Our goal at Mogren Dental is to always be on the leading edge of dental technology and techniques as well as being able to provide our patients with all of the dental services they need for a beautiful smile. That’s why Dr. Mogren decided to start offering orthodontics to his current line of dental services. He received his certification in orthodontics in the fall of 2014 from Gnathos and since then has had a great response from patients regarding this service. Gnathos is a prestigious institute for advanced education in orthodontics, specifically for growing children. Dr. Mogren’s philosophy is to start the children with orthodontic treatment when they’re young, usually between 8-10 years.

What are the benefits of early orthodontic treatment?

There are two main reasons why early orthodontic treatment can be beneficial. It enables the child to complete his or her orthodontic treatment at a younger age, and also helps to avoid some major orthodontic problems in the future.  Large overbites or underbites, tooth crowding, severely protruded front teeth, and narrow jaws are usually much easier to correct at a younger age when the jaw is still growing.

What color braces can I get?

Because this is a new service at Mogren Dental, we are currently only offering two different types of braces.

  • Traditional metal style braces (pictured to the right on the lower jaw)
  • Clear braces with white wire (pictured to the right on the upper jaw)
How long do you keep braces on for?

A typical treatment phase is about two years. However, the treatment duration is different for each patient depending on if the treatment plan is followed closely, the extensiveness of the correction, and the age of the patient.

Clear and metal braces open mouth
White and black braces

As part of our commitment to patient comfort, Mogren Dental is now offering general orthodontics. Unlike many orthodontists, at Mogren Dental, your child is more than just a mouth in a chair.  Completing your child’s orthodontics at a family-oriented dentistry like Mogren will ensure that they receive the highest quality, personalized care. We believe that orthodontics should be no more hassle than a typical trip to your dentist, and as such, it is a service that should be utilized before children’s teeth are fully set in place.  This enables children to complete orthodontic treatment at a younger age, and minimizes the risk of tooth extractions as they get older.  

How to tell if you need braces:

Crooked teeth – Called malocclusions by dentists, teeth that are crooked, crowded, or overlap other teeth are one major reason for braces.  Generally, this means that there’s not enough room in your mouth for all of your teeth, as they naturally come in.  A good rule of thumb to determine if you have malocclusions is to try and slide floss in between your teeth.  If it’s really difficult, or you can’t get the floss in between at all, you’re probably a good candidate for braces.

Spacing – If there seems to be an excessive amount of space, or large gaps between your teeth, braces might be a good idea.  Too much space in between your teeth can lead to issues with your bite, and potentially even your jaw.

Bite – When you bite down, if your top and bottom teeth don’t come right together, you could have a problem.  If your top teeth go over the bottom ones, you have an overbite.  If the bottom ones stick out further than the top teeth, you have an underbite.  Finally, if your top teeth come down on one side or the other, it’s called a crossbite, which can lead to asymmetry in your face if it’s not corrected.  Braces are a good idea in all of these situations, as they will correct your teeth position, and save you from bite and jaw problems in the future.

If you’re still unsure whether or not you or your child may need braces, give us a call, or schedule an appointment with Mogren Dental.  We are now offering orthodontic services, and would love to sit down and talk with you about your options.

Caring for teeth with braces:

Brush Properly – It may seem like a no-brainer to brush your teeth twice a day, but with braces you’ll have to brush more often and differently than you did before you had braces.  With braces, it’s important to brush your teeth after every meal, including snacks.  It might be helpful to carry a travel sized toothbrush around with you, as well as a proxabrush, which is designed to clean out hard to reach plaque that builds up between your braces and teeth.

Avoid certain foods – You’ll want to make sure you have a braces-friendly diet, to minimize the occurrence of broken brackets or wires.  This means avoiding hard-to-chew foods like apples and ice, crunchy foods like popcorn and hard pretzels, and sticky foods like chewing gum and taffy.  All of these can either get stuck in your braces, or can cause damage to your braces, both of which can be expensive to fix.

Protect your braces – If you play a sport, even a non-contact sport, it’s a really good idea to wear a mouthguard.  This will help to protect your teeth and braces from harmful situations, and make sure they stay intact.  It’s recommended that you wear a mouthguard on both your top and bottom teeth while you have the braces.  If you’re concerned about fit, most dentists can procure a custom made mouthguard to make sure your teeth are comfortably protected.

Get help immediately – If something does go wrong with your braces: a wire is poking out, a bracket fell off, or something just doesn’t feel right, you should contact your dentist or orthodontist immediately.  The longer you wait, the more damage you risk.  If you don’t seek dental professional help right away, your teeth could shift out of place, undoing a lot of work that you’ve already endured.