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Life With Braces | Magical Movement | Before & After | Braces Diagram
In-Ovation R® | Mystique® | Invisalign® | Patient Care Video
 The New Millenium has arrived...and with it some pretty amazing technological
advancements! Never before have we, as a society, had so many
incredible opportunities before us...what an exciting time to
explore orthodontic treatment!
Consider the following:
Crooked, crowded teeth are hard to clean and maintain. Tooth decay,
gum disease, and eventual tooth loss can result. Improper jaw
alignment can contribute to wearing away of tooth surfaces
(resulting in expensive restorations, caps, bridges, crowns, etc.),
inefficient chewing (function is limited), and TMJ symptoms
(popping, pain, locking of the jaw joint). Chronic headaches and
face or neck pain can become a way of life.
While a beautiful smile full of confidence
may be the most obvious benefit of treatment for many people, you
can see there is more than meets the eye to be gained!
What is Early Orthodontic Treatment?
The enthusiasm felt by Dr. Panucci
and staff about Early Orthodontic Treatment is evident in any discussion, and its benefits cannot be
matched! The general dental community and our patients clearly
recognize the valuable benefits obtained by this early treatment.
Early treatment enables the jaws to be precisely aligned as they
develop and jaw size to be coordinated with tooth size. Each
child's growth potential is maximized so that all of the permanent
teeth have room to come in naturally. In almost all cases, future
problems (such as extractions) are avoided.
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 Benefits of Early Two Phase Treatment:
- Raises a young persons's self esteem
- Eliminates unnecessary permanent extractions and/or surgery (along with discomfort and costs)
- Prevents impactions
- Total time in braces is significantly reduced
- Treatment is typically completed during middle school
- Pre-teens are more cooperative and enthusiastic about wearing braces
- Reduces the #1 cause of fractures for children– protruding teeth
- Intercepting early problems makes the entire treatment process more comfortable!
There are two critical phases of Early Orthodontic Treatment for our young patients:
The Growth Phase typically begins around age seven and lasts approximately 12-18
months, with office visits scheduled every six to ten weeks. Goals
are very specific (achieved with a few simple appliances and partial
braces only):
- Expand jaws to make room for all permanent teeth
- Improve the bite
- Align permanent front teeth
After these goals are met, appliances and braces are removed and
retainers are provided to the patient. Personalization by offering
color choices (sparkles, rainbows, etc.) and decal choices (soccer
balls, butterflies, musical notes, etc.) make this a much anticipated
day! Retention time ranges from 12-24 months. Patients are monitored periodically to ensure Phase I results are maintained to monitor erupting teeth and to determine the optimum time to complete this two phase process.
The Alignment Phase
begins when most of the permanent teeth have erupted. This last
phase does involve braces on all teeth (to finish what we've
started!), with treatment time ranging from 12 to 20 months. As in the Growth phase, goals for the Alignment phase are very specific:
- Aligning the remaining permanent back teeth
- Obtaining ideal function/stability by completion of bite
correction
 What About Adult Treatment?
Adult orthodontic patients discover that dramatic improvements in
appearance and dental health are quickly obtained due to incredible
advancements in tooth movement. Dr. Panucci finishes most of her
adult cases in 12-18 months with excellent stability and esthetics.
Why Do Adults Want Braces?
Our adult patients represent a wide range of issues. Some patients
had braces as a child and didn't wear their retainers. (We now
teach our patients that retainers are a lifetime commitment of
night-time wear only, as teeth can and will move for a variety of
reasons. . .retainers are FOREVER!). Some patients come to us after
their children are grown, when they have decided it is "their
time." Financial stability may have been attained, and many
employers now offer orthodontic insurance benefits. Often adults
seek tooth movement or bite correction to alleviate TMJ symptoms.
We also see patients who need to close space from missing teeth in
order to restore (crowns, bridges, etc.) remaining teeth properly.
Others merely want to straighten front teeth for esthetic reasons.
As you can see, each case is unique and requires customized,
individual attention.
Dr. Panucci thoughtfully offers the following to her patients
who seek results later in life:
- A separate Adult Treatment Room for patients who prefer privacy
- Clear brackets in addition to the traditional stainless
- State of the art technology which means minimal discomfort
during tooth alignment
- Retainer treatment for minor tooth movement
- Braces on upper or lower arch only (limited treatment goals)
- An office professional and specialized in all aspects:
technically proficient clinical assistants, on-time appointments,
and friendly front staff
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