FAQs

Orthodontics is a specialist branch of dentistry that covers the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of misalignments with the teeth and jaws. Orthodontic treatment usually involves fixed braces, clear aligners, or functional appliances to ensure proper alignment.

Orthodontics is about more than just beautiful, straight smiles. It can also have a massive impact on your health! Straight teeth are easier to keep clean, and help to prevent tooth decay and gum disease along with improving speaking, breathing, or digestive issues.

No, orthodontic treatment doesn’t hurt. After fitting and adjustment appointments, you may experience some mild soreness as your mouth adjusts to your new appliance. This soreness should be short lived, and can be treated with over-the-counter pain relief as needed.

Your treatment at Straight Smiles Orthodontics is 100% custom, so the time frames vary greatly. You can expect a full comprehensive treatment to take somewhere between 18 - 24 months on average.

We recommend bringing your child in around the age of 7, so we can catch orthodontic issues before they cause bigger problems. Orthodontic issues are also easier to treat while your jaw is still growing, which is why treatment often starts between the ages of 11 - 13.

That being said, we can treat patients of any age (even in their 70s) as long as their teeth and gums are still healthy.

If you are being treated with Invisalign® clear aligners, you won’t need to adjust your diet during treatment. If you have a fixed appliance, we recommend avoiding a few types of food that could damage or dislodge your brackets.

To be safe, you should stay away from foods that are:

• Sticky: Toffees, gum, and chewy sweets can dislodge your brackets from your teeth.
• Hard: Popcorn, ice, crusty bread, and hard fruits can vegetables can all damage your brace. Instead of biting into pizza, sandwiches, or hard fruits, cut them into bite-sized pieces first so you can continue to enjoy them during treatment
• Sugary: Soft drinks and sugary snacks can damage your enamel and leave white marks on your teeth after your braces are removed.

Yes. Invisalign® clear aligners shouldn’t affect your sport and instrument practice. If you have fixed braces, you should protect your smile with a custom sports mouthguard. It may take a little time to adjust to playing instruments with fixed braces.

How many adjustments you need depends on the type of treatment you are having and the complexity of your orthodontic issues. Most patients with braces will be seen every 6 to 10 weeks.

If you are having treatment with Invisalign® clear aligners, you can use Invisalign® Virtual Care for remote check-ins, so you will rarely need to visit us in-person.

The cost of treatment depends on the complexity of your issue, the length of treatment needed, and the type of appliance used. We offer 0% interest payments plans, discounts, and competitive costs to help fit treatment into your budget.

Absolutely. It’s even more important to look after the health of your teeth during treatment, as many appliances provide extra places for plaque to build up. You should keep visiting your regular dentist every 6 months during orthodontic treatment.

If you don’t wear your retainers after orthodontic treatment, your teeth will try to shift back into their pretreatment positions. If you want to keep the beautiful results you worked so hard for, it’s important to follow the directions of your Specialist Orthodontist.