Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility Orthodontic Treatment in Wellington & Boca Raton, FL. | Santelli Orthodontics

Orthodontic Treatment in Wellington & Boca Raton, FL

It’s always the right time to get the healthy, beautiful smile of your dreams! At Santelli Orthodontics, we’ve been providing the Wellington and Boca Raton community with the best in personalized orthodontic care since 2006. Whatever your orthodontic needs, we can create a customized treatment plan for your unique condition and budget. We offer a full range of the latest, most technologically advanced treatments available. Get started on your journey to a lifetime of healthy smiles. Schedule your free consultation today!

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What Is Orthodontics?

Orthodontics is a field of specialized dentistry focused on correcting irregularities in the alignment of teeth and jaws. It involves the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of dental and facial irregularities, such as crooked teeth, overcrowding, and misaligned bites. Orthodontists use various techniques, including braces, aligners, and other appliances, to gradually move teeth into proper positions. The goal of orthodontic treatment is to improve oral function, enhance aesthetics, and promote overall oral health.

How Does Orthodontic Treatment Work?

Orthodontic treatment applies controlled forces to gradually move teeth and jaws into their desired positions. Your personalized orthodontic treatment plan may involve braces, aligners, or other dental appliances. Braces consist of brackets bonded to the teeth and connected by wires, which exert gentle pressure to guide tooth movement. Aligners are custom-made trays that fit over the teeth and are changed periodically to exert pressure on specific areas. Over time, the applied forces cause the bone around the teeth to reshape, allowing them to move into proper alignment. Regular adjustments and check-ups ensure the treatment progresses as planned, ultimately achieving a well-aligned and balanced bite.

Types of Orthodontic Treatment

At Santelli Orthodontics, we offer a full range of treatment options for every need.

Our team will devise a customized treatment plan that is right for you. The services we offer include:

Unlike braces, which use brackets and wires to apply pressure to the teeth, Invisalign aligners are made of clear, smooth plastic material. They are virtually invisible when worn, making them a more aesthetically pleasing option for people who wish to improve their smile without the noticeable appearance of traditional braces. Each set of aligners is worn for about two weeks, gradually moving the teeth closer to the final alignment. They need to be worn for 20-22 hours a day, and you can remove them for eating, drinking, brushing, and flossing. Approximately every six to eight weeks, you will visit the orthodontist to receive a new set of aligners and ensure that the treatment is progressing as planned.

Learn More About Invisalign

Braces use constant, gentle pressure to move teeth into their proper positions over time. Braces work 24/7 to help you achieve your beautiful new smile. We offer several types of braces to meet every need and preference, and our team will work with you to choose the type of braces that is right for you.

Learn More About Braces

Traditional Metal Braces

Traditional metal braces use stainless steel bands, brackets, and wires to gently shift your teeth over time. With metal braces, a bracket is affixed on each tooth, and a thin, flexible archwire is placed over the brackets. Tiny elastic bands called ligatures keep the wire firmly in place. These bands can be clear or tooth-colored, or you can choose colorful bands to show your unique personality!

Clear Ceramic Braces

Clear ceramic braces work the same way as metal braces. The key difference is that the brackets, wires, and ligatures are tooth-colored, so they blend in with your smile. It’s important to note that clear ceramic braces may require extra care to prevent staining. Certain food and drinks, such as coffee and tea, can potentially cause discoloration of the brackets. Good oral hygiene practices, including regular brushing and flossing, can help minimize the risk of staining.

Damon Self-Ligating Braces

Damon self-ligating braces are similar to traditional metal braces but utilize a unique slide mechanism to attach wires to brackets to move them naturally with the teeth as they realign. Damon braces are attached to a memory-shape wire that will connect these slide brackets without the need for the pressure that elastics produce.

Children should typically have their first orthodontic evaluation around the age of 7. This is recommended because certain dental and skeletal issues can be easily addressed when identified early. By evaluating a child’s dental and facial development at this age, an orthodontist can detect potential problems like crowding, jaw misalignment, or bite irregularities. Early intervention allows for timely treatment planning, and in some cases, preventive measures can be taken to guide the growth and development of the teeth and jaws, minimizing the need for more extensive treatment in the future. Regular check-ups with an orthodontist can ensure proper monitoring of a child’s dental development.

Learn More About Early Treatment

Retainers hold teeth in their new positions after active orthodontic treatment, such as braces, is completed. Retainers help stabilize the teeth while the surrounding bone and tissues adapt to their new alignment. By wearing retainers as directed by the orthodontist, patients can prevent teeth from shifting back to their original positions, ensuring the long-term success of their orthodontic treatment.

LEARN MORE ABOUT RETAINERS

When To Seek Orthodontic Treatment

Orthodontic problems can affect both children and adults. Even if you wore braces when you were young, orthodontic issues can arise later in life, because our teeth move gradually all the time in response to biting and chewing. Teeth can also be pushed out of proper alignment when, for example, young children develop unhealthy habits such as thumb sucking or tongue thrusting. These and other orthodontic problems usually become apparent around age 7, when the permanent teeth have started to come in. That’s why an orthodontic evaluation is recommended for all kids at this age.

Adults may see their teeth begin to crowd toward the center of the mouth. Your bite may also shift into poor alignment due to a missing tooth. No matter what your age, orthodontic treatment is available for all of the common orthodontic problems listed below:

  • Crooked or misaligned teeth
  • Overcrowding of teeth
  • Gaps or spaces between teeth
  • Underbite – Lower teeth overlapping upper teeth.
  • Crossbite – Misalignment of upper and lower teeth when biting.
  • Open bite – Upper and lower teeth do not meet when biting.
  • Malocclusion – Teeth that do not fit together properly.
  • Jaw misalignment or asymmetry
  • Difficulty chewing or biting
  • Speech difficulties caused by dental or jaw issues
  • Excessive wear or grinding of teeth
  • Dissatisfaction with the appearance of your smile

Get a Radiant Smile: Discover Friendly & Effective Orthodontic Treatment

At Santelli Orthodontics, we’ve been helping our Wellington and Boca Raton communities achieve beautiful, confident smiles since 2006! With our personalized approach, we can help address any dental or jaw irregularities you may have, giving you a smile you’ll be proud to show off. Our team is ready to guide you through the process, using modern techniques and appliances tailored to your needs. Don’t let anything hold you back from having the smile you deserve. Take the first step and schedule a free consultation with us today. We can’t wait to embark on this transformative journey with you!