3 Facts about Two-Phase Orthodontic Treatment

Located in Greenville, Mississippi, our practice's top priority is to provide you the highest quality orthodontic care in a friendly, comfortable environment.

Two-phase orthodontic treatment is a very specialized process that encompasses jaw and facial changes and tooth straightening. The major advantage of two-phase treatment is to maximize the opportunity to accomplish the ideal healthy, functional, aesthetic and comfortable result that will remain stable. In some cases, interceptive treatment prevents adult tooth extractions or major jaw surgery.

Second phase treatment begins once most of the adult teeth have erupted. This phase usually requires 12 months with braces on all of the teeth. After the second phase of treatment retainers will be worn in order to hold the teeth in the correct position.

1. Moving baby teeth is not done for the sake of their appearance. While baby teeth can move during Phase One orthodontic treatment, their movement is part of the process to ensure sufficient space for permanent teeth.
2. Two-phase orthodontic treatment is for kids, but it’s not for all kids. Most orthodontic problems can be treated in one phase of comprehensive treatment, however, there are a few exceptions.
3. Two-phase orthodontic treatment can be used to help numerous things, including helping the jaws develop to ensure adequate space for all of the permanent teeth, especially the permanent canines. It also normalizes the relationship of the upper jaw to the lower jaw, especially in the case of an underbite.

We utilize the latest technological advances in the industry. If you have any questions about orthodontic treatment or oral health care routines, please do not hesitate to contact us or schedule a consultation.

3 Easy Health Tips for the New Year

Happy New Year! It's a new year and that means new opportunities to restart our health routines if they may have fallen off a bit, or to pledge for a healthier year. Located in Greenville, Mississippi, our practice's top priority is to provide you the highest quality orthodontic care in a friendly, comfortable environment. One of the easiest things we can do to improve our health in 2020 is to create a healthy oral hygiene routine.

Here are 3 health tips for the new year.

1. Change Your Toothbrush: An easily avoidable habit we can change is to switch out our toothbrush every 3-4 months. Take a look at the bristles. If they are frayed, they won't clean teeth as thoroughly. If you use an electric toothbrush, switch out the heads every 3-4 months as well.

2. Flossing: Flossing is an essential step in any oral hygiene routine. How often should you floss? Everyday. Flossing every day is even more important when you have braces. If you’re having trouble flossing, just use a floss threader with regular floss, or buy special stiff-tipped floss made for braces wearers.

3. Stop Snacking: Ideally, you want to avoid snacking. If snacking is a big issue, be sure to brush your teeth after because it can allow food particles and sugar to remain on your teeth for too long, providing fuel for bacteria that feed on it.

We utilize the latest technological advances in the industry, such as invisible ceramic braces and Invisalign, along with the latest in computer technology to ensure that you receive the most effective care possible and your smile is the best it can be. If you have any questions about orthodontic treatment or oral health care routines, please do not hesitate to contact us or schedule a consultation.

Have Braces? Say No to Candy Cane’s

What are your favorite things about the Holidays? Is it the Christmas tree? Presents? All the holiday treats? No matter what your favorite thing is about this time of year, no holiday season is complete without all the holiday treats! One of those treats to stay away from is candy canes. Whether you love them or don’t, candy canes are everywhere during the holidays. However you feel about candy canes, if you have braces, you may want to avoid candy canes this holiday season.

Candy canes are one of the worst foods for teeth. Candy canes are 100% sugar. Sugar can lead to cavities, tooth decay, and loss. Candy canes are also one of the hardest treats to eat. One of the types of foods you should stay away from if you have braces (during orthodontic treatment) are hard foods and candies and candy canes fit the criteria perfectly.

Candy canes also take a while to eat, which gives the sugar a reason to linger around longer and form into bacteria, leading to cavities. Here are other treats to stay away from this holiday season that are harmful to our teeth.

What is the difference between an Orthodontist and a Dentist?

If you are beginning to research how to “get straight teeth” or “do I need braces,” a question you may be wondering is, "can my dentist give me braces?" The answer is a big NO! There are major differences between an orthodontist and a dentist. From what a dentist does to what an orthodontist can do.

As orthodontists, we utilize the latest technological advances in the profession to achieve unsurpassed results for our patients. Dentists are mainly concerned with your overall dental health. Dentists treat decayed teeth and remove failed teeth. Dentists look for abnormalities in the mouth and teach patients how to prevent dental disease.

Orthodontists are specialists in training teeth and aligning jaws. Another difference between both dentist and orthodontist, is orthodontist become specialists by completing four years of general dental education in dental school and then continuing in an accredited program where they study their specific specialty full-time for two or more years.

Located in Greenville, Mississippi, our team is dedicated to ensuring you receive the best care possible. Your smile lasts a lifetime and our practice's top priority is to provide you the highest quality orthodontic care. Our goal is to create beautiful smiles and grow self-esteem in our patients.

Join our Halloween 2019 Contest

Happy Halloween! Joint TLS Orthodontics and other practices around our Greenville community, and vote for your favorite pumpkin. https://www.facebook.com/pg/TLSOrthodontics/

 

Protect Your Smile #MouthGuardDay

Today is #NationalMouthGuardDay! As everyone has gone back to school and fall sports are about to begin, it is a perfect opportunity to remind our Greenville community the importance of wearing a mouthguard during activities, especially during orthodontic treatment!

Wearing a mouthguard ensures our teeth and overall smile is protected. During the ages of 7 to 11 years old children are most vulnerable to sports related mouth injuries. 67% of parents surveyed by the American Association of Orthodontists said their child does not wear a mouthguard, yet 70% said their biggest fear is their child getting hurt when playing sports.

Here are the three types of mouthguards you can wear, especially if you are currently in orthodontic treatment.

• Custom fitted mouth guards - these are made by your dentist and can be molded to fit your smile perfectly.
• Stock mouth guards - these types of mouth guards are  performed and may be a bit bulky.
• Boil and bite mouthguards - are mouth guards that are softened by boiling water and then insert your mouth, to form to the shape of your mouth. 

Treatable Orthodontic Problems at TLS Orthodontics

Crowding: 

Crowding of the teeth is probably the most common orthodontic problem. Although many factors contribute to dental crowding, this problem typically stems from a discrepancy between the space in each jaw and the size of the teeth.

Crowding can be the cause or result of other problems, such as impacted teeth, retained teeth or teeth that do not naturally fall out. Crossbite of the front or rear teeth can also cause the teeth to become crowded.

Spacing: 

Spaces between teeth are another common problem associated with the need for orthodontic care. Like crowding, spacing may be related to a tooth-to-jaw size disharmony. Spacing may occur between the front and the back teeth. Tooth size discrepancies, such as smaller teeth or abnormally shaped teeth, or tongue thrust habits can also create abnormal spacing.

If you are experiencing some problems or want to find more information, give us a call at (662) 332-4902