The Jorgensen Orthodontics Blog

Why Aren’t My Child’s Permanent Teeth Coming In?

Posted by Dr. Jorgensen on April 30th, 2017

Did your son or daughter lose a baby tooth months ago and there is still no sign of a replacement tooth? Here are two common reasons (and three rare ones) why this sometimes happens. First, for a permanent tooth to erupt into place, there must be sufficient space. The permanent teeth in the front of the mouth are much wider than the baby teeth they replace. Ideally, by the time a baby tooth is lost, there should be extra space on either side of it so that the permanent tooth will have plenty of room. If there is not enough…

Can Functional Orthodontic Appliances Really Grow Jaws?

Posted by Dr. Jorgensen on March 27th, 2017

One of the most common orthodontic problems that we encounter in new patients is a small lower jaw. This may manifest itself as an overbite, a deep bite, or crowding (in either jaw). Wouldn’t it be great if we had some way to encourage the jaws to grow in the amount and direction needed to correct these issues? This has been the dream of orthodontists and their patients for over 100 years. Is there really a way to change the size a jaw without surgery? Can functional appliances actually “grow” the jaws? Functional appliances are so named because they are…

Are You Too Old for Orthodontic Braces?

Posted by Dr. Jorgensen on February 27th, 2017

When most people think of braces, they usually think of teenagers. The ideal age to get orthodontic treatment is usually after the 12-year-molars have erupted and the last of the baby teeth are gone. As you can tell from several of my other posts about two-phase treatment, I believe in providing an interceptive phase of treatment in 7 and 8-year-olds if they have complex crowding, crossbites, excessive overbites, or underbites. But what about at the other end of the spectrum. How old is too old? Why would someone get braces later in life? And what are the differences in treatment…

What Are Orthodontic Elastics (Rubber Bands) And How Do They Work?

Posted by Dr. Jorgensen on January 29th, 2017

One of the most common “adjuncts” or additional tools that orthodontists use to straighten your teeth are orthodontic elastics or rubber bands. Why are they used? How do they work? How many hours do you need to wear them? Braces and aligners are both effective ways of aligning your teeth. Braces are devices glued onto the teeth (either on the inside or outside) that move the teeth via forces produced by wires that span from tooth to tooth. Aligners (most commonly Invisalign) move teeth using a series of clear plastic shells that snap over the teeth and produce force by…

What is Invisalign and How Does It Move Teeth (Part 2)?

Posted by Dr. Jorgensen on December 30th, 2016

(This is Part 2 of a 2-part Invisalign post. Part 1 of this article discussed the design and manufacturing of Invisalign aligners.) After your Invisalign aligners have been designed by your orthodontist and manufactured by Align Technology, the entire set is shipped to your doctor’s office. There is more to achieving a successful result however than merely handing a box full of plastic shells to a patient. If that were not the case, Align would merely ship the aligners directly to the patient and cut out the “middleman.” There are three additional procedures provided by your orthodontist at the delivery…

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