Traditional Braces – Albuquerque, NM
The Tried & Tested Method for Straightening Smiles
Have you or your child been struggling with orthodontic issues like an underbite, gapped teeth, or a crowded smile? Not only can this affect your ability to chew and take care of your oral health, but it can also negatively impact your self-confidence. To help fix orthodontic problems, our team can offer custom traditional braces in Albuquerque to effectively straighten your pearly whites! Keep reading to learn more about this treatment or call our office to schedule your initial consultation.
Why Choose Valer Dental & Braces for Traditional Braces?
- Highly Experienced In-House Orthodontist
- Effective & Personalized Treatment Plans
- Multiple Financing Options for Affordable Care
How Do Traditional Braces Work?
Traditional braces involve utilizing metal brackets and wires to strategically shift your teeth into their ideal positions. This method has been used for decades and has been able to address multiple kinds of orthodontic complications, such as overbites and overcrowding. During your treatment, you’ll visit your orthodontist every four weeks or so, that way they can adjust your wires to continue the next stage of the process. Over the following weeks and months, you should begin to see a great deal of changes in your smile.
Who Can Braces Help?
One of the best things about traditional braces is that they can effectively treat a wide range of orthodontic problems, from minor to severe instances of malocclusion. So, if you’ve always wanted straighter teeth, don’t hesitate to take the next step: schedule a consultation with our team at Valer Dental! You can also read on to learn a few of the many orthodontic problems that this tried-and-true orthodontic treatment can correct.
Crowded Teeth
Little to no room in your smile can lead to several complications. In fact, in addition to negatively affecting the aesthetics of your grin, overcrowding can make it more difficult for you to maintain a clean and bacteria-free mouth. Fortunately, traditional braces have proven to be a solution time and time again. If you’re a good candidate, then we can straighten your teeth, making smiling confidently and cleaning every surface of your pearly whites significantly easier.
Gaps Between Teeth
Having gaps in your smile can also lead to an increased chance of bacteria and debris accumulating around your teeth and gums. Without proper cleaning every day, this can raise the risk of decay and periodontal disease. Your smile might even be more susceptible to injury because your teeth are far apart. The good news is that traditional braces can gradually move them closer together, allowing them to support each other and strengthening your bite in the long run.
Overbite
Do your upper teeth extend beyond your lower ones more than they should? If so, you likely have an overbite, which is an orthodontic problem that can take a toll on everything from your self-esteem and your oral health to your speaking patterns. That’s why we recommend exploring your treatment options, like traditional braces, sooner rather than later. If we determine that you’re a good candidate, then you’ll be on your way to a healthier, happier smile before you know it!
Underbite
Of course, some patients are dealing with the opposite problem (their lower teeth extend beyond their upper ones). This is referred to as an underbite, and, unfortunately, it complicates things like your ability to eat, speak, or even sleep properly because of jaw discomfort. You might even experience wear and tear on your enamel due to the misaligned bite. So, don’t wait – schedule a consultation with us so we can have yours corrected!
Crossbite
If only a few of your upper teeth sit behind your lower ones, there’s a good chance that you have a crossbite. Unfortunately, this bite problem can have a negative impact on your self-esteem and increase your risk of dental damage. If you’re wondering if braces can fix crossbites, you’ll be happy to know that the answer is “yes,” so don’t hesitate to schedule a consultation at our Albuquerque dental office!
Open Bite
Another common bite problem that traditional braces can correct is an open bite. So, if your upper and lower teeth don’t meet when you bite down, schedule a consultation with us! Once we have an in-depth understanding of your dental history, the complexity of your case, and your aesthetic goals, we can determine if this is the best teeth-straightening treatment for you.
Caring for Your Braces
To help you or your child maintain a healthy smile while wearing braces, be sure to follow these tips:
- Practice good oral hygiene every day, such as brushing for two full minutes after every meal.
- Avoid hard and sugary treats that can increase the risk of damage to your brackets or tooth decay.
- Wear protective mouthguards when playing sports.
- Refrain from poor habits like biting your nails or chewing on ice.
- Prioritize visiting your dentist for your adjustment appointments.
Understanding the Cost of Traditional Braces
Each traditional braces treatment is completely unique since it will be customized to match the patient’s particular needs. Many variables can come into play during the orthodontic process, so the cost of treating one patient can vary considerably from that of another. During your consultation, the team at Valer Dental will be happy to outline your treatment timeline and provide you with a proper cost estimate, but here’s a guide to help you get an idea of what to expect.
Factors That Affect the Cost of Traditional Braces
A few of the most significant factors that determine the cost of your braces include:
- Severity of the misalignment: Treatments that require teeth to move greater distances and make more complex maneuvers will take more time to complete.
- Length of the treatment: Longer treatments require more material and checkup appointments, so they are usually more costly.
- Age: The teeth of older people are usually more firmly set in their places, so it generally takes more time to treat them than younger patients.
- Frequency of follow-up appointments: Some patients will need more adjustments and tightenings than others, which will make their treatments more costly.
- Additional appliances: Some patients will require additional appliances such as headgear, elastics, and palate expanders. The cost of these devices will be represented on your bill.
- Compliance: Patients who adhere to our treatment instructions can expect to enjoy briefer, more efficient, and more comfortable orthodontic processes than those who do not.
Professional Braces Vs. "DIY" Braces: Which Costs More?
We understand that many patients may be tempted to try to save money by using “do-it-yourself” orthodontic treatments, but these dubious methods can lead to serious oral health consequences that require more expensive restorative treatments to resolve. Attempting to straighten your teeth using mail-in aligners or household objects like fishing lines, superglue, rubber bands, and the like can damage your enamel and soft tissues or force your teeth into poorer alignments. It’s best to trust your orthodontic process to the professionals at Valer Dental so we can ensure you enjoy a comfortable and effective treatment that can reliably prevent future oral health issues.
Does Dental Insurance Cover Braces?
Some dental plans offer coverage for orthodontic treatments, and we’ll be happy to go over your policy during your consultation so you can know exactly what it will pay for. Braces are more likely to be covered than removable aligners, but policies usually only pay for them if they are medically necessary, such as when they address misaligned jaws or chewing problems. Many plans also only offer coverage for patients under the age of eighteen. Most plans that cover orthodontic work will pay for up to 50% of the treatment, and you may be able to use funds in your Health Savings Account (HSA) or Flexible Spending Account (FSA) for your braces.
Options for Making Braces Affordable
While we happily accept insurance from many providers, we also offer several ways to make braces more affordable for patients on budgets. These include:
- Flexible financing: We partner with CareCredit and Sunbit to offer our patients payment plans that break their bills into small monthly installments with little to no interest.
- The Valer Value Plan: For $120 a year, you can have your routine dental care covered and receive 20% to 60% off all other treatments at our office.
- Our $2,600 Braces Special: Patients must pay in full to qualify.
If you’d like to know more about how orthodontic treatment is priced at Valer Dental, contact our office to schedule a consultation.