Orthodontics

Aligning your teeth does more than make your smile look more flattering: It can also help you keep your teeth clean and healthy. With Phase One and Phase Two orthodontics at Discover Orthodontics in Katy, Texas, Patricia Tran, DDS, MSD, PA, and the team align your teeth to help you avoid dental pain and complications. To find out more about available orthodontic treatments, call Discover Orthodontics or schedule an appointment online today.

What is orthodontics?

Orthodontics is the practice of aligning your teeth and jaw to optimize your ability to speak, chew, and keep your teeth clean. There are major benefits to addressing misalignment with orthodontic care if you have:

• Overbite
• Underbite
• Crossbite
• Open bite
• Crowded teeth
• Wide gaps between teeth
• Certain temporomandibular joint (TMJ) issues

The team at Discover Orthodontics welcomes children and adults alike to come in for a consultation and find out which orthodontic treatments they can benefit from. 

What is Phase One orthodontics?

Phase One orthodontics is orthodontic care that starts during childhood. These treatments can help your child avoid jaw surgery in the future and can minimize their total time with braces or clear aligners.

Before your child turns 7, you should bring them in for a Phase One orthodontics evaluation. Phase One treatments can include:

Palatal expanders

Palatal expanders are devices that widen your child’s upper arch of teeth. Either fixed or removable, these devices place pressure on their back molars to expand the palate, which is two bones on the roof of the mouth that grow together and fuse over time.

Childhood braces

A limited time with braces while your child still has some baby teeth can correct alignment issues that would require more complex corrections in the future. 

Space maintainers

Space maintainers are devices that maintain the gap in your child’s mouth after they lose a baby tooth too early. This allows enough space for the adult tooth to eventually grow in. 

What is Phase Two orthodontics?

Phase Two orthodontics involves treatments that are probably more along the lines of what you expect from orthodontics. If a child has had Phase One orthodontic treatments, they can then wait one to three years to start Phase Two. Phase One orthodontics is also called adult orthodontics. Your options are:

Braces

Discover Orthodontics offers several varieties of braces, which are bracket-and-wire systems that place pressure on your teeth to align them. You can get metal braces, clear or ceramic braces, or Damon braces. 

Clear aligners

Clear aligners are devices that gradually shift your teeth by placing pressure on specific points of your upper or lower arch. These aligners are made custom just for you and fit over your teeth. They’re also transparent, which makes them more discreet than braces. 

Adult orthodontics without Phase One orthodontic treatments may also require jaw surgery. 

To learn more about orthodontic treatments available to you or your child, call Discover Orthodontics or schedule an appointment online today.