a better fit and bite for you, even if you have had crowns put in or have missing teeth. We specialize in state-of-the-art appliances that are less noticeable, more comfortable, and increase the likelihood that you will be able to keep your natural teeth for many years to come. 

Although our teeth have stopped growing when we reach adulthood, they continue to shift in our mouths over time due to wear and tear. Still, the process of treating adults is virtually the same as children and can be accomplished almost as quickly and comfortably. 

There is no one more qualified to provide the treatment to create the proper fit and fee for your teeth, and restore your smile, than an orthodontist, who has received thousands of hours of specialized training beyond the four years of dental school. 

The orthodontists at the office of Smile Concepts Orthodontics are experts at creating healthy and beautiful smiles for our patients, no matter their ages. We understand that your smile is your key to self-assurance as well as good oral health. There is no reason to live with teeth that don’t have the fit and feel you are comfortable with, or to think that you have no choice but to replace your natural teeth. Contact our friendly staff today to schedule a consultation. We’ll give you something to smile about.