Adjusting to Braces as an Adult

Every year, more and more of our patients with traditional braces in Short Pump are adults.  Times and attitudes are changing, allowing more adults to feel receptive to the possibilities of orthodontic treatment.  However, many of our patients still struggle at first to adjust.

To help you with this transition, there are some things that the best orthodontist in Hanover wants you to know. 

The First Week is the Hardest

There are a few reasons why this is true.  First of all, your body has to adjust to the braces being there.  At first, your teeth will be very sensitive to bite pressure, so you will need to eat only very soft foods.  Your mouth may also become sore due to the appliance rubbing against the softer tissues.  You can remedy this through the use of dental wax until your body adjusts. 

After the First Week

Once your initial week is over and you are physically adjusting to being a patient with traditional braces in Short Pump, the big adjustments you will need to make are to your habits and your perception.

In terms of your habits, you will need to adjust your diet and the way you brush and floss.  Before you leave, the Invisalign in Hanover will make sure you fully understand these adjustments.  You will find that these become second nature in no time.

In terms of your perception, you have to learn how to be confident in your new look. This isn’t easy, but with more and more adults embracing treatment, it doesn’t need to be all that hard, either.  Remember: you are improving both your looks and your health.  Be proud of that. 

If you have any questions about your braces, remember that we are always here for you.  And if you are an adult considering getting braces, give us a call.  The initial consultation is free and the results of your treatment will benefit you the rest of your life.

Why Do Some People Have Crooked Teeth?

It is common for our patients at our orthodontics center in Westend to ask us why their teeth are crooked. The answer to that question varies from patient to patient, and in some cases, there is no answer. However, there are common factors that contribute to crooked teeth. Below are some of the contributing factors our Invisalign provider in Richmond has observed.

Thumb Sucking:

Thumb sucking is completely natural and not considered a problem in babies. Even in toddlers, it is not necessarily a cause for concern. However, if it is not stopped before permanent teeth are developed; the pressure can cause the teeth to become out of alignment, requiring medical intervention.

Tongue Thrusting:

Tongue thrusting, as well as improper positioning on the tongue when speaking or swallowing, can push the teeth into incorrect positions. This problem can be quite subtle, resulting in problems into adulthood.

Premature or Late Loss of Baby Teeth:

Both of these can lead to problems with the positioning of your teeth and the alignment of your bite. Premature loss in particular makes it easy for teeth to drift and shift.

Poor Breathing:

When we cannot breathe well, we do lots of things to compensate for the problem.  Some of the things we can do can also cause problems with our teeth.

There Are also Many Hereditary Factors:

Genetics plays a big role in the positioning of your teeth.  Many patients we see at our Affordable orthodontics center for dental treatment  in Westend have problems due to factors such as:

·        * Extra teeth

·         * Oversized teeth

·         * Missing teeth

·         * Gaps between teeth

·         * Small jaws

While many people think that improper alignment is an aesthetic problem, it can actually impact your health.  From interfering with proper chewing to causing uneven wearing of the teeth, an improperly aligned bite is a big deal.

To get the treatment you need, contact us, the elite Invisalign provider in Richmond.  We can help you achieve the smile of your dreams.

For more details about Top Orthodontists in Richmond please visit our website: www.jamesriverorthodontics.com

Feel Comfortable with dental treatment at orthodontics center in Westend

The holiday season is upon us, and if you haven’t taken the yearly portrait for your holiday cards, you are running out of time. For many of our Westend braces patients, these portraits can cause a lot of stress. They worry about how they will look and are afraid of looking silly to all of their family and friends.  However, you do not need to fret over having your picture taken while wearing braces; there are a few tricks you can use to feel better about the photo you take. Below are some tips from our Westend orthodontics office. Practice Smiling This is going to feel silly at first, but you really should practice smiling in the mirror or while taking photos with your phone. The more you see yourself with Best braces treatment in Short Pump, the more natural it will look to you. This is essentially an exercise in becoming comfortable with your new look before you need to take pictures; it can also give you the confidence you need to smile bright in your day-to-day life.
 Focus on Your Eyes If you have ever watched a modeling show on TV, you have no doubt heard the models being instructed to smile with their eyes. Well, they give this advice for good reason: Your eyes are incredibly expressive and can easily become the focus of the photo, rather than your braces. Skip the Smile Our Westend orthodontics office understands that for some of our Westend braces patients, feeling comfortable with their braces-clad smile are very difficult. If you are adamantly against showing your braces in your photo, that is okay; you can take a great photo without smiling. Be silly, be serious, be whatever feels right. Your photo will still turn out great. For more details about Quality Invisalign treatment in Westend please visit our website: jamesriverorthodontics.com

Beyond a Straighter Smile, What Benefits to Braces Bring?

If you are contemplating starting braces treatment, chances are the biggest reason you are looking into orthodontic care is your desire for a straighter smile.  While that is the most obvious benefit to becoming one of our Short Pump braces patients, there are other benefits to having braces.

Braces Decrease the Chance of Developing Tooth Decay and Gum Disease

Straight teeth look better than crooked teeth, but many individuals who come to our Best orthodontics center in Short Pump practice think that the only benefit to straight teeth is cosmetic.  This is far from the truth. 

When crooked or crowded teeth overlap, they reduce the space between teeth.  This makes it harder to clean the teeth and along the gum line.  Over time, plaque and bacteria will accumulate, leading to decay and disease.  With braces, brushing and flossing will be easier and your smile will be healthier as well as more beautiful. 

Braces Can Reduce Speech Difficulties

We use our teeth to form the sounds of speech.  When teeth are out of line or tilt too much one way or the other, speech is inhibited.  The individual suffering from this difficulty can feel embarrassed and might even avoid speaking when possible.  Our Effective braces treatment in Short Pump patients can obtain clearer, more professional speech through treatment. 

Braces Can Improve Your Digestion

One benefit most of our Short Pump orthodontics patients never consider is how having braces can help digestion.  When your teeth are not positioned correctly, you are less effective at chewing your food.  Food that has not been chewed properly can be difficult to digest and can lead to problems with your digestive tract and overall health. 

So now that you know braces can do more than just give you a beautiful smile, contact us to set up your initial consultation.

Stay confident by the Best Braces treatment at Orthodontics center in Westend,VA

At our Westend,VA orthodontics practice, one of the biggest concerns our younger patients have regarding braces is how they will look in photos. More specifically, class photos. While teens and tweens are taking plenty of photographs of themselves every day, there is still no photo that is more permanent than the one that ends up in the yearbook. 

If you are one of our young patients in Braces treatment in Westend,VA does not need to be the end of your taking a beautiful photo. There are a few different ways that you can work with your braces to help you feel confident and satisfied with the image you leave in your school’s yearbook. 

Make Sure Your Braces Look Great: 

Why make your biggest cause of concern look perfect? Because a quality photo will make any of your braces flaws quite obvious. In your photo you want to put your best foot forward, and at the moment, you include a set of braces. To start with, make sure that you are taking care to clean them and your teeth very well each and every day as you should be. If you want to make sure they are extra clean, consider scheduling a professional cleaning before your photo. 

Consider a Closed Mouth Smile: 

Now, this one can be a bit tricky. Go through any middle school yearbook and you will see plenty of kids with a closed mouth smile where you can obviously tell that they are trying to hide their braces from view. The giveaway is that the smile is extremely closed lipped—the lips pressed together tightly—and it looks unnatural. Try practicing this smile in the mirror, naturally bringing your lips together before smiling big. You will find that it looks much more natural. 

Go Bold: 

As an alternative—and this is honestly our preference at our Orthodontics center in Westend,VA practice—just own the fact that yes, you have braces. Smile big, smile bright, and let the world see them. Having braces is a privilege that most of the world cannot access and they will be giving you a perfect smile. In the meantime, you can use them to express your character and be bold. For the time being, your braces are a part of you. No need to hide them away from the world. 

So for all of our Westend,VA braces patients, stay confident and remember that you are beautiful—with braces and without. 

Dr. James River is the author of this article. To Know More about Braces treatment in Westend,VA and Orthodontics center in Westend,VA  Please Visit our Website: jamesriverorthodontics.com

Try Perfect Invisalign treatment at Orthodontics center in Hanover

How long have you been unhappy with your smile?  Whether you count the time in weeks, months, or years, the real answer is too long; there is no reason to resign yourself to a smile that makes you feel anything less than your best.  Especially not when you have access to Invisalign care in Glen Allen.

Here at the best orthodontics center in Glen Allen, we offer high-quality Invisalign care.  We have years of satisfied patients behind us who can testify to the quality of our treatment and the results Invisalign delivers.  Invisalign has quickly become our most requested form of treatment amongst teens and adults alike.

While it is never too late to use traditional braces, many individuals—especially working adults—feel that the look of them is simply too awkward.  This is not the case with Invisalign treatment in Richmond.  So if you are unhappy with your smile, no matter your age, it is time for you to try Invisalign.  Read below to learn a little bit more about the system to help you decide if it is right for you.

Clear System with Incredible Results:

One reason to choose Invisalign care in Glen Allen is that it is a completely clear system that delivers the results you need.  The results of Invisalign are just as good as those delivered by traditional, metal braces.  However, you get beautiful, straight teeth without needing to flash metal every time you smile throughout your treatment.

Invisalign uses clear, plastic aligners to move your teeth into position.  These aligners are not visible to those around you, which mean you can keep your treatment a secret.  You will switch out your aligners approximately every two weeks; each successive aligner moves your teeth a little further into position until you achieve the final result.

Greater Comfort than Traditional Methods:

Metal braces have a lot of parts that can cause discomfort, from being abrasive on the sensitive tissues of the mouth to simply being annoying to use—as many patients find elastics to be.  The Invisalign aligners are made from smooth plastic, which is quite comfortable to wear.  There are no rough or sharp edges to cause discomfort.  After the first few days of adjusting to the aligners, you won’t even be aware they are there.

Faster Treatment than Most Options on the Market:

Another benefit of using Invisalign is that you get great results in minimal time.  When you use Invisalign instead of Traditional metal Braces treatment in Hanover, you can shave months off of your treatment time.  It also saves you time in terms of office visits.  Since there are no adjustments to be made by the doctor, you only need to come in about every six weeks.  If you are interested in Invisalign care, come to the best orthodontics center in Glen Allen.  We will have you on your way to a new smile in no time.

Improve your smile and laugh by Expert Orthodontist in Mechanicsville

Your oral health is about more than just a pretty smile.  While you might think of those imperfections you notice as being simply cosmetic, they have far-reaching consequences.  Problems with your teeth can affect your confidence and your overall physical health.  So, if you have noticed issues with your smile, you need to come to James River Orthodontics, home to the most expert orthodontist in Glen Allen.

Since people tend to think of orthodontic care as being a cosmetic issue, we would like to first look at how “cosmetics” can impact us.  When we do not feel confident in ourselves, it can really hold us back in life.  We have seen teenagers who are scared to smile and laugh in front of their friends because they have gaps in their teeth; this changes their social interactions and can completely alter the way they feel about themselves.  We have seen Professional Orthodontist in Richmond who opts for closed-lip smiles due to their concerns, giving others the impression that they are cold, or even untrustworthy.  Cosmetic changes do a lot more than just make you look better; they make you feel better and help others see the real you.

However, what you think is simply a cosmetic issue is often something more.  Gaps between teeth can cause crowding amongst others, causing the teeth to wear unevenly and making it difficult to keep them clean and fight cavities.  If your teeth are out of alignment, your bite can be off as well.  This can lead to uneven wear, difficult eating, as well as pain that can lead to migraines.  So, in reality, what we might think of as a pretty smile is really a healthy smile; that is something we all deserve.

And that is why James River Orthodontics offers many different treatment options at Affordable Orthodontics clinic in Mechanicsville to suit various wants and needs.  This includes Wild Smiles brackets for teens who want to show off their personality, lingual braces for those who need the effectiveness of traditional braces without the look, and Invisalign.  In Glen Allen, there are many people in various stages of life who require orthodontic care and James River is capable of treating them all.

If you feel nervous about starting your treatment, that is okay.  It is quite normal, in fact.  But don’t let fear hold you back—especially not when you are being treated by the best orthodontist in the area.

To learn more about the treatments offered by James River Orthodontics to Glen Allen—including Invisalign, take some time to browse their website.  Once you learn what you need, set up the initial consultation so you can be on the road to a healthier, happier you.