Benefits of Orthodontic Services

As time passes, you become more self-conscious and reluctant to smile. The person who is enduring these issues has the most to gain from our orthodontist services in St. Louis. Benefits of orthodontic treatment include:

• Healthier mouth
• More pleasing appearance
• Teeth that last longer

Dr. Eric J. Aubert & Dr. Mary A. Smith specialize in family and general dentistry, as well as cosmetic and restorative dentistry. We can also develop preventative care programs for any patient, regardless of their specific needs.

How to Tell if You Are a Candidate for Orthodontic Treatment

The best way to determine whether or not you would require orthodontic services is to schedule an appointment. Forest Park Dental will provide an examination and evaluate using specific diagnostic tools that include:

• Clinical examination
• Full dental history
• Full medical history
• Plaster molds of your teeth
• Special photographs and X-rays

Using these tools we can ascertain your needs for orthodontist St. Louis, as required. If we determine that you are a candidate for our orthodontic services, then we will develop a plan that is tailored specifically for you. There are seven (7) conditions that indicate the need for orthodontic care and treatment, which include:

• Crossbite – When your teeth are biting down normally, the upper teeth come down slightly forward of the lower teeth.
• Crowding – When you have too many teeth and your dental ridge cannot accommodate them.
• Misplaced midline – The central portion of your lower front teeth do not line up with the central portion of your upper front teeth.
• Open bite – When the back teeth are biting together, there is a noticeable gap or space between the front or side teeth biting surfaces.
• Overbite or “buck” teeth – The upper front teeth protrude over the lower front teeth.
• Spacing – You have gaps or spaces in between your teeth due to your teeth not filling your mouth normally or because there are teeth missing.
• Underbite or “bulldog” teeth – The lower front teeth extend out further than the upper front teeth.

If you have noticed any of these issues with your teeth, you should consider consulting with our St. Louis orthodontist at Forest Park Dental. Our dental examination and evaluations are quite accurate.

Different Types of Orthodontic Appliances

Orthodontic appliances are normally classified into one of two categories – fixed or removable. Our specialized St. Louis Orthodontist provides three (3) types of removable and fixed appliances including:

• Invisalign – Invisalign clear braces are a newer, more innovative option for straightening your teeth. These reposition and straighten your teeth using a series of custom clear plastic aligner trays that progressively shift your teeth back to their normal position.
• Fixed space maintainers – Whenever a gap occurs between baby teeth because one was lost prematurely, a space maintainer will keep the teeth around it from moving closer together, while waiting for the permanent tooth to erupt.
• Special fixed appliances – If your baby daughter or son sucks their thumb or thrusts their tongue, these appliances will help them break those habits. These should only be used as a last resort due to how uncomfortable they tend to be when you are eating.

There are numerous removable dental appliances including removable space maintainers, removable retainers, palatal expanders, jaw repositioning appliances, headgear, cheek and lip bumpers, and aligners. The last option (aligners) is the most common. There are a number of brands of aligners or clear braces available on the market today. The Invisalign brand is the most common of them all.

If you would like more information regarding our orthodontist services in St. Louis, please contact Forest Park Dental. Call us and schedule your appointment for an examination and an evaluation with one of our Dentists today.