Do I have to be referred by a dentist?
No. We certainly do appreciate dentist referrals, but many of our referrals come from existing or previous patients. Most people can look at their own teeth, or a family member's teeth, and get a sense that improvement is desirable. It's your mouth. You are entitled to take the initiative. Call anytime.
When should children be seen by an orthodontist?
Most children are developing normally, and do not need treatment at an early age. A few children are developing orthodontic problems that tend to get worse over time. In some cases these problems can and should be intercepted before they become unmanageable.
Age 7 to 8 is a good time to evaluate dental development and, if necessary, treat early development problems effectively.
Is a person ever too old for braces?
No. Orthodontics is a transformative process, not unlike going to the gym to get in shape. We are never too old to improve our physical condition with exercise, and we are never too old to improve our bite and appearance with braces. A high percentage of our patients are adults.
Do some braces move teeth faster than others?
No. Braces work because the human body has a predictable way of adapting when pressure is placed on the teeth, just like muscles adapt predictably when they move against resistance.
Muscles do not know whether we are lifting weights or doing push ups, they just adapt. Likewise, the teeth, jaw bones and gums have NO IDEA what is applying pressure. They simply adapt to the pressure in nature's way at nature's determined speed. The only way an orthodontist can control time of treatment is to make sure that clinical efficiency is maximized by careful treatment planning and appliance management. Since time is expensive, most modern orthodontists are being as efficient as possible anyway.
Does your office have payment plans?
Yes. Patients may choose between several payment plans.
Do braces hurt?
Dr. Beckwith answers,
"I wore braces myself. Putting the braces on was easy. It took several days to get used to having them in my mouth. They felt too big, and a little edgy. My teeth got sore. But it certainly did not make me sick, or keep from doing anything I wanted to do. Let's face it, if wearing braces was bad, we would never see anybody in braces. Reasonable people would not start the process, or if they did, most of them would quit. Nobody ever quits. Plus, I wore braces and if it had been bad, it would have disgusted me, and I would have chosen a different career. It's no more difficult than any other self improvement project. Everybody does fine. So will you."
There you go!
