Tag: invisible braces

When to Get Braces

Are Braces Worth The Cost?

Nobody wants to overpay for something, especially if it’s something they aren’t going to use or are unsure if they even need. If you’ve been told that your child needs braces (or you need braces yourself), you’re probably wondering if they are fine without the mouth gear and how much braces cost in the first place. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at the price of braces, what they do, and whether or not they are worth the investment for your child’s teeth.

What Do Braces Do?

If you’re like most people, you probably assume that braces only work to shift your teeth back into a correct position to give your child a more regular smile. While braces do work to help improve the cosmetic appearance of your smile, they do much more than that. Braces help to fix our teeth alignment, which can help with:

  • Trouble chewing, that can affect nutrition and eating habits.
  • Difficulty speaking.
  • Teeth spacing, helping to prevent against tooth decay and cavity formation.
  • Bite problems.
  • Confidence issues tied to tooth alignment.

As you can see, braces can have a significant impact on your mouth health and your confidence, which make them worth every penny for you and your child. But that leads right into our next question, which is how much do braces cost?

The Cost of Braces

For starters, there’s no standard price for braces, and the price will vary based on a number of different factors. For example, the type of braces you choose will affect the cost of your braces. In most cases, standard metal braces are the least expensive, and prices go up if you opt for clear braces or removable Invisalign options.

Price is also impacted by how long the dental professional believes your child will need to wear braces in order to achieve the desired results. Some patients will need them for only a few months, while other children will have braces for more than a year, and the maintenance that goes into caring for the braces will impact the total cost.

Another factor to consider is the severity of your alignment. If you need significant alignment work, some bracing options may not be available. Others will minor alignment problems may be able to transition to a retainer sooner, which again can help to limit the costs.

As you can see, the cost of braces will vary from patient to patient, but at Smiles For Life Dental in Bloomington, we do everything in our power to keep costs down and work with your insurance to help them cover their portion of the bill. Braces can cost a couple thousand dollars, but view them as an investment in you or your child’s oral and overall health. To learn more about anything related to braces, be it the cost for your individual case, your bracing options or payment plans, be sure to reach out to our clinic and we can provide you with more information. Contact Dr. Brooks’ clinic today at (952) 888-3200.

Before Getting Braces

What Should I Know Before Getting Braces?

Being told that you or your child need braces can leave you with a number of questions, but we’re here to provide you with some answers. Below, we take a closer look at what you can expect before and after you get braces!

For starters, bracing technology has come a long way in the past few decades. No longer are kids left with uncomfortable and highly visible metal in their mouth. While children can still choose colored options if they want, newer braces are often smaller and less noticeable than in years past, and we even have newer invisible models. These clear aligners help to adjust your teeth without making it as obvious that you have braces. They are often a little bit more expensive than standard braces, but they are becoming more popular, so talk with your kids about all their options if they aren’t all that receptive to getting corrective braces.

Braces Basics

Contrary to common belief, braces aren’t just used to correct the spacing in your teeth and smile. Braces also serve to fix bite issues, jaw alignment and improve your overall oral health. Before your braces are installed, your dentist will determine exactly how they’ll want to shape your teeth so your teeth are as healthy as possible by the time your braces are ready to be removed.

There’s also the possibility that you’ll need to have your wisdom teeth removed. Their development once your braces have been installed could complicate or compromise the function of the braces, so your wisdom teeth may need to be taken out prior to having braces administered.

After Braces

Braces may take a little while to get used to, but once the sensation becomes normal, you’ll realize that you only need to make a couple lifestyle adjustments to account for their presence. For starters, you’ll need to keep an eye on what types of food you eat. For example, gummy, sticky foods and candies are best avoided, as are foods like taffy or jerky. You may also want to avoid foods that you have to bite into, like an apple or corn on the cob. That’s not to say that you can’t have an apple or corn, but you’ll want to cut up the apple or remove the kernels from the cob to avoid causing problems for your braces.

Another change you’ll want to make is to become even more committed to a strong dental care routine. Make sure you are brushing your teeth at least twice a day, and regularly check your braces for any food particles that may have gotten stuck in your teeth. Left in place, these food particles can cause bacteria growth and teeth degeneration.

Finally, if you’re an athlete, you’ll want to invest in a mouthguard. As we talked about in this blog post, there are a number of different mouthguards that can help to protect your teeth and braces. Find one that best suits your situation to help protect both your teeth and your braces.

You may not love the prospect of getting braces, especially if you need them during middle or high school, but oftentimes they can correct spacing or jaw issues well before you walk across that stage at graduation, which is a time where you’re definitely going to want that perfect smile. For more information about braces, or to talk to a dentist about your teeth, reach out to Dr. Brooks’ office today.

When to Get Braces

When to Get Braces

One of the most common questions that arises around the subject of braces is when to get them. In this article, we are going to talk about when you can and should get braces if you need them.

Braces for children

Age is an important consideration when it comes to children who need braces. The majority of jaw growth occurs between the ages of 7 and 18 years old. The philosophy on when to treat children has changed over the last 5 to 10 years. Early treatment of crowding and spacing issues is recommended. If issues are present at the age of  7 years old, we recommend treatment using appliances such as palatal expanders or early onset braces to take advantage of  the jaw growth that is occurring. Early treatment of orthodontic issues can often times minimize orthodontic treatment needed in the mid to late teens or eliminate it completely.

Braces for Adults

There are many indications for orthodontics in adult patients, and not all of them relate to cosmetics or making a smile look more appealing. Many adults have functional issues that indicate the need for orthodontic treatment. Malpositioned teeth can lead to fracturing of teeth. Also, if function is poor, chewing efficiency decreases and can lead to digestive problems and nutritional deficiencies. Some adults have had braces, stopped wearing retainers,  and had shifting of their teeth which has led to cosmetic or functional concerns. Orthodontic treatment can be done at any age in adults. One concern many adults have is that traditional metal braces aren’t aesthetically pleasing. Thankfully, there is an alternative option for patients who want to straighten their teeth without having a mouthful of metal for months or years – Invisalign or Invisible braces.

Contact a Twin Cities Dentist

Smiles for Life is a family and cosmetic dental clinic providing a range of services, from preventive dental care to invisible braces. Dr Tim Brooks has years of experience providing dental care to patients throughout the state of Minnesota. Contact a Twin Cities dentist at Smiles for Life today to set up your appointment. Our clinic is located in Bloomington, where we provide dental care throughout the Twin Cities and greater Minnesota.

Invisible Braces

Metal Braces vs. Invisible Braces

In the recent past, getting braces meant having a whole bunch of metal in your mouth for years at a time. Now patients have more options available if they want to straighten their teeth – most notably, invisible braces. In this article, we are going to examine the differences between metal braces and invisible braces.

Metal Braces

Metal braces have long been the standard for patients wishing to straighten their smile. These metal braces need to be installed and then manually adjusted by an orthodontist on a regular basis over the course of about two years. There are many downsides to metal braces, such as:

  • They’re difficult to properly care for and clean
  • They’re uncomfortable
  • They detract from your smile
  • They need to be manually (and painfully) adjusted on a regular basis

Invisible Braces

At Smiles for Life Dental, we offer Invisalign invisible braces. These braces are nearly invisible (so they don’t disrupt your smile), more comfortable, and much easier to care for than metal braces.

The Invisalign system uses plastic aligners that gradually realign your teeth over time. These aligners are designed to fit your unique needs using 3D technology. Every two weeks, you’ll get a new set of aligners. This is a much easier and more comfortable process than the manual adjustments necessary with metal braces.

Minnesota Dental Clinic

Interested in learning more about Invisalign braces? Give us a call today at Smiles for Life to see if you are a good candidate! We offer complimentary consultations for anyone wanting more information and to see if they would be a good candidate. Invisible braces are a less painful, more comfortable alternative to metal braces. At Smiles for Life, we provide compassionate and unparalleled care to each patient we treat. Dr. Tim Brooks has been treating patients in Minnesota for many years and is well respected in the dental field. Contact us today to set up an appointment at our Bloomington dental clinics.