Dental Braces/Orthodontics

Lansing, Michigan

Natural, balance, beauty, health, and elegance.

Orthodontic treatment usually requires two separate periods of treatment, the active stage and retention stage. The active stage refers to the time when we are guiding the movement of teeth into their proper positions. The retention stage is after braces are removed and the tooth alignment is being held in place for a period of time with retainers. With younger children, the active stage may be broken into two phases. The first, or early phase (Phase 1), involves the use of special appliances to direct te growth of the jaw(s) and the second phase (Phase 2) is the active “full Braces” phase to finish the correction and detailing of the teeth and bite.

Many factors (treatment goals, degree of complexity of your orthodontic problem, how your body responds to treatment and your cooperation) contribute to the amount of time your active treatment will last. Treatment time is different for every patient. Treatment may seem to last a long time, but your brilliant new smile will reward you for years after the braces are removed.

The retention stage that will immediately follow removal of braces is the final and most important stage of all. When your braces are removed, your bone and gums will still be adjusting to the movement caused by your braces. Until the bone and gums stabilize, your teeth will want to naturally shift back to their original position. In order to prevent this, we will customize your retainer to your individual needs. A retainer is an orthodontic appliance that holds your teeth in their new positions until the bone and gums adjust. The length of time that the retainer must be worn will vary, as will the amount of hours daily it must be worn.