Braces are just for kids, right? If you’re an adult, you’re supposed to just “live with” crooked teeth or a bad bite, right? Absolutely not! You deserve the smile of your dreams at any age, and Zombek Orthodontics wants to help you make that happen!
When is it too late for braces? Never! A straight smile is about a lot more than aesthetics. A straight smile not only improves your oral health but also enhances your overall well-being. It can improve breathing or speech in some instances, and it can even boost your self-confidence. That’s why we believe you’re entitled to a straight smile at any age.
What can you expect with adult orthodontics vs. orthodontics for kids? Are there other options than two years of metal braces? You’ll be amazed at what today’s orthodontics can offer!
Are there benefits to adult braces? Absolutely! Crowded or crooked teeth can be harder to keep clean, which can lead to gum disease or other dental issues over time. Adult orthodontic treatment not only gives you a beautiful smile — it also supports better long-term dental health and helps you keep your natural teeth healthy for years to come.
Here are some of the benefits to getting a straight smile from adult braces:
Adult braces can solve problems you may not be aware are related to your teeth!
There are probably more adult orthodontic treatment options available now than what you remember as a kid. Orthodontics today doesn’t mean spending many years with a “mouthful of metal.” Today’s braces are smaller, more efficient, faster, and more comfortable than those you missed getting as a kid.
Zombek Orthodontics offers LightForce self-ligating braces. These braces are made to be more comfortable than previous braces. They are fitting with precision so each braces bracket applies the proper pressure in the exact place on the tooth to move it quickly and comfortably.
Clear ceramic braces are an option for patients who want a lower profile with the same moving power of metal braces. Our self-ligating clear braces will move your teeth just as effectively, but the ceramic brackets are designed to match the color of your teeth closely. It makes them less visible than traditional metal braces.
If you’re unsure about wearing braces, clear aligners like Invisalign treatment might be a better option for you. Clear aligners for adults are popular because they’re nearly invisible on the teeth, so people may not even know you’re undergoing orthodontic treatment!
Today’s Invisalign can treat more cases than ever, including:
Certain cases may still require braces instead of Invisalign. As long as you’re willing to wear your Invisalign at least 22 hours a day, this could be the treatment option for you!
We often hear this question from patients of all ages — how long will I have to wear braces? More importantly, in this case, how long do adults wear braces?
Young children’s jaws are still developing, which allows the teeth to move easier. Adults’ jaws have developed and “set,” meaning the bones have hardened. Does this mean adults can’t get braces? Definitely not! It does mean that it might take a little longer for those braces to work than it does for kids.
On average, children wear braces for 12 to 24 months. That could be extended by a few months for adults, but not by much. You may wear Invisalign for the standard 9-15 months or maybe a couple of months longer.
The primary factor determining the length of your treatment is the severity of your dental issues. Someone with a mild overbite may only wear braces for a few months, whereas someone with severely crooked teeth and an open bite could wear braces for up to two years.
How do you know how long you will wear braces? We’ll determine that when we draw up your braces treatment plan! You’ll know how long your treatment will take, and you’ll have an idea of how you will look before and after adult braces.
As with your treatment time, the amount of treatment you will need will determine the cost of your braces. We will let you know your costs up front. We’ll never surprise you with hidden fees! We’ll also work with you to help you find the best way to pay for braces or clear aligners. Your orthodontic treatment should be affordable to you!
Braces treatment isn’t limited to your teenage years. People of all ages are entitled to a straight, healthy smile. Zombek Orthodontics wants to help you get that smile and keep it the rest of your life.
Schedule an appointment with Zombek Orthodontics in Weston, FL, or Hollywood, FL. We’d love to see you with that beautiful new smile!
Summertime is popular for travel, but what if you’re wearing braces? Are there any additional considerations to keep in mind when traveling with braces? Should you worry about getting through airport security? What if you wear Invisalign? Are there things to remember when traveling with Invisalign?
There are a few things to keep in mind when traveling with braces or traveling with aligners, but none of them should keep you from having a good time. Zombek Orthodontics offers a few helpful orthodontic travel tips to make your vacation a great one while keeping your orthodontic treatment on track.
The first step to a great vacation with braces is to schedule an orthodontic check-up before travel. We can check whether there might be any problems, such as a wire that could poke you or a bracket that might be slightly loose. We can replenish your braces rubber bands supply.
If you’re wearing Invisalign or Invisalign Teen, we can ensure you have enough sets to carry with you in case you need to change sets while you’re away.
We will do all we can to help you prepare for your vacation.
It’s a good idea to take a braces travel kit with you, not just for routine care but also for braces emergencies. Take this kit in your carry-on luggage in case any checked bags get lost.
You’ll need many of the same things for your Invisalign travel kit as you do for your braces travel kit.
In addition to the things you’ll need in the braces kit, you’ll want to add a couple of items for clear aligners. You’ll need aligner cleaning tablets to clean your clear aligners daily. If you don’t have any, it’s OK to use a solution of warm water and mild, clear hand soap. Be sure to rinse your aligners thoroughly afterward.
You should also carry two storage cases with you. One should store your clear aligners. The other should be a backup to hold your old aligners in case you switch to a new set during vacation. It can also serve as your main case in case you lose the other.
Remember, don’t throw away your old aligners if you switch to your new Invisalign trays while on vacation. You may need them if your new ones get lost or damaged.
What’s one of the best parts of visiting a new place? The food! We love trying new restaurants, foods, and drinks while on vacation. At Zombek Orthodontics, we want to encourage you to enjoy your vacation, and that includes trying new foods. Just be sure they fall within the rules for eating with braces.
Certain foods can damage your braces, and the last thing you want is a broken wire or popped bracket while on vacation. So, stay away from foods that are crunchy, sticky, chewy, and hard.
You should be careful of what you drink, too. Coffee, tea, dark sodas, red wines, and dark fruit juices can stain your teeth and clear braces over time. It’s OK to indulge once in a while as long as you rinse your mouth soon afterward to help prevent the stains from setting.
If you’re getting treatment with Invisalign, you don’t have to worry about these restrictions! Just be sure to rinse your mouth and clear aligners, and return them to your mouth as soon after eating as possible.
We do have a bonus tip: Drink lots of plain water! Water is not only good for your teeth and gums, but drinking water also helps you stay hydrated, allowing you to participate in all the fun activities you have planned. Water also helps keep your mouth moist, which keeps your teeth, gums, braces, or clear aligners cleaner. So drink lots of water!
No matter how well you plan a vacation, something is going to happen that isn’t part of the plan. What happens if you need emergency orthodontic care while on vacation?
Zombek Orthodontics has you covered. The first step is not to panic. The next step is to give us a call and explain the situation to us. We’ll be able to talk you through possible solutions. Hopefully, we can provide a temporary solution that will get you through the rest of your vacation without needing an emergency orthodontist visit.
Just in case, it wouldn’t hurt to research “orthodontist near me” once you arrive at your destination. That way, you have an idea where you might go should you need emergency treatment or repair. Look for an orthodontist who provides emergency care. We can work with whoever you find to get you the treatment you need.
A temporary fix may help you get back to your vacation without needing an orthodontist visit. Dental wax can cover a loose bracket or a poking wire. If the wire is poking out the back of your braces band, you may be able to trim it with a pair of nail clippers. We can talk you through it.
Finally, contact us as soon as you get home. We’ll get you into our Weston, FL, or Hollywood, FL, orthodontist office as soon as possible for any repairs.
We know you want to see the answer to the most important question: How do I get through a TSA checkpoint with all this metal?
Rest assured, your stainless steel braces shouldn’t set off the body scanners at the airport. On the off chance it does go off (because you never know what could set those things off), just give the TSA agent a big smile while they pass the wand over you. You should be good to go.
Vacation is supposed to be fun. Worrying about your braces or Invisalign shouldn’t take the fun out of your trip. That’s why we encourage you to be prepared for any braces or Invisalign needs when you travel. These tips should help you have clear sailing on your vacation.
If you have any problems, schedule an appointment with Zombek Orthodontics once you return. We can take care of any issues and get your treatment back on track.
It’s an incredible feeling to have your braces removed and see that beautiful, straight smile. Years later, you look in the mirror and realize your teeth aren’t as straight as they once were. It’s not uncommon for teeth to shift over time, but now you can recapture that straight smile after braces with clear aligner treatment.
Zombek Orthodontics serves patients of all ages in Weston, FL, and Hollywood, FL, with orthodontic needs. We’ve had many patients who have come to us years after braces treatment with teeth that have moved out of place. In the past, our best solution was to put them back into braces.
Today’s technology offers another solution — clear aligners after braces. Aligner treatment after braces is often shorter than traditional orthodontic treatment, and clear aligners make the process more convenient for the patient.
Are clear aligners right for you after braces? Let’s explore why teeth move after braces and whether treatment with aligners is a good fit for you.
Have your teeth moved after braces? It may happen right away, or it may take years, but teeth shifting after braces, called an orthodontic relapse, isn’t all that unusual.
There are several reasons why your teeth shift after orthodontic treatment:
If you’ve already had braces, wouldn’t you need to get braces again? Can you wear clear aligners after braces?
Clear aligners are a great option for most patients after braces. There may be rare instances when braces are better for certain patients, but usually the issues that would have prevented treatment with aligners the first time have been solved through your initial orthodontic treatment.
Can you get braces again as an adult? Absolutely, though clear aligners are often a preferred option for adult patients. The aligners are nearly invisible on the teeth and can be removed if necessary. Most adult patients prefer the subtle look of aligners over braces or clear braces.
Why get clear aligners after braces, or even a second round of orthodontic treatment? Really, it’s for the same reasons you got braces the first time.
Teeth that are out of place can cause all kinds of dental problems and overall health problems. Crooked teeth are harder to clean, leading to higher chances of tooth decay and gum disease.
Crooked teeth also don’t fit together properly. This means that when you chew, those teeth put excess pressure on one another, which can cause excessive tooth wear, cracks, chips, and breaks.
Teeth that don’t fit together properly don’t chew and grind food properly, which can cause digestion problems and nutritional deficiencies. They can also cause jaw pain and excessive pressure on the jaw joints, leading to temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMD.
Your teeth can continue to shift without a second treatment and follow-up treatment with retainers. Braces treatment is one option. Clear aligner treatment is another.
What can you expect from treatment with clear aligners? A second orthodontic treatment usually takes less time than full treatment the first time around. Patients can get their straight smiles back in six months, and possibly less!
Clear aligners differ from braces because they’re removable. It makes it easier to brush and floss your teeth, and it means no food restrictions! You simply remove your aligners before eating, drinking, brushing, and flossing.
There are a few things to remember with clear aligner treatment:
Do you need orthodontic treatment for a second time? It’s possible, and it’s something Zombek Orthodontics can determine for you. Start a virtual consultation with us if you think you may need treatment a second time.
Clear aligner treatment may be a better option for your second round of orthodontics. We can evaluate your needs and let you know if aligners are the best fit. If so, you’ll get a treatment that is nearly invisible, just as powerful, and often faster than braces. Let us show you how clear aligners can help you get your smile back!
Does your jaw pop when you chew? Does it get tired after eating? Do you have headaches or neck aches? It may be a disorder related to the joint between your jaws called the temporomandibular joint or TMJ.
TMJ Disorder can do more than cause pain. It can also cause excessive wear on your teeth, leading to cracks, breaks, and chips. It’s a painful condition that can get worse over time, but there are ways to help relieve your TMJ pain.
Zombek Orthodontics can help realign your jaws and bite with braces treatment, relieving pressure and pain on your joint. It can also help save your smile.
TMJ Disorder, often just called TMJ or TMD in short, relates to the misalignment and wearing down of the joint between your maxillary (upper jaw) and mandible (lower jaw). The joint’s primary purpose is to move up and down, but there is flexibility that allows it to move from side to side. This allows us to grind food between our molars (back teeth).
The ends of the mandible, called the mandibular heads, are meant to fit a certain way in the concave joints of the skull, called the mandibular fossa. The articular disk, a piece of tissue, is a cushion between the bones and keeps them from rubbing against each other.
If the jaws are not aligned properly, they can move around that disk and rub against each other. The friction between the bones can wear them down and cause pain in the surrounding ligaments and nerves.
What are some of the most common TMJ symptoms?
These symptoms may be subtle initially but worsen over time without treatment as the joint wears down. TMJ pain can make it difficult to bite and chew, leading to digestive problems. Misaligned jaws can also cause breathing problems, leading to sleep apnea and snoring. Both of these can affect your overall health.
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, consult your dentist or orthodontist. The sooner these problems are diagnosed and treated, the less damage to your joints will occur.
How do you get TMJ pain in the first place? Some people are born with abnormalities of the jaw that can develop into TMJ pain. In other cases, TMJ can come from bad habits. Here are some of the ways you can get TMJ disorder:
Some causes are easier to treat than others, but there are ways to treat TMJ Disorder.
Can braces cause TMJ, or can braces help TMJ? Braces may cause temporary pain in your jaws as your teeth begin to move, but they won’t cause TMJ disorder. However, they can help, as can other methods of treatment.
Many people get TMJ from grinding their teeth. A mouthguard or nightguard may help stop the teeth grinding and reduce TMJ pain for those patients. You can have a mouthguard made professionally or purchase an over-the-counter guard called a “boil and bite” mouthguard.
With these mouthguards, you boil the plastic to soften it, then bite down and let it cool to custom-mold the mouthguard to your teeth.
Some people are able to relieve their TMJ pain through therapeutic jaw pain exercises. These exercises can include touching their tongue to the roof of their mouth and relaxing their jaw to let it rest.
Another exercise is to hold your fingers on each joint while slowly opening and closing your mouth. This helps build up your jaw muscles and reduce fatigue. By pressing your fingers to the joints, you can hold them in proper alignment, which builds up the muscles correctly.
Treatment with braces or Invisalign can also relieve your TMJ pain. Braces treatment can realign your jaws and bite and reduce the pressure on your temporomandibular joints.
Braces treatment also puts your teeth in their proper places. Misaligned teeth put extra pressure on your jaw joints. This can wear down the joints as well as the teeth.
Braces or Invisalign treatment from Zombek Orthodontics can reduce that pressure by putting your teeth and jaws where they belong. This reduces the pressure on your jaws and your teeth and reduces wear on both.
Patients undergoing orthodontic treatment for TMJ find less pain and jaw fatigue once their teeth are straight. They can also chew better and breathe properly with aligned teeth and jaws.
TMJ pain can make it difficult to eat, speak, and even breathe properly. It can also worsen over time if not treated. Orthodontic treatment may be an excellent solution for your TMJ pain.
Schedule an appointment with Zombek Orthodontics for TMJ pain treatment. We can evaluate your teeth and jaws and determine how to ease your TMJ pain best.
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