No, it is not. Many of our patients are referred by their family dentist, yet many other patients take the initiative to schedule an examination themselves.

A deep bite (also often called an over bite) is defined by the amount of vertical overlap of the upper front teeth over the bottom front teeth where the upper front teeth cover too much of the lower front teeth. Excessive overbite requires correction by an orthodontist. A deep over bite is commonly confused with excessive overjet.

Deep bites can negatively impact jaw and teeth function and are often difficult to effectively clean. The lower front teeth may bite into the gum tissue on the roof of the mouth in a deep bite case.
Also, chewing and biting can be difficult because the jaw cannot function normally. Lastly, the lips do not fit properly and may appear misshapen causing an unbalanced profile. Deep bites can be effectively corrected with braces.

If you have a deep bite, make an appointment today with the highly qualified Lakewood, CO orthodontist, Dr. Amy Schulte at Belmar Orthodontics.

Let us show you how braces can correct your deep bite.

Open bite occurs when the top and bottom front teeth do not touch as the back teeth are touching. This can result in difficulty biting, chewing, swallowing, and can lead to a speech impediment.
Even when fully biting, the lips can not completely close leaving an awkward appearance. Open bites can result from excessive thumb sucking, overuse of pacifiers, tongue thrusting, mouth breathing,
and genetics.

If not corrected, an open bite can lead to clicking or popping of the jaw and also may cause head,
neck, and jaw pain. Open bites can be effectively corrected with braces but in severe cases surgery
may be required.

See your local Lakewood orthodontist, Dr. Amy Schulte, for more information and details on what open bite treatment is best for your situation. Correct your open bite today by scheduling your free initial consultation with Belmar Orthodontics at the Belmar Plaza in Lakewood, CO.

Crowding occurs when there is too little space for the teeth, which results in rotated or overlapping teeth. Malocclusions can be complicated by, or even be the result of, crowded teeth and require additional attention by an orthodontist. Crowding is generally hereditary but can also be the result of poor oral habits such as clenching, grinding, nail biting, or thumb sucking. Crowded teeth can be very difficult to effectively clean leading to an increased risk of decay and gum disease.

Crowded teeth can be effectively corrected with braces. We offer many different options in braces such as In-Ovation, Damon Braces, Invisalign as well as traditional ceramic and metal braces.

If you have overcrowded front teeth, make an appointment today with the highly qualified Lakewood, Colorado orthodontist, Dr. Amy Schulte at Belmar Orthodontics at the Belmar Plaza. We can accurately space, align, and straighten your teeth to give you a beautiful and healthy looking smile.

Let us correct your crowded teeth to improve your smile today!

Under normal conditions, there should be no space between teeth. Spacing, therefore, is when gaps occur between teeth. The opposite of spacing is crowding.

Spacing is often the result of a large tongue, excessive tongue pressure pushing the teeth forward, or when collective tooth size is smaller than jaw size.

An excessive space condition greatly increases the risk of the teeth shifting. It also often results in food getting stuck between teeth. Excessive spacing is easily corrected with braces. Dr. Amy Schulte can close spaces between teeth using self litigating braces, clear aligner braces, or lingual braces.

Correct excess spacing today, call (303) 233-2445 now or click here to make an appointment today with the highly qualified Lakewood orthodontist Dr. Amy Schulte at Belmar Orthodontics in the Belmar plaza.

Overjet is the extent of horizontal distance between the upper and lower front teeth. Excessive overjet occurs when the upper front teeth are significantly further forward than the lower front teeth. Overjet is commonly confused with deep bite. Excessive overjet requires correction by an orthodontist.

Excess overjet is often the result of thumb sucking or overuse of pacifiers at a young age. It can also be the result of overcrowded teeth forcing the upper front teeth to push outward. An excess overjet greatly increases the risk of injuring the protruded upper front teeth. The misaligned teeth can make biting into food difficult or impossible. If the excess overjet is severe enough it may result in speech impediments. The lips may not fully close leaving an awkward appearance that may result in poor psychosocial health of the individual due to teasing. Excess overjet can usually be corrected with braces but surgery may be required in severe cases.

Correct an excess overjet today by making an appointment today with your local Lakewood, Colorado orthodontist, Dr. Amy Schulte at Belmar Orthodontics in the Belmar Plaza.

An negative overjet (often referred to as an underbite) occurs when the lower front teeth extend beyond the upper front teeth. The lower jaw and chin usually protrude outward as well causing an unbalanced profile. This results in a misalignment between the upper and lower front teeth and jaws and causes biting or food chewing to be difficult. If severe enough, speech impediments can also result.

Negative overjets are primarily hereditary but improper alignment of baby teeth can cause a negative underjet to develop. A negative overjet can be corrected with braces but in severe cases surgery may be necessary.

If you have a negative overjet or wonder how braces can help correct it, schedule your free initial consultation with your local Lakewood, CO orthodontist, Dr. Amy Schulte at Belmar Orthodontics. Belmar Orthodontics can provide both adult and youth treatment.

Correct your negative overjet and improve your smile today!

A crossbite occurs when the upper teeth fit inside the lower teeth. This misalignment may inhibit proper chewing or use of teeth. This can also cause uneven jaw growth and an unbalanced facial appearance. If not corrected, a crossbite can increase the risk of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) problems, symptoms of which include pressure on the jaw joint, head, neck, and cheek pain. A crossbite can also leave the jaw in an awkward position.

Some causes of crossbite include sinus problems, mouth breathing, delayed loss of baby teeth, and even heredity. Crossbites are effectively corrected with braces to realign your teeth and to improve the shape of your smile.

If you wonder how to correct your crossbite make an appointment today with the highly qualified Lakewood, CO orthodontist, Dr. Amy Schulte at Belmar Orthodontics in the Belmar Plaza.

Let us find the best crossbite solution for you!

A gummy smile is one in which too much gum tissue is visible when a person smiles. While this is highly subjective, the most appropriate amount of gum tissue to show in a full smile is about 1-2 mm. In other words, your teeth should occupy about 90% of your smile and gum tissue should only occupy about about 10% of your smile.

Gummy smiles can be caused by several different things. The most common cause is simply excess gum tissue around the necks of the teeth in either children or adults. This is easy to resolve by removing the excess tissue with a soft tissue laser. Another cause is vertical overgrowth of the upper jaw. This can either be treated by intruding the entire upper arch with TADs, or by moving the upper jaw surgically. Finally, a gummy smile can be the result of long-term wear of the upper teeth, such that the teeth supererupt bringing the gum tissue with them. This can be effectively corrected with braces and TADs.

If you have a gummy smile make an appointment today with the highly qualified Lakewood, CO orthodontist, Dr. Amy Schulte at Belmar Orthodontics in the Belmar Plaza.

Let us show you how braces can eliminate your gummy smile.

Supererupted teeth are the result of premature loss of opposing teeth. This most frequently occurs when a lower back tooth is lost, either by trauma or extraction of a decayed tooth. Without an opposing tooth, the upper tooth supererupts or “grows” into the space of the missing tooth. This can make it difficult to bite or chew because of the interference of the supererupted tooth.

Correcting this type of problem is difficult with traditional braces. By using a TAD in conjunction with braces, the supererupted tooth can be repositioned into its ideal location. Afterwards, your dentist can replace the missing lower tooth leaving you with and ideal bite and smile.

If you have supererupted teeth make an appointment today with the highly qualified Lakewood, CO orthodontist, Dr. Amy Schulte at Belmar Orthodontics in the Belmar Plaza.

Let us show you how braces can treat your supererupted tooth.

The most frequent cause of missing teeth is heredity. Other causes include traumatic injury or extraction of decayed teeth. If left untreated, adjacent teeth may shift into the spaces left by the missing teeth causing difficulty in chewing food. The spacing left by missing teeth usually results in a less than ideal smile.

Missing teeth may be treated several different ways depending on your goals and objectives. One options is to orthodontically consolidate the teeth and spaces, making room for either implants and crowns or bridges. Another option is to orthodontically close all spaces and eliminate the need for implants and crowns or bridges altogether.

If you are missing adult teeth, make an appointment today with the highly qualified Lakewood, CO orthodontist, Dr. Amy Schulte at Belmar Orthodontics in the Belmar Plaza to discuss your orthodontic options.

The American Association of Orthodontists recommends an orthodontic screening at age 7. By this age several important permanent teeth have erupted. At this time, we can evaluate to see if early treatment is appropriate or if it is better to monitor growth and tooth eruption to start treatment when your child has most or all of his or her permanent teeth.

No, they will not. The space available for the front teeth does not increase as you grow. In most people, after the permanent molars erupt, the space available for the front teeth decreases with age.

Simply call our office at (303) 233-2445, send us an e-mail or fill out or appointment request form online. When you call to schedule your appointment, our front office staff will request some basic information from you. If possible, please have your dental insurance information available.

Upon arriving at Belmar Orthodontics, you or your child will receive two x-rays, which allow us to gather information that is vital to an individualized diagnosis and treatment plan.  Dr. Amy will then complete a thorough exam, discuss timing and type of treatment needed, and create an appropriate payment plan to make orthodontic treatment available and affordable.  The initial examination takes approximately 45-60 minutes.

There are five essential questions that we will cover during the initial examination:

• Is there an orthodontic problem, and if so, what is it?
• What must be done to correct the problem?
• Will any teeth need to be removed?
• How long will the treatment take to complete?
• How much will the treatment cost?

Removing teeth is sometimes required to achieve the best orthodontic result. Straight teeth and a balanced facial profile are the goal of orthodontics. However, because new technology has provided advanced orthodontic procedures, removing teeth is not always necessary for orthodontic treatment.

Treatment time obviously depends on each patient’s specific orthodontic problem. In general, treatment times range from 12 to 30 months. The “average” time frame a person is in braces is approximately 22 months.

It is impossible to give an exact cost for treatment until we have examined you. We will cover the exact cost and financial options during the initial examination. We have several financing options available to accommodate your needs, and we will review these with you. We will also review your insurance policy and help to maximize your benefit and file your claims.

Appointments are scheduled according to each patient’s needs. Most patients in braces will be seen every five to 10 weeks. If there are specific situations that require more frequent monitoring, we will schedule appointments accordingly.

Unfortunately, we cannot schedule all appointments for students during after-school hours. However, because most appointments are scheduled 5 to 10 weeks apart, most patients will miss minimal school due to their orthodontic treatments. We will, however, make a sincere effort to meet your scheduling needs.

Yes. We understand your busy schedule, and we are happy to help you make the most of your time. On some occasions, we may request to speak with a parent when they return, so we ask that parents check in with their patient manager before dropping off their child.

Generally, braces do not “hurt.” After certain visits, teeth may be sore for a few days. In these situations, pain medications such as Advil or Tylenol will ease the discomfort. However, after most visits, patients do not feel any soreness at all! We often remind our patients, “It does not have to hurt to work!”

Yes. There is no reason to miss school because of an orthodontic appointment.

No. Shots are not necessary in orthodontic treatment.

Absolutely not! It is our belief that each patient should be provided with their own braces to achieve the best orthodontic result possible.

Yes. We recommend a mouth guard for all sports.

Yes! Regular checkups with your family dentist are important while in braces. Your family dentist will determine the intervals between cleaning appointments while you are in braces.

Yes. Once treatment begins, we will explain the complete instructions and provide a comprehensive list of foods to avoid. Some of those foods include: ice, hard candy, raw vegetables and all sticky foods (i.e. caramel and taffy). You can avoid most emergency appointments to repair broken or damaged braces by carefully following our instructions.

Patients should brush their teeth at least four times each day – after each meal and before going to bed. We will show each patient how to floss their teeth with braces and may also provide a prescription for a special fluoride, if necessary.

If your braces are causing extreme pain or if something breaks, you should call our office. In most cases, we can address these issues over the telephone. If you require an emergency appointment, we will set aside time for you.

Click here to contact us or to schedule an appointment.

Yes. Some orthodontic problems are significant enough to require early intervention. However, if a patient is not yet ready for treatment, we will follow that patient’s growth and development until the time is right for treatment to begin.

Phase One treatment, if necessary, is usually initiated on children between the ages of 7 and 10. Phase One treatment lasts about 12-21 months. The primary objective for Phase One treatment is to address significant problems to prevent them from becoming more severe and to improve self-esteem and self-image.

It is best to assume that your child will need full braces even after Phase One treatment. The period following Phase One treatment is called the “resting period,” during which growth and tooth eruption are closely monitored. Throughout this period, parents and patients will be kept informed of future treatment recommendations.

A surprising percentage of our patients are adults. In fact, 25 percent of all orthodontic patients are adults. Health, happiness and self-esteem are vitally important to adults. No patient is “too old” to wear braces!

Yes. A tooth with a crown will move just like a tooth with a simple filling. When teeth are missing, orthodontic treatment will aid in the alignment of the remaining teeth.

We accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, debit card, personal check, or cash.  Our goal is to make your smile transformation affordable and flexible.

We proudly accept Most Dental Insurances and Medicaid.

Teeth, and sometimes entire facial structures, are permanently changed by orthodontic treatment. It is important that the treatment be appropriate and properly completed. Orthodontic specialists have extensive and specialized training that enables them to provide their patients with professional, personalized treatments.