Dentists do amazing jobs cleaning and repairing your teeth. But when it comes to moving teeth, the professional you want for the job is an orthodontist. What is an orthodontist, and what do they do?
Dr. Rachel Yamakawa at Ohana Orthodontics has years of professional training and experience in the art and science of moving teeth and repairing bad bites. How did she get here, and what can you expect from your orthodontist? We’re happy to answer those questions and more!
What Is an Orthodontist?
What exactly is an orthodontist, and what do orthodontists do? An orthodontist starts the same way your dentist does — dental school! However, future dentists may move from dental school to working for other dentists or opening their own practice.
Orthodontists must continue their training to be certified in the specialized field of orthodontics. This includes training with other orthodontists for hands-on experience in the field. Once they are certified, they can open their own orthodontic practice.
What Do Orthodontists Do?
What does an orthodontist do? They do a lot more than just put braces on your teeth!
An orthodontist is trained to use several dental appliances to correct issues with your teeth and jaw. They can even help reshape your face using dental appliances, such as a palate expander or a Herbst appliance that moves the lower jaw forward.
Some of the things your orthodontist can do:
- Examination: We use digital technology and a physical assessment to examine your teeth, jaws, and facial structure.
- Diagnosis: Using information obtained during the examination, we can determine what dental problems you have that need to be addressed and in what order.
- Treatment development: We design a detailed treatment plan to address dental issues in the proper order to get the best results in the shortest time and most comfortable way. We then present you with your best treatment options and give you a treatment time so you can decide on the best dental care for you.
- Orthodontic treatment: We use orthodontic appliances, from tongue cribs to braces, to treat your orthodontic issues.
- Monitoring and adjustments: We examine your mouth and monitor your progress throughout your treatment, making adjustments while you wear braces to keep your treatment on track.
- Post-treatment care: Once the braces are off, we continue to care for your mouth and jaw, providing retainers that keep your teeth straight. We can also address other issues that may pop up later, such as damage from injuries or teeth movement from noncompliance with retainers.
- Education: We educate patients, their parents, and even the community about the best ways to care for teeth and why good orthodontics is so important. This can include how orthodontics affects everything from digestion to breathing to proper speech. It can also include the importance of good oral hygiene and the best ways to brush and floss your teeth.
What Are Orthodontic Services?
We mentioned earlier that orthodontists do more than just put braces on teeth. While braces are a big part of orthodontic care, we also provide several other orthodontic services for patients of all ages. What are the orthodontic services we provide?
- Early treatment: Ohana Orthodontics offers two-phase braces for young patients to prevent dental issues from getting more severe. In the first phase, we prepare the mouth and stop habits that could damage teeth further. The second phase, if needed, involves treatment with braces.
- Orthodontic appliance treatment: Patients may not need braces or may need jaw or bite correction before braces. We treat with orthodontic appliances that can help break damaging habits (such as tongue thrust or thumbsucking), widen the jaw to make room for teeth, reposition the jaw, and even make breathing and sleeping easier.
- Adult braces: We offer braces and clear aligners for adults who want to correct dental problems they’ve had for years. Adult teeth can be moved, too. You’re never too old for a beautiful new smile!
- Traditional braces: We offer treatment with traditional metal braces. This is the most tried-and-true method of correcting a bad bite, and we get amazing results with metal braces!
- Clear braces: Clear ceramic braces are a great alternative to metal braces for those who want the moving power of braces without the look of braces.
- Clear aligners: Treatment with Invisalign clear aligners works for many patients who prefer the nearly invisible look over the look of braces. Clear aligners aren’t for everyone, which is why it’s important to consult with your orthodontist to determine whether Invisalign is right for you.
- Retainers: Teeth keep moving once the braces, or clear aligners come off, so we provide retainers to keep your teeth in place and straight. We follow up with occasional visits to ensure your teeth stay straight and your retainers continue to fit properly.
Orthodontic Treatment in Canby, OR
Choosing the right orthodontist is important because an orthodontist does so much more than put braces on your teeth. You want an orthodontist who cares about your needs, goals, and oral health.
Dr. Rachel and the team at Ohana Orthodontics in Canby, OR, want to make you feel like you’re a part of the family. We care about our patients and our community, and you will see the difference that makes with your first visit. Schedule an appointment and see why Ohana Orthodontics is the right orthodontist for you!
