Orthodontic Treatment

Download Child/Adolescent New Patient Forms

Orthodontics is the specialty of dentistry devoted to building beautiful smiles by bringing teeth, lips, and jaws into proper alignment. Straight teeth function better, are easier to clean, and are more likely to last your lifetime. Properly aligned jaws may reduce the risk of jaw joint dysfunction (TMJ). Orthodontics is a wonderful investment with life-long returns.

The practice of orthodontics involves the use of appliances to move teeth and modify growth of the jaws.

Our services include:

Braces for adults, adolescents, and children
iBraces - Lingual (Behind the Teeth) Braces
Expanders
Habit appliances
Space maintainers
Retainers
Headgear
Functional appliances
Early treatment and growth modification
Customized appliances designed uniquely for each patient

Orthodontic Exams Should Begin No Later Than Age Seven

The following early warning signs usually indicate that your child should have an orthodontic exam:

Early or late loss of teeth
Difficulty in chewing or biting
Mouth breathing
Finger sucking or other oral habits
Crowding, misplaced, or blocked-out teeth
Jaws that shift, make sounds, protrude or retrude
Speech difficulty
Biting the cheek or into the roof of the mouth
Protruding teeth
Teeth that meet in an abnormal way or don't meet at all
Facial imbalance
Grinding or clenching of teeth

If your child is approaching the age of seven, it's time to make an appointment for an initial exam. The American Association of Orthodontists has recommended that the proper age for a child's first visit to the orthodontist is no later than seven years of age. Burleson Orthodontics strongly encourages this practice.

Often Dr. Burleson will identify a potential problem, but recommend monitoring the child's growth and development. We can spot subtle problems with jaw growth and emerging teeth while baby teeth are present.

Remember, Burleson Orthodontics can improve most orthodontic problems at any age, but there is usually a best age in terms of the amount of improvement that can be achieved as well as the type of treatment employed and cost required. That "best age" is different for every patient, so the best time for a consultation is as soon as a possible problem is noticed.

Your First Visit

Your first appointment is scheduled following your initial phone call to our office. Following this phone call a packet of information will be sent to you with information about our office and the examination appointment. A health history and map will be enclosed.

During the first appointment several important things will happen. You will be greeted by the treatment coordinator. She will review your personal information, health history, and your chief concerns with your teeth and/or smile. Dr. Burleson will conduct a thorough examination of your face, mouth, teeth, and jaws to determine whether you can benefit from orthodontic treatment and, if so, when treatment should begin.

We will answer as many questions as possible. We have a state of the art computer program that can simulate and demonstrate many things about orthodontic treatment. If orthodontic treatment is recommended now, we may proceed and take diagnostic records.

Diagnostic records : In order for the doctor to accurately diagnose your problems and plan your treatment, some additional information is needed beyond what is found during the examination. The doctor will request diagnostic records that can sometimes be done the day of the examination or we will ask you to return so we can have a complete set of records to evaluate your needs. In our office we will take molds of your teeth, from which plaster replicas are made, digital photographs of your face and teeth, x-rays of your teeth and surrounding bone, and a headfilm x-ray to evaluate the position of the jaw structures.

Consultation : At the consultation Dr. Burleson will fully explain the nature and extent of your needs and an individualized plan of treatment. This appointment is important because it is your time to have all questions answered and feel comfortable with the orthodontic treatment plan. Our treatment coordinator will review costs of treatment and payment arrangements. Usually, we request about 20% of the total fee when treatment begins and the remainder is divided into monthly payments for the duration of treatment. Special arrangements can be made.

Placing the Braces : The next couple of appointments will be dedicated to placing your braces. You will also receive individual instruction in hygiene, diet and appliance care from our hygiene specialists.

Regular Check-Ups : Once the braces are placed, subsequent adjustment visits are scheduled every four to six weeks. These visits normally take between 15-45 minutes.