San Francisco, Marin, and Oakland, CA
If you or a member of your family has crooked teeth, then straighten them with braces installed and maintained by our San Francisco cosmetic dentists at Glen Park Dental. Braces also can be used to correct teeth that are crowded, which can alleviate subsequent issues such as jaw pain or crooked bite.
Braces have come a long way from the traditional metal braces of the past. At Glen Park Dental, we offer tooth-colored braces that are more comfortable and convenient for patients than ever. Let’s take a deeper look at some of the ways that braces, and orthodontic treatment in general, have evolved.
- Tooth-colored bracketsmake braces less noticeable by others. While not right for every patient, these braces use brackets made of dental ceramic that is color-matched to the shade of your other natural, healthy teeth. Patients who receive braces with tooth-colored brackets often report that these ceramic brackets are more comfortable, and less likely to irritate the lips, gums, and cheeks the way that traditional metal braces can.
- Avoiding extractionsbefore installing braces is a cornerstone of the treatment philosophy of your Bay Area dentists at Glen Park Dental. Through the years, orthodontists often would remove teeth before beginning orthodontic treatment—under the premise that more room in the mouth was needed as teeth are straightened and brought into their preferred alignment. However, extracting healthy teeth from someone who is still growing actually can hinder the development of the face, jaw, dental arches, and airway. Instead, we focus on expanding the dental arch, and in most cases can be achieved with functional orthodontics.
- Functional orthodonticsallows us to accomplish treatment outcomes such as widening the dental arch to accommodate straighter teeth without removing teeth as a pre-emptive method practiced by most traditional orthodontists. By using a custom-made oral appliance that is fabricated from impressions of the mouth, we can address existing orthodontic problems by bringing the orofacial system into harmony by establishing the ideal resting posture—lips together, teeth together, and tongue resting gently against the roof of the mouth. An oral appliance also can be prescribed after orthodontic treatment such as braces. When worn, these oral appliances can correct issues developing from orthodontic treatment that may include receding gums, pain in the head and neck, or difficulty breathing.
Orthodontics in San Francisco
Glen Park Dental also offers the ALF Appliance and the Crozat Appliance as treatment options that work best when used as an early intervention treatment for children. We also are licensed to provide Invisalign, which achieves the orthodontic outcome of straighter teeth through a series of custom-made sets of clear plastic aligners.
Why should I straighten my teeth?
Living with crooked teeth increases your susceptibility to certain oral health problems such as temporomandibular joint disorder, a malfunction of the joint that connects the jaw to the skull that often causes severe and debilitating pain for patients who suffer from the disorder. Crooked teeth also may hinder oral hygiene efforts, increasing your risk of tooth decay or gum disease. Sometimes, people simply are embarrassed to smile unless their teeth are perfectly straight.
Remove those risks, improve your appearance, and get the straighter teeth you always wanted by seeking orthodontic treatment in Oakland at Glen Park Dental where we provide beautiful smiles for life. To learn more about braces or any of the other orthodontic treatments we offer, please call us at (415) 799-3900 to schedule a consultation.
Glen Park Dental is proud to offer comprehensive oral care to patients in the areas of Marin, Oakland, and San Francisco, California.
