Why You Need Professional Orthodontic Care
Why is professional orthodontic care so important? The economy has fluctuated from good times to bad times over and over in the last couple of decades. Some people try to cut corners when it comes to achieving healthy smiles by straightening their teeth themselves. Do “cutting corners” and “healthy” go hand-in-hand? Not at all! Only a professional orthodontist is trained to provide you a completely healthy and straight smile that you can’t get anywhere else. Proper orthodontic care can ensure that your teeth stay healthy and free from gum disease, tooth decay and tooth loss. It will also ensure that your teeth move appropriately so that your bite, alignment and function work the way they were designed to. At Belmar Orthodontics, we can provide you a smile that you will cherish the rest of your life. Find out why professional orthodontic care is worth the time, money and effort to achieve a wonderful smile.
Cutting Corners On Your Oral Health
We all know that problems will arise if proper oral hygiene habits aren’t followed. That includes brushing and flossing several times a day (after every meal if possible), seeing your dentist and orthodontist as needed, and making sure the teeth stay clean, straight and healthy in general. You would never want to save some time by cutting out brushing your teeth altogether right? How about flossing? Or maybe never seeing a dentist? There are major problems that can arise from choosing to cut corners on your oral health. Some of the main problems are gum disease and tooth decay that can literally rot your teeth out.
Gum Disease
Gum disease affects over 64.7 MILLION American adults. That means that there are many millions of Americans not taking proper care of their teeth. What does gum disease cause? It begins with gingivitis, or a buildup of sticky bacteria-filled plaque that coats the teeth and irritates the gums. Without cleaning the teeth often enough, the gums will begin to become red, inflamed and even bleed frequently. Skipping on the hygiene will make gingivitis more severe until it becomes full-blown gum disease, also known as periodontitis. At this stage, the gums will recede and the teeth can literally fall out. Yikes! Nobody wants that right?
Tooth Decay
Tooth decay is a problem that’s not far behind gum disease. It also has its beginnings when a person chooses to skip on their oral hygiene practices and keeps doing it. That sticky plaque that coats your enamel is a mix of bacteria and sugar that is actually an acidic substance. The acid will erode your hard tooth enamel and eventually seep into the soft center of your tooth where it will accelerate tooth decay.
Do-It-Yourself-Orthodontics
Gum disease and tooth decay are both serious conditions that you want to avoid at all costs. You only get one set of teeth, so the goal should always be to keep them healthy, right? Cutting corners (even simply skipping cleaning the teeth) causes major damage to your oral health. Do-it-yourself-orthodontics is a new trend that has popped up on the scene. ABC news reported on this trend and how damaging it can be to your oral health. Many people wanted to cut corners with proper orthodontic care and do their own straightening at home using crude methods with rubber bands, fishing line, paper clips and any other material you could think of.
Not surprisingly, many patients (especially adolescents) who attempted to do their own orthodontic care damaged their teeth “so extensive[ly] that teeth cannot be saved.” That comes straight from the president of the American Association of Orthodontists. Do-it-yourself methods of orthodontics are bound to lead to many more oral health problems than you could have ever imagined. So far, it has proved to be disastrous for those who attempt to cut corners. Remember, cutting corners on your health is just that…cutting corners. Nobody comes out a winner.
Proper Orthodontic Care
When you only have one set of pearly whites, why take a chance on losing them? Orthodontists must extensively train for years and attend dental school. They then take an additional 2-3 EXTRA years to study orthodontic practices and how to keep your mouth the healthiest it can be. You get what you pay for and if that’s trying to straighten your own teeth with fishing line, you can bet that you’ll have a low-quality results. With professional orthodontic care, you’re going to get a professional and effective experience. Plus, you’ll actually save yourself time, money and risk of disaster by investing in orthodontic care the proper way.
The cool thing about our orthodontic office is that we offer more than just traditional metal braces. If you want to straighten your teeth more discreetly (or not have anyone know), we have Invisalign transparent aligners, lingual braces, ceramic clear braces, retainers and more. At Belmar Orthodontics, you can be sure to get a beautiful, straight smile AND keep all of your teeth healthy and strong for years to come. Simply call our office at (303) 225-9016 for your free consultation!
Adult Orthodontics for the Working Professional
Are you a working professional that is worried that you don’t have time for adult orthodontics or braces? Are you worried that the orthodontic appliance will limit you in your current profession or industry? Belmar Orthodontics is happy to tell you that we have solutions that can dispel these worries and help you rectify orthodontic concerns you have been delaying treatment on. Learn how our convenient Lakewood location can help you achieve your smile goals on your terms!
Convenience and Subtly with Adult Orthodontics
The working professional has limited time and many responsibilities that often make adult orthodontics seem like an impossibility. Some of those responsibilities require that they limit physical distractions or things that could impede their speech abilities. Working professionals often have to consider their appearances and first impressions. One of the biggest contributors to the first impression is our smiles. Ask yourself, is your smile confident? Is it clean? Do you hesitate in sharing it? Working professionals need to be at their best so they can produce their best work. They don’t have time for health issues that are directly related to not taking time to correct misaligned bites or crooked teeth. Most working professionals want to improve their smile and their overall health, but they just don’t see how they can do that and keep up with their busy schedules while retaining a professional image. In the past, the only option working professionals had for adult braces involved noticeable metal wires and bracket systems with frequent needed adjustments. For the working professional, traditional metal braces are often found to be too distracting, and too time consuming. Luckily, in the 21st century, the working professional has orthodontic options for straightening your smile and improving your oral health that are nearly invisible to the naked eye and that don’t require frequent office visits.
Under the Radar Adult Orthodontics
Most of our Lakewood adult patients that we see have known that they need orthodontic treatment for years but have been postponing it because of concerns over convenience and interference with their professional image. Put those worries aside because we have options that allow you to put your health first while still retaining your professionalism and goals. Our most popular discreet options for adult orthodontics include: short term braces, ceramic clear braces, hidden lingual braces, and Invisalign clear, removable aligners. Using these methods, we can shorten the time it takes to achieve noticeable results while still allowing you to go about your life normally.
Short-Term Braces
Are you a working professional who is interested in aligning your front six teeth–the teeth that are most visible when you smile? For some patients–that don’t have complicated orthodontic issues–we can offer you short-term braces which work to align the front six teeth with no adjustment to the occlusion (bite). If this is your main goal with adult orthodontics, and you are interested in a short treatment time, our experienced orthodontists can evaluate your smile/occlusion and determine whether short-term braces will succeed for your needs.
Ceramic Clear Braces
Ceramic Clear braces are another popular option that offer all the functionality and convenience of traditional metal brackets, but they incorporate ceramic clear brackets that are made to match the color of your teeth. Matching the bracket system to your teeth offers a cosmetic benefit to your treatment that many of our patients appreciate. Ceramic brackets used in the treatment are also also more resistant to staining, helping to protect your smile and keep it looking its best during treatment.
Invisalign Removable Aligners
One of our more popular choices among working professionals in need of adult orthodontics is the Invisalign® system. Invisalign® treatment allows you the ability to straighten your teeth in a way that is discreet and on your terms. Invisalign® employs a system of removable, clear, custom-fit aligners that gradually and gently move your teeth into their proper position without limiting your ability to eat, drink, brush, and floss easily. You switch out the aligners yourself when it is time for an adjustment so you bypass a trip to the orthodontist saving you precious time. Since Invisalign aligners are removable, if you have an important presentation or event, you can remove the aligners–temporarily–and then put them back in and continue with your treatment and goals. The freedom this orthodontic treatment provides has allowed many working professionals the ability to keep up their professional image and devote time to their health simultaneously.
Hidden Lingual Braces
Lingual braces have been giving Invisalign some competition because of the cosmetic advantage they present. Lingual (tongue-side) braces are bonded behind the teeth rather than in front so they are not visible when you talk and smile. Lingual braces offer the same results as traditional braces, but with a nearly undetectable look during treatment. Athletes, musicians who play wind instruments, media professionals and patients who are not candidates for Invisalign®–but desire to have more discreet orthodontic treatment–may prefer this adult orthodontics treatment option. Belmar Orthodontics uses the state-of-the-art Incognito Lingual Braces System from 3M Technologies. 3M offers some of the best technology in the business.
Schedule a Adult Orthodontics Consultation
Belmar Orthodontics stays on top of the best orthodontic innovations of our time offering you the best there is to offer. We are dedicated to the working professional and understand your need for convenience and adult orthodontics that are not distracting when you smile or speak. We have options that can fit your busy lifestyle! Come in for a free consultation at our Lakewood office so you can better learn about how you can make the necessary needs to your smile while keeping it under the radar! Serving the Lakewood, Golden and Wheat Ridge area, we are dedicated to offering you a positive experience, while simultaneously making your smile the best it can be. If you have questions about how adult orthodontics can improve your smile, or if you are interested in scheduling an adult orthodontics consultation with Dr. Hardy, please contact us today at 303.225.9016.
