Orthodontics

Why Straightening Teeth Isn't Only Cosmetic

Appearance is the reason most people start orthodontic treatment, and that's a perfectly good reason. But crowded and misaligned teeth cause practical problems too, and those are what make treatment worth considering even if you've made peace with how your smile looks.

• Overlapping teeth are harder to clean, which raises the risk of decay and gum disease in exactly the spots you can't reach
• An uneven bite wears enamel down unevenly and can crack teeth over time
• A misaligned bite can strain the jaw joint and the muscles around it
• Gaps and drifting teeth change how food is chewed and can affect speech

Adults and Children

Teeth move at any age. The biological process is the same at fifty as at fifteen — bone remodels around the tooth as gentle pressure is applied — so there's no upper age limit as long as the gums and supporting bone are healthy. Treatment does tend to take somewhat longer in an adult, and any active gum disease has to be treated first.

For children, the useful moment for a first orthodontic assessment is around age seven, when enough permanent teeth have arrived to see how the bite is developing. That doesn't mean treatment starts then — usually it doesn't — but it's when a developing problem is cheapest to plan for.

How Long It Takes, and What It Involves

It depends entirely on what's being corrected, and any practice that quotes you a duration before examining you is guessing. Minor crowding may take several months. A significant bite correction can take two years or more. We'll give you a realistic range after an examination and X-rays, not before.

Whatever the method, the pattern is the same: regular adjustment appointments through the active phase, then retainers afterwards. Retainers are not optional — teeth have a memory and will drift back toward their old positions if nothing holds them. Most patients wear a retainer nightly, indefinitely.

Talk to Us About Your Case

Come in and we'll examine your bite, explain what would need to move and roughly how long that takes, and tell you what we offer for it. Where a case calls for an orthodontic specialist — complex skeletal problems, cases needing surgery — we'll refer you rather than take it on at the edge of our scope. Call (708) 974-1319 or send us a message to arrange a consultation.