In the event you have crooked (misaligned) or crowded teeth, several treatment choices are available:

Recontouring:

Recontouring is a process of reshaping and contouring teeth that are only slightly crooked.  Your Dentist can perform this process during your visits.

Braces:

In cases involving severe crowding of the teeth, braces are often the ideal solution for straightening.  Wearing braces to rectify crooked teeth is not a fast developing process; thus, one must be willing to wear them for a period of  two to three years, plus the extra care to maintain good dental hygiene.  

Braces (orthodontia) is a very common procedure for adults.  Today, 40 %  of orthodontic applications are for adults.  Also, to help maintain improved cosmetic appearance, braces are now available with small, clear brackets that are bonded directly to the front of the teeth.  These eliminate the "metal mouth" appearance from years ago.

Determining If You Require Braces:

If your teeth do not fit together properly (malocclusion), orthodontics (braces) is the branch of dentistry that corrects malocclusion problems.

Teeth size and how they fit into one's jaw are inherited traits.  Some of us are more fortunate than others and naturally have straight teeth.  Some causes of malocclusions are:

An uncorrected malocclusion can substantially affect one's profile and appearance.  It may also contribute to:

Thus, correcting your tooth alignment and bite through orthodontic treatment can substantially improve your dental health.

Braces For Adults:

One's teeth can be straightened at any age.  Today, 40 % of all orthodontic patients in the U.S.A. are adults.

Prior to the 1980's, the materials used for braces consisted of a steel band that encapsulated each individual tooth like a ring.  The wire used to pull the teeth into line was attached to a small bracket on the front of the steel bands. These style braces of old gave one the appearance of having a mouth full of metal!

Today, these bands have been replaced with brackets that are bonded with an adhesive directly to the front of each tooth.  These style bands are much more comfortable, substantially smaller, and much less noticeable than the bands of old.  For much less noticeable applications, also available are clear sapphire brackets, but these are usually more expensive and more difficult to keep clean.

To connect the brackets, a stainless steel wire continues to be used, and different sizes provide pressure to move the teeth.  Elastics that are available in a broad variety of colors are used to hold the wire in place.  Special elastic bands may be added to speed up tooth movement; plus, additional wires and attachments may be used in more difficult cases.

The process of straightening teeth with braces involves "moving these teeth through bone". Your bone responds to the tension created by the brackets and wires by developing special cells on each side of the tooth.  These cells remove bone on one side of the tooth and develop bone on the opposite side. This phenomenon is what allows the tooth to move.

Once your braces have been installed, it is much more difficult to clean your teeth; thus, regular cleaning appointments are substantially more important than before.  If one does not practice good dental hygiene while wearing braces, permanent white stains may form on the teeth if plaque isn't removedregularly.

Following removal of the braces, retainers are used to hold the teeth in their new alignment.  Some retainers are designed to be removable, while others are cemented in place.  With orthodontic treatment, one is never too old to improve their smile and the health of their mouth.

Bonding:

Bonding is the name of a procedure for applying a plastic material (resin) to an existing tooth structure, and generally refers to a single appointment procedure where resin is applied to front teeth to change their cosmetic appearance.  Bonding is an effective aesthetic technique and the result generally lasts approximately the same length of time as veneers.  However, application of the process is technically more difficult and is less commonly offered by Dentists.

Bonding applications include the following:

Through the technique of bonding, a single tooth can be shaped and colored, or your entire smile can be changed!

If your teeth are chipped or beginning to wear, bonding can be applied to protect them from damage and to restore their original appearance.   The procedure is typically accomplished in one-appointment and includes the following:

The teeth to be bonded are roughened, followed by application of a conditioning gel.  Then a tooth-colored resin material is placed on the teeth, and sculpted to the desired shape.  A harmless high-intensity light hardens the resin, and, thus, bonding it to the teeth.

Bonded restorations are very strong and can greatly improve the appearance of your teeth, resulting in a more beautiful, natural-looking smile.

Tooth-Colored Restorations:

To accomplish the replacement of a silver filling with a resin onlay, normally this can be accommodated in two appointments.

During the first appointment, any old filling and additional decay is removed.  Your Dentist then will take an impression of your teeth.  A temporary onlay is then placed in your tooth, and models of your teeth are made from the impression, and are sent to the lab.

Between appointments, the laboratory using the model of your tooth, will carefully place resin material into the model.  Thus, the onlay is custom designed by the laboratory to achieve a natural and lifelike appearance.

On your second appointment, the temporary onlay is removed, and a conditioning gel is applied to the surface of your tooth to prepare it for bonding to the new onlay.  Bonding cement is then placed in the tooth, and a harmless, high-intensity light bonds the resin onlay to the tooth.  Excess cement is then removed, followed by polishing the onlay to a high luster.  Resin onlays look great!  Also, since they're bonded to your tooth, they provide strength and protect the tooth.

Crowns:

Crowns (or caps) cover the entire portion of the tooth above the gumline and are most appropriate when teeth have been significantly damaged or altered.  They are also applicable in lieu of fillings, or for the repair of broken teeth and large cavities.

Porcelain Veneers:

Veneers are thin shells of porcelain that are most commonly bonded to the fronts and tops of the teeth.  Applying veneers is one of the most effective and common methods for creating "color" and "shape" related cosmetic changes and to beautify your smile. 

Veneers can also be used to close gaps between teeth, lengthen small or misshapen teeth, or whiten stained teeth.  For chipped teeth or teeth that are beginning to wear, veneers can protect them from damage and restore their original look.

Typically,  two or more appointments are required to restore teeth with veneers.  On the first appointment, the teeth are shaped and roughened. From impressions, precise working models are made of your teeth for the laboratory that will custom fabricate the veneer to exactly fit your teeth.

On the second appointment, your prepared teeth are polished and cleaned. Then an adhesive is used to bond the veneers to your teeth.  A harmless high-intensity light hardens the adhesive.

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