Treatment Procedures
For our younger patients . . .
Phase I:
For patients who are too young for regular braces, Phase I can consist of a variety of treatments designed to either EXPAND (make more space in the mouth or hold space in the mouth to prevent later extractions of teeth), BEGIN TO CORRECT MALOCCLUSIONS (INCORRECT BITES) or to HELP CORRECT HARMFUL HABITS such as tongue thrusting or thumbsucking. Phase I is normally followed by full braces when the patient has enough adult teeth to begin full braces treatment.
Expansion:
Many offices use rapid expanders that must be activated by the parent each night. These can cause a great deal of discomfort for the patient. Our office uses, slow, gentle expanders that are activated by Dr. Clare here in the office. In addition to being more gentle and more pleasant for both the patient and the parents, the gentle, slow expansion is much more controllable and predictable in its result.
Beginning to Correct Malocclusions:
We provide a variety of fixed appliances to begin bringing the upper and lower jaw into the proper relationship with each other. We do not, however, use headgear.
Correcting Harmful Habits:
Some of our patients come in with orthodontic problems caused by tongue thrusting (the tongue comes forward through the teeth during each act of swallowing) or thumbsucking. In these cases, we work with the patients and parents to formulate a treatment plan to stop these orthodontically harmful habits. Patients who are too late for Phase I, but not ready for Full Braces are placed on observation with our office. There is no charge during this time period. There is no charge for patients who are finished with Phase I and not ready for full braces.
For our older patients . . .
Full Fixed Braces:
For our patients who are ready, we place braces on them to bring the all into the proper alignment and to correct any and all orthodontic irregularities. For our patients who have been through Phase I with our office, this is referred to as Phase II. This course of treatment lasts for approximately two years.
read more about elastics...
Clear Brackets:
For the patient concerned with aesthetics, we offer clear braces on the top front six to eight teeth. We don't recommend these for all of our patients because they are slightly larger than normal brackets, and they are a little more fragile and will break more easily.
High-Tech Wires:
Dr. Clare uses the latest and greatest wires to give his patients the best treatment available. The high-tech wires he uses are GENTLE and work for longer periods. This means less discomfort and a more natural movement of the teeth.
Invisalign-Like Braces:
Invisible braces commonly known as Invisalign can be used to correct some orthodontic problems. In our office, we use a brand known as Simpli-5, a series of 5 clear trays, that work on the same principle as Invisalign. These are ideal for the older patient who needs minor corrections, but they cannot be used on an individual who is still growing. We can also place braces on the inside for aligning the anterior (front) teeth only.
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