Orthodontic treatment helps to fix bad bites caused by poor teeth and/or jaw alignments. An improper alignment can cause cosmetic concerns and many health issues, such as difficulty breathing or chewing, migraines, TMJ pain, dry mouth, and more.
Luckily, Manzella Orthodontics can improve most orthodontic needs with noninvasive treatment options! Picking the right treatment for you or your family can be stressful and overwhelming, especially if you qualify for multiple treatment options. To help reduce that feeling, we want to share some information about our treatment options!
Metal Braces
Metal braces have been around for a long time, and their brackets, wires, and elastics are likely what you think of when you think of orthodontic work. But don’t let their age fool you! Thanks to new technology, metal braces remain an incredible orthodontic treatment option.
Our metal brackets are a mix of durable metals, including stainless steel and nickel, making them strong enough to fix even the most complex alignment needs. They are also the best at handling orthodontic accessories for jaw alignments like the Herbst appliance and orthodontic bands.
Because we glue metal braces to your teeth, you will be required to adjust your diet and oral hygiene routine accordingly. Eating the wrong foods can break the wires or brackets and cause a painful orthodontic emergency, and not thoroughly cleaning them can leave behind food and bacteria that can damage your teeth and cause bad breath.
Clear Braces
Clear braces, like metal braces, use brackets, wires, ligatures (elastics), and other accessories to improve your bite. Unlike metal braces, however, clear braces use brackets made of ceramic material blend to create a tooth-colored appearance. When paired with matching ligatures, the braces have the illusion of transparency and are much less noticeable than their metal alternative.
Clear braces have all the benefits of metal braces, except their ceramic brackets are not as strong.Like metal braces, wearers of clear braces must adjust their diet and oral hygiene routine.
Clear Aligners
Clear aligners offer orthodontic patients the most flexibility in their treatment. They are removable, so you can eat and drink as if you were not in treatment; you will simply need to rinse your mouth with water after meals to avoid staining the aligners. You are also not required to learn a new oral hygiene routine; you just need to clean the aligners once or twice a day. Clear aligners can also be removed for special occasions, such as a driver’s license photo or a big presentation at work. As long as you wear the trays for twenty-two hours a day, you can remove them every so often throughout the day.
This treatment option gives patients the most responsibility because you have to remember to wear the trays, clean them, and keep up with them when you are not wearing them. If you cannot do this, you will not see any progress in your alignment!
Two-Phase Treatment
Children should see an orthodontist, like our very own Dr. Manzella, by age seven. Early assessments allow you to find and treat any potential concerns early. In fact, fixing bite problems is usually quicker, more comfortable, and less expensive for children than adults.
Two-Phase Treatment is used for preventative care (to stop a problem from developing), interceptive care (to stop an already developing problem), and developmental guidance (giving the jaw and teeth direction and assistance as your child grows), and never for cosmetic reasons!
True to its name, Two-Phase Treatment occurs in two phases. Phase one occurs when your child still has some baby teeth, and phase two occurs years later when your child has grown in most or all of their adult teeth.
Orthodontic issues can worsen over time, and have an unwanted influence on your child’s facial structure and appearance, so we strongly encourage you to have your child evaluated sooner rather than later.
Visit Us At Manzella Orthodontics To Learn More!
Learning that you or your child needs orthodontic treatment can be intimidating, and deciding which treatment is right for you can be challenging without professional guidance.
Dr. Manzella and his team have the training, experience, and equipment to give you the best orthodontic experience and the most stunning results possible.
To discover if you are a candidate for orthodontic treatment in West Seneca and the surrounding areas, contact us to schedule your free in-person or virtual consultation!
We look forward to watching your smile transform at Manzella Orthodontics!