Smile Center Orlando - Orthodontics/TMD

Here at the Smile Center of Orlando we treat adults and children of all ages with a Functional Orthodontic Philosophy. Our office believes in giving patients broad smiles, straight teeth and healthy jaw joints. We want to give you something to smile about!

It is our goal to evaluate all of our patients, to ensure that they have normal function of the airway, the tongue and the jaw joint (TMJ), before approaching treatment in Orthodontics. If the patient has any habits or if the arches are underdeveloped we are able to address these concerns early in treatment. We utilize functional appliances to help us control habits and to develop the arches in order to make room for the permanent teeth. When all the permanent teeth are present we re-evaluate the need for fixed braces or Invisalign.

Orthodontics

The American Dental Association recommends that all children have an orthodontic screening by the age of 7! This is the age where children have a mixed dentition (some baby teeth and some adult teeth) . Since 60 % of the face is developed by the age of 9 and 90% of the face is developed by age 12, we prefer to treat early in order to guide the growth of younger patients.

Phase 1- Mixed Dentition- Early Treatment

Functional problems such as; thumb sucking, finger habits, tongue thrusts, jaw joint (TMJ) problems and airway problems (including mouth breathing and snoring) must be corrected early with functional appliances.  Our office works with other professionals to ensure the best possible treatment for our patients. Some cases may require referrals to other professionals such as an Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist (E.N.T.), in order to further evaluate the airway or other present conditions.

Skeletal problems such as constricted maxillary or mandibular arches (upper and lower jaws) and retrognathic mandibles (lower jaw back too far) are best treated as early as possible with functional appliances in the mixed dentition period of growth. Functional appliances look similar to a retainer, only they utilize a tiny “micro” screw or a spring to develop the bone to make room for the teeth or a specific tooth.

Functional Appliances

Phase 2- Permanent Dentition- Comprehensive Orthodontics

Dental problems are solved with straight wire appliances (fixed braces) or Invisalign in the permanent dentition. This phase of treatment usually lasts 12-24 months.

One of the main advantages of early treatment is the majority of malocclusions can be corrected without extraction of permanent teeth, jaw surgery and headgear. However, if an adult requires orthodontic treatment we are still able to utilize the functional approach to develop the jaws and then proceed with braces or Invisalign to straighten the teeth. Functional appliance therapy can also reduce the length of treatment time in the braces phase.

Once we have made the necessary space we are able to move the teeth into their proper alignment. At this stage we place the braces or utilize clear aligners (Invisalign) to straighten the teeth.

Having braces means you will have brackets (bonded to the tooth), wires (placed in the slot in the bracket) and tiny alastics (holding the wire into the slot). It’s the combination of these three things that allow the tooth, or teeth, to move into its designated spot in the arch. After the teeth are straightened a retainer will be placed to retain the position of the teeth until everything has settled into its proper alignment.

Retention