Washington Post articles

Orthodontics

I have to admit that when I read the title of the Washington post article “Brace yourself for endless orthodontia” I was concerned that the article was to become an attack on early intervention in orthodontics.  I found that not to be the case and there was good research in to the reason for starting orthodontics at an earlier age. Many cases are not treated until most of the baby teeth are lost, but early diagnosis can actually improve care and make the orthodontic treatment shorter and easier. The quote I liked was “more of a stage than an age”. It is important that you have a relationship with an orthodontist that explains his/her rationale for treatment in a way that makes the parent comfortable as not all treatment is entirely predictable.

The other part of the article relates more to our practice and discusses retainer use and adult orthodontic relapse. Many of the Invisalign cases we treat are ortho relapse and most stem from the patient not following through with the use of retainers. The great thing about retainer use today is no plastic in the roof of your mouth and no wire arms or bands. Invisalign makes an excellent retainer and we recommend them for patients that are interested in maintaining their existing tooth position as well as those finishing Invisalign treatment. Ask us about them next time you are in the office.