Traditional Braces – Amityville, NY
The Trusted Way to Straighten Your Smile
Traditional braces are what most people envision when they hear they need orthodontic treatment. Metal brackets and archwires work together to tackle a wide range of issues, including mild to severe bite problems, misalignment, crowding, and gaps. They’re the tried-and-true method of straightening teeth for people of all ages! If you believe you could benefit from traditional braces in Amityville, call our office today to schedule a consultation with our orthodontist, Dr. Justyna.
Why Choose Amityville Orthodontics for Traditional Braces?
- An Ideal Treatment for Most Cases
- Bilingual Team: We Speak Spanish & Polish
- A Board-Certified, Experienced Orthodontist
How Do Traditional Braces Work?
The treatment itself starts with Dr. Justyna cementing small metal brackets onto the surface of each of your teeth. An archwire will then be threaded through each of the brackets. Together, they apply a gentle, strategic amount of pressure onto the teeth to encourage them to shift in the right direction.
Throughout your orthodontic treatment, you will come in for regular check-ins with Dr. Justyna, where our team will make sure that your teeth are shifting as they’re supposed to. At these visits, we will also adjust the tension of your archwire, because as your teeth shift, it will become looser. We’ll continue doing this until your final results are reached.
What Orthodontic Issues Can Braces Fix?
Traditional braces are a popular choice among both teens and adults when it comes to deciding how they will straighten their smiles. This is predominantly because they’re so versatile – whether you want to address a serious overbite, underbite, crossbite, or open bite, or you aim to straighten out your crowded and gapped teeth, no job is too big for trusted braces. To learn a bit more about these common orthodontic problems, keep reading!
Bite Misalignment
If your bite isn’t aligned properly – whether you have an underbite, overbite, crossbite, or open bite – then you know all too well how difficult it can be to smile confidently, speak clearly, and chew pain-free. Fortunately, that’s where traditional braces come in. With the brackets and wires, we can apply gentle pressure that causes your teeth and your bite to move into proper alignment.
Crowded & Crooked Teeth
Do your teeth overlap? Are they tilted out of alignment? If you answered “yes” to either of these questions, then you’ll be happy to know that traditional braces may be the solution you’ve been looking for! This tried-and-true orthodontic treatment has helped millions of patients over the years improve the look, health, and function of their smiles for life.
Gapped Teeth
Oftentimes, teens and adults are self-conscious about the gaps between their teeth, even if they are relatively minor. Of course, this isn’t the only downside of this orthodontic problem; gapped teeth can also negatively impact your oral health by increasing your risk of tooth decay. That’s why we recommend finding out if you’re a candidate for traditional braces sooner rather than later.
Benefits of Traditional Braces
There are countless reasons why our patients choose traditional braces in Amityville over all of the other smile-straightening treatments we offer at Amityville Orthodontics. Some of the advantages of metal braces include:
- In some cases, they’re more affordable than other methods, like plastic aligners, making them a great solution for a wider range of people.
- They’re incredibly durable, as they’re metal and not plastic.
- You won’t have to worry about accidentally losing them and setting back your treatment, like you could run the risk of doing with aligners.
- They’re a great choice for patients of all ages.
- They can treat a wider variety of orthodontic problems, including more severe malocclusion and jaw misalignment.
- In some cases, they can work faster than other orthodontic treatments.
Caring for Your Braces
Fortunately, caring for your braces (and your teeth) doesn’t require anything too complicated, especially if you buy special oral hygiene products, like an interproximal toothbrush and pre-threaded floss. At the very minimum, you should adopt these healthy habits:
- Brush your teeth for a full two minutes after each meal
- Floss and rinse with mouthwash regularly
- Follow the dietary guidelines, like avoiding extremely crunchy foods
- Prioritize your adjustment appointments
- Wear a mouthguard during sports
- Quit unhealthy habits, such as biting your nails
Understanding the Cost of Traditional Braces
Traditional braces are typically one of the more affordable orthodontic care options. However, their price can vary quite a bit due to various factors. When you visit our Amityville office for a consultation, we can share some specific numbers and help you understand your payment options, including dental insurance and convenient no-interest financing.
Factors That Affect the Cost of Traditional Braces
Some factors that could influence the cost of your braces include:
- The severity and complexity of your case. More severe cases of misalignment take longer to correct, require more appointments, and may need additional accessories. Logically, such things can significantly affect the cost of your case. Simpler cases tend to have a lower price.
- Your age. Adults’ teeth tend to move a bit more slowly than those of children. Due to these longer treatment times and other possible complicating factors, adult orthodontic care may have a slightly higher price.
- Compliance with treatment guidelines. If you fail to wear recommended accessories or make other mistakes during your treatment period, that might delay your results and lead to increased fees.
Professional Braces vs. “DIY” Braces: Which Costs More?
As a budget-conscious individual, you might be intrigued by so-called hacks for do-it-yourself braces. These methods sometimes pop up on various social media platforms. They typically involve materials like paperclips, rubber bands, superglue, and other household items. While such ideas might seem tempting, extreme caution is in order!
Without professional training and equipment, it could be very easy for you to damage your teeth or soft oral tissues. Some people have even accidentally worsened their dental misalignment, leading to much higher costs for care from a qualified orthodontist. It is generally much more economical to invest in high-quality professional services right from the beginning of your teeth-straightening journey.
Does Dental Insurance Cover Braces?
Some dental insurance plans cover part of the cost of braces, but others do not. Minors (patients under 18 or 21, depending on the dental policy) are more likely to receive orthodontic coverage than adults. However, some premium policies do include adult coverage. You will need to check the details of your benefits to find out how they might apply. Our team accepts insurance and can help you navigate your plan and file claims.
Options for Making Braces Affordable
Outside of insurance, there is another provision that may make it easier to afford your braces: financing. We are proud to offer in-house no-interest payment plans without any credit checks. If you are interested in taking advantage of this arrangement, talk to our friendly staff. They can help you understand how it works and how much you will be expected to pay each month.
Are you interested in learning more about braces and their cost? Reach out to our Amityville office so our front desk team can answer your questions!
Traditional Braces FAQs
Can I Get Traditional Braces on Just My Top or Bottom Teeth?
This is generally not recommended. 9 ½ times out of 10, getting braces for both your arches is best for your oral health. You see, your teeth, gums, oral tissue, and ligaments are all very closely connected. When braces are used to fix overcrowding, the straightened teeth move forward, for example. Basically, correcting only one arch could prompt the rest of your teeth to respond to the movement, resulting in more pronounced alignment issues.
If it’s possible for you to safely receive braces for only one arch of teeth, we’ll let you know, but it’s a rare occurrence!
What Happens After You Get Your Braces Off?
We’re so glad you asked! After you get your braces off, your teeth will actually want to return to their original crooked positions. That’s why it’s important to wear your retainer as directed. The retainer will help prevent your pearly whites from shifting, especially in the first couple of months after your treatment.
How Long Do Traditional Braces Take?
The average treatment length for braces is about 12 to 18 months. However, your treatment time could vary depending on a number of factors, such as:
- Age – Children and teens have more flexible bones and ligaments, so their teeth tend to move more quickly than adults’.
- Severity – If your case of misalignment is more complex or requires preliminary treatments, you’ll likely have to wait longer for your braces to finish straightening your teeth.
- Compliance – Not adhering to treatment and aftercare instructions could definitely prolong your timeline!
If you’d like a more precise estimate of how long it might take to straighten your smile with traditional braces, be sure to schedule a consultation.
Do Traditional Braces Hurt?
Traditional braces can be uncomfortable, but OTC pain relievers are usually enough to dull the pain. When you first get your braces, you’ll likely feel sore for about one week. You might also experience tenderness after getting your wires tightened. We recommend eating softer foods when your teeth start to hurt, that way excess pressure from tough chewing doesn’t make it worse.
Can I Chew Gum with Traditional Braces?
No, and if you did, you’d probably regret it afterwards! Since gum is so sticky, it can easily get stuck in your wires and brackets. You could very well find yourself trying to remove tiny pieces of gum for half an hour or more.
Plus, gum is strong enough to potentially bend your wires. If that happens, your teeth could get shifted in the wrong directions, prolonging your treatment time.