Bite Checks at Ardas Family Dental

Family dentists are entrusted with great responsibility for ensuring children’s health as they grow. Among those responsibilities is checking a child’s bite at each visit. But children aren’t the only people who can have issues with tooth or jaw misalignment. Jumbled teeth can be harder to clean, harder to chew with, and contribute to problems in the rest of the head and neck. If there’s a problem with your dental alignment, the first step toward fixing it is getting a bite check.

X-rays will help us to notice some issues with misalignment, but they aren’t the whole bite check. During that, we’ll ask patients to demonstrate closing their teeth together. If aligned properly, the top front teeth will rest outside the bottom ones, and the outer halves of the top ones will hang outside the bottom teeth’s outer halves. But none of the teeth should be tilting, and a bottom back tooth shouldn’t be completely inside the top arch. When a patient presses their teeth together, we’ll feel their temporomandibular joints, which is where their lower jaws connect to their skulls, to determine if anything is swollen or having difficulty moving.

If a person is having trouble biting down, they may feel soreness in their temporomandibular joints. The soreness could radiate outwards and cause swelling that would make it harder for them to fully open their mouths. Pressure from an uneven bite could also push teeth further out of place or cause them to break apart. This is especially concerning for dentures or crowns supported by implants, since implants have to be removed if they break and dentures are fragile. However, patients can learn to loosen their temporomandibular joints through stretching exercises, and we can refer patients for orthodontic work and denture repair. We can also reconstruct teeth once they’re no longer in danger from excessive pressure and help clean them while they realign.

Dr. Roopi Kattaura operates Ardas Family Dental at 10233 S Parker Rd, Suite 205, Parker, Colorado. Call 720-459-8420 or visit Ardas Family Dental and fill out a contact sheet.

Determining Causes of Gap Teeth at Ardas Family Dental

Are you tired of looking at a gap between your teeth? Do you find it causes you to whistle or that it’s interfering with your bite? We may be able to help at Ardas Family Dental in Parker, Colorado. Besides working closely with orthodontists and oral surgeons, we can help determine what is causing a gap and which treatments are appropriate. Some require more significant interventions than others.

The skull bones do not fully solidify until a person is in their adolescence, and before that, their teeth may migrate quite a bit. If a child sucks their thumb, this can cause an overbite and a diastema, which is the formal name for a gap between teeth. The same thing could happen if they thrust their tongue forward when they swallow. In these cases, traditional braces or aligners may close the gap, but the patient may need psychological counseling or treatment from an ear-nose-and-throat doctor to stop the behavior that created it.

In rare cases, a gap may form partially because a person has an overly large or tight labial frenum, which is the strip of tissue connecting the inside of the upper lip to the maxilla. One solution is to surgically reduce the frenum after orthodontic treatment. A person’s teeth may also simply be small for the amount of space in their upper jaw, or they may migrate slightly in adulthood after completing orthodontic therapy. When the gap is small, me may be able to close it just by using veneers.

Dr. Roopi Kattaura operates Ardas Family Dental at 10233 S Parker Rd, Suite 205, Parker, Colorado. Call 720-459-8420 or visit Ardas Family Dental and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Adult Orthodontics in Parker, CO

Dr. Roopi Kattaura of Ardas Family Dental provides orthodontic care for adolescents and adults.  It is often recommended to start treatment on an adolescent patient once all the permanent teeth have come in, but adults can still get great results from orthodontic care.  There are several options for adults beginning orthodontic treatment, and the best one for you will depend on what needs to be corrected.

To correct bite issues and straighten teeth, the traditional braces method includes brackets on the teeth and connecting wires that are tightened over the course of treatment. Clear braces use the same method but the materials are tooth-colored to avoid a metallic look.  Accelerated orthodontics are applied to correct cosmetic issues in about six months. Severe misalignments and bite issues can’t be corrected in such a short time, but if your concerns are purely cosmetic, it’s a great option for a short treatment time that can completely transform your smile. Invisalign treatment is popular because of its almost invisible appearance.  A treatment plan consists of a series of clear aligners that straighten teeth over time.  Come see us and find out what will be best to correct your smile!

To learn more about orthodontic care and the services we provide at the practice, or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Roopi Kattaura of Ardas Family Dental, visit Restorative Dentist Parker, CO for more information or call 720-459-8420. 

Clear Braces in Parker, CO

Ardas Family Dental sees adolescent and adult patients alike who are unhappy with the appearance of their smile.  Patients may desire a perfectly straight look for their smile, but aren’t in need of braces to correct any serious orthodontic issues.  We offer clear braces that can straighten teeth in the same manner as traditional braces, without the ‘metal mouth’ effect some patients dread.

Clear braces work to straighten teeth the same way traditional braces do, but without the metallic look.  Clear brackets are used along with wires the color of natural teeth.  The final look is not totally invisible, but is much more subtle than traditional silver braces and doesn’t look metallic.  The treatment time will vary, and this cosmetically pleasing straightening option gives any orthodontic patient the opportunity to achieve the perfectly straight smile braces result in.  The best way to determine if this treatment is right for you is a consultation with a dentist, so contact us if you want to improve your smile!

To learn more about clear braces and all the orthodontic treatments we provide, visit Kids and Family Dentist, Parker CO for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Roopi Kattaura at Ardas Family Dental in Parker, CO, call 720-459-8420.

Pain From Braces In Parker, CO

At Ardas Family Dental, we see many smiles transformed with braces.  We also know braces are a long process and that there is some pain and discomfort along the way.  Patients with braces often feel a little discomfort after their wires have been tightened, and patients with new braces usually experience some uncomfortable chafing as their mouth gets used to braces.  These are both normal occurrences and you can ease the pain while getting to your perfect smile!  

With a new set of braces, the insides of cheeks and lips will rub against the brackets and wires.  The soft tissue will toughen as your mouth gets accustomed to the braces, but at first it can create sore spots.  Orthodontic wax is a great defense against this.  Just a small piece can cover the edge of a bracket and relieve any chafing.  After a set of braces is tightened a patient will also feel some pain and soreness.  The patient should eat soft foods right after a tightening if they are experiencing discomfort.  If the pain continues, over-the-counter pain relievers like Advil and Motrin are helpful.  Please still contact the office if you experience any extreme or long-lasting discomfort.

To learn more about our orthodontic options and all the services we provide, visit Kids and Family Dentist, Parker CO for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Roopi Kattaura at Ardas Family Dental in Parker, CO, call 720-459-8420.

Caring for Invisalign

Ardas Family Dental is proud to offer Invisalign, the clear alternative to braces.  Clear aligners require less maintenance and won’t prevent you from eating certain foods, but there are still guidelines you should follow to wear and care for your aligners.  You should remove Invisalign each time you eat, but if you do eat anything while wearing the aligners make sure to clean them thoroughly afterwards. It is also best to brush and floss your teeth before putting the aligners back in.  Ideally when wearing clear aligners, you would only drink water. Colorful drinks can stain the aligners and too many hot drinks can eventually warp the plastic.  If you do drink anything other than water while wearing the aligners you should rinse them with warm water afterwards. 

Cleaning the clear aligners regularly is important for your teeth and straightening treatment.  Clear aligners can become discolored over time without losing their effectiveness, but the color can show on your own teeth and continue to darken.  Invisalign offers its own brand of cleaning solution, and there are several soaking solutions available over the counter, but brushing the aligners is also a sufficient cleaning option.  Do not use toothpaste to brush the aligners because subtle abrasive properties of toothpaste could harm the aligner.  It is best to use mild dish soap and a soft bristle brush to clean the aligners each time you brush your teeth.

To learn more about Invisalign and all the services provided at the practice, please visit Kids and Family Dentist, Parker CO for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Roopi Kattaura at Ardas Family Dental in Parker, CO, call 720-459-8420.