Braces Dragging On - The Last Thing We Want for You!

We want your orthodontic treatment to go as quickly and as comfortably as possible to reach a great smile. We want you to be in braces for the least amount of time.

We do not want your braces to drag on. We want your treatment to keep moving. Braces drag on when we are not making the progress we need to get that great smile.

Some people will joke that their orthodontist will say six months more in braces, but they really mean nine more months. Sure your orthodontist may estimate two years of braces in total, but it will be more like three years - some people will say.

We do not want this "dragging on" at all. We never want people to say this about us or my office We want to give you our best estimate for how long your braces will take before you begin your orthodontic treatment. During your orthodontic treatment, we want to keep you up to date on our progress - are we ahead of schedule? or behind schedule?

With our Damon braces and the experience we have gained with them over the past six years, we find more and more of our patients get their braces off on time or even ahead of schedule. Not all. We are always striving to do better.

There are some things we do to reduce your time in braces and there are some things you can do to help us - and yourself. We all want the same thing - a great smile - as quickly and as comfortably as possible.

I am going to be talking more about those things we do and the ways you can help in future blog posts - stay tuned.

Why are you getting braces? You don't need them.

I hear that from a surprising number of  people. Many people come to see me and say that their family or friends think their smile is great already. "You don't need braces."

And they are right - no one "needs" braces like they would an operation, food or water. Braces are the best way to straighten teeth for a healthy and a confident smile. There can be real benefits for your health and your appearance. If something is bothering you, it makes sense to get it checked out and see what braces may be able to do for you.

I may agree that braces may not be the best way to go for you. It may make sense for your dentist to bond or place veneers on your teeth to improve their appearance. Or braces and later veneers may make the most sense for you and your smile.

I am not here to tell you that you need braces. I am here to listen to you and your concerns. I am here to let you know what braces can do for you. Friends and family members may mean well, but they may be trying to hold you back from doing something that they would like to do for themselves, but are not willing to do for any number of reasons.

People can find it easy to give advice to others - they know what's best for others, but they struggle with their own decisions. I don't pretend to know you or your concerns. I want to listen to you, examine your smile and have a good discussion about what braces can do for you. Then you can decide what works for you.

And it is not unusual that when the braces come off, those same friends and family who questioned the braces, say: "WOW - those braces made a big difference - great smile." All's well that ends well.