Traditional Braces – Randolph, MA
A Reliable Way to Get a Straighter Smile!
At Simply Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics, we’re proud to offer a wide array of treatments to help your little one achieve the healthy smile they deserve. However, when it comes to correcting moderate misalignment issues and orthodontic problems, the most effective solution is often traditional braces. This reliable way to get a straighter smile is now more comfortable and efficient than ever before thanks to the experience of Dr. Alkhoury, Dr. Simon, and the rest of our talented team. Give us a call today to schedule a consultation!
Why Choose Simply Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics For Traditional Braces?
- #1 Reliable & Long-Lasting Results
- #2 Team of Experienced & Compassionate Orthodontists
- #3 Can Correct a Multitude of Issues
How Do Traditional Braces Work?
Traditional braces have been the go-to solution for crooked teeth, bite alignment issues, and other orthodontic problems for many years. This system utilizes metal brackets that are bonded to the front-facing surface of the teeth and linked together with a single wire. The sustained tension created in the wire by careful adjustments from your orthodontist gradually shifts the teeth into their ideal positions. Sometimes, special attachments, hooks, or elastics are used to guide the jaws and bite into better positions as well. These are often used to address issues like overbite, underbite, and open bite. Every few weeks during a periodic checkup, the brackets and teeth are inspected and the wire is tightened. Treatment time for traditional braces varies from patient to patient, but we’ll be able to give you an estimated timeline during your initial consultation.
What Orthodontic Issues Can Braces Fix?
Nowadays, there are a variety of different orthodontic treatments to choose from, like Invisalign clear aligners and self-ligating braces. However, traditional metal braces are still widely considered the most reliable and effective solution for misalignment issues. Here are a few of the most common problems traditional braces are used to fix:
Bite Misalignment
Overbite, underbite, crossbite, open bite, and other types of bite problems are very common, and left untreated, they can lead to serious and painful complications. Thankfully, traditional braces are highly effective at guiding the jaws and teeth into the proper positions to achieve a healthier, stronger bite.
Crowded & Crooked Teeth
Teeth often become crowded, overlapped, uneven, and crooked. Not only are these problems unsightly, but they increase the risk of a wide range of oral health issues. Traditional braces can gently shift the teeth in a variety of ways until they come together as a beautiful, even smile.
Gapped Teeth
Gaps between teeth can be embarrassing, and they are also likely to lead to chipped teeth and gum disease. Your orthodontist can carefully guide the teeth closer together with braces, ensuring that they are just as healthy as they look in the end.
Caring for Your Braces
It’s essential to take good care of your little one’s braces during their treatment if you want them to stay on track for a healthier, straighter smile. While we’ll give you more specific instructions during your child’s appointments, here are a few tips to keep in mind when it comes to caring for braces:
- Practice great dental hygiene: It’s all too easy for cavities to form while wearing braces. Make sure your child brushes for a full two minutes twice a day, flosses daily, and rinses with mouthwash. Consider investing in specialized products like orthodontic toothbrushes, a water pick, and fluoridated mouthwash.
- Be careful with snacks: Braces are strong, but not indestructible. Try to limit your child’s intake of hard, sticky, and ultra-sugary foods that could potentially bend or break their braces.
- Break bad chewing habits: If your son or daughter chews on ice, their fingernails, pencils, pen caps, or any other hard objects, now is the time to work on breaking their bad chewing habits to keep their braces safe!
Caring for your child’s braces may take some extra time and effort, but overall it is a relatively straightforward process. However, should your little one break a wire, loosen a bracket, or experience any other type of orthodontic emergency, don’t hesitate to give us a call right away!
Understanding the Cost of Traditional Braces
For patients considering braces, it’s natural to be curious about the cost. While there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer, our team would be more than happy to help you get an estimate of the price. At your consultation, we will review the factors that influence the cost as well as the financial options available to you. However, if you’d like to learn more about the price in the meantime, you can keep reading too!
Factors That Affect the Cost of Traditional Braces
Braces aren’t a one-size-fits-all treatment because no two smiles are exactly the same! Before providing you with a cost estimate, one of our talented orthodontists will determine:
- Whether you need to straighten one or both arches of teeth
- How severe your misalignment is
- If additional tools or accessories are needed, like elastics
- Your age (this can impact how quickly your teeth move)
Professional Braces vs. "DIY" Braces: Which Costs More?
Over the years, people have used everything from rubber bands to their own hands to help guide their teeth into the right positions. While these approaches might seem ideal because they cost next to nothing, that’s absolutely not the case. In addition to introducing various bacteria and germs to your mouth, these approaches can move your teeth too quickly, causing them to fall out. Ultimately, the best choice for your smile and your wallet is to opt for professional braces, which have proven time and time again to be both safe and effective.
Does Dental Insurance Cover Braces?
In some cases, dental insurance providers cover a portion of the cost of orthodontic treatment. Therefore, it’s always worth taking the time to double-check the benefits of your plan. And, if you need help, we’re here! We can help you understand your benefits more in-depth and file the claims on your behalf to make utilizing them even easier.
Options for Making Braces Affordable
If you don’t have dental insurance, then don’t hesitate to ask about the other financial solutions available. For patients who would prefer to space out their payments into manageable monthly chunks, flexible financing is available through LendingPoint. We also have periodic special offers that help reduce your out-of-pocket expenses overall! Don’t worry – we will review all of your options in-depth during your consultation.
Traditional Braces FAQs
For quite some time, braces have served as a tried-and-true solution when it comes to straightening smiles. Even so, many patients find themselves having questions and concerns about the treatment before they’re comfortable committing to it. Our team here at Simply Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics has gathered a few of the most frequently asked questions that we receive about traditional braces in Randolph so that you can put any doubts you have about the brackets and wires to rest. If you have any other questions about braces that aren’t listed here, feel free to contact us today for further information.
Do Traditional Braces Hurt?
Right after your braces are first put on, you’ll likely experience some soreness in your teeth and gums that’ll last for around a week. It can be thankfully managed with over-the-counter pain relievers and using cold compresses, but you should know that even after you’re used to your braces, it’s still normal to feel some discomfort from time to time. This is due to the nature of orthodontic treatment and shifting your teeth, so it’s nothing out of the ordinary. In some cases, your braces might also rub against the soft tissues of your mouth, but orthodontic wax can often be used to help.
How Long Do Traditional Braces Take?
There is no exact answer here, as the timeline can vary greatly between patients; however, your orthodontist can provide you with an estimate during your consultation. Traditional braces usually take somewhere between one and three years to fully straighten the teeth, but there are a few factors that influence this:
- Age – Generally, children’s teeth are quicker to realign since teeth become more firmly set in the jaw as people age.
- Severity of misalignment – The greater the distance the teeth need to move, the longer the treatment will take.
- Compliance with treatment guidelines – Sometimes, rubber bands and retainers are necessary components of the treatment, but failing to wear them as instructed can lead to delays.
What Can You Not Eat with Traditional Braces?
Braces are accompanied by particular dietary restrictions that need to be followed closely. When you first get braces, you’ll need to stick to a soft-food diet for the first several days, since your teeth will be a little sensitive as they’re adjusting to the brackets and wires. Options like yogurt, pudding, soup, smoothies, cooked pasta, mashed potatoes and more are all excellent choices. You should generally avoid items like:
- Popcorn or hard nuts
- Sticky or chewy candies, as well as hard candies
- Tough loaves of bread, cookies, crackers, pretzels, taco shells, chips, etc.
- Chewing gum
It’s also worth mentioning that you should avoid chewing on hard non-food objects as well, like ice cubes or your fingernails. These items can be just as problematic for your brackets and wires.
What Happens After I Get My Braces Taken Off?
Once your braces have been removed, the job isn’t finished yet. Since your teeth will naturally try to revert to their original positions, a retainer must be worn frequently. Usually, a retainer is a removable appliance, but sometimes it can be fixed in your mouth depending on the circumstances. If you have a removable retainer, you’ll have to wear it almost 24/7 for several days or weeks after having your braces removed. We’ll monitor your progress and provide you with details for how often you need to wear it, but assuming you’re diligent, it’ll become less and less frequent.