We know of one statement that no parent really wants to hear: “your child needs braces.” Immediate visions of wheelbarrows full of money disappearing over the horizon come to mind. Sure, all parents want what is best for their child, and nobody wants the poor kid to be plagued by crooked teeth or a huge overbite for the rest of his or her life. Even if the child will not be moving toward a career in Hollywood, making a living will always be easier if future employers and colleagues don’t find his or her smile distracting – assuming the child is willing to smile and reveal the oral flaws.
Parental love generally wins out, but there is no question that the expense of orthodontia is a fearsome and intimidating thought. They may well ask, “what kind of a car could we buy with that amount of money?”
Where Can Parents Find Cheap Dental Braces in Phoenix?
Sky Dental knows your concerns about the cost of orthodontia. They know you want to provide your children the best of everything, and they know that none of us has more money than we know what to do with. Your quest for cheap dental braces in the Phoenix area should start with and will end with Sky Dental. Not only do the Sky Dental offices recognize that the thing keeping people from getting needed braces is the cost, but they have developed their own in-house financing program to make braces available to everybody that needs them. With this dental credit, there is no need to pass a credit check, no third party financing and no hidden fees. They work with you to create a reasonable and affordable payment plan, typically costing no more than $99 monthly.
Keep in mind, too, that your first consultation with x-rays costs nothing. The Sky Dental orthodontist will evaluate your situation and provide an accurate treatment estimate so that you know everything in advance and can make the best decision for you.
The Purpose of Braces
Dental braces are devices used to align and straighten teeth and help position them with regard to a person’s bite, while also aiming to improve dental health. They are often used to correct underbites, overbites, crooked teeth, as well as malocclusions, and various other flaws of the teeth and jaw. A malocclusion (literally, bad closing) come from extra teeth, lost teeth, impacted teeth or abnormally shaped teeth, as well as a small, underdeveloped jaw, bad dental work in the past, or injury to the jaw. Other causes include tumors of the mouth or jaw, thumb sucking, tongue thrusting, prolonged use of a bottle or a pacifier used beyond age three.
Braces can be either cosmetic or structural. Dental braces are often used in conjunction with other orthodontic appliances to help widen the palate or jaws and to otherwise assist in shaping the teeth and jaws. The braces apply pressure to move the teeth into the desired position. Gradually each tooth loosens, followed by new bone growing in to support the tooth in the new position – a process called bone remodeling. The remodeling makes the bones stronger in response to sustained load-bearing activity, whereas it would become weaker when not carrying a load.
Materials that Make up Braces
With traditional braces, the dentist glues a small bracket to the front of each tooth and adjusts the molars with a band that encircles the tooth. The patient can usually eat and drink while wearing the braces; however, the patient must give up certain foods and eating habits while wearing them, such as gum with sugar and potato chips. The braces require periodic tightening by an orthodontist, causing some increased discomfort.
The most basic braces material is metal, specifically stainless steel, sometimes alloyed with titanium, fastened to metal brackets with elastic bands. Self-ligating braces do not require elastic ties; the wire goes through the bracket. This latter method reduces treatment time, causes less pain, and needs fewer adjustments. Other materials include titanium alone, which is equally as strong as stainless steel but weighs less and is good in cases where the patient may have allergies to the nickel in steel. Sometimes stainless steel braces are gold-plated to shield from the nickel content, but also just for appearances. Finally, clear braces offer a cosmetic adjustment by blending in with the natural color of the teeth.
With metal braces, the orthodontist bends and tightens the wires to encourage teeth to rotate, move together or move apart. This process may involve rubber bands connecting upper and lower brackets, coils between teeth and other devices to correct jaw misalignment or tooth gaps. Metal braces are noticeable, but for kids they are trendy – on top of that, they are the most affordable way to go for kids and adults, alike. They also allow the orthodontist the most control over the process.
For clear braces, Sky Dental uses a new technology called Invisalign. These consist of trays made using a mold of your mouth. A progressive series of these transparent trays creates consecutive small adjustments that gradually reform the teeth. The patient can remove the tray to eat, take selfies or brush his or her teeth. This Invisalign method addresses most orthodontic concerns, and braces are still readily available for those cases where Invisalign won’t work.
These invisible braces are a favorite for adults and also teens that don’t like the look of metal braces. A strong positive with these trays is that by removing them, one can eat whatever one wants.
The primary concern with Invisalign might be that kids can easily misplace something like this, but a special Invisalign program for teens allows up to six free replacement trays.
Braces Are Nothing New
Historians tell us that braces date back to ancient times. Hippocrates and Aristotle both looked into ways of straightening teeth and fix various dental conditions in ancient Greece. Archaeologists have discovered numerous mummified ancient individuals with what appear to be metal bands or even catgut wrapped around their teeth. A Roman tomb contained teeth bound with gold wire documented as a ligature wire, a small elastic wire used to affix the arch wire to the bracket. Even Cleopatra wore a pair of these dental appliances.
If it was good enough for Cleopatra, one of the most glamorous figures in all history, orthodontia must be good for your children. And now, with Sky Dental Offices, this technology is available and, thanks to their unique financing options, affordable for everyone.