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AFTER PHASE 1 orthodontic treatment, your 12 year old’s teeth look really good. Why do Phase 2 orthodontic treatment?

Phase 1 orthodontic treatment is completed between ages 7 and 9. Between Phase 1 and Phase 2, 16 additional permanent teeth come into the mouth. The chances of all 16 of these permanent teeth coming in perfectly are pretty low.

Phase 2 Is The Final Bite Tune-Up

Growth can also modify midlines, bite, or tooth position. Consider Phase 2 orthodontic treatment as the final bite tune-up that will last your child’s lifetime.

When choosing to do Phase 1 Phase 2 treatment versus comprehensive orthodontic treatment starting at age twelve, consider two phase treament as “half now, half later.” Doing Phase 1 and starting Phase 2 treatment early will insure that your child has their braces off by the Junior Prom. Two phase treatment will make their final treatment phase shorter and easier to complete during this delicate and precious teenage time of life.

Two-Phase Treatment Is Sometimes Needed For Best Results

In 15% of cases, doing Phase I Phase 2 orthodontic treatment will produce a better result. Growth and tooth position can be modified. There is also the psychological benefit of early confidence that goes with having a beautiful smile at a young age.

Questions? Give Us A Call!

It is possible to do Phase 2 orthodontic treatment with either braces or Invisalign Teen. Call us at Gorczyca Orthodontics if you have questions about Phase 1 Phase 2 orthodontic treatment (925) 757-9000 or visit us at www.clubbraces.com.

The Junior Prom will be here soon. Phase 2 orthodontic treatment with make your child’s smile and bite great!

TOOTH DECAY IS THE #1 CHRONIC DISEASE IN CHILDREN. It’s estimated that 40% of children have some form of tooth decay before they even reach kindergarten. Alarming, isn’t it? But SO much of the problem is preventable through routine hygiene appointments.

Add Dental Checkups To Your Back-To-School Checklist

Don’t wait until there’s a problem—even if your child isn’t complaining about discomfort. Tooth pain doesn’t usually exist until decay reaches the tooth’s pulp. At that point, it’s probably advanced and may require more extensive treatment. Good preventive treatment happens BEFORE there’s pain.

Don’t Forget About Orthodontic Evaluations Too!

Loose baby teeth ready to fall out can also cause tooth and gum pain.

The first baby teeth to fall out are the lower central incisors. These teeth can become loose at kindergarten age. The last baby teeth to fall out are the lower primary second molars. These teeth usually fall out by sixth grade.

When baby teeth stay too long, they may have a root caught in the gum with a permanent tooth pushing up underneath it. These teeth wiggle back and forth and may not be possible for your child to remove on their own. This can be uncomfortable and also cause the permanent teeth to be pushed out of place, making permanent teeth crooked.

Painful and harmful loose baby teeth are one of the reasons the American Association of Orthodontists recommends that every child receive an orthodontic evaluation by age 7. Your orthodontist can evaluate baby teeth loss to make sure that your child will be pain free. To find an orthodontist in your community, visit www.mylifemysmile.org.

At Gorczyca Orthodontics, We Love Working With Kids

At Gorczyca Orthodontics in Antioch, California we see children for a complimentary orthodontic examination as early as age 4. If tooth decay is visible, we will refer your child to a pediatric dentist or back to your family dentist for treatment.

Dr. Ann Marie Gorczyca has been a licensed dentist since 1988. She completed her university based orthodontic residency program to become an orthodontic specialist in 1990. She is a Board Certified orthodontist and a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics.

In 2015, Dr. Gorczyca celebrates 25 years of being an orthodontist and working with children. She has now treated over 10,000 patients! To have your child seen by Dr. Gorczyca, call us at (925) 757-9000 or visit us at www.clubbraces.com to schedule a complimentary exam.

How Do We Protect Your Child’s Smile?

It is important to be free of tooth decay prior to getting braces. Gorczyca Orthodontics also uses Opalseal, an additional bonding resin to protect teeth from decay during orthodontic treatment. While in braces, it is important to still have cleanings twice per year with your regular dentist. Dr. Gorczyca removes wires for dental cleanings to ensure that all parts of teeth can be cleaned well and that excellent oral hygiene can be maintained during orthodontic treatment.

Patients receive a hygiene evaluation at every appointment at Gorczyca Orthodontics. Wires will be removed and an extra cleaning and hygiene instruction scheduled with your hygienist if necessary. If hygiene is excellent at your orthodontic appointment, you will recieve a reward token to collect to win a prize.

Our goal is to have your child decay free, pain free, with the most beautiful smile possible.

Help Set Your Child’s Great Oral Health Habits Now!

When you take an active role in your child’s oral health, you do a lot more than care for his or her teeth. You help your child develop habits that will positively shape overall health for life... Habits that will likely be passed down to your posterity as well.

Have a great school year!

Top image by Flickr user Elizabeth Albert used under Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 4.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original.

IF YOU’RE MISSING A TOOTH, OR SEVERAL TEETH, we want you to know there are remarkable replacement options. One reliable, natural looking option to consider is dental implants.

Dental implants are artificial tooth “roots”—usually made of titanium—that are placed in your jawbone and covered by a natural looking tooth replacement.

Implants Can Improve Your Appearance And Comfort

Tooth loss can often lead to bone deterioration in the jaw, which can give your face a sunken appearance. Dental implants can help keep your bone and facial structure intact—so you can look and feel your best.

Because they replace the whole tooth—starting at the root—dental implants also look, feel, and function like real teeth. You’ll feel natural and comfortable when smiling, speaking, and eating. The only thing people will notice when you smile is your smile!

Effective Smile Restoration May Require A Team

At Gorczyca Orthodontics, we will work with your dentist and oral surgeon as a team to restore your overall bite and dental health. This is the comprehensive team approach to implant dentistry. The doctors will evaluate your dental health, bone, and teeth together to provide you with the best comprehensive treatment plan possible.

Sometimes an implant site space needs to be widened or closed by orthodontic treatment for your implant to function properly and look as natural as possible. This may require orthodontic treatment. To find an orthodontist near you, visit the American Association of Orthodontists at www.mylifemysmile.com.

How Will Orthodontic Treatment Correspond With The Implant Process?

Your implant site may be maintained by your braces during the implant placement process. Your braces will hold the space open from the time of implant post placement to the time that your final crown is placed.

You may need a bond graft prior to implant placement. In these cases, your oral surgeon will work closely with your orthodontist to maintain a tooth in the empty site attached to your braces so that you can look good and feel comfortable during the implant process.

Implants Help Keep Your Smile Healthy

Neighboring teeth are not altered or damaged when implants are placed. In fact, implants can help preserve the structure and positioning of your teeth.

Implants also make it easier to maintain the brightness and beauty of your smile. Because they function like a real tooth, implants don’t complicate oral hygiene. You can continue to practice the same great care you always do while brushing and flossing.

There Are Many Different Types Of Implant Treatments

Selecting the ideal treatment method is very important. Here are a few simple illustrations that reference some of these treatment methods. When we visit together, we’ll be sure that you understand everything. You can count us us to help determine what the best course of action will be for you.

Dental Implants Will Improve Your Quality Of Life

If you’re hiding your smile because of a missing tooth (or teeth), stop! Dental implants are a permanent solution and can have a positive impact on your appearance, comfort, and health. They can help give you the confidence you need to smile proudly! So, what are you waiting for?

Call us today and we’ll walk you through the dental implant process, start to finish, and answer any questions you may have.

We’ll Be With You Every Step Of The Way

Implants may take up to 6 months to complete. Your orthodontist will be with you every step of the way working with your general dentist and oral surgeon to make your implant experience and result the best possible.

To learn more about orthodontics and dental implants, visit us at Gorczyca Orthodontics www.clubbraces.com or call us at (925) 757-9000 for a complimentary consultation. We’re here to help you achieve a lasting bite with implants for a gorgeous new smile.

Thank you for being our friends and patients! Do you know someone who could benefit from this information? Please share this post online! Thanks.

NEUROMUSCULAR DENTISTRY differs from traditional dentistry in that it includes focused consideration of the muscles and nerves in and around the jaw—and the correct positioning of the jaw—as part of overall oral health.

Neuromuscular Dentistry Can Help Treat TMD

Our teeth, joints, muscles, and nerves all work together in the proper alignment and functioning of our jaw. When any part of this delicate equation is overlooked, painful conditions such as TMD (temporomandibular joint disorder) and other serious dental problems can develop.

How Does Neuromuscular Dentistry Relate To Orthodontic Treatment?

Orthodontists are well educated and experienced in the treatment of TMD. University-based orthodontic residency programs include working in a TMD clinic where patients with severe TMD problems are treated by a team of specialists to provide a solution to this complex dental problem. To find an orthodontist near you, visit the American Association of Orthodontists at www.mylifemysmile.org.

What Can You Expect From TMD Treatment?

The first step of TMD treatment is a comprehensive radiographic evaluation of the temporomandibular joints and discs by a dental radiologist. Once a diagnosis is made, the patient will be referred to the appropriate specialist to treat the symptoms and remove the cause of the pain.

In situations where the bite is involved, orthodontists make a TMD splint. This splint is made of hard acrylic from mounted study models where your jaw placement is recorded in the most relaxed and natural bite position (centric relation). Hard biting will be relieved from the back of this splint (sometimes called a guard) so that your jaw can settle to the most relaxed and comfortable joint position.

Where Is The Pain?

At Gorczyca Orthodontics, we are usually able to reduce TMD pain within 6 months. When appropriate, patients are asked to wear a TMD splint 24 hours per day and come in for weekly adjustments.

“Where is the pain?” is an important question. When pain is in the joint, the bite may be a factor. After the splint is worn and pain is gone, some patients seek orthodontic treament for permanent pain relief.

Some muscle pain can be caused by grinding and clinching of the teeth (bruxism). This pain occurs at certain times of the day, early morning or after a long commute in heavy traffic. In these situations, the splint is extremely useful for relaxing the muscles and relieving muscle pain.

Pain can also be caused by a tooth or crown being high when biting or making jaw movements. This can be relieved by a small adjustment of the teeth with light grinding (equilibration). For this, Dr. Gorczyca will record your bite, complete the process study models of your teeth on an articulator, show you the result, and then reproduce these changes on your natural teeth for a more comfortable bite.

Hard And Soft Tissues Have A Complex Relationship

We work to make that relationship harmonious. If your jaw is misaligned, many physiological problems can result, including:

• Headaches/migraines
• Facial pain
• Back, neck and shoulder pain
• Sensitive and sore teeth
• Jaw pain
• Limited jaw movement
• Worn or cracked teeth
• Clicking or popping in the jaw joints
• and others…

TMD Affects Millions Of People

Neuromuscular dentistry utilizes modern technology to precisely determine the proper positioning of the jaw, and to place the jaw into its optimal position, which can help relieve the symptoms associated with TMD.

If you have symptoms like those listed above, take a minute and make an appointment with our team. We’d be happy to take the time to visit with you about the benefits of neuromuscular dentistry.

Dr. Gorczyca Has Advanced Training In TMD Treatment

Dr. Gorczyca completed a two year study of TMD in addition to her orthodontic residency program. This study was held at the University of Detroit and called “Advance Education in Orthodontics” AEO.

Jaw pain is complex. There could be rheumatoid arthritis involved or damage to your nerves, muscles, and joints due to trauma or pathology. In these situations, Dr. Gorczyca will refer you to the UCSF Craniofacial Pain Clinic or the TMD Center at Kaiser Hospital for evaluation by an additional team of specialists.

For Temporomandibular Dysfunction (TMD) treatment or neuromuscular bite evaluation, call Dr. Gorczyca at (925)757-9000 or visit us at www.clubbraces.com for a complimentary exam. We are here to help make your life pain free.

And, as always, thanks for being our valued patient and friend.