You can usually tell the difference between a grocery store and a hardware store, making it pretty easy to figure out where to go when you need to make a meal or fix a faucet. Regardless of which task you are taking on, you also expect both stores to have all of the options necessary for your needs. When things like this are so common, it’s a wonder there are still so many misconceptions about orthodontics floating around.
Orthodontics has come a long way over the years, and our Icon Orthodontics team wants to clarify those misconceptions to ensure all smiles in the Glendale and Surprise, AZ, area are aligned and healthy! Don’t let what you’ve heard keep you from smiling as you should. Let us show you why and how our skilled orthodontic team can help you achieve your best smile.
Dentists and Orthodontists are interchangeable.
While that is the most common misconception about orthodontics, it simply isn’t true that your dentist and your orthodontist are interchangeable. While many dentists may offer orthodontic treatment like braces and aligners, this doesn’t mean they are specially trained in dentofacial movements like an orthodontist.
Dentistry is a broad medical field that focuses on the health of the teeth, gums, mouth, and jaw. They treat a wide variety of oral health issues and diseases, including cavities, tooth decay, and gum diseases like gingivitis. Your relationship with your dentist is very important. Attending regular dental appointments for cleanings and examinations can help prevent and catch problems before they become harmful or costly. Many dentists will refer you to an orthodontist when your oral health care can benefit from alignment corrections for aesthetic or functional concerns.
Dr. Sarpotdar and Dr. Sun are orthodontists, but they are dentists first. To practice orthodontics, our doctors spent more than ten years in training- four years of undergraduate school, four years of dental school, and an extra two years of orthodontic residency. During this residency, students like our doctors learn the skills needed to manage tooth movement and guide facial development. If you are looking for foundational oral health maintenance, trust your dentist. But, if you need specialized orthodontic care, you can trust that our doctors are board-certified orthodontists- which is a distinction held by only a small number of orthodontists.
Orthodontic treatment options are limited to just braces.
Limited treatment options are a misconception of times passed and should not be the reason you are avoiding your best smile. Dental technology is always improving, and you’ll always get the most comfortable and effective treatments at Icon Orthodontics. Working with an expert orthodontist, some patients may even benefit from utilizing more than one option to improve their comfort and efficiency.
Damon Metal Braces
Traditional metal braces are the most widely used type of fixed orthodontic appliance. Though past incarnations have been bulky, awkward, and painful, today’s metal braces are smaller, lighter, and more comfortable. Our advanced Damon metal braces are made for efficient tooth movement and optimal patient comfort utilizing self-ligating brackets instead of elastic ties to secure the brackets to the wire.
Damon Clear Braces
Clear braces using Damon self-ligating clear brackets work the same way as traditional metal braces but are smaller, more efficient, and virtually invisible. These self-ligating braces use smaller brackets with a special clip that allows continuous gentle pressure on your teeth to move them gently, with greater control and less force than traditional braces.
Clear Aligners
Similar to the post-braces retainer trays they evolved from, clear aligners fit comfortably over your teeth and make minor adjustments over time for patients needing simple corrections as well as for patients who have mild to moderate dental problems like misaligned teeth, large overbite, no jaw alignment problems, or those who have gaps in their front teeth- an open bite. Your clear aligner options with Icon Orthodontics include Invisalign, Spark, and U-Lab, along with our affordable options that we 3D print here in our office. With this anonymous treatment option, your smile is the only thing they’ll see.
InBrace Hidden Braces
InBrace’s Smartwire system is personalized to your mouth and designed to gently move your teeth according to the treatment plan our doctors create just for you. With InBrace from Icon Orthodontics, you won’t have to deal with painful monthly tightenings, managing your tray wear time, or bulky, visible wires– this option places the appliances on the back of your teeth, and the Smartwire ensures efficiency.
Orthodontic treatment is just for kids.
The belief that creating a stunning smile with orthodontic treatment is just for kids may be the longest-running misconception out there. You’re never too old to benefit from a straight smile and an aligned bite. At Icon Orthodontics, adults make up about one in every five of our patients, and the reasons for choosing treatment vary for each.
Aesthetics
Your self-esteem depends significantly on your teeth and jaws– a crooked smile or misaligned bite can leave you feeling less confident when all eyes are on you. It can cause some people to shy away from personal conversations and give a half-grin for photos instead of letting their true personality shine. Orthodontic treatment is more than just straightening teeth; often, it’s life-changing.
Functionality
The space between your teeth, the position of your teeth in your gums, the alignment of your top and bottom teeth– these all need to be in an optimal position to ensure you can maintain your oral hygiene without much hassle, chew, and speak uninhibited, and breath properly when you sleep. Letting issues like these persist can lead to many other health concerns, but you don’t have to suffer through them forever. Orthodontics can restore your ability to live as you like, even if you’ve been through treatment in the past.
When you have a unique smile, you need a unique team like Icon Orthodontics!
Orthodontic treatment is an important decision, but it doesn’t have to be a confusing one. Icon Orthodontics is your Glendale and Surprise, AZ, location for modern orthodontic treatment for all ages. We are committed to ensuring you have treatment options and understand how they can benefit your life, so there are no obstacles to seeing your best smile shine!
From the moment you contact our office to your final retainer check appointment, our goal at Icon Orthodontics is your satisfaction! We offer the latest technology, including clear braces and Invisalign, so you have a wide range of safe and gentle treatment options and get the special care you deserve.
Now that we have cleared things up, what are you waiting for? Schedule your FREE consultation with our compassionate team of orthodontic experts today and start your smile journey!