If you’re thinking of visiting an orthodontist in West Seattle or Burien to improve your smile with braces, you may be wondering what the whole orthodontic process is all about. Here is a run-down of the five basic steps of getting braces and wearing them so you have a good idea of what to expect.

1. The Initial Consultation

During your first visit with our Seattle orthodontist, we will examine your teeth and bite to determine whether or not you could benefit from wearing braces. During this visit, we get the opportunity to get to know you and your orthodontic goals better while you become familiar with Dr. Peralta and our incredible team! We will show you before and after photos of patients that we treated with similar orthodontic needs so you can see how your treatment can transform your smile.

2. Getting Your Braces Put On

The second stage of the orthodontic process involves putting the braces on your teeth. It doesn’t hurt to have braces placed on your teeth but it does take time as we have to prep your teeth for the brackets, carefully position a bracket on each individual tooth and then run the archwire through the brackets and tighten things up!

3. Wearing Your Braces

Once we’ve placed the braces on your teeth, we will give you some braces care instructions which include a list of braces-busting foods you should not eat like hard, sticky and gooey foods. We’ll also show you how to brush and floss while wearing braces, which can seem a bit overwhelming at first. However, with a little practice, soon you’ll become a pro at cleaning your teeth when they’re covered with brackets and wires! You will have to visit us every month to have your braces tightened but these adjustment appointments are generally quick and easy!

4. Getting Your Braces Off

You will probably be full of anticipation for your “debanding appointment” when we will remove the braces from your teeth so you can finally see how amazing your new smile looks without all that hardware blocking your view! It takes us about an hour to remove your braces before you can leave our office and show the world your incredible smile!

5. Retention

We will make a retainer for you which you will need to wear in order to keep your teeth in their new position. Your retainer is to be worn 24/7 except when you’re eating or drinking anything other than water. To avoid having to undergo the orthodontic process all over again, it’s imperative that you wear your retainer as directed so you shouldn’t just toss your retainer in a drawer and forget all about it!
That’s the entire orthodontic process in a nutshell! If at any time during your treatment you have any questions or concerns, just contact us as we’re always more than happy to talk with you!

As a West Seattle orthodontist that offers his patients many choices in orthodontic appliances, Dr. Peralta offers teenagers orthodontic treatment using several types of appliances including conventional metal braces and Invisalign Teen clear aligners.

If your teenager is about to undergo orthodontic treatment and is trying to decide between wearing regular braces or Invisalign Teen, we can help you and your teenager decide which to choose.

Invisalign Teen

Invisalign Teen consists of a series of clear, removable aligners which move teeth gradually step by step until they’re in the optimal positions. Treatment with Invisalign Teen is very convenient and discreet. Your teenager can remove the aligners when eating & drinking and when brushing & flossing. Invisalign Teen may be right for your teenager if:

• Your teen presents with a relatively less complex case wants to improve his/her smile very discreetly

• Your child wants to continue enjoying his or her favorite foods during treatment

• Your teen would appreciate being able to easily maintain good oral hygiene during treatment by simply removing the aligners when brushing & flossing

• Your teen is trustworthy and responsible enough to be 100% compliant with wearing the aligners as directed

• Your teen leads a busy lifestyle and would benefit from the fewer required appointments and no adjustment appointments

Braces

Conventional metal braces are made of high grade stainless steel. These braces consist of brackets that are bonded to the teeth for the duration of the treatment process with a wire running through the brackets. Conventional metal braces may be right for your teen if:

• Your teen presents with a relatively more complex case and wouldn’t mind wearing visible braces

• Your teen is willing to avoid eating braces-busting foods like hard, crunchy and sticky food for the duration of the treatment process 

• Your teen is willing to invest more time and effort in maintaining good oral hygiene by brushing and flossing their teeth very well every day

• If you have doubts about your teen being 100% compliant regarding wearing removable aligners for the required 22 hours each day

• Your teenager has the time and commitment to come to our office for all schedule adjustment appointments

Hopefully, this information has helped you and your teen decide which treatment option to ask Dr. Peralta for during your teen’s first visit with us. Once Dr. Peralta has provided your teen with an oral exam, he will sit down with you and your child to discuss his findings. He will then let your teenager know what types of appliances he or she may be able to choose from, based on your child’s orthodontic problems that require treatment.
To schedule your first visit with us, simply fill out our online appointment request form or give our Burien or West Seattle orthodontic offices a call. We look forward to seeing you soon!

The Good…

Research has demonstrated that teeth are more than likely to move after orthodontic treatment if retainers are not used to maintain tooth position and worn as directed.  In fact, even without ever having had orthodontic treatment, many people will experience shifting of their teeth over their lifetime.  While the use of removable retainers helps to prevent relapse, for certain people with certain occlusions, the lower front teeth may still shift long after the braces are removed.  For this reason, Dr. Peralta typically recommends a permanent retainer, or a metal wire that is bonded to the front six teeth with the same material that holds braces on teeth.  It can remain on the teeth for many years without being noticed as long as good oral hygiene practices are maintained.  It is considered to be highly effective and the most successful of all retainers.

The Bad….

Although it may sound like a perfect solution, it should be noted that there are some disadvantages to having a permanent retainer.

• One such factor is that the area around the bar needs to be cleaned thoroughly on a regular basis. This means using your toothbrush at different angles and flossing with a floss threader daily to keep your gum tissue happy.
• Another disadvantage is that the permanent retainer can easily break off the teeth if care is not used when biting into foods with your front teeth.  Hard, sticky and chewy foods should be avoided with this area of the mouth to prevent costly repairs to the retainer.
• Additionally, some patients report discomfort with their tongue coming into contact with the retainers on a regular basis, but this often dissipates with time.

& The Beautiful Results…

The benefits of a permanent retainer tend to outweigh the drawbacks for most of our patients, but it ultimately comes down to personal preference and Dr. Peralta’s recommendation.  Be aware that even if you choose to have a permanent retainer, it is still very important to wear removable retainers on both the upper and lower arches to prevent orthodontic relapse! If you have any questions about retainers or would like to schedule an appointment, please contact one of our Seattle-area orthodontic offices in Burien or West Seattle.

Now that spring is here, many of our patients are preparing to play spring sports like baseball, softball, and lacrosse. This is a great time for us to remind those of you wearing braces that it’s very important to wear protective mouthguards when you’re playing contact sports or whenever you’re taking part in any activity that can lead to a mouth injury.

April is National Facial Protection Month in the United States. This is when dentists and other healthcare providers team up to raise public awareness about facial and mouth injuries and to remind athletes, coaches, parents and caregivers of the importance of wearing protective mouthguards to safeguard the mouth and teeth against injuries. Because mouthguards have been proven to significantly lower the risk of oral injuries, mouthguards should be worn by all athletes playing sports.

The Best Mouthguard To Use

There are special mouthguards available both online and off which are made specifically for people wearing braces. These orthodontic mouthguards fit right over your braces to provide your appliances, mouth and teeth with protection against blows or strikes to the face. Some good brands to look for are ShockDoctor and UnderArmour orthodontic mouthguards. Our West Seattle orthodontist, Dr. Jorge Peralta, is more than happy to help you find the right mouthguard to use, so please don’t hesitate to contact us if you need some assistance.

We do not recommend using the ready-to-wear and “boil & bite” mouthguards found at pharmacies and sporting goods stores as these mouthguards do not fit over braces well nor do they provide ample protection against injuries.

The last thing you want to happen is to have to make an emergency appointment with our West Seattle orthodontist because your braces need to be repaired or replaced due to an injury you sustained while playing sports without a mouthguard. Mouthguards are inexpensive and essential pieces of sporting gear that should be worn while both on the practice field and during regulation play.