Orthodontics
At C&C Dental and Orthodontics, we think braces are for everyone!
Our number one goal is to provide the very best in orthodontic care to all our patients, whether they be children, teens or adults. We invite you to come in for a FREE orthodontic consultation. We will examine you or your child, provide you with a financial estimate, and share with you the steps involved in proceeding with orthodontic care. Just call our office at 281-815-4188 for an appointment.
For your convenience, we are open one Saturday a month and we stay until 7 pm three nights a week. At C&C Dental, you will never have to take your child out of school for their orthodontic appointments.
Why Braces?
There are two philosophies or schools of thought in orthodontics. One is that the mouth is too small for the teeth and the other is that the teeth are too big for the mouth. If you had braces in the 1970's, most likely they told you that you had too many teeth for your mouth, and the dentist took out teeth to straighten them. Today, we like to expand the jaws to a more normal size and then straighten the teeth on a better foundation. We have a policy of non-extraction orthodontics, whenever possible.
Adult Braces
Many adults want straight teeth but don't want to wear braces for 2 - 3 years, nor do they want to cut down their teeth for porcelain covers. We, at C&C Dental, use a fast bracket system that shortens treatment time. The new Vector III system can straighten crooked front teeth in 6 months. Yes, I said 6 months! Today, more than 25% of our orthodontic patients are adults.
We treat many adults who have realized that their teeth have moved through adulthood. Teeth have natural movement through life toward the center of the body, which sometimes results in teeth that are more crooked later in life. With only a 6 month commitment, braces are a fast and great cosmetic fix.
Early Treatment
We specialize in early treatment. It is best for Dr. Cody to see children by age 6 or 7. This is an opportune time to catch and treat problems early. The most common issue that can be treated early is crowding. If the baby teeth are perfect, you know you are in trouble. Permanent teeth are so much bigger than baby teeth that if space did not exist between all the baby teeth, the permanent teeth will be crowded. This is easily addressed with retainers that expand the jaws. Usually, the problem is that the mouth is underdeveloped and does not have enough room to fit the teeth. In the 1970's, it was common to wait until early teens and then pull 4 teeth. Studies have shown that expanding the jaws and making room for all the teeth is not only more esthetic but also gives you a better bite.
Other problems that can be treated early are open bites due to thumb sucking or some other habit, abnormal swallowing patterns and tongue-tied situations.
Because C&C Dental is a full service office, we can perform all necessary procedures to coordinate treatment. For example, for those children with a tongue tied situation we can perform the necessary surgery and make the orthodontic appliances.
Many speech problems are due to the improper structure of the jaws or a habit that caught early can be treated in combination with a speech pathologist. We work closely with the speech therapist to resolve these issues.