Traditional Braces – Sachse, TX
Time-Tested Solution for a Straighter Smile
Are you searching for answers to address misaligned teeth or maybe you require a bite correction? The right choice might be an option you are familiar with. Traditional braces have helped generations of patients upgrade their oral health and grin alike. Regardless of your age, it’s never too late to reap the benefits of this orthodontic treatment. At Sachse Family Dentistry, Dr. Rottman has recommended traditional braces to numerous patients because they are a time-tested solution for a straighter smile. You can discover if braces in Sachse are right for you by calling our dental office to schedule a consultation!
Why Choose Sachse Family Dentistry at Woodbridge for Traditional Braces?
- Compassionate & Caring Dental Team
- Our Focus Is on Patient Comfort
- We Will Maximize Your Dental Insurance Benefits
How Do Traditional Braces Work?
When you visit our office to get braces, we will bond brackets to your teeth. A wire will then connect the brackets. Together, the brackets and wire apply consistent and gentle pressure. As your braces get tightened at periodic appointments, your teeth will move subtly into their proper positions.
Of course, not all treatments with braces are the same. Depending on your unique circumstances, you might require additional orthodontic accessories to achieve optimal results. When you visit us for your consultation, your dentist in Sachse will be able to tell you more about the treatment road you’ll travel.
What Orthodontic Issues Can Braces Fix?
Traditional braces are among the most versatile varieties of orthodontics. They can correct most types of alignment issues from mild aesthetic concerns to severe orthodontic problems that pose a serious threat to your oral health. We commonly use them to address bite misalignment, crowded and crooked teeth, and gapped teeth.
Bite Misalignment
Braces may be used to correct virtually any type of malocclusion (misaligned bite) including overbite, underbite, crossbite, and open bite. Fixing these issues can improve facial appearance, reduce the risk of temporomandibular disorder, and provide other benefits.
Crowded & Crooked Teeth
Teeth that overlap can pose challenges for oral hygiene, negatively affect occlusion (how the bite works), and create an aesthetic problem. Traditional braces, along with possible extractions, are often able to correct crowded and crooked teeth. After treatment, each tooth should be straight and have the space needed to function best.
Gapped Teeth
Gapped teeth can make chewing and speaking more difficult than they need to be, plus reduce your confidence in your grin. In some cases, they can also leave the gums vulnerable to damage. Braces are often able to reposition the teeth and close those unsightly spaces.
Caring for Your Braces
Here are a few basic tips to maximize your treatment results with traditional braces in Sachse:
- Comply with dietary restrictions. Avoiding sticky or hard foods is wise. You should also pass on anything with small bits that might get stuck in your braces like popcorn, for example.
- Maintain your oral hygiene. You may need to use specialized products like a water flosser to thoroughly clean your brackets and wires.
- Attend all scheduled appointments. Regularly visiting our office will increase the chances your treatment remains on course.
Living with Braces
Are you curious what your life with braces will actually look like? If so, you’re in the right place! In this next section, we’re covering how to brush and floss, what changes you’ll need to make to your diet, what to do if a bracket or wire comes out of place, and more. So, keep reading!
Brushing and Flossing with Braces
The development of an oral health problem, like a cavity, can lead to unwanted treatment plan delays. That’s one of the many reasons we encourage our patients to commit to a solid oral hygiene regimen! That includes brushing your teeth after each meal as well as flossing and rinsing with mouthwash each night.
Tip: Consider buying special oral hygiene products, like an interproximal toothbrush, if you’re finding the process to be a bit cumbersome!
Eating & Drinking
Since whole apples, raw carrots, tortilla chips, and other crunchy foods place immense pressure on your brackets and wires, we strongly recommend avoiding them during your teeth straightening journey. Instead, focus on finding foods that you genuinely enjoy and are braces-friendly. Mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, vegetable soup, fruit smoothies, scrambled eggs, and oatmeal are all fan favorites.
Note: You can drink juice, soda, and other dark-colored beverages with Invisalign. However, it’s best to use a straw; this will help prevent dental discoloration.
Damaging a Bracket
If one of your brackets gets damaged – whether it’s slightly loose or has fallen completely out of place – the next best step is the same: contact our Sachse dental office. From there, we can schedule a time for you to come in for a visit with Dr. Rottman. We will also give you helpful tips on what to do until you arrive at our office, including sticking to soft foods and covering the bracket with some dental wax.
Poking Wire
A protruding wire can be quite uncomfortable. Plus, there’s a chance that your gums, lips, or tongue will be cut if it’s left that way for an extended period of time, which is why we strongly recommend reaching out to us if you find yourself in this situation. In some cases, we can guide you through what to do over the phone. In other cases, it’s best to come in for a same-day appointment with Dr. Rottman.
Routine Check-Ins
To place continuous pressure on your teeth, your brackets and wires need to be adjusted every month. However, that’s not the only reason your routine check-in visits to our office are crucial. They also allow us to examine the condition of the brackets and wires and, if needed, make adjustments that will help prevent an orthodontic emergency. Plus, they give you an opportunity to ask us any questions you have regarding life with braces!
Understanding the Cost of Traditional Braces
Traditional braces have long been a dependable, safe, and effective way to straighten the teeth and correct a variety of bite issues. However, because orthodontic issues can vary dramatically from patient to patient, the cost of traditional braces can differ quite a bit as well. To get a truly accurate estimate of the cost of your treatment, you’ll need to schedule a consultation with your dentist. At this appointment, we’ll happily outline the price for your care and go over all the variables that help determine it. In the meantime, here’s a closer look at what your dentist might include when we calculate your total.
Factors That Affect the Cost of Traditional Braces
There are several important factors that we must consider when determining the cost of your braces. Each of these will vary from person to person, and may include:
- Severity of misalignment – The greater the distance your teeth must move, the longer your treatment will likely take.
- Length of your treatment – In most cases, the longer you’ll need to wear braces, the more your treatment will cost, as you’ll require more checkups, adjustments, and supplies.
- Your age – Because adult teeth are more firmly set in the jawbone than they are during childhood and adolescence, they require more time to move, resulting in a longer and potentially higher costing treatment.
- Number of follow-up appointments needed – In order to ensure proper movement, your braces will need to be tightened and adjusted every two to eight weeks, depending on your individual needs.
- Other orthodontic devices/appliances needed – In many cases, patients who wear traditional braces will also need to wear and purchase other supplies, including things like space maintainers, palate expanders, elastics, headgear, and retainers.
- Compliance with treatment guidelines – Should you require additional equipment such as rubber bands and fail to comply with this portion of treatment, it can make the entire process take longer, thereby making treatment cost more.
Professional Braces vs. “DIY” Braces: Which Costs More?
In recent years, many patients have been tempted by promises to save time and money by taking a ‘do-it-yourself’ approach to orthodontic care. Social media and video hosting sites are full of regular people attempting to straighten their teeth by using various household or over-the-counter objects like fishing line, earring backs, super glue, and hair elastics. Unfortunately, while these ‘hacks’ may seem more convenient and affordable, they can wreak havoc on your smile and on your wallet in the long run.
DIY braces come with a variety of risks and problems compared to traditional braces, including:
- DIY braces may move your teeth more quickly than professional braces, but they’re not as effective at delivering long-term results. Therefore, your teeth have a very good chance of moving back into their original position over time.
- Wearing braces that aren’t designed by a trained professional can seriously damage your teeth, gums, and jawbones. Many of the materials used in homemade braces can injure your gum tissue, causing sores that could become infected. In some cases, it could even cause tooth loss.
- Without the guidance of a trained dental professional, you could potentially shift your teeth in the wrong direction, or your upper and lower jaws may not meet properly, which could lead to a worse bite, difficulty chewing, and even a temporomandibular joint disorder.
- Many patients who attempt DIY braces ultimately end up spending more money than if they had just seen their dentist or orthodontist for professional braces to begin with. Between the costly repairs to correct the damage and the orthodontic treatment then needed to straighten the teeth properly, it can really add up!
The good news is that by trusting your dentist with your smile from the start, you can easily avoid major headaches, bills, and toothaches later on.
Does Dental Insurance Cover Braces?
Not every dental plan has orthodontic coverage, but those that do are more likely to cover traditional braces than clear aligners. Braces are also more likely to be covered if they’re needed for medical purposes rather than simply aesthetic reasons. Additionally, many dental insurance plans may only cover braces for patients under the age of 18.
If your plan does have orthodontic benefits, you can typically expect them to cover up to 50% if anything at all, but this can vary depending on the specific plan. Our team is happy to help confirm coverage with your provider on your behalf.
If you have a Health Savings Account (HSA) or a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) you may also be able to use those to pay for a portion of your orthodontic treatment.
Options for Making Braces Affordable
In addition to proudly being in-network with a variety of popular dental insurance plans, Sachse Family Dentistry is pleased to offer the following options to patients to help make their orthodontic treatment more affordable:
- CareCredit and Sunbit – These third-party financiers can break up the payment of your orthodontic treatment into flexible, low-to-no interest monthly payments that may be better suited to your budget.
Our team is here to assist you with your orthodontic treatment. If you’re ready to get started, please contact us today to schedule a consultation with Sachse Family Dentistry today, and we can discuss your treatment timeline and financial details. We can’t wait to see you smile!
Traditional Braces FAQs
Am I Too Old to Get Braces?
Many people associate traditional braces with teenagers, but the truth is that people of any age can benefit from orthodontic treatment. If you’re at all unhappy with the alignment of your teeth, you can absolutely get braces to address the issue.
However, it is worth noting that adult’s teeth tend to be more firmly set into the jaw, are are therefore less mobile. This means that braces take longer to work their magic when adults make use of them. Many dental insurance companies also only cover orthodontic treatment for children, so it’s even more important than usual to check with your dental plan if you’re trying to get braces as an adult.
Can I Get Traditional Braces on Just My Top or Bottom Teeth?
Some patients are more concerned about one area of their smile than the other, and are therefore interested in getting braces on just their top or bottom teeth. However, this is generally not recommended.
Straightening teeth does more than just move them laterally; it also pushing them forward or backward. Straightening crooked teeth tends to move them outward, and pulling gapped teeth together tends to draw them in. If you address alignment issues on just the top or bottom teeth, it could cause an overbite or an underbite. While single-arch treatment is occasionally possible, it’s not the sort of thing that you should expect.
Can I Chew Gum with Traditional Braces?
It’s not recommended to chew gum with your traditional braces. It’s common for sticky substances, like gum and candy, to get caught in your braces and cause the teeth to shift in unexpected directions. This change may be so subtle that you don’t even notice it, but can dramatically extend the length of your treatment.
You might have heard that sugar-free gum can have some health benefits, promoting saliva production and reducing risk of tooth decay. While these are some good reason to chew some gum under normal circumstances, it doesn’t make the risk worth it when it comes to your braces.
Why Do My Teeth Feel Loose with Braces?
While patients are generally expecting to feel a little bit sore in the days after they first get their orthodontics, they’re often caught off-guard by the “loose” or “floating” feeling that their teeth have when they first begin to move.
Don’t worry, this is completely normal. For your teeth to move, the ligaments that hold them in place will need to stretch. This causes the teeth to feel like they’re floating on the gums. If you notice this feeling, it’s a sign that your braces are working well and that your teeth are migrating into the correct position. Moreover, you can expect this feeling to fade soon after your braces are removed.