Orthodontics
in Lakeland, Florida
Correcting crooked and rotated teeth is no longer just for kids. In fact the fastest growing segment of orthodontics today is adults. Straightening and aligning teeth can have a major impact on both the health of the teeth and gums, as well as the TMJ (temporomandibular joint), and will markedly improve the aesthetics of your smile. Untold numbers of adults admit to being so self-conscious about their crooked teeth that they rarely allow themselves to smile fully in public or in photographs. At Agnini Family Dental we believe our patients of every generation deserve to have beautiful, straight teeth!
Many new techniques are now available that allow orthodontic treatment to be a comfortable and painless experience. These new alternatives include: Transparent aligners (Invisalign™), tooth colored braces with space-age flexible wires (Damon Braces).
Damon Braces
The Damon braces system, sometimes referred to as “fast braces”, is today’s most advanced technique. Damon braces are aesthetic and comfortable because of the gentle yet efficient wires that move the teeth with less force and with greater speed than the old steel wires.
The Damon technique works especially well for both children and adults with moderate to severely crowded teeth and in most instances, does not require extraction of any teeth. The reason the teeth move so quickly and with little discomfort is that the Damon brackets slide on the soft, gentle wires with practically no friction and the teeth align more quickly and comfortably.
With traditional orthodontics, heavy friction is created because the brackets are tightly secured to the wire by steel or elastic ligatures. This creates more discomfort and slows down the movement of the teeth. With Damon, the end result is a beautiful smile created 40% faster than with traditional braces. Visit www.damonbraces.com to learn more about this remarkable, innovative system.
Damon Smile
Invisalign®
Invisalign invisible braces are an alternative to traditional metal braces. Invisalign can straighten your teeth without using unsightly wires and brackets. This state-of-the-art system uses three dimensional computer imaging technology to fabricate a series of clear invisible plastic aligners that you switch out every two weeks and is considered an excellent substitute for conventional braces. Each aligner is individually manufactured with exact calculations to gradually shift your teeth into appropriate positions to correct and improve your smile. Hardly anyone would know you are wearing them as they are virtually invisible. Additionally, you can eat food without discomfort and you will be able to maintain better home care because the aligners are removed during eating and while cleaning your teeth.
Invisalign is only indicated for mild to moderate crowding of the teeth. An excellent indication for Invisalign is to retreat the crowding that has occurred in patients who have previously worn braces. The advantages of Invisalign are aesthetics and comfort. Find out more by visiting www.invisalign.com.
Orthodontics has become an integral part of overall treatment for many of our patients — especially in more demanding aesthetic cases. In conjunction with our entire team of dentists, we are able to provide whatever treatment is needed in order to meet your special needs.
Although Invisalign® can’t be used with patients needing more serious tooth relocation, if it is possible to use Invisalign® the system has many advantages over traditional braces:
- Cosmetic appeal— Aligners are virtually invisible, even from close up.
- Less discomfort— Invisalign® doesn’t have wires to poke your cheeks or bands to rub on your lips.
- Easy hygiene— For brushing and flossing, simply remove the aligners.
- Eat whatever you want— No more need to cut off corn on the cob or avoid chewy foods.
- Greater flexibility— Play trumpet in the band? Simply remove your aligners when practicing.
- No tightening sessions— Simply switch to the next aligner in the series every two weeks.
- Little or no impact on daily life — Invisalign® basically allows the patient to eat, brush, and live normally, all the while straightening his or her teeth.
When you put your first set of aligners in your mouth, it may take 10 minutes or so to get used to the feeling, but they are very comfortable and you’ll soon forget you have them in most of the time. Because the aligners fit over your teeth without covering the roof of your mouth, most patients don’t report any problems with speech when wearing their aligner trays.
You cannot chew anything with your Invisalign® aligners in. You can drink water, but that’s it. To eat or chew anything, you need to remove your aligner trays. It’s probably a good idea to give up lots of gum chewing, only because doing so will cut down on the time with your aligners on your teeth, and it is very important that you have at them on your teeth from 20-22 hours per day.
Every patient has a unique situation, so there isn’t a set treatment time. But at Agnini average treatment time for our Invisalign® patients is around one year. Less severe movement cases could take less time. Also, if at the end of your anticipated treatment duration we feel your teeth still need more movement, we simply can order more aligner trays.