A well-aligned smile can uplift your total well-being. Straighter teeth are easier to thoroughly brush, floss, and clean, while a properly functioning bite promotes a healthy jaw and even wear on your teeth. Last but not least, straighter teeth can also instill confidence about your smile’s appearance, which can have a positive impact on your personal, professional, and social lives.
Malocclusion (which means “bad bite”) can be resolved with orthodontic treatment. A malocclusion describes upper and lower jaws that don’t properly meet and teeth that are crooked, crowded, overlapped, misaligned, or protruded. Often hereditary, malocclusion can also be caused by injury, tooth shape, or childhood habits (like thumb sucking).
If you or your teen are experiencing malocclusion, our dentist in Lee's Summit will carefully design a personalized treatment plan to correct irregularities and improve your smile’s health, balance, function, and beauty with traditional orthodontic braces.
Your orthodontic treatment will be planned with a high level of detail, strategy, and care. Using digital X-rays and impressions, Dr. Addie Luff will create a three-dimensional digital model of your facial structures, mouth, teeth, and bite. This advanced 3D model allows us to meticulously plot every detail of your treatment and identify any issues that should be addressed before you get braces, such as wisdom teeth removal or cavity treatment.
Braces are still the gold standard for moving teeth but with the advancements in clear aligners, we now have a good alternative to traditional brackets. In clear aligner therapy (Invisalign), customized clear plastic aligners are used to gradually straighten teeth over time. Each set of aligners works for 1-2 weeks, transitioning into the next step as teeth move. The treatment time varies based on the patient's teeth, but can be usually achieved in 6-12 months.
Clear aligner orthodontics are typically used for adult patients who want to straighten their teeth. However some teenagers may be candidates for clear aligner orthodontics! Clear aligners are a great alternative to braces, but they are not for everyone. Schedule your free orthodontic consultation with our dentist in Lee's Summit to discuss your orthodontic options!
