Interceptive orthodontic treatment is orthodontic treatment in its earliest possible phases. It is recommended that children have their first orthodontic appointments at seven years of age, but have you seen a seven year old with metal braces? Most likely not! This is because interceptive treatment is the orthodontic treatment that begins at or around seven years of age and sets children up for less invasive orthodontic treatment later in their pre-teen or teenage years. The benefits of early orthodontic treatment are endless, not the least of which are healthy smiles, lower future orthodontic bills and the comfort of knowing you are providing your child the best start possible to a beautiful smile they can enjoy throughout their life! The Difference Between Interceptive And Regular Orthodontic Treatment When you think of orthodontic treatment, you most likely envision the regular orthodontic treatment, with metal braces on a teenager or adult, appointments every six weeks to have the braces tightened, colored bands [...]

Speech is something most of us just assume happens naturally and effortlessly, but if you’re one of the hundreds of thousands of Americans who are affected by a speech impediment, you know that it’s not as simple as just learning how to speak from your parents as a toddler. Speech can be affected by jaw positioning, misaligned teeth and the tongue’s connection to the roof of the mouth.  Thankfully, orthodontics is about much more than fixing a crooked smile. While that is the physically noticeable benefit of orthodontic treatment, orthodontics also provides the means to correct speech impediments. Many people don’t even realize the connection between orthodontic treatment and speech issues and may miss out on an opportunity to have treatment to correct the issue. Only Some Issues Can Be Fixed Speech issues are commonly found to have their root in how your mouth and your tongue work in harmony, but that isn’t the only function that affects speech. [...]

Many people are tempted to confuse orthodontic treatment with cosmetic dentistry and use both terms as a universal way to describe one or the other treatment. In reality, orthodontic treatment and cosmetic dentistry are two different means of treating oral issues, but orthodontic treatment improves oral functionality and cosmetic dentistry improves the appearance of your smile. Understanding The Purpose Of Both Orthodontic treatment and cosmetic dentistry work together to give you a healthy, attractive smile, but both have different purposes. Orthodontic treatment diagnoses, corrects and prevents crooked bites, but its main purpose is to provide a healthy bite by correcting the positioning of your teeth. Good orthodontic treatment can also secure healthy teeth, gums and jaw joints, which provide for dental health over the course of a lifetime. Cosmetic dentistry, on the other hand, is solely for the purpose of improving the appearance of your smile utilizing dental veneers, teeth whitening, dental implants, and inlays or onlays, which provide structural [...]

Before you get braces, you might be wondering what kind of care your teeth will need to keep them cavity free and clean during your stint with braces. While you have braces on, you might be tempted to think that they will cover any potential decay or cavities, and that’s just the issue. They DO hide tooth decay which makes it all the more difficult to keep your teeth clean. Once your braces are removed you might be unpleasantly surprised to find that your teeth don’t look as shiny and clean as you hoped they would. What’s worse is that you might find out you have cavities and vulnerable spots in those hard to reach places that your braces hid the last year and a half or so. Wires And Brackets Create Extra Obstacles For Brushing Braces work to straighten your teeth by using brackets and wires to gently pull your teeth into their ideal positions. You have to work [...]

Orthodontic treatment may look slightly different for each patient, but the route through orthodontic treatment is relatively similar no matter where you start from. Treatment is broken into a few steps that should make it easier for you to understand the reasoning behind each treatment and about how long the different phases should take. Phase One Pre-BracesPhase Two Braces TreatmentPost-Braces TreatmentWhile the heavy-lifting is done in phase two during braces treatment, all of the phases work together to result in your beautiful smile and to keep it straight and healthy. Phase One: Pre-Braces Before you can have braces put on, you will need to have an appointment for an initial consultation to see exactly which options are available to you. At this appointment you will have X-rays taken of your jaw to determine whether you have any underlying issues such as a trapped tooth or gum disease, which will need to be treated before braces are put on.  After your [...]

If you’re out of childhood and feeling like your smile could benefit from orthodontic care, don’t worry! It’s never too late to pursue orthodontic treatment. While orthodontic treatment for adults may be a longer process than for kids and teenagers, the outcome is still just as effective. Regardless of your age, your teeth will still shift and react to orthodontic treatment. Can Adults Still Benefit From Braces? In a word: Yes! Adults can absolutely benefit from braces. Some adults may think that they missed their opportunity if they never experienced a mouth full of braces when they were young, but that is simply not true. Perhaps you had braces as a kid and in your youthful state you just didn’t care whether or not you wore your retainer and your teeth shifted back to their crooked state. Or maybe orthodontic treatment just wasn’t an option for your family growing up. Whatever your circumstances may have been that led you to [...]

If you’ve been wearing your braces for the last year and a half (or much longer) and you are about to have them taken off, congrats! The end is in sight. You’ve put in the diligent effort to keep your teeth clean and take care of your braces so you can enjoy a beautiful, straight smile. But now that your mouth is metal-free, what should you expect? Minor pressure from removing the brackets and remaining glue Possible sensitivity of teeth and gums Squeaky clean teeth! When your braces first come off, your teeth may feel slimy, after having been used to feeling metal brackets and wire on them for so long. You may suddenly feel like you have more room in your mouth than you were used to. But you will definitely feel proud of your efforts and excited to flash your new smile. Getting Fitted For Your Retainer One of the first steps after [...]

At Ahava Orthodontics, our biggest goal is to provide exceptional orthodontic care in a loving and welcoming atmosphere. Dr. Barron is certified by Align Technology to provide Invisalign treatment. His experience and care for his patients make his service second to none. Ahava has been providing Invisalign treatment to patients in the Fort Worth area for years and we would love to have you as part of our Ahava family. What is Invisalign? Invisalign, or the “clear aligner”, is a system with the same goals of traditional braces, without the metallic appearance that braces are associated with. Invisalign is a clear retainer treatment option that is easy to clean and maintain during day to day activities. While you may have to keep a careful eye on the type of beverages you drink, your cleaning habits, and taking care of your Invisalign retainers, the Invisalign system is just as effective as traditional braces. Dr. Barron uses a top-notch scanner to take [...]

A misaligned jaw, while not the most severe orthodontic issue you can experience, is certainly one of the most frequently experienced issues with orthodontic treatment. Misalignment can come in the form of an overbite, where your top row of teeth hang far over your bottom row, or an underbite, where your bottom teeth jut out further than your top row of teeth. You may also have a crossbite where your upper and lower jaw crosses over each other. Whichever issue you find yourself faced with, you know that the misalignment of your teeth at the least is uncomfortable and perhaps has even caused issues with your ability to bite, chew, and maybe even speak. Luckily there are options to help correct a misaligned jaw: Braces Palatal Expanders Orthognathic Surgery If left untreated, misaligned jaws can go on to cause more serious issues, even affecting the quality of your sleep and breathing. In addition to the physical issues a misaligned jaw [...]

You try to protect your child from physical injuries like broken bones and skinned knees, but have you considered how to provide for their oral care to avoid dental and orthodontic issues as adults? Early visits to an orthodontist can save your child (and you!) money and time down the road, not to mention avoid some unwanted dental issues such as overbites, crossbites and crooked teeth.  When Should I Bring My Child To The Orthodontist? It is best to plan for your child to see an orthodontist for the first time around age seven, since most of their baby teeth will be lost, and several of their adult teeth will have emerged. By that time, an orthodontist will have better luck determining if your child’s teeth will require braces, or other orthodontic intervention. While age seven is recommended for their first orthodontic visit to plan for the future, in most cases, your child won’t begin to regularly see an [...]