Thursday, June 26, 2014

My child has a narrow palate and a small lower jaw. I’m concerned his narrow palate is preventing his lower jaw from growing. Can orthodontic treatment help bring his lower jaw forward?

Yes, widening the palate allows the lower jaw to move forward. I use the high-tech H4 system of braces to gently widen the palate and to create wide beautiful smiles without removing teeth. I do not recommend using screws or palatal expanders to widen the palate because I feel that the forces used with this kind of treatment are too strong. I prefer to use a much gentler method to widen the palate. Please call 1-800-4BRACES for your free consultation.

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

My orthodontist said I needed two upper teeth extracted to correct my overbite. Now, I am almost finished treatment. My overbite has been fixed but I feel that my smile is narrow and too far back. Can you correct it?

Yes, but I wish that you never had your upper teeth extracted. Many orthodontists treat patients with this plan called "camouflage.” It hides the fact that the lower jaw is too small by extracting upper teeth and moving the smile backwards. This corrects the overbite but the upper lip and wide smile are sacrificed. I do not use this treatment plan. Call 1-800-4Braces if you are concerned about an upper extraction plan and want another opinion.