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As a South Houston family dentist that specializes in Houston braces, many of our pediatric patients’ parents ask us if it’s too late for them to wear dental braces. The truth is that it’s never too late. In fact, we highly encourage adults to wear dental braces if they have crooked teeth and/or a malocclusion, otherwise known as a “bad bite”.

Adults May Have A Bad Bite Since Childhood

There are different kinds of malocclusions, including overbites and underbites. If you had a malocclusion as a child, then chances are you still have a similar problem today. If you don’t fix your bad bite, this will cause a multitude of dental health issues, such as:

• Headaches
• Tooth decay
• Gum disease
• Speech impairment
• Difficulty chewing
• Difficulty digesting

Getting Braces Young Is Better Than Waiting, But Adult Treatment Is Still Just As Effective

Although we recommend getting braces as a child because children's teeth are more moldable, this doesn’t mean adult treatment is out of the question. It may take longer, but adults who undergo Houston braces treatment will also benefit from a straight, beautiful smile. Our South Houston braces dentist offers different types of dental braces:

• Metal Houston Braces, which are the most common method of orthodontic correction and are especially efficient at correcting even the most severe case.
• Ceramic Houston Braces, which are increasing in popularity due to their tooth-like color and impressive strength. This makes them a viable alternative to metal dental braces for patients who dont want to draw attention to their mouths while they undergo treatment.
• Invisalign Clear Aligners, which are the most subtle method of malocclusion correction because clear aligners are nearly invisible and offer more flexibility in terms of wear.

Get Adult Houston Braces With Our South Houston Family Dentist At Centra Dental

If you’re an adult and are worried about your smile, don’t fret. We want you to feel confident in your beautiful smile. If you think dental braces might be an option for you, then please book an appointment with us. We will begin with the initial dental braces consultation to address your concerns and then design the best treatment plan for you. With our braces starting at $99 a month, we look forward to embracing your smile, affordably.

When your child is at or near the age of 10, dental braces may be considered. When you and your child come visit our South Houston family dentist for their teeth cleaning, we will be able to tell you when it may be a good time to begin Houston braces treatment. While your kid may be excited to wear dental braces and get a beautiful smile, we understand there may be a sensation of overwhelm when it comes to all the steps involved in treatment. Because of this, we have put together this guide on what to expect with Houston braces.

Phase 1: Your First Houston Braces Consultation

Before getting dental braces, your child must come in for a consultation in which we will advise them on what treatment may work best for them. Most braces dentists conduct their consultation in two parts: 

• Gathering materials
  • We will gather x-rays, photographs, and/or digital scans or molds of your child’s teeth
• Evaluating the materials
  • Once gathered, our South Houston braces dentist will study the material and then share our findings with you and examine the bite. At this point, we may recommend a proper treatment plan, including how long to wear dental braces for and what type of dental braces will best meet your child’s needs–ceramic braces, metal braces, or Invisalign.
  • We will also address any concerns you may have about treatment.

Phase 2: Getting Houston Braces

After the consultation, we will schedule a future appointment with your child so that our South Houston dentist can place the braces on your child’s teeth. Here’s how this appointment works:

• Step 1: Thoroughly clean and dry the teeth so that the fitting goes smoothly
• Step 2: Apply orthodontic bonding glue to the teeth and attach the brackets, which are either small metal or ceramic pieces that we affix to the front of the teeth one at a time. After each bracket is applied, we will utilize a curing light to dry the glue and move onto the next tooth.
• Step 3: Place the wire across the brackets. This is what applies gentle pressure to the teeth so they gradually move toward the correct alignment

What Comes Next?

Over the next few weeks and months, your child will get used to wearing braces. They’ll barely notice them until it’s time to see our South Houston dentist again to tighten them, which we will do at predetermined periods of time that are based on your child’s personal treatment plan. Tightening the wire helps ensure the teeth are continuously moving where they should. Some slight soreness is to be expected after the initial fitting and after we tighten your braces, but it is easily manageable and will fade in a short period of time.

In Need Of Houston Braces?

If it’s time for your child to get braces, please book an appointment with our South Houston dentist so we can begin with the consultation. Rest assured that we will answer any and all questions and ensure treatment goes smoothly. We look forward to embracing your smile!

Over the last decade, Invisalign Clear Aligners have risen in popularity among our South Houston family dentist patients. Metal Houston braces may work for all types of bad bites (malocclusions), but Invisalign can be just as effective at straightening your teeth, so long as our South Houston dentist recommends Invisalign as an effective treatment for you. Here is how you can make sure Invisalign works for you as best as it possibly can.

Remove Your Clear Aligners At Meal Times

Invisalign Clear Aligners are a highly flexible orthodontic treatment, so it’s no surprise that one of the greatest perks that come with Invisalign is that the clear aligners are removable, unlike the metal Houston braces our South Houston dentist also offers. 

In addition to removing your aligners when it’s time to eat, we also recommend avoiding crunchy or excessively chewy foods, as your teeth will temporarily be tender and sore each time you get a new set of Invisalign.

Brush Your Teeth More Often

Much like with regular dental braces, it’s important to brush your teeth after each snack and meal to ensure no food gets stuck in between your teeth, as this gets in the way of your Invisalign clear aligner trays and disrupts how they move your teeth. Flossing nightly is also crucial so you don’t let any food sit in between your teeth and cause cavities.

Wear Invisalign As Directed By Our South Houston Dentists

Invisalign must be worn for 20-22 hours a day, which includes the time you spend sleeping. This helps ensure that your teeth are constantly being shifted into the necessary position to create a straight smile that will last a long time. If you wear them as directed and maintain proper dental hygiene, you may be able to skip the Invisalign on a special occasion.

Our South Houston Family Dentists Want to Ensure Your Invisalign Treatment Is Successful

If you are planning to start Invisalign, please book an appointment with us so we can examine your teeth and determine an appropriate treatment plan. We want to ensure Invisalign gives you the straight, healthy smile you deserve for life.

Most patients who undergo dental braces treatment mistakenly believe that once the braces are off, there’s nothing else to do besides show off that new smile for the rest of their life. You can get to that point, but only when some extra measures are taken.

Remember That Your Teeth Can Still Shift After Houston Braces Treatment Is Complete

Dental braces–whether in the form of metal dental braces, ceramic braces, or Invisalign–work because they are constantly applying pressure to your teeth and pushing them in the direction they need to go in order to become straight. When your dental braces come off, your teeth no longer have that pressure guiding them, which means they can shift and undo all the work your investment did.

Aside from natural shifting, there are some situations that can otherwise contribute to your teeth becoming crooked again, such as:

• Teeth grinding
  • A condition in which many of our South Houston family dentist patients may grind their teeth or clench them tightly. Over time, this will cause your teeth to become crooked again. Some retainers help prevent this, but otherwise, a nightguard can help as well.
• Wisdom Teeth
  • Wisdom tooth removal is very common these days. Wisdom teeth are extra teeth that a patient may have which, if not removed, will start to crowd the teeth and force their way above the gum line, which will push all your other teeth in different directions.

Protect Your Teeth After Houston Braces

In order to make certain the time and money you invested in wearing Houston braces wasn’t all for naught, we ask that you wear orthodontic retainers. Usually, we will recommend our South Houston family dentist patients wear retainers 24/7 for about a year, with the exception of meal times and brushing your teeth. This is because it takes roughly a year for your teeth to settle into the soft tissues in your mouth. By settling into the tissues of your mouth, this will help your teeth preserve their new alignment. 

Different Retainers For Different South Houston Braces Patients

At our South Houston family dentist office, we know that every patient and every bite is different. Depending on your particular case, we may recommend bonded retainers, traditional wire retainers, or transparent plastic orthodontic retainers. If you are nearing the end of your Houston braces treatment, please book an appointment with us so we can get you fitted for a retainer that will keep your smile straight and healthy.