Metal Braces
Metal braces are the most common type. They are made of high-grade stainless steel. Today's metal braces are smaller, more comfortable and more attractive.
Ceramic Braces
Ceramic braces are made of translucent (clear) material. They are most popular with adult patients, due to their cosmetic appeal. The only drawback to ceramic brackets is that they are more fragile, and the elastic ties can discolor between orthodontic visits.
Invisalign®
The Invisalign® System is a series of clear overlay templates—called aligners—that have been generated by computer simulation to gradually move the teeth. This system is available to adult patients with certain orthodontic bite problems. Ask us if you are a candidate for the Invisalign® system.
Invisalign® Teen
Invisalign® Teen is the clear way for teens to straighten their teeth, using aligners. The aligners are comfortable, removable and virtually invisible, which means teens can smile with confidence during and after treatment.
Incognito
Incognito braces are placed behind your teeth so no one will know that you are wearing braces unless you tell them. These unique braces are created using state-of-the-art technology and are 100% customized to the shape of your teeth and to your dental situation. Incognito braces have the unique prescription that your orthodontist creates for you built-in to ensure you get the results that you want. With Incognito braces, you get efficient, effective tooth movement and great aesthetics.
Corrective jaw surgery (orthognathic surgery) treats and corrects abnormalities of the facial bones, specifically the jaws and the teeth. Often, these abnormalities cause difficulty associated with chewing, talking, sleeping and other routine activities. Orthognathic surgery corrects these problems and, in conjunction with orthodontic treatment, will improve the overall appearance of the facial profile.
Using the latest in digital imaging technology, we will demonstrate the overall functional and aesthetic benefits of orthognathic surgery. Computerized treatment planning minimizes treatment times, recovery periods and improves the overall efficacy of your surgery. State-of-the-art materials such as titanium plates and miniature screws provide stability, strength, and predictability to your treatment. These advances in technology, procedures, and equipment reduce post-surgical recovery time, thus allowing patients to return to their normal routines soon after the surgery.
Orthognathic surgery may be unnecessary if orthodontic treatment can correct the problem. With the latest advances in orthodontics, this is sometimes the case. We will determine if orthognathic surgery is the correct treatment option for you.
Rapid Palatal Expander
Attached to the upper molars through bonding or by cemented bands, the Rapid Palatal Expander is an orthodontic device used to create a wider space in the upper jaw. It is typically used when the upper jaw is too narrow for the lower jaw or when the upper teeth are crowded or blocked out of the dental arch.
When patients are still growing, their connective tissue between the left and right halves of their upper jaw is very responsive to expansion. By simply activating the expander through turning a screw in the center, with a special key we provide, gradual outward pressure is placed on the left and right halves of the upper jaw. This pressure causes an increased amount of bone to grow between the right and left halves of the jaw, ultimately resulting in an increased width.
Schwartz Appliance
The Schwartz Appliance is a removable expansion appliance primarily used on the lower arch in order to expand the arch and create needed additional space for the permanent teeth. Treatment time in the Schwartz Appliance is approximately 9 months, but will vary based on individual needs of the patient. If both the upper and lower arches require expansion, we may use the Schwartz along with a Rapid Palatal Expander in order to coordinate the expansion of both arches.
Temporary Anchorage Device
One of the many important advances in orthodontics has been the development of temporary anchorage devices, or TADs. Made of a bio-compatible titanium alloy, TADs are miniscrew anchors which are inserted into specific places in the mouth to be used as a fixed point from which teeth can move. Before TADs, orthodontists who wanted to move some teeth while keeping others still, or to achieve orthodontic movement in a mouth with missing teeth, had to rely on headgear for their fixed point. But TADs now provide an option for that fixed point that is smaller, more discrete, more efficient and requires significantly less work for the patient.
Temporary anchorage devices may not be recommended for everyone, and in fact, anchorage devices at all may not be needed in all cases. Contact us if you’d like to know more about TADs and how they can potentially prevent you from needing orthodontic headgear.
Revolutionary New Technology for Beautiful Smiles!
Invisible, Intelligent, Individualized…
Incognito ™ are as unique as the people who wear them.
Incognito are a new generation of orthodontic braces for teens and adults. They are the only 100% customized orthodontic braces available on the market today. Because no two people are alike, no two sets of Incognito are alike.
Incognito are 100% customized.
Incognito are placed behind your teeth so no one will know that you are wearing braces unless you tell them. These unique braces are created using state-of-the-art technology and are 100% customized to the shape of your teeth and to your dental situation. Incognito have the unique prescription that your orthodontist creates for you built-in to ensure you get the results that you want. With Incognito, you get efficient, effective tooth movement and great aesthetics.
Almost anyone can wear Incognito.
Incognito have been used to treat men and women ranging from the age of 13 to 60+. Most people who can be treated with regular braces can be treated with Incognito, but only your orthodontist can tell you if Incognito are the right treatment option for you.
Who wears Incognito?
Adult professionals
People who want to avoid damage to the front surfaces of their teeth
People who are concerned about wearing braces that show
Musicians who play wind instruments
Adults and teens playing contact sports
When we remove your braces or you have finished with your aligners, we begin the retention stage of your treatment. The retention phase lasts a lifetime!
There are two kinds of retainers - a removable type and a permanent type. In our office everyone gets a removable retainer that is either thin, clear plastic similar to an Invisalign tray or a kind that has a wire on the front of the teeth and colored plastic behind your teeth like the pictures below. Permanent retainers consist of a wire cemented to the back of the teeth that Dr. Eberle is concerned about shifting to their original position with age. This typically goes behind initially crooked front teeth or where there used to be spaces among front teeth. Dr. Eberle is a big believer in permanent retainers - she's had one herself for over 20 years!
Your final orthodontic result depends on wearing your retainers, so follow through with the hard work you’ve put in so far. Remember to remove your retainer before brushing and brush your retainer before placing it back in your mouth.