Month: April 2022

Why You Should Prioritize Summer Orthodontist Appointments

Two girl friends enjoying summer moments after their orthodontist appointments

Summer is only two months away – (even though it almost always feels like summer in Jupiter.) The days are getting warmer, and you may be thinking about your summer plans. 

Is traveling or vacationing on your list? Or are you planning to hang locally at the beach? Maybe you’re in more of a ‘stay-at-home and binge-watch shows or binge-read books’ mood this year.

However you choose to enjoy your summer, it’s important that you try your best to prioritize orthodontist appointments too. Don’t forget about your friends here at Jupiter Orthodontics! 

Attending all of your Invisalign® or braces appointments with Dr. King or Dr. Welch is how you’ll experience beautiful results in the shortest amount of time.

Of course life happens, and unexpected obligations may arise – which could cause you to miss an appointment or two. What would this mean for your treatment progress? Is your new smile in jeopardy?

Here’s what you need to know about missing orthodontist appointments:

What happens if you miss an orthodontist appointment

So you have a busy summer ahead, and you realize you may miss an orthodontist visit. Now you’re wondering about the fate of your smile. Would that hurt your progress? 

Fortunately, one missed visit shouldn’t hurt your progress too much, as long as you reschedule the appointment as soon as possible.

In most cases, the further into your treatment process you are, the less likely a missed appointment is to affect your progress. If you’re at the very beginning of your treatment process and your teeth are just beginning to shift, a missed appointment that isn’t rescheduled within a week or so can slow your progress.

At your orthodontist appointments, your orthodontist will perform a check-up evaluation to assess your progress and make any necessary adjustments to your braces or Invisalign treatment plan. If your orthodontist isn’t able to assess your smile as frequently as necessary, this can delay progress and require changes to the initial treatment plan. It’s a good idea to prioritize your visits if you want fast results!

Sometimes, life happens, and you have to reschedule an appointment or two – and that’s okay! We’re happy to work around you. If anything comes up unexpectedly and you won’t be able to make your scheduled appointment, please give our office a call and we’ll reschedule your appointment for a better time.  

If you know that you’ll be traveling or unavailable during a certain week, please let us know and we’ll be sure to schedule around your availability.

How often are orthodontic appointments?

The timing of your orthodontic appointments will depend on your specific case. Appointments may be anywhere from 4 to 12 weeks apart. For patients who have a more severe case or who just began treatment, you may be advised to visit your orthodontist every 4 weeks. 

Patients who have minor cases, or those who are well underway in their treatment process, may be advised to visit their orthodontist every 6 to 10 weeks. 

The frequency of your orthodontic visits is likely to change as you make progress too. Throughout the summer, you can expect anywhere from 1 to 3 orthodontist visits – depending on your personalized treatment plan!

Your visits will be quick, efficient, and enjoyable with our team! 

How often do you get braces tightened?

We offer INBRACE invisible braces, metal self-ligating braces, and clear self-ligating braces! We use advanced self-ligating braces that don’t require rubber bands/elastics, and therefore, don’t need to be tightened.

Traditional braces may require tightening appointments every 4 to 6 weeks, whereas self-ligating braces appointments may be every 10 to 12 weeks! Dr. King or Dr. Welch will advise you on how often to visit us throughout your treatment process.

How often are Invisalign appointments?

The regularity of your Invisalign orthodontist appointments will also depend on your progress and the severity of your case. Invisalign patients generally visit us every 6 weeks or so. 

You’ll receive a few sets of custom-made clear aligners each time you visit us, and you’ll switch each set out for one of your new ones every 2 weeks. 

Two Tips to Speed Up Your Results this Summer

Whether you choose braces or Invisalign, there are ways to help your treatment progress along! 

1. Wear your clear aligners at least 20 to 22 hours, every day.

Wearing your Invisalign aligners for no less than 20 hours a day is essential for achieving the shortest treatment length. Your clear aligners can’t do their job if they’re not in place – so if they collect dust in your Invisalign case, you’re probably looking at a longer treatment process.

2. Maintain good oral hygiene. 

Oral hygiene isn’t just about preventing bad breath and yellow teeth. It’s also about maintaining strong teeth and gums to support your new smile. An article published by the National Library of Medicine states that maintaining great oral health is critical for patients in orthodontic treatment. Negligent oral health can lead to plaque buildup over braces and/or orthodontic appliances, leading to inflammation in the gums and compromised gum health over time. 

Oral health problems, like gum disease, will require immediate attention and will likely prolong your orthodontic treatment. Keep your braces clean, and consider carrying a travel toothbrush and toothpaste to maintain cleanliness throughout the day.

Healthy gums and teeth create healthy, beautiful smiles – in short periods of time! 

Still have questions about your upcoming orthodontist appointments this summer?

If you’re still on the fence about adult braces, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We would love to speak to you about your hesitations.

Ready to begin your journey toward your most confident smile? Get started by requesting your free exam with Dr. King or Dr. Welch, top orthodontists in Jupiter

Why Orthodontics for Teens is Important!

Teen with braces smiles

Have you caught your teen practicing their smile in the mirror? Or giving you grief every year on picture day? The teenage years as we all know are a time of awkwardness and a whole lotta change. 

One of the biggest concerns among American teens is their appearance! And 96% of teens aren’t satisfied with their smile. So what can you as a parent do to help them? Simply talk it over with your teen! If you find they’re wanting to straighten their teeth, it’s a good idea to schedule an orthodontic evaluation together. 

But did you know that there’s more benefits of orthodontics for teens than just straight teeth? And if your Jupiter orthodontists recommend braces, which braces option is best for your teen? 

Braces for Teens Offer Many Health Benefits

Think of straight teeth as the foundation for a beautiful, healthy smile. From your teen’s improved bite and aligned jaw, comes a plethora of health benefits. Let’s break it down!

Orthodontics for teens can…

  • Improve speech. Did you know your tongue touches a specific area of your teeth to produce certain words? It’s true! Crooked teeth or spacing issues can slur your teen’s words or produce an embarrassing whistling sound.   
  • Improve digestion. Teeth and jawbones in alignment allow your teen to easily chew their food into smaller pieces—the ideal size for proper digestion!
  • Reduce the risk of tooth decay and gum disease. Teeth in healthy alignment are easy to brush and floss! They also don’t provide extra places for food particles to hide and fester. 
  • Reduce the risk of trauma (from protruding teeth). During puberty, growth spurts are common! The pesky temporary side effect from these is lack of coordination, which can lead to a fall and damage your teen’s protruding teeth. And if your teen is active in sports, the risk of trauma to their mouth or teeth increases! (Especially if your teen has an overbite, where their risk of dental injury increases by 30%!)

What’s the best braces for teens?

There isn’t one “best” option when it comes to braces! Each different type of braces has unique benefits. It’s just a matter of what your teen prefers and how they want to look during treatment.

Teens can choose from:

All these orthodontic options are incredibly effective and will help reveal your teen’s true smile! Teens can express their creativity through their smile with traditional braces or go discreet with a clear or lingual option. 

Traditional Metal Braces

Metal braces are made up of high-quality metal alloy brackets that are fixed to each individual tooth with non-toxic dental adhesive. A metal arch wire is threaded through these brackets and held in place by elastics— more commonly known as rubber bands! At the expert hands of Dr. King or Dr. Welch, these brackets and the arch wire will work together to straighten your teen’s teeth in 6 to 36 months depending on the severity of your teen’s orthodontic condition

Clear Ceramic Braces

Although not as popular as metal braces or Invisalign clear aligners, ceramic braces are an orthodontic option for your teen too! Ceramic braces are similar in design to metal braces, but blend in with the natural color of your teen’s teeth. If your teen prefers a more discreet form of braces, ceramic braces may be right for them. 

Lingual Braces

INBRACE is the truly invisible, incredibly innovative, no-compliance-necessary orthodontic treatment option for teens! With lingual braces, the brackets and wires are located behind the teeth, so they aren’t visible to anyone! 

Invisalign for Teens

Invisalign Teen aligners are a perfect fit for any lifestyle! Teens don’t have to change their diet, stop eating their favorite foods, turn down any dates to prom, or worry about “metal mouth” with Invisalign. 

Improve Your Teens’ Confidence and Health with Orthodontics!

When your teen visits us for their free orthodontic exam, we’ll explain to you both about their current orthodontic condition. We’ll create a custom treatment and payment plan 100% for your teen! Our experienced orthodontists and talented team want to make your teen’s life-changing transformation comfortable, affordable, and accurate. 

If you have questions about orthodontic options for teens, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We can help you select from our recommended orthodontic treatment options to ensure your teen receives the best possible smile results!

Is your teen ready to begin their journey toward their most confident smile? Get started by requesting a free exam with our top orthodontists in JupiterDr. King and Dr. Welch!