ORTHODONTICS IN KATY, TX

OrthodonticsDelivering great smiles is what we do at Great Parkway Smiles, and today’s range of orthodontic treatment options is one of the tools we have available to help patients achieve a straight, attractive bite. 

The dental professionals at our office routinely advise and treat patients who want to correct the following:

  • Gapped Teeth: Excessive space between teeth due to abnormal jaw development or tooth loss
  • Overbite: When the upper front teeth extend past the lower teeth 
  • Underbite: When the lower front teeth extend past the upper teeth 
  • Open bite: When opposite teeth on the upper and lower jaw fail to align, with upper teeth failing to meet lower teeth, vice versa, or both
  • Crowded teeth: When there is not enough room for teeth to grow in straight, resulting in crooked teeth
  • Crossbite: When jaw misalignment prevents teeth from meeting properly

Modern dentistry offers several options to patients who want a straighter smile, including Invisalign clear aligners, traditional braces, the 6-Month Smiles approach, and more. 

WHAT IS INVISALIGN?

Invisalign clear aligners are a gentle, gradual approach to teeth straightening. As the name suggests, the aligners are practically invisible to others, meaning you can speak with confidence and you’ll never have to be embarrassed to smile. Invisalign clear aligners are removable, allowing patients to enjoy their favorite foods and drinks as they normally would. They are comfortable to wear and don’t require sometimes painful adjustments by your dentist.

Invisalign orthodontic treatment consists of a series of clear aligners that progressively nudge your teeth into the desired position. It is a step-by-step approach that allows the patient flexibility, switching to a new set of aligners as the previous goal has been accomplished. As each milestone is reached, the patient receives a new, progressive set of aligners to continue the teeth straightening journey is complete and desired results are achieved. 

Thanks to their “invisibility”, Invisalign orthodontics fit into just about everyone’s lifestyle. From busy professionals, to moms and dads, and even teens and children. Invisalign clear aligners are the orthodontic treatment of choice for anyone who values a no-nonsense, convenient, and effective approach to teeth straightening. 

WHAT ARE SOME OTHER ORTHODONTICS OPTIONS? 

While Invisalign clear aligners have certainly taken the world by storm, in part thanks to the flexibility they offer to patients, more traditional teeth straightening options as well as other innovative approaches also serve important roles in modern dentistry.

Metal Braces

Odds are, we’ve all known someone with metal braces at one point in our lives — quite probably during adolescence. Even today, traditional metal braces continue to have a place among teeth straightening options.

Traditional metal braces are akin to a rite of passage for many teenagers who want straighter teeth. They are also the preferred method for severe cases of misalignment. Whereas Invisalign clear aligners impress with their gentle, step-by-step straightening approach, traditional metal braces are a more “heavy duty” approach to a straighter smile. 

Traditional metal braces are permanently affixed to the teeth for a period of approximately 1-2 years — depending on the severity of teeth misalignment — with brackets and wires pushing them into the desired position. Every few weeks or months, the dentist tightens or adjusts the wires until the teeth straightening process is complete. 

Ceramic Braces

Ceramic braces are based on the same concept as traditional metal braces, but offer a lower profile when it comes to visibility. Instead of metal brackets, the dentist installs ceramic brackets that are tooth colored and less noticeable than the typically dark metal brackets. Ideally, the wires are also tooth colored for a uniform appearance.

Like their metal counterparts, ceramic braces are non-removable and remain attached until the patient’s teeth straightening goals are achieved.

Lingual Braces

Lingual braces are also based on a bracket-and-wire system like traditional metal braces, with the difference that the braces are attached to the backside of the patient’s teeth. This strategy gives patients the added advantage of invisibility, as the braces are hidden behind the teeth. 

Lingual braces are not right for everyone (especially children or teenagers) as they can be difficult to clean. 

WHAT IS 6-MONTH SMILES?

Six-Month Smiles is a teeth straightening system that offers the best of both worlds: a clear aligner approach, or a clear braces approach. As the name indicates, this innovative teeth straightening solution is designed to nudge the patient’s teeth into place over a period of only six months. 

6-Month Smiles Clear Aligners

Clear aligners by 6 Month Smiles are made of a durable yet super comfortable material that feels like memory foam. The aligners are exceptionally clear and barely visible to the eye, allowing the patient utmost discretion in his or her teeth straightening journey. 

6-Month Smiles Clear Braces

6 Month Smiles takes the discreetness of ceramic braces a step further with see-through brackets and tooth-colored wires that are barely noticeable. Focusing primarily on the patient’s front teeth — i.e. those that are visible to others when we smile, eat, or laugh — this system entails a personalized approach to teeth straightening that delivers results quickly and with minimum discomfort. 

Depending on the patient’s teeth straightening goals and severity of misalignment, treatment may last anywhere from 4-9 months and requires 3-7 adjustments of the wires by your dentist. 

6-Month Smiles clear aligners and clear braces are available to patients 16 years or older. 

WHY CHOOSE GRAND PARKWAY SMILES IN KATY FOR ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT?

The dental professionals at Grand Parkway Smiles are dedicated to the oral and dental health of all our patients. More than that, we want our patients to feel great about their smiles as they go about their daily lives: posing for family photos, lunching with business associates, dining with romantic partners, and everything in-between. 

This unwavering commitment to our patients is the reason we are dedicated to bringing you highly effective, quality-assured teeth straightening solutions. Among the many clear aligner companies springing up in recent years, our confidence firmly lies in our state-of-the-art technology, history of positive outcomes, finest materials, superior customer care, and reliable dentist-monitored approach.

Worried about cost? Dental financing is available! Ask us about our affordable payment plans!

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER RECEIVING INVISALIGN ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT?

Over the years, Grand Parkway Smiles dentists have received excellent feedback from patients who took advantage of our orthodontic treatments to meet their teeth straightening needs. It has been quite amazing to watch patients go from hiding their smiles behind a shirt sleeve, to posing for the camera with confidence and pride.  

A person’s smile is, for most of us, the first attribute we notice in another. Everyone deserves a great smile and the confidence that comes with it – Grand Parkway Smiles can help.

Schedule a teeth straightening consultation with your Katy dentist at Grand Parkway Smiles by calling 832-222-0016 today!