The Three "E"s

Early Treatment

Our goal is to be conservative in our early intervention to minimize the amount of orthodontic treatment necessary during a patient's lifetime. We believe that early intervention is necessary when there are significant functional or psychosocial issues that need to be addressed. Common problems that are dealt with include crossbites, where the upper back teeth fit inside the lower back teeth.

Extraction of Permanent Teeth

Our goal is to minimize the extraction of permanent teeth. Extractions are usually recommended when there are significant crowding problems that cannot be resolved in a manner to maintain the long term health of all the teeth. When extractions are recommended a minimal number of teeth are selected and often these teeth are limited to either the upper or lower arch only. Extractions are recommended only when we believe that facial and dental esthetics will be enhanced or maintained.

Esthetics

We strive to attain a treatment result that will be pleasing now and for many years to come. Esthetics is a very personal opinion and as such, the patient's and/or parents' input is very important as we try to optimize dental and facial esthetics. Every patient presents their own unique set of circumstances and desires, thus the intended course and length of treatment prescribed is different for each patient. In general, we strive to straighten the teeth while maintaining a natural, pleasing appearance. The levels of the individual teeth are positioned to parallel the curvature of the lower lip while smiling; the smile line is established within structural (skeletal) limits such that a youthful smile can withstand the test of time.