Smile CSRA

365 Braces

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365Braces.com is the first of its kind website offering a Doctor controlled orthodontic treatment called “Hybrid Braces.” By utilizing a hybrid mix of high tech braces and/or clear tooth aligners (called 365Aligners™), patients receive treatment in a dramatically short period of time (6-12 months), at a FRACTION of the cost, and always finish their treatment using a set of clear tooth aligners. Because our Providers now have their own onsite 3D aligner labs, we can offer this service minus the lab expense of Invisalign. The Orthodontists who created this as an alternative to full braces or Invisalign are now passing the savings DIRECTLY TO YOU, our patients. We believe “Hybrid Braces” and 365Aligners™ are the perfect balance between cost and effective tooth aligner treatment. It’s an excellent option for both teenagers and adults.

365 Aligners

Perfect for minor or mild tooth movement. No braces involved. Only sold in sets of 5 aligners at a time. $39 per aligner (Minimum of $195 per set).

365 Braces – LITE

Braces for 6 months, then aligners for up to 6 months *
$147 per month for 18 months
+ Any additional aligners needed after 12 months are $39 per aligner (sold ONLY in 5 Packs) until finished/happy

365 Braces Full

*Braces for 12 months, then aligners to finish for up to 6 months *
$179 per month for 24 months
+ Any additional aligners needed after 12 months are $39 per aligner (sold ONLY in 5 Packs) until finished/happy

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A smile is priceless so the idea of getting the perfect smile through the mail, sounds good, almost too good to be true.

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Mail-Order-Braces

Source: AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT)

Not everyone can afford the thousands of dollars it costs for braces or well-known products like Invisalign which is why Smile Direct Club hit the market.

Smile Direct Club allows you to bypass the orthodontist along with the bills.

The American Association of Orthodontists has lodged complaints against Smile Direct Club in 36 states, including Georgia and South Carolina. It alleges the company is creating medical risks by bypassing the doctors.

On Your SIde wanted to know is the board trying to stop its competition or is there really a risk? We found someone who put her smile to the test.

“I feel like it gives everyone a confidence boost,” Robin Burns said. “I have three of four children in braces,” she added.

Burns, herself, didn’t feel the need to see an orthodontist for her own bottom teeth.

“My teeth were starting to overlap. A lot of the front ones were just shifting around.”

An ad caught her eye. Smile Direct Club told her it could give her her smile back at a fraction of the cost.

“I was getting quotes from about $5000 from a regular orthodontist to do Invisalign and it was $1500 to do Smile Direct,” Burns said.

In January, she started treatment.

“I just felt really confident in seeing all of this that this would work out.”

Fast forward eight months and several aligners later and, at first look, it appears to have worked out beautifully. Her smile was back but at an even bigger cost than the aligners.

“My molars do not come together even now. Now, when I chew food I have to gum it instead of chew it,” she said.

Burns contacted Smile Direct to tell them she lost her bite in the process of getting her smile. The company replied they were reviewing her case in the summer. A month later smile direct e-mailed her a reminder of the consent form she signed months earlier which reads “your bite may change as you transition.” Smile Direct also told her “remote clear aligners are alignment only and do not move molars.”

Burns sought help from an orthodontist after treatment with Smile Direct.

“She signed her life away by agreeing to the treatment,” Dr. David Carter said.

read more at wrdw.com

Why Do I Have to Wear Retainers Forever?

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Often people ask us how long they need to wear their retainer after having orthodontic treatment. There are many factors that may influence how long someone needs to wear their retainer, but the best blanket recommendation we can make is to wear your retainers for as long as you want your teeth to stay straight.

The Purpose of Retainers

Regardless of whether you had traditional braces or Invisalign treatment, you will still need to wear a retainer in order to maintain the results achieved through orthodontic treatment. Without consistent wear for the rest of your life, you risk the chance of your teeth returning to their pre-orthodontic position.
A simple way of understanding why this happens is to think of your teeth as having a memory of their own. Typically, it takes about a year for teeth to become stable in a new position. During this time period, your teeth are especially likely to want to shift back to their old position because bone has not yet fully formed around their new position to keep them stable. A retainer helps train your teeth to stay in their new ideal position while this process takes place.

Timeline of Retainers

For the first 3-6 months of being braces free, you should aim to wear your retainers 22 hours/day. When your orthodontist feels confident that you are achieving some stability, they will give you the go-ahead to transition to nighttime only wear. You should continue wearing your retainer every night until you have been in retainers for about a year. After a year has passed, you should be okay to wear your retainer every other night for the rest of your life.
If you ever feel that your retainer feels tight, you should resume wearing it every night until the retainer slightly loosens into a more comfortable position. As you age your teeth will begin to naturally shift forward. This process doesn’t happen instantly, but over time it can have a noticeable effect on your smile. Wearing your retainers regularly will help prevent this from happening.

Types of Retainers

There are three main types of retainers that your orthodontist may have you wear. It’s important to understand that none of these retainers are made to last a lifetime. With regular wear, they will slowly become less effective. So in order to wear retainers and preserve your straight smile for the rest of your life you will need to have them replaced periodically.

Bonded (Permanent) Retainers

Bonded retainers are made by forming a wire along the back of your teeth and securing it so that it holds your teeth in their desired position. Bonded retainers can be made for both the upper and lower teeth but may not be recommended for both depending on your bite. These retainers generally require more daily maintenance and need to be both flossed around and brushed around daily. Bonded retainers can last anywhere from 2-5 years depending on how well they are cared for.

read more at https://www.carterorthodontics.com/retainers/

 

Dental Hygiene

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Oral hygiene is the practice of keeping the mouth and teeth clean to prevent dental problems, most commonly, dental cavities, gingivitis, periodontal (gum) diseases and bad breath. There are also oral pathologic conditions in which good oral hygiene is required for healing and regeneration of the oral tissues.

A dental hygienist is a licensed dental professional, registered with a dental association, or regulatory body within their country of practice.
They are a primary healthcare professional who works to provide full oral health care. They have the training and education that focus and specialize in the prevention and treatment of oral disease. Dental hygienists have a specific scope of clinical procedures they provide to their patients. They assess a patient’s condition in order to offer patient-specific preventative and educational services to promote and maintain good oral health. The use of therapeutic methods assists their patients in controlling oral disease, while providing tailored treatment plans that emphasize the importance of behavioral changes.

The major role of a dental hygienist is to perform periodontal therapy which includes things such periodontal charting, periodontal debridement, and prophylaxis for patients with periodontal disease as well as prophylaxis for patients with “healthy” mouths. In addition dental hygienists are able to perform examinations, make diagnosis, take intraoral radiographs, dental sealants, administer fluoride, and provide patient specific oral hygiene instruction. They are also able to work at an orthodontic clinic and can perform many tasks there such as selecting and sizing of orthodontic bands for dental braces, the removal of orthodontic appliances, and are able to make dental impressions for the construction of study casts and mouthguards.

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Wisdom Tooth Extraction

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What are wisdom teeth?

Wisdom teeth, or third molars, are the last teeth to develop.  They start to move into the mouth during your later teenage years.  Most people have four total, although some people may never get any.  Wisdom teeth are just another set of molars – there is really nothing special about them.

Why do I need them removed?

Not all wisdom teeth need to be removed.  If a wisdom tooth has enough space to erupt into place, and the patient can keep the teeth clean, then wisdom teeth can be kept for life.  Unfortunately, this situation doesn’t happen often.  Wisdom teeth usually don’t have the space they need, and may turn sideways or get stuck on the way out.  Improperly positioned teeth can create a variety of long-term problems for patients.  Even the best brushers have trouble cleaning wisdom teeth.  If not cleaned properly, wisdom teeth usually develop gum disease and decay (that may also affect your other molars too).

What if my wisdom teeth hurt right now?

Some discomfort can be normal, up to a certain point.  However, a partially visible wisdom tooth can develop an infection around it.  If you are running a fever or have a bad taste in your mouth, the After Orthodontics team can help you out. If you have trouble breathing, don’t wait – go to the hospital immediately.  Fortunately that is very rare!

I’ve seen recent news articles talking about how dentists take out too many wisdom teeth.  Is that true?

We’ve read these too.  It’s an important discussion to have with our patients – you need to be fully informed.  News coverage can sometimes oversimplify scientific data.  It’s hard to capture a complicated discussion in a short space – both here and in a news story.  Not all wisdom teeth need to come out, and some patients who have them removed may not have needed the procedure.  The challenge is trying to determine who is who.  Scientific studies have a tough time finding out how effective preventive procedures are, because we cannot count something that didn’t happen – we prevented it.  Your After Orthodontics™ doctors have a variety of backgrounds and a lot of collective experience.    We do our very best to assess your particular level of risk and give you the best information possible to help you decide what to do.  You are part of our After Orthodontics™ family and we want to treat you just as we would any other family member.

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source: afterorthodontics.com