For Teens
Orthodontics for Teens
You've just heard these three words: “YOU NEED BRACES!” What now?
Braces are not scary! You might have some discomfort, but today’s brackets make treatment a lot less painful than in the past.
Initial Banding
The Initial Banding appointment takes 60-80 minutes. At the initial banding, we will begin with taking photos of your face and teeth. Next we prepare your teeth for bonding. One of the steps is inserting cheek retractors, which spreads out your mouth so we can more easily reach your back teeth with the brackets. They also help us keep your mouth dry, which is an important part of the bonding process. Once your teeth are ready, Dr. Thomas will place your brackets in the optimal position for your case (they go on like stickers!), and we use a light to cure the adhesive. After a few minutes, the adhesive is dry, and we can remove the cheek retractors. We will place a wire into the brackets, and add colors if you would like them. Finally, we’ll give you instructions for taking care of your braces every day. You’re all done, and you’ve taken the first step to improve your smile!
Regular Visits
Typically, we see our patients about every six weeks for regular visits, but timing can vary depending on the circumstances of your case.
Adjustments
Most visits are for adjustments. Adjustment appointments are typically 20-30 minutes. We will remove the colors, if you have them, and Dr. Thomas will check to see what we need to do at that visit. We might change wires, start, continue, or change elastics, give oral hygiene instructions, or all of the above. The last step before you are done is to put new colors on.
Bonding Appointments
Sometimes we need to add a bracket to a tooth that didn’t have one, we need to reposition a bracket on a tooth so it brings the tooth into a better position, OR you might break a bracket and need to come in for a repair. These appointments take a little longer – 30-60 minutes – because we have to prepare your teeth for bonding, and then bond the bracket(s), just like at the beginning of treatment.
Completing Treatment
When treatment is almost done, we’ll have you bring a parent to your appointment for a final check. Dr. Thomas will discuss permanent retainers, and give you a timeline for when you will be ready to get your braces off.
Removal visit
The removal visit is usually 60-80 minutes. We start with placing a permanent retainer, if you are getting one. Next we remove your brackets, and clean any leftover adhesive off your teeth. We take impressions so that we can make your retainers. We will take final photographs of your face and your teeth. Congratulations, your treatment is finished!
Retention
You need to wear your retainers as long as you want to keep your teeth straight! Over time, your teeth shift forward, and crowd up in front, so wearing your retainer is the only thing that will keep that from happening.
Retainer pickup
We provide one removable retainer for each arch we treat (upper / lower) at the completion of treatment. The appointment where you pick them up is about two weeks after your removal. We will give you instructions for care at home. You will need to wear your retainers full-time until your first retainer check to make sure your teeth are stable.
Retainer checks
We will see you periodically for retainer checks to make sure your retainers fit properly, and your teeth are staying straight!
Other things you want to know
How long will I have braces?
The amount of time it takes to complete your treatment depends on three key factors:
- What needs correction — We use the difficulty of your case as a baseline, more complex cases usually take longer than simple cases. The typical comprehensive orthodontic case averages 24-27 months.
- How your body reacts to treatment – Everyone reacts to treatment differently! Teeth move at different speeds – some people’s teeth move fast, and other’s move slow.
- YOU! — How well you follow the instructions we give you plays a major role in the length of time it takes to complete your treatment. Coming in for regular appointments, wearing elastics as directed, taking care of your teeth, braces, and other appliances, and avoiding hard and sticky foods (so you don’t break brackets) will make your treatment shorter!
Are there foods I should avoid with braces?
You’ll want to avoid anything that is really hard, or sticky, or both (like suckers and hard candy). Very hard foods will break brackets, which can extend treatment time. Very sticky foods can cause cavities, especially because the braces make it easier to trap food. We’ll review which foods to avoid at the consultation before your initial banding visit.
You can visit our FAQs for more information!
Braces are a big part of life for teens! While braces may have had a bad reputation in the past, today’s braces are much more comfortable and high tech. Please call our office at (630) 554-5600 to schedule a complimentary consultation appointment.
