Braces
Ready for the smile you have always wanted?
Southaven office | 662.349.0777
Collierville office | 901.853.9934SMILES ARE CONTAGIOUS ... AT ANY AGE
Braces Don't Just Change Teeth. They Change Lives.
Dr. Harrison and the team at Southern Orthodontic Specialists specialize in individualized care to match you up with the best braces for you. We admit, we're a bit partial to three of the best systems in orthodontics and use these most often. See quick overviews of each of these systems below. At Southern Orthodontic Specialists, we see kids, teens, and adults. It's never too late to get the smile you've always wanted. Our website provides more info regarding specific age groups. Got more questions? You can always give us a call, too.
Braces Options
There are many options for a great smile with Dr. Hunter Harrison
Damon® Ultima System
Clear Aligner System
The Beginning of Great Teeth
Childrens Braces
Children should be seen by an Orthodontist by age 7. For many, no treatment is necessary. For some, a timely screening will lead to significant treatment benefits; for most, the principal immediate benefit is a parent’s peace of mind. For those patients who have clear indications for early treatment, this treatment presents the opportunity to:
- Influence jaw growth in a positive manner.
- Correct skeletal jaw width discrepancies or cross bites.
- Preserve or gain space for erupting permanent teeth.
- Reduce risk of trauma to protruded upper incisors.
- Correct harmful oral habits such as thumb sucking or tongue thrusting.
- Reduce likelihood of impacted permanent teeth.
- Improve some speech problems.
Prime Time for Braces
Teen Braces
The best time to treat most patients with Damon Braces or Invisalign is between the ages of 11 and 15 because by age 12, most if not all of the permanent teeth have erupted into place. Because adolescents are growing at a rapid rate and their bones are more pliable, the optimal time to treat their crooked teeth, gaps, bad bites and skeletal problems is during the teen years. An additional benefit is it allows the orthodontist to complete treatment in many cases before the high school years when social pressures can be more apparent.
It is never too late to enhance your smile.
Adult Braces
In an age where more and more adults are concerned about facial appearance and seeking more esthetic treatments than ever before, it makes sense that more social conscious adults are also seeking orthodontic treatment to enhance their smiles.
When it comes to first impressions, the first thing most people notice in a person’s smile is the condition of their teeth, which in most cases can be improved through proper dental care and alignment by a qualified orthodontist.
Because adults many times do not want traditional metal braces, we offer Damon Ultima® Braces clear aligners as alternatives to traditional metal braces. Both are extremely esthetic and can be used in conjunction with Propel® to decrease treatment time up to 50%. Orthodontic treatment is not only improves the appearance of your smile, but also the health of your teeth and gums as well. By seeking orthodontic treatment as an adult you can possibly avoid severe tooth decay, gum and bone loss, irregular wear of the tooth enamel, and TMJ/TMD pain.
Other Braces Options
We Individualize for You
In addition to the choice of either Damon Braces, Damon Clear Braces or Invisalign, we customize your treatment depending on the problems you may have. We may discuss with you one or more of the additional treatments listed below that could possibly be needed in conjunction with your braces.
PROPEL SYSTEM: GET YOUR BRACES OFF FASTER !
See what everyone is smiling about. PROPEL stimulates bone remodeling, allowing the teeth to move faster and more predictably into their proper positions. Ask Dr. Harrison how Propel can work for you.
TEMPORARY ANCHORAGE DEVICES (TAD)
Small mini implants used as anchors to help move teeth. Until recently when TADs were introduced, orthodontist did not have a way to move teeth other than to pull off of other teeth, use an external device like a headgear or jaw surgery to correct skeletal discrepancies, midlines or asymmetries. TADs are used to improve the overall treatment result and reduce the unwanted movement of anchor teeth or jaw surgery.
HERBST - style Appliances
Eliminate the old-fashioned headgear! One of the most common problems orthodontists treat is the discrepancy that occurs when the upper teeth protrude beyond the lower. With these patients, we would like to encourage the lower jaw to catch up in growth, and appliances like the Herbst can help this happen without using a headgear. Because it is cemented into place during treatment, compliance is rarely an issue, allowing the orthodontist to accurately estimate the overall treatment time and eliminate some of the hassle and embarrassment associated with headgear.
PALATAL EXPANDERS
In some patients, the upper jaw bone (the maxilla) is narrower than the lower jaw bone (the mandible). To correct this problem a palatal expander is used to widen the upper jaw bone and allow a normal relationship between upper and lower teeth. The expander may often reduce the likelihood for having to remove permanent teeth because of crowding.
ORTHOGNATHIC SURGERY
Corrective jaw surgery treats and corrects the more severe abnormalities of the facial bones, specifically the jaws and the teeth. Often these abnormalities cause difficulty associated with chewing, talking, sleeping, breathing and other routine activities. Orthognathic surgery corrects these problems and in conjunction with orthodontic treatment, will improve the overall appearance of the facial profile.
RETENTION
When we remove your braces, we will begin the retention stage of your treatment. Because your teeth move throughout your life, your final orthodontic result depends on your wearing retainers to keep the teeth in place. Dr. Harrison will discuss retainer options with you based on your crowding, spacing, overbite, etc. Your follow-through with the hard work you’ve put in so far will ensure that your teeth will look and function like they did when your braces were removed. Dr. Harrison likes to tell his patients that the adults who come to him still wearing their retainers at night are the ones who still have straight teeth. The adults who stopped wearing their retainers are the ones who come back to get braces again. The choice yours!
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General
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Braces FAQs
Braces are a big investment, in you or your child’s health, long-term appearance and confidence. Before making decisions tied to treatment plans and next steps, it’s important to educate yourself about braces and their expected outcome as it relates to your unique needs. Use this list of frequently asked questions to familiarize yourself with braces, then get in touch schedule a consultation to learn more about the process and how targeted treatment can change your mouth -- and your life.
