Orthodontics – Franklin Park, IL
Let Our Orthodontic Specialist Straighten Your Smile
At Grand Dental in Franklin Park, we have an on-staff, board-certified orthodontist who is able to help patients of all ages, including children, teens, and adults address dental crowding, bite misalignment, and a variety of other orthodontic problems. No matter what your age is, treating these issues sooner rather than later is crucial to maintaining good oral health. To learn more about our options for orthodontics in Franklin Park, IL, schedule a consultation with our specialist today!
Learn How We Approach Orthodontic Care
Why Choose Grand Dental - Franklin Park for Orthodontics?
- Orthodontic Specialist on Staff
- Customized Orthodontic Treatments
- Orthodontic Solutions for Children, Teens & Adults
Phase 1 Orthodontics
Phase One orthodontics, also known as early treatment, typically begins when children are eight or nine years old. By starting to address these issues early on, we can help make room for their permanent teeth to grow in properly and lessen the chance that they will need serious orthodontic intervention as teenagers.
How to Tell if Your Child May Need Early Orthodontic Treatment:
- Crowded front teeth at ages seven or eight
- Teeth that are gapped or misaligned
- Shifting jaw when your child opens or closes their mouth
- Protruding front teeth that extend away from each other
- Difficulty biting and chewing
- Speech impediments
- Continuous thumb-sucking after age five
- Early or late loss of baby teeth
What Causes Orthodontic Problems & How Will Early Treatment Benefit My Child?
Orthodontic issues like jaw growth issues and bite problems can be inherited or caused by trauma, thumb-sucking habits, or the early or late loss of baby teeth. The American Association of Orthodontists recommends bringing your child in for their first examination with a specialists around seven years old, while they have a mix of baby and adult teeth. That way, their orthodontist can intervene early on if they spot any developing issues.
Adult Orthodontics
Orthodontic treatment is relevant for adults as well as teenagers. Many patients who are older either weren’t able to get orthodontic treatment as a child because it was too expensive, or due to the lack of awareness surrounding these issues in the past. This has left an estimated one in five patients over the age of 21 with untreated orthodontic problems. If you have dental insurance or now have the opportunity to receive the treatment you need to improve your oral health, know that it’s not too late!
Health Effects That Can be Corrected with Orthodontic Treatment:
- Misalignment of the bite which can cause jaw pain and abnormal tooth wear
- Teeth are crowded or spaced apart which can result in tooth decay and gum disease
- Missing teeth resulting in bone loss and shifting of neighboring teeth
Treatment Options for Adults
As an adult, if the thought of needing to get metal braces is keeping you from investing in orthodontic treatment, know that that traditional braces aren’t your only treatment option! Today, we offer aesthetically-pleasing, discreet options as well, like tooth-colored braces and Invisalign clear aligners.
Why Should You Consider Orthodontic Treatment?
- Improve Your Oral Health: Teeth that are straight won’t accumulate as much plaque and tartar that’s hard to remove when you brush and floss your teeth.
- Boost Your Confidence: A straight smile can boost your confidence and allow you to smile without feeling embarrassed.
- The Threat of Worsening Orthodontic Problems: When you don’t treat orthodontic issues, they can become worse, leading to permanent damage to your smile.
- Incomplete Treatment as a Teen: If you received an orthodontic treatment as a teen but never completed it, you can easily jump into the swing of treatment as an adult.
Invisalign®
At Grand Dental in Franklin Park, we’re proud to offer Invisalign clear aligners, which is a discreet, custom-tailored orthodontic treatment that’s great for both teens and adults. Each customized, clear tray acts to gently and strategically shift your teeth into their ideal position, addressing crowded and misaligned teeth as well as bite problems. You’ll need to wear them for at least 22 hours each day, only removing them when you eat, drink anything besides water, or floss and brush your teeth.
Metal Braces
Traditional metal braces that utilize brackets and wires to straighten teeth are great for patients who have moderate to severe dental and bite misalignment problems. They work together to gradually shift your teeth into alignment over the course of 12 to 24 months. Every few weeks, you’ll visit our dental office for a quick progress check and to adjust the archwire of your braces that places pressure on your teeth to help them continue to shift. After your treatment, we’ll discuss what type of retainer you’re eligible for and how long you should wear it.
Learn More About Traditional Braces
Tooth-Colored Braces
Tooth-colored braces are designed identically to traditional braces, they just use different, more discreet materials. The brackets are made of clear ceramic, and the archwire is made from a clear or tooth-colored substance to blend-in with your smile. Teens and adults often choose this appliance option because it’s able to achieve similar results as metal braces without changing the appearance of their natural smile too much.
Expanders
We also provide fixed or removable expanders, which are orthodontic appliances that change the size and shape of your mouth. They’re responsible for gently applying force via a spring-loaded device or a screen to expand your mouth and provide a foundation for a properly aligned bite.
Phases of Orthodontic Treatment
The timeline for orthodontic treatment is different for each patient. The range is usually between 6 and 30 months, with the type of treatment needed, the patient’s adherence to their treatment plan, and the severity of the issue having a major influence on how long it ultimately takes. There are three major phases to most forms of orthodontic treatment, although the specifics of each phase largely depends on the patient’s situation and specific needs.
Phase 1: Planning Phase
The process starts by diagnosing existing orthodontic issues and determining the most effective way to address them. We will take X-rays of your teeth and jaw to figure out the exact position of each tooth and identify complications; our team will also go over your dental history to check for past issues that might need to be addressed before moving forward with an orthodontic treatment of any kind. The final step of planning is to take an impression of your teeth so that we can review the positioning of your teeth and plan the treatment accordingly.
Phase 2: Active Phase
This is the phase where a customized orthodontic device is used to move the teeth to a more proper alignment. Traditional braces are among the most well-known orthodontic appliances and are suitable for especially complex corrections. However, they are also fixed in place, so patients who wear them will have to avoid eating certain foods throughout their treatments. Removable aligners, in contrast, are better for making mild to moderate corrections, but they offer the convenience of being able to freely eat whatever you want, and they will not get in the way of brushing and flossing your teeth. For any type of orthodontic treatment, it is necessary for the patient to periodically visit the orthodontist to have their oral appliance adjustment or to confirm that the process is going as expected. Generally speaking, traditional braces require more frequent visits than removable aligners.
Phase 3: Retention Phase
Once the teeth have been adjusted, there is a chance that they could eventually drift back to their original positions if they are left alone. A retainer will be used to stop the teeth from moving and maintain the progress gained during the active phase. Removable retainers need to be kept in the mouth for a certain amount of time each day. Ideally, the jawbone will reform around the teeth in their new positions so that they can keep their new alignment.
Dental Monitoring
Instead of scheduling multiple in-person appointments with a dentist for orthodontic treatment, our dental office now uses a specialized dental monitoring system. Patients can now using a designated app to upload photos of their smile each week that allows our team to easily view their progress to ensure everything is moving smoothly. Consisting of artificial intelligence that identifies oral and facial structures, it can pinpoint anything that might be concerning as well as closely follow the movement of a patient’s teeth.
Light Force Brackets
While there are various types of orthodontics patients can pursue, one that our dental office in Franklin Park is incorporating is Light Force brackets. Customized to fit each individual tooth, patients can enjoy a more pleasing appearance because of the translucent material. Instead of traditional metal that stands out, patients can smile with greater confidence. Also, with Light Force brackets, there are no traditional impressions but instead, we use a digital scanner to produce a 3D model of a person’s smile. This allows for a more personalized treatment plan and more obvious results.
Braces & Invisalign Videos
Invisalign First Clear Aligners
Health Effects
of Misaligned Teeth
How Invisalign
Really Works
