Posted July 6, 2017.
Since creating beautiful smiles is what an orthodontist does, the answer is yes! With the different techniques, technologies, and appliances available, you can obtain the smile of your dreams without anyone knowing that you are in treatment.
An orthodontist is a dentist that has received additional special training after graduating dental school. Orthodontists deal mainly with diagnosis, prevention, and correction of the malposition of teeth and jaws. Dr. Frank Andolino works with patients everyday who are interested in improving the health of their mouth or the esthetics of their smile.
The process of creating the smile of your dreams begins with a full medical and dental health history, x-rays of your teeth and jaw, and a clinical examination of your teeth.
Many new patients have malocclusions, which are crooked, misaligned teeth and/or a flaw in the relation between the bottom and top dental arches. Some examples of malocclusion include crossbite, overbite, underbite, open bite, reverse bite, asymmetrical teeth, and impacted teeth. Depending on their severity, these malocclusions may affect your overall physical health.
During your exam, Doctor Andolino will assess the current state of your teeth, and explain to you various treatment options that are available. The two main options are:
Fixed Appliances
These are used to treat malocclusions where precision is key. Examples include braces, fixed space maintainers, lingual arches and in growing children, palate expanders.
Removable Appliances
Unlike fixed appliances, removable appliances can be taken out of the patient’s mouth at any time. However, they should only be taken out when cleaning, eating, flossing, or if the doctor recommends that they be removed for activities like sports or playing an instrument.
Andolino Orthodontics regularly uses removable retainers, lip and cheek bumpers, splints, aligners (like Invisalign), and in special cases, headgear.
In more complex cases, Orthognathic Surgery is necessary. Dr. Andolino can do the necessary prep work before patients have Orthognathic surgery. This surgery is performed to correct conditions of the face and jaw that are related to structure, sleep apnea, growth, malocclusions, or other problems that cannot be easily treated with braces alone. The surgery involves cutting and realigning bones in the jaw, and then keeping them held in place with plates or screws. This is also referred to as corrective jaw surgery.
To sum up, the treatment process is as follows:
1. Your orthodontist will analyze and recognize the qualities of the malocclusion presented.
2. He will define the nature of the issue, and address the cause(s).
3. He will create a treatment plan specifically tailored to the your needs.
4. Dr. Andolino will make sure you have a complete understanding of the issue presented, as well as the process that will be used to correct it.
5. The treatment plan will be set into motion.
If you’re ready to create a vibrant and aligned smile, call Dr. Frank Andolino and the team at Andolino Orthodontics in Midtown Manhattan. They will answer any questions that you may have about orthodontics and correcting your teeth. So what are you waiting for? Call 212.753.5575 to schedule an appointment and get the beautiful smile that you deserve.