Traditional metal braces are the most common type of braces and are more comfortable today than ever before. Made of high-grade stainless steel, metal braces straighten your teeth using metal brackets and archwires. With metal braces, you have the option of adding colored elastics (rubber bands) for a more unique and colorful smile.

Ceramic braces are made of clear materials and are therefore less visible on your teeth than metal braces. While they are visually less prominent, they do require more attention to oral hygiene as ceramic braces are larger than their metal counterparts.

Invisalign® uses a series of invisible, removable, and comfortable aligners to straighten your teeth. And, no one can tell you are wearing Invisalign® because it’s invisible! Not only are the aligners invisible, they are removable, so you can eat and drink what you want while in treatment, plus brushing and flossing are less of a hassle. The aligners are comfortable and have no metal to cause mouth abrasions during treatment.

Precision Orthodontics helps many children stop their thumb sucking habit. Thumb sucking has many negative orthodontic effects on children including an open bite and constricted upper jaw. The act of thumb sucking actually changes the form of the upper jaw as it grows. Form follows function. The sooner your child stops thumb sucking, the better! Contact us for a free consultation, and we’ll help prevent your child’s thumb sucking habit.

How Can My Child Stop Thumb Sucking On Their Own?

There are a few different methods to stop thumb sucking on your own. The first is putting something foul tasting on your child’s thumb. Make sure that whatever you apply is non-toxic and won’t harm the child if ingested. For example, a few of our patients have tried Mavala to apply to the child’s thumb.

Other methods that our patients have tried include Thumb Guards. These are plastic guards that cover the thumb. These guards can be wrapped around the wrist, making it difficult for your child to remove. Dr. Poidmore and Dr. Crawford recommends that patients come in for a consultation in order to determine the best treatment option for thumb sucking.

What Can Precision Orthodontics Do To Help Stop Thumb Sucking?

We’ve never encountered a child that we couldn’t get to stop thumb sucking. We have found that Habit Appliances are the best deterrent when it comes to thumb sucking. These are appliances that are temporarily cemented into your child’s mouth and will stay in place until the habit stops. This is a great solution as it is semi-permanent in that once the habit stops the habit appliance can be removed.

Come Visit Precision Orthodontics Soon!

Though you may find these suggestions helpful to stop your child from sucking their thumb we still recommend that you bring your child in for a consultation. It is possible that their habit has already led to orthodontic issues. Our patients are important to us, and our goal is to provide them with the most up-to-date orthodontic treatments including Invisalign and Incognito braces. We encourage you to browse the remainder of our website for more information on our premier orthodontic practice. Should you have any further questions, concerns or wish to book an appointment, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We look forward to meeting you at your first visit!

Does my child need a space maintainer?

If your child has lost a baby tooth early, they may need a space maintainer. One of the purposes of baby teeth, are to hold the space for the adult teeth. If a baby tooth is lost early, then the space it was holding for the adult tooth could close up. If you believe that your child may be a candidate for a space maintainer we recommend that you bring your child in for an evaluation.

What are the different types of space maintainer?

When considering space maintainers it is important that Dr. Poidmore and Dr. Crawford is able to evaluate the patient and determine which maintainer is best for each individual case. The different types of maintainers are:

• Unilateral – Band and Loop: This space maintainer is ideal if a child loses their primary 1st molar early. It maintains the space for the permanent tooth to come in.
• Bilateral – Lower Lingual Holding Arch: This space maintainer can maintain space on both sides of the mouth for the eruption of permanent teeth. This space maintainer is ideal if a child loses their primary 2nd molar early.

What happens if my child does not get a space maintainer but needs one?

If space is not maintained, the most likely result is crowding of the permanent teeth. When severe crowding occurs, permanent teeth may need to be extracted in order to make room to align all of the permanent teeth. Once space is lost, it may not be able to be regained without the extraction of permanent teeth. This is what makes space maintainers so important!

Come Visit Our Orangevale or Folsom Office Soon!

Thank you for visiting our website! We encourage you to visit the remainder of our website to find out more about what Precision Orthodontics has to offer. If you have any further questions about space maintainers, the practice or simply wish to book an appointment, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We look forward to seeing your smile at your first visit to our office!

Retainers may be removable or fixed. They hold your teeth in their new, correct positions after your teeth have been straightened. Your orthodontist will instruct you on how to care for your retainer and about the duration of the wear. Wearing your retainer as directed is crucial to prevent regression of your treatment.

Clear (Invisible) Retainers

These retainers are clear and customized to your teeth. At first you will wear these retainers 18-24 hours a day. Eventually you will only need to wear these retainers at night.

Fixed (Permanent) Retainers

These retainers will be glued to the back of your anterior teeth. These retainers stay in your mouth, so you don’t have to worry about taking them in and out. We offer a clear (invisible) retainer to place on top of this as a back up system.

Traditional (Hawley) Retainers

These retainers are best at allowing your teeth to fit together naturally. These retainers are made up of acrylic that fits over your palate, and wire that fit over your teeth. These retainers are to be worn 18-24 hours a day at first, and eventually only at night.

Visit Your Orangevale or Folsom Orthodontist Today!

We highly encourage any potential new patients to browse the remainder of our website for any further information on the orthodontic process. If you have any other questions regarding the retention phase or wish to book an appointment at our Orangevale or Folsom office, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We hope to see you in one of our conveniently located offices soon!