Along with a family care physician, your dentist, and eye doctor for specialty care for your overall health, you can find great care from a local orthodontist to help you with concerns you have with your teeth. As you prepare to get professional orthodontic care for you or any family members, it can be helpful to understand some information about this type of treatment and services and what it will mean for you and your family. Here are some items for you to consider when you are ready to seek treatment from your orthodontist.

Available Services

Your dentist can clean your teeth, check your gums for inflammation, and find and repair any oral decay, but what about a bone structure problem or bite misalignment in your mouth? A local orthodontist is a great resource for handling any of such types of teeth and jaw positioning problems that can affect your appearance and your ability to talk or chew. 

For example, if your lower jaw teeth sit forward a bit further than your upper teeth, or your upper teeth are positioned too far forward from your lower teeth this can lead to problems in your life. An improper bite alignment can cause tooth wear and damage to your gums and jawbones, which if they are not repaired with professional orthodontic treatment can leave permanent damage. Your orthodontist can also correct your teeth alignment from overcrowding or teeth that have grown in the wrong position.

Recommended Age For Treatments

As an adult, you can seek orthodontist treatment for any of the above conditions. Talk to your dentist about some options and a professional recommendation for a local orthodontist.

If your child is in need of orthodontic treatment for items, such as an overbite, it is recommended to wait until they are around 8 to 10 years old. This allows your child's adult teeth to begin to come in, which provides a better situation to repair an overbite problem. And it also allows for time to see if the misalignment is going to correct itself.

Length of Treatments

When you get braces, a common question is how long will the treatment last and when will the braces be removed. Depending on the type of treatment and the amount of movement needed to correct your teeth or bite misalignment, it can take anywhere from one to three years on average. Talk to your orthodontist to get a personalized consultation and information about what you can expect from your orthodontic care.