Monday, December 19, 2022

Preparing Your Teen for Braces

At Quest Johnson Orthodontics, we understand and respect the feelings teens have about braces. Our team members can relate to the concerns about how braces can affect our appearance, interfere with eating our favorite foods, or restrict the playing of sports or other activities.

One of the best ways to help your teen get used to the idea of braces is to clearly explain the benefits of orthodontic treatment. When teeth are straight, they are easier to clean, which means less risk of developing cavities. Straight teeth also mean the jaw is properly aligned, which minimizes the likelihood of grinding or clenching teeth.

Most teenagers don’t realize that they do have options when it comes to braces. Options include:

Traditional Metal Braces - One of the most common types of braces for teens are metal braces. They hold the teeth together using metal brackets and wires. Our modern metal braces are smaller and less obvious as compared to older braces, but they work the same way.

Clear Ceramic Braces - Clear braces are a popular choice for teens who want to make a less noticeable statement with their commitment to a healthier smile. The natural look of these smooth, sculpted and completely clear ceramic braces are strong and will not stain or discolor. Their comfortable, sculptured design and attractive translucent appearance help provide the self-confidence that comes from wearing braces that look as good as they perform.

Invisalign Teen - Invisalign Teen is the clear way to straighten teeth without metal braces. The aligners are removable and virtually invisible, which means you can straighten your teeth without anyone knowing. You simply switch to a new set of aligners every few weeks to shift your teeth into the desired positions. You can still eat and drink what you want. Also, you can brush and floss normally to maintain healthy gums and teeth, and there are no wires, metal, or brackets to cause mouth abrasions.

Dr. Quest and Dr. Johnson use the most advanced technologies available to get your teen smiling faster than ever before! The average treatment time at our office is about 18 months but it varies for each patient.

  • Braces Are Far Easier to Wear Today Than They Once Were
  • Today’s braces are much less noticeable than treatment used decades ago.
  • Today’s braces are specially designed to straighten teeth faster.
  • Today’s braces move teeth more gently, but just as effectively.
  • Today’s braces can be personalized using different color brackets and bands.

At Quest Johnson Orthodontics, we believe that everyone deserves a straight smile. Give your teen a smile to last a lifetime...a smile they can be proud of! Visit our website to schedule your teen’s orthodontic appointment today.

Wednesday, December 7, 2022

Give Yourself a BraceLift

As we grow older, many of us turn to expensive and invasive cosmetic treatments in an effort to retain a youthful appearance.

Despite all of the gimmicks out there, studies show that your smile can do more to make you look younger than anything else! “Just as white, straight teeth convey youth, a smile with crooked, discolored, worn, or missing teeth is associated with an aged look,” says Edmond Hewlett, DDS, professor of restorative dentistry at UCLA's School of Dentistry.

“Bracelift” treatments can help you look younger and feel more confident about your appearance. Of course, most people want a nice smile with straight, white teeth, but properly aligned teeth can do much more than just improve a smile. By enhancing the alignment and widening the arch of the teeth, orthodontic treatment can create better facial balance and aesthetics, lending the appearance of fuller cheeks and lips, smoother and higher cheek contours, and broader smiles, as well as compensate for the inevitable loss of facial muscle over time.

We all know that healthy teeth are important to maintaining overall health, especially as we age and nutritional needs change. But we sometimes overlook the impact our teeth can have on our mental and emotional well-being. Poor alignment cannot only affect your speech and airway, contributing to breathing problems, but also your self-confidence and poise. A “bracelift” can provide a life-long improvement to your overall appearance and self-confidence at a comparable cost to traditional orthodontic treatment.

3 Easy Steps to Take Years Off Your Appearance

Step 1: Oral Hygiene - The way to take years off your appearance is to practice good oral hygiene. Maintaining good oral health throughout your life doesn’t just preserve the appearance of your smile, but it can preserve your overall health too. Brushing twice a day and flossing regularly promotes healthy teeth and gums and keeps your smile looking and feeling clean.

Step 2: Whiten Your Teeth - Teeth naturally darken as we age. One reason is that your teeth absorb color from food and drinks. Even if you take fantastic care of your teeth, they will eventually yellow over time. Micro-fractures, thinning enamel, and built-up stains all make your teeth look duller and older. Ask our team about how you can whiten your teeth with custom whitening trays. Custom whitening trays are the best way to achieve a deep and thorough color change that can take years off your appearance.

Step 3: Straighten Your Teeth - Even if you start out with perfectly straight teeth, something called mesial drift will cause them to shift over time. Crowded teeth are an instant giveaway of age and straightening your teeth can often take 10 to 15 years off your appearance. Crowded teeth also increase the risk of tooth decay, premature tooth loss, and gum recession, all of which guarantee looking older.

Beautifully straight, symmetrical glowing white teeth cannot only make you look younger, but they can dramatically improve your confidence.

If you have any questions about how we can help give you a healthier, younger looking smile, give our orthodontic office call to schedule an appointment with Quest Johnson Orthodontics today.

And remember…One of the best ways to appear more youthful is to smile more!

 

Monday, November 28, 2022

Dental Wax Facts

When you first get your braces, you may notice that your teeth and mouth feel a little tender or sore. This is perfectly normal, and we promise your mouth will not be sore forever! Discomfort and soreness is normal especially after receiving orthodontic treatment of any kind. Overall, you may feel uncomfortable the first few days with braces. That is where dental wax comes in.

What is Dental Wax? Dental wax is a soft, harmless gum protector for children and adults with braces that can be used in a pinch to cover brackets and protruding wires with a smooth surface. Dental wax is important for discomfort relief when a bracket breaks or a wire breaks and pokes out. Dental wax is used as a temporary relief.

Is it Safe? Dental wax is made from natural waxes and is perfectly safe. Some dental wax products are made from beeswax or carnauba wax, while others are made from paraffin. If you accidentally swallow a little bit of wax, maybe while speaking, applying the wax, or eating food, don’t worry, it is safe.

How Does it Work? The special properties of dental wax make it perfect for protecting your gums from the metal edges of braces. The wax is solid at room temperature but can be softened and shaped by the warmth of your hands. Smoothed onto braces, it sticks to them and creates a buffer between the brackets and the gums. Dental wax remains smooth while in the mouth, and harmlessly flakes away or peels off as it breaks down.

How to Put Wax on Your Braces:

Step 1: Be sure you have dental wax; you can ask us for recommendations on which we feel is best.

Step 2: Wash your hands.

Step 3: Brush your teeth, where you want to apply the dental wax

Step 4: Pinch off a piece of wax about the size of a small pea

Step 5: Squeeze until it softens and roll it into a ball, then flatten the ball slightly

Step 6: Dry the area with a cotton ball, Kleenex, or similar. Gently push the wax onto the problem area of the braces

Dental wax is available to help you ease the discomfort while wearing braces. While dental wax is on your braces, you can do normal things, such as eating and drinking water. Follow your ordinary healthy routines when it comes to your teeth, brushing your teeth twice a day, flossing and using a mouthwash, to keep your teeth healthy and prevent tooth decay while wearing braces.

At Quest Johnson Orthodontics, we provide all the information and recommendations necessary to patients for making the best decisions. Our staff is always available to answer questions and help you understand every aspect of your orthodontic treatment. If you are unsure about anything, let us know at your next appointment or give us a call with a question, one of our staff members will give you the tools and knowledge to help you understand everything during your treatment.

 

Tuesday, November 8, 2022

Preparing Your Child for Their First Visit

Quest Johnson Orthodontics

The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that children have their first check-up with an orthodontist no later than age 7. By that age, a child will have a mix of baby and permanent teeth, and the orthodontist will be able to recognize orthodontic problems…even in their earliest stages.

The first time your child is seen at our office, they will get to meet Dr. Quest, Dr. Johnson and a few of our team members. After your arrival, you and your child will be escorted to an area where Dr. Quest and Dr. Johnson conduct their initial exam.

This visit is the time for the doctors to listen to concerns that you and your child may have, and to answer questions such as whether treatment is needed, when treatment should begin, and the type of treatment that is recommended. If no problem is found, Dr. Quest and Dr. Johnson may suggest periodic visits so that your child’s growth and development can be monitored and ensure that permanent teeth are coming in at the right time and in the right sequence.

What happens if an orthodontic problem is found during this visit?

Dr. Quest and Dr. Johnson will talk with you about when it will be best for your child to begin treatment, and the type of treatment that is recommended. For some children, early intervention may be in their best interests. Different people have different kinds of problems, so other children may get the greatest benefit from treatment by waiting until most or all of their permanent teeth are in. Everything depends upon the individual and what is best for them. For some patients, the doctors will be able to achieve treatment results that may not be possible once the face and jaws have finished growing.

Once we have decided on a treatment plan, our treatment coordinator will itemize the costs associated with your child’s particular treatment and you can proceed with a payment plan. You can be confident that our dedicated and experienced team will guide you and your child through every step of the process. We are dedicated to giving your child a beautiful, straight smile that will last for a lifetime.

 

Tuesday, October 25, 2022

Why Braces

There are many reasons to get braces. One of the most important things is to improve your oral health. Your oral health directly contributes to your overall health. If your mouth isn’t feeling good, chances are that your entire body won’t feel good either. When your teeth are crooked, overlapped, or otherwise misaligned, you place an uneven amount of pressure when you bite down. That leads to pain, and it can cause your teeth to wear down, chip and even break. Not only that, but poorly aligned teeth are also harder to clean properly which can lead to decay and gum disease.

Braces will straighten your teeth, fix bite issues, and improve the overall appearance of your smile. Best of all, dental braces give you results that can last a lifetime.

It’s no secret that dental issues can cause you pain in your everyday life. When you develop issues such as TMJ, you can start to experience painful headaches and jaw pain. Braces are great for correcting issues such as these. Through aligning your mouth and teeth, you can prevent that pain from appearing. Braces are also a great way to prevent these issues from developing in the first place.

Have you ever heard of diastema? Diastema is the term used for the spaces that occur between your teeth. Braces work to shift your teeth so that they move into a straighter position. This in turn will eliminate any gaps that are present. If gaps are a concern for you, this is a great reason to get braces.

Crowded teeth cause a lot of mouth issues as well. It’s also very difficult to clean the areas where crowding occurs. This leads to tartar build-up that can cause tooth decay and heart problems later in life. By correcting crowding with braces, the teeth will become easier to clean and healthier. Clean teeth mean a happy mouth and a healthy body.

Did you know that misaligned teeth can affect your breathing? Misaligned teeth can cause you to start breathing from your mouth. This can develop into other problems such as sleep apnea or snoring. Correcting misalignment with braces can give the tongue more room to relax properly. This in turn allows for proper breathing through the nose.

Smiling is contagious. Nothing feels better than having a beautiful smile that you’re proud of. It’s a proven fact that a beautiful smile leads to higher self-esteem. At Quest Johnson Orthodontics, we believe that no matter what the reason for seeking orthodontic treatment, everyone deserves a smile they can be proud of.

 

Thursday, October 6, 2022

7 Ways Your Smile Can Change As You Grow Older

Just as with most things in our bodies, your smile does change with age. From the teeth shifting to the enamel wearing down, the appearance and function of your teeth and bite evolve as you get older. The good news is, there are ways to minimize these age-related changes and keep your smile looking its best throughout your life.

Why does your smile change as you age? Some changes are due to natural biological processes, including bone remodeling and the tendency of the teeth to shift towards each other. Other reasons your smile changes with age may include:

Bottom Teeth Crowding - As you age, your jawbone loses density and shrinks. The mismatched size of the jawbone with teeth can lead to crowding of the bottom front teeth and this crowding can worsen with age. Crowding can also occur because other issues such as mouth breathing, gum disease, and even facial trauma.

Overlapping Teeth - As you get older and the jawbone changes, many people experience what’s known as physiologic mesial drift. It’s a slow, natural shifting of the teeth towards the front of your dental arch. As the teeth move towards the midline, they can overlap. It can be worsened by missing teeth, gum disease, bruxism, and decay.

Front teeth Gap - Space between two front teeth is referred to as a diastema, can be caused by gum disease, the tongue pushing between the front teeth when swallowing, or a discrepancy in jaw size that was never treated.

Collapsing Teeth - If you have gaps in your teeth, missing teeth that weren’t replaced or severe wear of the enamel, the teeth around the spaces can collapse inwardly. This is because the teeth try to fill in the empty spaces. As the teeth tilt or shift into the gaps, it will impact the appearance of your smile, as well as your bite. Missing teeth may also change your face shape.

Post-Orthodontic Teeth Shifting - Our bodies change our whole life, and our teeth change, too. If you had orthodontic treatment in the past, but forgot to wear your retainer, the teeth will naturally begin shifting back towards their old positions.

Wrong Bite - Misalignment of the teeth or jaw, known as malocclusion, doesn’t sort itself out. In many cases, if issues like crowding, spacing or an excessive overbite, underbite, open bite or crossbite aren’t treated, they will get worse as you get older. After years of living with a bad bite, you may also be dealing with the consequences of misalignment, such as tooth decay, gum disease, excessive wear of the enamel. These issues will create further changes to your smile.

Changes in the Length or Shape of Teeth - All of the biting and chewing you do causes the enamel to slowly wear down. Teeth grinding and clenching, known as bruxism, can speed up the process. This impacts your smile by making your teeth look shorter. Teeth can also change shape with age as they wear down. Gum recession does the opposite by exposing more tooth surface and making teeth look longer. It can also leave visible black spaces between the teeth as pockets form.

While these changes may be completely normal, that doesn’t mean you just have to live with them. Whether you’re eight or 80, the biological process of orthodontic treatment is the same. Age does not keep teeth from moving. Check out our website to learn more about the options we have for adult orthodontics and then give our Mooresville, Indiana office a call to schedule your initial exam.

 

Friday, September 23, 2022

Wear You Retainer

Quest Johnson Orthodontics

Some patients are surprised to find out that orthodontic treatment does not end the moment when their braces come off. Wearing your retainer as directed keeps your smile in its new position for life.

Your retainer is designed to safeguard your newly aligned smile. Without wearing your retainer regularly, you risk your teeth drifting out of position and reversing all your hard work.

Here’s how retainers help in your orthodontic treatment:

1. They Stabilize Your Bite - Once your braces are removed, the soft tissue and bone around your teeth need time to adapt to the changes made in tooth positioning. They slowly stabilize in their new arrangement, and once that occurs, the likelihood of relapse or having the teeth shift out of their positions is minimal.

2. They Prevent Treatment Reversal - The teeth will start moving back to their old position in the months following the removal of braces. A retainer can prevent the reversal.

3. They Align Your Jaw Bones With Your Gums - When your teeth are being aligned to a new position, the gums and bones surrounding the teeth will take longer to follow suit. Retainers help in accelerating alignment and stabilizing your bite.

The long-term success of your orthodontic treatment depends upon your ability to diligently wear your retainer. If you experience any issues with your retainers or if you would like to discuss retainer options with us, give our office a call.