Gardner Orthodontics Answers Your Common Orthodontic Questions
New to braces? Dr. Thomas Gardner can help.
Get answers to the most common orthodontic questions from people like you in Orange Park.
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Answers to Common Questions in Orange Park
Selecting an orthodontist in Orange Park who can help you achieve your smile dreams is important.
Orthodontists are dental specialists who diagnose, prevent and treat dental and facial irregularities.
This means they're better qualified you to give you the smile of your dreams than you could get from aligners in the mail.
They receive an additional two to three years of specialized education beyond dental school to learn the proper way to align and straighten teeth.
Only those with this formal education may call themselves “orthodontists,” and only orthodontists may be members of the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO).
Dr. Thomas Gardner from Gardner Orthodontics has achieved this specialization and is an active member of AAO.
The American Association of Orthodontists and Dr. Gardner recommend an orthodontic screening at age seven. By this age, most Orange Park children have several permanent teeth that have erupted, letting us evaluate their orthodontic needs.
Dr. Gardner can determine if there will be any future problems, even if there are still some baby teeth.
That’s important, because some orthodontic problems may be easier to correct if they are found early at Gardner Orthodontics.
Most orthodontic patients at our Orange Park office begin active braces treatment between ages 9 and 14.
This refers to the orthodontic method of aligning teeth in stages. The first stage starts when your child has a mix of adult and baby teeth.
The point of doing phase 1 is to create space for other teeth to avoid impactions. Sometimes young children get bullied at school because of their teeth. Phase 1 is also to help self-conscious kids be more confident at school and with friends.
Once you and Dr. Gardner have achieved our goals in Phase 1 we take the braces off and have a resting period where we wait for the rest of the adult teeth to come in. Sometimes the second phase can be much quicker as Dr. Gardner can prevent complex problems from happening in Phase 1.
Orthodontic treatment can be successful at almost any age. In fact, about one in every four orthodontic patients today is over age 18.
Thanks to today’s smaller, less visible and more comfortable orthodontic appliances (including metal braces, ceramic braces, and clear aligners (like Invisalign), adults find treatment appealing.
Patients who need orthodontic treatment generally have one to three years of active treatment.
We treat anything from complex malocclusions to minor issues. Treatment can be as short as a few months.
Mild conditions that have been bothering you for a long time can be fixed quickly and can be surprisingly inexpensive.
The cost of orthodontic treatment depends on many factors, including the severity of the problem, how complex the problem is, and how long treatment lasts.
Dr. Gardner will be glad to discuss the cost of treatment and your financing options with you before treatment begins.
The good news is that braces are more affordable today than ever. Our staff also works with insurance companies and offers payment plans that meet your family’s budget.
Most orthodontic problems are inherited. Examples of these genetic problems are crowding, spacing, protrusion, extra or missing teeth and some jaw growth problems.
Other oral problems are caused by thumb- or finger-sucking, dental disease, accidents, the early or late loss of baby teeth, or other causes.
Crooked and crowded teeth are hard to clean and maintain.
A bad bite can wear down teeth, make it hard to chew and talk and create stress on supporting bone and gum tissue.
Without treatment, many problems become worse and can require additional dental care later in life.
Orthodontic treatment is a partnership between the doctor and patient.
Dr. Gardner provides custom-made fixed or removable appliances that use gentle pressure to move teeth into their proper positions.
Your job is to follow your orthodontist’s instructions, keep scheduled orthodontic appointments, and maintain excellent oral hygiene to get the best results.
You will also need to see your general dentist as recommended to continue your general dental care.
If you notice an unwanted change in your smile or bite, contact us for a free consultation.
You might need an orthodontic tune-up to regain proper alignment.
Not necessarily. Research suggests that wisdom teeth don’t always cause teeth to shift.
In most cases, wisdom teeth are removed for general dental health reasons rather than for orthodontic health.
Your family dentist or Dr. Gardner can help determine whether or not your wisdom teeth need to be removed.
Dr. Gardner will recommend how long to continue wearing your retainers, whether they are removable (the kind you put in and take out) or fixed (bonded behind your teeth).
Wearing your retainers as prescribed is the best way to keep your teeth from moving after your orthodontic treatment.
Retainers should be worn at least 12 months after treatment whenever possible and then at night to sleep indefinitely afterward. Retainers are a part of the second phase of treatment where we try to keep teeth from moving back into their unaligned position.
There are many reasons teeth may move following orthodontic treatment. Teeth are not set in concrete, they’re in bone.
Because the bone around your teeth is continually changing (breaking down and rebuilding), your teeth may shift after your braces are removed.
By wearing your retainers, your teeth are more likely to remain where Dr. Gardner has placed them through braces treatment.
The small changes that happen after braces are removed are due to settling in as you use your teeth for biting and chewing.
The more serious and unwanted changes may be traced to genetics or later-than-normal growth, which is unpredictable.
Movement is most common in lower front teeth. This is particularly true if the teeth were extremely crowded before treatment. Changes in tooth position are a lifelong and naturally occurring phenomenon.
The best way to keep your teeth from shifting is to wear your retainers as prescribed. If you notice movement after your braces are removed, please contact Gardner Orthodontics.
The fact is that throughout your lifetime, even though you have had orthodontic treatment, you can expect changes in tooth position. Many factors at work may cause teeth to shift. Such changes are different for everyone and most of the time they are hardly noticeable.
The fact is that throughout your lifetime, even though you have had orthodontic treatment, you can expect changes in tooth position.
Many factors at work may cause teeth to shift. Such changes are different for everyone, and most of the time, they are hardly noticeable.
However, on occasion, changes can occur that are disappointing to both the patient and Dr. Gardner. Changes in tooth position are not a failure of your orthodontic treatment.
They are a natural process. We expect changes in our bodies as we grow older, and teeth are no exception.
To help control and limit these changes, retainers are prescribed after your braces are removed.
However, on occasion changes can occur that are disappointing to both the patient and Dr. Thomas Gardner. Changes in tooth position are not a failure of your orthodontic treatment. They are a natural process. We expect changes in our bodies as we grow older, and teeth are no exception.
To help control and limit these changes, retainers are prescribed after your braces are removed.
No. Retainers stabilize and preserve the alignment of teeth and jaws that orthodontic treatment achieved.
Many people wear removable retainers nightly for the rest of their lives. Ask your orthodontist for guidance about your long-term retainer use.