Great Dental Care Includes Orthodontist Braces Near Me
It might seem like braces are just an optional thing for kids, or that they are just to make your teeth all Hollywood perfect for those selfies. The thing is, it doesn’t just look that change with braces. Teeth that aren’t aligned properly are much harder to clean, particularly if they are crowded. Crowded teeth are often jockeying for space, and they end up being crooked teeth. If teeth can’t be cleaned right, they are at much higher risk of cavities due to plaque or gum disease. On the other hand, if you have straight teeth are easier to keep clean, less likely to break, and less likely to develop gum disease.
Also, bite misalignments can mean that teeth don’t wear properly. If the upper teeth are too much ahead of the lower teeth or vice versa, the teeth will strike incorrectly when chewing and they will wear down too quickly, leading to them needing to be rebuilt later in life. It may even mean that the jaw will suffer from an improper bite which may lead to bone loss. Up to 90% of kids have some sort of bite issue. As you can see, braces orthodontist near me are a vital part of good overall dental health.
You may be wondering how orthodontist braces near me work, and what you can expect while you have them. And, for many people, one big question you have is how can you pay for them? Let’s take a look at the types of braces that there are, what they do, and how you can pay for them.
What braces can do
Many kids have problems chewing or they might even have a lisp due to their teeth not lining up correctly. Kids might have issues with their bites due to using a pacifier or sucking their thumb which can cause an overbite, or it might be no fault of their own – they inherited their bite problem. Missing teeth are another reason for needing braces, and that can happen when the adult teeth don’t grow in properly, or they get knocked out due to an accident. Orthodontists near me braces can also fix open bites, which is when the front teeth don’t actually meet.
There may be times that teeth will need to be extracted to help correct overbites or crowded teeth on a small jaw before the braces go on to straighten teeth. Your dentist will coordinate this with your orthodontist braces near me.
Dental braces very gently apply pressure on your teeth and move them through the material of the jaw (which although it is bone, it is not rock solid) and into their new places. Your orthodontist braces near me might leave your braces on for a month or two even when the moving is done just so that your teeth can set in place.
Types of braces
- The classic braces people generally think of when they think of braces are the metal kind that affix with a type of glue to the front of the teeth. The rubber bands that go around each bracket come in fun colors, so kids can have a different color every month if they wish, or they can just go with a single color the whole time. Sometimes headgear is also used in conjunction with metal braces to help correct significant jaw issues. There are also clear braces with brackets made of plastic.
- Ceramic braces will cost more generally speaking than metal braces do, but they do come with the added advantage of being nearly invisible. The ceramic material is approximately the same color as teeth. Orthodontist braces cost near me as much as $8,000. The ceramic is ideal for adults who don’t want to have what look like small railroad tracks running through their mouths. You should note that the ceramic is more fragile than the stainless steel ones are.
- Clear aligners are another choice that adults and children love because of their transparency. They can handle many orthodontic issues like gaps in teeth, overbites, or crooked teeth, but they can’t fix everything. Your orthodontist braces near me can advise you about whether these would work for you or not.
Clear aligners are clear plastic trays that are custom made to fit your teeth and gently work to move them to the new location. They are virtually invisible while they are worn, making them popular among adults and teens. You avoid the dietary issues that braces have because you can take out the trays to eat, so all foods are on the list. It is also a lot easier to keep your teeth clean because you can brush them like you did before you got orthodontia. Even though they are removable, they are designed to do a job, so you need to wear them at least 20 if not 22 hours a day.
- Lingual braces are the last kind of braces. They are metal or ceramic brackets that mount to the back of the teeth. They are the most expensive kind, but they will be as effective as those attached to the front of the teeth without being seen. For some people, this is really important. One of the most famous people to use lingual braces is Melissa Gilbert. She wore them while on Little House on the Prairie as it would not have been possible for a country girl in the 1800s to have worn braces (though they did exist). To keep in character, she used lingual braces to fix her overbite. Lingual braces orthodontists near me are not for everyone, so check with your orthodontist near me for braces to see if they are a solution you can use. Please note – these also will lead to some tongue soreness since the brackets are right there.
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What to expect during braces treatment
When you have traditional metal braces or ceramic braces, you get small brackets attached to the front teeth, and sometimes a metal band is wrapped around each of the molars with a bracket on it. A wire called an arch wire is then run through the little brackets on the teeth and then small rubber bands are looped around the bracket and over the wire to keep everything in place. The initial application will take about one to two hours.
The wires come in different sizes to apply different amounts of tension. If you hear the phrase “getting your braces tightened”, what is really happening is either a new wire or the existing wire is pulled a little further through the brackets and then snipped off at the last bracket to be flush. This is to do the next part of the realigning process. You will go in about once a month or month and half for adjustments, or you will get your next set of clear aligners every couple of weeks.
You may need to wear some small rubber bands that connect to small hooks on the brackets that help adjust bite alignment. You will probably also receive some wax that you can use to help keep irritation down if the brackets or the wire are rubbing on your cheek.
You can expect to wear your braces on average for two years, but if you have a number of issues to have to be corrected, it may take longer. Be careful to follow your braces orthodontist near me’s instructions about what to eat, because sticky or dense foods might break the brackets.
Your orthodontist braces near me may put in a space maintainer to allow the adult tooth to descend into place for kids who are wearing braces. They might also use something called a palate expander that helps push the teeth out and widen the upper jaw area.
For adults, you may need to consult with your dentist before you get braces to see if any fillings need to be taken care of, any root canals need to be done, or if any teeth need to be removed before treatment. It is much harder to do anything along the gum line with braces on, so you may also need to get a deep cleaning done before getting your braces on also.
While you have braces, you will want to be sure to brush your teeth regularly and use something like a water irrigator or flossers to get food particles out from behind the wires. If you are using clear aligners, brush your teeth after every meal before you put the trays back in.
Once your braces come off, you will likely wear a retainer every day for a few months, then at night for a few more months or even a few years. This helps keep the teeth from drifting back into their old positions.
Another thing to be aware of is that once you get the braces off, you may need to have some additional dental work done to complete the process. This might include getting an implant to replace a missing tooth, or some veneers to help small teeth match the surrounding teeth.
How to pay for braces
No doubt about it, braces can be expensive. The cost of braces is as little as $2,000 and as much as $10,000, depending on what needs to be done. They average between $3,500 and $5,000. Best orthodontists for braces near me will offer a free consultation to evaluate your teeth and see what you need so you can budget and plan. Ask at the office about a payment plan – many orthodontists near me for braces are more than willing to help you because a healthy smile is important to you. Most orthodontists will also accept cash or credit card.
Many cheap orthodontists for braces near me offer payment options that help make getting braces more affordable, even if you don’t have any insurance plans. Dental insurance for kids often does include orthodontic coverage up to age 18, but it may not cover everything. Some insurance plans for adults are now starting to include coverage for orthodontic treatments. To find out for sure if you do have coverage, you can either check with your insurer or ask your benefits office at work. You can also ask your benefits office about either FSA or HSA savings plans which can very often be used for dentist and orthodontic treatments. Also, many orthodontist near me braces offices will help you with the claims process to make sure you can afford your braces.
Another way to pay for braces is through a program called CareCredit. This is a credit program that dentists and cheap orthodontists for braces near me offer that helps you spread out your payments over time. Offices that offer CareCredit will often help you with the application process so it’s easy. Depending on your credit, you may even be able to get CareCredit at 0% interest. Financing terms are available in six months increments up to two years.
Alternatively, there is a program called Orthobanc that helps you pay for orthodontist prices for braces near me that requires a small down payment and connection to a checking account or debit card. Then you can make payments without interest.
For those who have Medicaid, and your dentist or orthodontist braces near me has said the work is medically necessary, you may have coverage for your children or teen under CHIP. Adults generally do not have coverage under Medicaid, but this can vary depending on the state you live in.
Military families who have Tricare may also have orthodontic coverage for children and teens that can help handle the orthodontist braces cost near me.
Another way to pay for orthodontist braces near me is through Groupon. These allow you to buy discounted packages, particularly for clear aligners, that also include services like x-rays or tooth whitening treatments.
Summing it up
You don’t need to be afraid of paying for braces. Many orthodontist prices for braces near me are surprisingly affordable when you combine insurance coverage, payment plans, and savings plans. And when you consider that your smile needs to last you a lifetime, it’s a small investment for your future. Consult your dentist for her advice and see what your orthodontist can do.