Treatment Philosophy
Our orthodontic treatment philosophy includes a balanced, individualized approach to patient care. Dr. Ali Shojaei's treatment goals are aimed at providing the most esthetic facial and intraoral results with ideal occlusal function.
For Children
At our office, the treatment timing is carefully selected to maximize the ideal result and minimize treatment time. As a result, we do not start orthodontic treatment on very young patients. Most treatments begin at the age of 10 years in order to maximize ideal growth of the facial bones and to allow for alignment of all the adult teeth by the time the treatment is complete. However, it is important to assess and monitor the children at an early age (by age 7) as some problems are best corrected early and some patient's dental age is more advanced than their chronological age.
Having the child seen by an orthodontist at age 7 will provide parents with information regarding their child's skeletal growth pattern, dental development as well as to advise parents on ideal treatment timing. In most cases the orthodontist will simply monitor the patient at a 6 to 12 month interval until the patient is either ready for treatment or it is determined that treatment is not needed. Usually by age 7 the first permanent molars and incisors have erupted sufficiently to allow the orthodontist to evaluate for crossbites, crowding and skeletal problems. When treatment is begun early, the orthodontist can guide the growth of the jaw and guide incoming permanent teeth.
Benefits of early Treatment:
• Regulate the width of the upper and lower dental arches
• Gain space for permanent teeth
• Reduce the need for permanent tooth extractions
• Reduce likelihood of impacted permanent teeth
• Correct thumb-sucking, and regulate abnormal swallowing or speech problems
• Simplify later treatment
• Improve the child's self image during formative years
For Adults
Braces aren't just for kids anymore! Orthodontic treatment can be successful at any age, and traditionally adults especially appreciate the benefits of a beautiful smile. Nationwide one of every five patients in orthodontic treatment is over 21. Orthodontic treatment at later stages in life can dramatically improve your personal appearance and self-esteem. Improving the health of your teeth and gums is equally important. Crooked teeth and a bad bite may contribute to gum and bone loss, tooth decay, abnormal wear of the tooth enamel and surfaces, headaches and jaw joint (TMJ/TMD) pain.
The physiology of tooth movement is the same whatever the age. The primary difference between adult and children's treatment would be associated with growth possibility. Therefore in a child the orthodontist can modify how the jaws grow and develop, whereas, in an adult with an excessive skeletal discrepancy jaw surgery or extractions may also be required this is simply due to the lack of growth available to work with. Additionally, adults who have experienced breakdown or loss of some of their teeth and supporting bone may require restorative and/or periodontal treatment prior, during and/or after orthodontic treatment. Depending on severity, bone loss may also limit the amount and direction of tooth movement advisable. Aside from achieving a beautiful smile orthodontic treatment helps align the teeth allowing for the future placement of "ideal" restorations planned by your dentist.
Good news! The new techniques and appliances we use greatly reduce discomfort levels, decrease the frequency of visits, shorten treatment time and may allow you to choose from several options. Your options may include metal braces, translucent braces or transparent aligners that can be worn at night to improve mild cases of misaligned teeth.??A large percentage of our patients are adults, and they agree that it's never too late to improve their greatest asset - their smile.
