Q: Why choose an orthodontist for my treatment vs using aligners that come in the mail?
A: It’s crucial for your smile and the health of your bite to choose an expert orthodontist in Newmarket.
Orthodontists are specialists in the dental field. They are uniquely trained and licensed as board certified specialists to diagnose, prevent and treat facial and dental irregularities.
This means they’re far better qualified to give you the smile of your dreams than you could get from aligners in the mail.
They train for two or three years longer and receive a specialized education beyond dental school in order to practice the correct way to straighten and align teeth. Only those with this formal education may call themselves “orthodontists”.
Q: When should children first get an orthodontic check-up?
A: The Canadian and American Association of Orthodontists recommends that parents should take their child for their first complimentary orthodontic screening exam no later than the age of 7 or 8 years old.
By this age, most children have front and back adult teeth that should have erupted, letting Dr. Miller evaluate the smile, bite jaw growth and other orthodontic factors.
That’s important, because some orthodontic problems may be far easier to correct in the long term if they’re found and addressed early, or at least supervised closely until the time is most ideal to treat. Although most of our patients are not advised by us to start full active orthodontic treatment with braces or clear aligners until they’re somewhere between the age of 10 and 14, there are specific instances where earlier interceptive treatment is critical to avoid much bigger issues later on. The types of issues that benefit enormously from early intervention are things like underbites, crossbites with a functional shift, improperly erupting or impacted teeth, or social issues arising from being self conscious about one’s appearance.
Q: Can adults benefit from orthodontic treatment?
A: Yes! Treatment through orthodontics can be successful at almost any stage of life. You may be surprised to learn that about one in every four orthodontic patients at Miller Orthodontics is over age 18. Thanks to today’s discreet and comfortable orthodontic treatment appliances like metal braces, ceramic braces, and Invisalign, tons of adults are increasingly seeking out treatment with us to perfect their smiles and bite. We’re proud to provide orthodontic treatment to patients of all ages in Newmarket, Aurora, Bradford, East Gwillimbury, and the surrounding areas.
Q: How long does treatment take?
A: Our Newmarket patients generally receive anywhere from 6 months to three years of active orthodontic treatment to achieve the smile they love.
We can help you answer this at your free consultation at our Newmarket office.
Q: How much does treatment cost?
A: The cost of orthodontic treatment depends on a lot of different things. These are everything from how complex and severe the issue is, and how long the treatment needs to take and the type of appliances used to to get there.
Dr. Miller will be glad to discuss the cost of treatment and your financing options with you before treatment begins at your initial complimentary complete evaluation.
You’ll love to know that braces and orthodontic treatment are more affordable now than ever before. Our team works with you to help meet your family’s budget goals.
Q: What causes orthodontic problems?
A: Many orthodontic problems are inherited genetically. Some examples of these inherited issues might include spacing, crowding, protrusions, jaw growth problems and missing teeth or extra teeth. Other oral problems are caused by sucking fingers or thumbs, dental diseases, losing baby teeth early or late, accidents, or are caused by other problems.
Q: Why is treatment important?
A: Health reasons aside, the reason most people seek to get orthodontic treatment is for greater confidence when we smile and go out in the world. There are many well-validated scientific studies showing the immense mental health benefits that go along with having a great and confident smile. The saying “when you smile the whole world smiles with you” is very true!
Aside from the huge benefits of having a great smile, correcting crowded and crooked teeth makes them much easier to keep healthy and clean.
Bad bites can also wear on tooth surfaces, causing abnormal wear. It can make it hard to chew or speak, and create additional stress on your supporting gum tissue, bone and joints.
Without proper orthodontics, a lot of problems get worse, costing you more dental care and discomfort later in life.
Q: What is my role in treatment?
A: Orthodontic treatment is a true partnership and team effort between the doctor and patient. Dr. Miller provides custom-made fixed or removable appliances that use gentle pressure to move teeth into their proper positions.
Your job is to follow Dr. Miller’s instructions, keep scheduled orthodontic appointments, and maintain excellent oral hygiene to get the best results.
You will also need to keep up with your general dental care and as you continue to see your general dentist as normal.
Q: I had braces as a teen, and now as an adult, my teeth are out of place. What can I do?
A: If at ANY time you’re not happy with your smile or bite, call Miller Orthodontics at (905) 898-4848 for more information. We are here to help you! To achieve proper alignment again, you might need to see Miller Orthodontics for a “smile tune-up”.
Q: Will wisdom teeth cause teeth to shift?
A: There is no evidence to suggest that eruption of the wisdom teeth causes the front teeth to shift. There are in fact several studies showing that in people missing all of their back teeth including the wisdom teeth, the front teeth still tend to crowd up and shift over time, especially in the lower anterior region. For this reason, we always provide all of our patients with retainers following treatment no matter their age upon completion so that there is no chance for anything to move afterwards.
Most often, people remove their wisdom teeth for general dental health reasons instead of orthodontic health reasons. Your family dentist or Dr. Miller can help determine whether or not your wisdom teeth need to be removed for reasons of health following orthodontic treatment.
Q: Do I need to wear my retainers forever after treatment?
A: In short, retainers should continue to be worn in some capacity as long as it’s important to you to still have straight teeth! Dr. Miller will recommend how often to continue wearing your retainers, whether they are removable (the kind you put in and take out) or fixed (bonded behind your teeth), or a combination of the two. In general retainers do not need to be worn full time forever to hold your results, but they do need to kept and worn at least occasionally in the long term to maintain the smile you love.
Wearing your retainers as Dr. Miller prescribes is the best and only way to keep your new smile after your treatment ends.
There are many reasons teeth may move following orthodontic treatment. Teeth are not set in concrete, they are housed in living, ever- changing bone. That means your teeth will always continue to want to shift to some extent long after we remove your braces or complete your Invisalign treatment.
Your teeth are far more likely to keep the position where Dr. Miller placed them by continuing to always wear your retainers as prescribed. If you follow our instructions well, it is extremely unlikely that you will have any unwanted future movement.
Q: Why do some teeth shift?
A: After you get your braces off, your teeth will settle in when you chew and bite. This settling in creates little changes.
It’s much more common to see movement in your lower front teeth, especially if your teeth were very crowded prior to beginning treatment. Teeth naturally move and shift your whole life, and it’s normal.
It’s far more likely to keep your teeth in their ideal position where Dr. Miller placed them by continuing to wear your retainers as prescribed. If you notice movement after your braces are removed that is bothersome, please contact Miller Orthodontics.
Q: What should my long-term expectations be?
A: Even though you’ve had orthodontic treatment, you can still expect your teeth to move throughout the rest of your life.
There are many reasons causing our teeth to move and shift. These changes look different for everybody, and most of the time we hardly take notice.
However, on occasion, changes can occur that are disappointing to both the patient and Dr. Miller. It doesn’t mean that your treatment failed if your teeth move their position.
This is a natural process. We know that our bodies will change as we age, and our teeth change as well.
Dr. Miller prescribes retainers after removing your braces in order to help limit and control these natural changes, and maintain the amazing smile we worked so hard together to achieve! If you do notice changes after treatment that bother you, come back and see us! We’re always here to help you out, and want to make sure that you love your smile forever!
Q: Can retainers be worn too long?
A: No! Retainers preserve your aligned smile and bite which Dr. Miller achieved through your orthodontic treatment. They are the best and only way to keep things that way!