Why People Need Braces

Teeth don’t always grow in perfect alignment. Genetics, childhood habits like thumb sucking, early tooth loss, and jaw development issues can all lead to orthodontic problems. Dr. Kim sees patients dealing with various conditions that braces can correct.

Crowding happens when teeth compete for limited space in your jaw, causing them to overlap, twist, or push forward. Spacing issues create gaps between teeth that trap food and affect appearance. Overbites occur when upper teeth protrude too far over lower teeth, while underbites position lower teeth in front of upper teeth when biting down.

Crossbites develop when some upper teeth sit inside lower teeth rather than outside where they belong. Open bites leave a gap between the upper and lower front teeth even when the back teeth touch. These misalignments aren’t just cosmetic concerns—they can cause uneven tooth wear, jaw pain, difficulty chewing, speech problems, and increased risk of cavities and gum disease.

Braces gradually move teeth into proper positions, correcting these issues and restoring both function and appearance. Dr. Charles Kim evaluates each patient’s unique situation to determine how orthodontic treatment will improve their oral health and quality of life.

How Braces Work

The science behind braces is straightforward yet remarkable. Brackets bonded to your teeth hold a wire that applies gentle, continuous pressure. This pressure triggers your body’s natural bone remodeling process—bone dissolves on one side of the tooth root while new bone forms on the other side, allowing the tooth to move gradually through your jaw.

Dr. Kim adjusts the wire periodically, increasing pressure in specific directions to guide teeth precisely where they need to go. He might also use small elastic bands, springs, or other attachments to achieve particular movements or correct bite relationships. The entire process harnesses your body’s ability to adapt and remodel, creating permanent changes in tooth position.

Treatment takes time because teeth can only move safely at a certain pace. Rushing the process risks damaging tooth roots or surrounding bone. Most patients wear braces for 18 to 24 months, though simple cases might finish sooner, and complex situations could take longer. Dr. Charles Kim provides realistic timelines during your consultation based on your specific needs.

The Braces Journey

Getting braces starts with a comprehensive orthodontic evaluation at Caldwell Dental Care. Dr. Kim examines your teeth, jaws, and bite, takes X-rays and photographs, and often creates impressions or digital scans of your teeth. This thorough assessment reveals the full scope of your orthodontic issues and allows him to design an effective treatment plan.

During your consultation, Dr. Kim explains what needs correction, which braces will work best, how long treatment should take, and what results you can expect. He answers all your questions and addresses concerns about cost, appearance during treatment, and lifestyle adjustments.

The appointment to place braces typically takes one to two hours. Dr. Kim thoroughly cleans and prepares your teeth, then carefully bonds brackets to each tooth. He threads a wire through the brackets and secures it with small elastic ties. The process doesn’t hurt, though your teeth might feel sore for a few days afterward as they begin adjusting to the pressure.

Regular adjustment appointments happen every four to eight weeks throughout treatment. These visits usually last 20 to 30 minutes. Dr. Charles Kim checks your progress, replaces the wire with a slightly different one to continue guiding tooth movement, and makes any necessary modifications to keep treatment on track.

Living with Braces

Adapting to braces takes a week or two, but most patients adjust quickly. Initial soreness after placement and following adjustment appointments is normal and manageable with over-the-counter pain relievers. Your mouth might feel full at first, and speaking could sound slightly different until you get used to the brackets, but these issues resolve rapidly.

Oral hygiene becomes critically important during orthodontic treatment. Food particles and plaque accumulate around brackets and wires, increasing the risk of cavities and gum disease if you don’t clean thoroughly. Dr. Kim teaches proper brushing and flossing techniques for braces and demonstrates how to clean around brackets effectively. He might recommend special tools like interdental brushes, floss threaders, or water flossers that make cleaning easier.

Certain foods can damage brackets or get stuck in braces, so dietary modifications help protect your appliance and prevent emergency visits. Hard foods like ice, nuts, and hard candy can break brackets. Sticky foods like caramel, gum, and taffy can pull brackets off teeth or get impossibly tangled in wires. Crunchy foods require cutting into small pieces rather than biting directly with the front teeth.

Sports don’t have to stop during treatment, but wearing a mouthguard protects your braces and mouth from injury. Dr. Charles Kim can recommend appropriate mouthguards designed to fit over orthodontic appliances.

After Braces: Maintaining Results

The day Dr. Kim removes your braces feels exciting—you finally see your transformed smile! But treatment doesn’t quite end there. Teeth have memory and will try to return to their original positions without retention. Retainers hold teeth in their new locations while the surrounding bone and tissues stabilize.

Most patients initially wear retainers full-time, then transition to nighttime wear only. Following retention instructions diligently protects the time, effort, and investment you put into straightening your smile. Skipping retainer wear allows teeth to shift, potentially requiring additional orthodontic treatment later.