Is orthodontic care in your future? While many patients begin treatment before the age of 14, others, including teens and adults, postpone 
braces until a later age. Whatever your situation, Drs. Chad and Natalie Corley of Corley Family Dental in Decatur, IL can help you navigate your choices.
Why get braces?
Orthodontics change the oral landscape and the balance between bone structure and musculature. Not only do braces improve personal appearance, they also promote the long-term health and longevity of teeth and gums. Straight teeth experience less decay and gum disease, and people with good smiles:
- Speak more clearly
- Experience less wear and tear on tooth surfaces
- Feel better about themselves as they smile more confidently
While children respond best and most quickly to smile reconstruction, even teens and adults with healthy teeth can wear braces. As a matter of fact, a full 20 percent of American orthodontic patients are over the age of 21, says the American Association of Orthodontists.
Kinds of braces
Dr. Chad Corley and Dr. Natalie Corley carefully evaluate their prospective orthodontic patients by examination and through a series of digital X-rays which visualize teeth, roots, and bone structure. This information, together with oral impressions, tells your dentist the exact nature of your problem and how best to correct it.
Your dentist will devise a complete treatment plan to include which type of braces will work best for you. Also, you'll learn how to care for your braces, how often to come into the office for adjustments and how long treatment should take. Commonly treated problems include crowding, gaps, poor bite (malocclusion), congenital absence of teeth, poorly erupted teeth, and more.
These are the kinds of braces offered at Corley Family Dental:
- Conventional metal braces consisting of metal bands and arch wires
- Metal braces consisting of arch wires and brackets bonded to the front side of teeth
- Ceramic braces which are tooth-colored and less obvious in appearance
- Lingual braces which are bonded to the back, or tongue-side, of teeth (completely unnoticeable but more difficult to keep clean)
Most braces utilize ligatures, or rubber bands. Ligatures help move teeth into their proper positions.
Additionally, children often need space maintainers which allow teeth which have not yet erupted to move into position correctly and at the right time. These simple appliances may avoid or facilitate orthodontic correction
Find out more
At Corley Family Dental, Dr. Chad Corley and Dr. Natalie Corley want their patients to have smiles which look good, function well and stay healthy for the long haul. Braces help achieve that goal. So, find out more through an informative, in-office consultation. Call us for an appointment: (217) 330-6217.