Dr. Gary J Reba and associates

09/07/2022

1. Diagnose oral health issues
At the dental check-up, a dentist will evaluate the health of your mouth and look for any signs of cavities, gum disease, infection, oral cancer and other dental health problems. The dentist may also take X-rays to detect issues that are invisible to the naked eye. These may include cavities between teeth, impacted teeth, jaw injury, bone decay, and more.

2. Clean your teeth professionally
At your 6 monthly dental check-up, your teeth will be professionally cleaned from plaque and tartar, which cannot be removed by brushing and flossing. If plaque and tartar buildup on your teeth, they can cause tooth decay, gum inflammation, and other dental problems. A teeth cleaning is also more affordable than fillings, crowns, and other restorative services. So make sure to get these done regularly!

3. Consult the dentist regarding cosmetic procedures
Your regular dental visit is a good opportunity to speak with your dentist about cosmetic procedures, like Invisalign and professional teeth whitening. Since not everyone is a good candidate for these procedures, the dentist can provide recommendations based on your specific needs and goals.

4. Get educated on maintaining better oral health
When you go in for your regular dental check-up, the dentist will educate you on ways to take better care of your oral health. The dentist will check for any oral damage caused by bad habits, such as smoking or va**ng, teeth grinding (bruxism), brushing your teeth too hard, and your diet. The dentist can then offer you advice to alter your lifestyle choices to help your oral health be the best it can be.

5. Save money in the long-run
The dentist can help you find and fix problems before they require more expensive dental work and more complicated procedures in the future. Prevention is always better than cure!

By following your dental hygiene routine and seeing the dentist for check ups every 6 months, will help keep your teeth and gums healthy in the long-term.
Dr. Vanishree Pathak
BDS, DDS (USA)

DLF City Address: 220-222, Qutab Plaza,DLF City, Phase-1, Gurgaon-122002 Phone: 0124- 2353537, 2387345 Sohna Road Address: SF -23 Ninex City Mart. Sohna Road, Sector 49, Gurgaon-122018 Phone: 0124- 4234832, 4271065 Email: [email protected]

07/01/2018

CORRECT AGE FOR FIXED BRACES OR ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT

One of the most confusing things about getting more than one orthodontic consultation (a second opinion) is that two seemingly qualified doctors can offer such different approaches to the same problem. Not only are their treatment plans different, many times they even disagree about the best time to start treatment. Why this disagreement and what should you do with your child? (Note: This discussion refers to single-phased, comprehensive orthodontics (fixed braces).
Having treated thousands of patients over more than 20 years, I’ve found that the most common question that I get from my patients is “When can I get these braces off?” The answer to this question is directly related to a similar question “When do I get my braces on?” My typical orthodontic patient will usually have his braces on 12 to 30 months (depending upon complexity). Very few problems require longer than this. Extended treatment times not only frustrate patients and their parents, they are also bad for the teeth.
In my experience, the most common reasons for treatment times extending beyond 30 months are
1) placing the braces before the last baby teeth are lost and the 12-year molars are erupted,
2) patients not getting their teeth extracted or necessary surgical procedures performed in a timely fashion after treatment has begun, or
3) mid-course deviations from the original treatment plan. Sometimes changes in the treatment plan are unavoidable. Delays in getting surgeries and extractions are also many times beyond the control of the patient and the doctor. Choosing the appropriate time to start treatment however is usually determined by the parents and the orthodontist.
In my practice, the majority of my full-treatment orthodontic patients do not get their braces on until they have lost all of their primary teeth and their 12-year molars are all at least partially erupted, (12 year is by the books and is theoretical, they could erupt earlier which is rare, or later than 12 yrs which is more likely). This is especially true of patients whose problems are not as serious. A simple 12-month treatment can easily drag on to 18 or 24 months if the braces are placed on the teeth with several baby teeth remaining or the 12-year molars are not visible at all. Teeth cannot be bracketed or moved unless they have erupted into the mouth!
Although these guidelines are applicable to the majority of my patients, there are of course exceptions. One is when the patient has a severe malocclusion that will obviously take two years or more to fix (impacted canines, excessive overbites, severe crowding, etc.). Patients with these problems will have extra time during treatment to allow for the eruption of their remaining permanent teeth. Even the best estimates of tooth eruption time can take longer than expected however, and parents should be informed of this possibility before the braces go on.
Other examples of when early starts are appropriate include when a patient has a condition so severe that it is causing social issues (i.e. other children making fun of them), the teeth protrude so far that they are in danger of being damaged, or there are problems preventing normal development (a crossbite with a shift, crowding due to arch constriction, etc.). In these cases I may feel justified in beginning treatment before the last baby tooth is lost or the 12-year molars are fully erupted.
One notable exception to these guidelines are patients with an underbite or Class III relationship. Children with these growth patterns tend to continue growing a few years beyond those with normal bites or overbites. Girls may continue growing until they are 16. Boys may grow until they are 18 or older. If an underbite growth pattern continues after braces have been removed, patients may outgrow their correction and require additional unwanted treatment. To prevent this, we will usually monitor these patients’ growth and begin only after it has stabilized.
Every patient is different and each dentist has unique training, experience, and treatment goals. While most dentists do have the well-being of their patients in mind, unfortunately there are those that will put braces on anyone that walks through their doors just so they don’t “lose them.” There is nothing wrong with questioning your doctor’s rationale, especially when it comes to treatment timing. If you receive different opinions from two doctors about the same patient, ask them each to explain their recommendations. The appropriate treatment, provided at the appropriate time, is the best recipe for a happy patient.