As a parent, you want the best for your kids. Why should oral care be an exception? Trust Advance Orthodontics in Houston with the best orthodontic care for your children. We offer traditional braces, Invisalign and more.

Why Should You Trust Advance Orthodontics?

At Advance Orthodontics, we carry the latest technology to give you the best smile you can have! Remember, an orthodontist is different than your usual dentist and here are a couple of reasons to trust your local orthodontist.

Do you want to schedule a consultation today with Dr. Karotkin? Contact us now!

 

Sometimes bundled packages can be a good thing. Sadly, when they involve your teeth, they can be terribly misleading and end up costing you more. It’s hard to pass up a good two-for-one on anything, especially expensive procedures. Who wouldn’t want a free face lift with the purchase of a tummy tuck? Let the buyer beware, though, not all who practice are properly trained.

Would it be appropriate for a physician to perform a kidney transplant? The answer is quite simple. Not unless the practitioner has been properly trained, and certified as a surgeon. Obviously, when it comes to medical practice, consumers understand the need to seek certified specialists.

Your Mouth is Worth the Money

If a dental office offers options to move your teeth (like Invisalign or braces), are they actually properly trained to provide those treatments?

Going to the dentist is critical to oral health. Getting a check-up, having teeth cleaned and the occasional cavity filled are necessary to a healthy mouth. However, many dental practices offer services that should actually be performed by specialists.

Orthodontists specialize in the treatment of malocclusion (improper bite), growth and development of the jaws, and smile cosmetics. They often use braces or Invisalign to straighten teeth and improve the bite. Especially with Invisalign, however, the line in the consumer’s eye between a dentist and an orthodontist can easily become blurred.

Now general dentists’ offices can offer the straightening option as part of a package deal to the consumer while they have them in the office. Combining braces with a teeth cleaning at a seemingly discounted price can be an alluring prospect to someone who is already looking to straighten their smile. The customer can have a one-stop experience without the hassle of setting up another appointment with a specialist in a different office.

When a dentist offers you teeth straightening options, make sure that he or she is a certified orthodontic specialist. Specialists like orthodontists, oral surgeons, and endodontists go to an additional full-time residency program after dental school for 2-4 years to become specialists. This additional training qualifies them to provide specialty services. General dentists receive their “specialty training” mostly at weekend courses… it’s not the same!

Don’t skimp on a specialist. When it comes time to have your teeth moved, see a CERTIFIED ORTHODONTIC SPECIALIST. Your general dentist is NOT an orthodontist!

SCHEDULE A COMPLIMENTARY CONSULTATION

Braces and other devices such as Invisalign® have been used to fix crooked teeth. While these options are extremely effective in straightening teeth and fixing bites, sometimes the patient wants to get their result quicker.

Breakthrough

Fortunately for people with crooked teeth, a breakthrough in orthodontics has been invented. It is called AcceleDent®. This device has the ability to dramatically shorten the length of time it takes to straighten teeth. As you might imagine, this revolutionary technology has caused a great deal of excitement in the orthodontics community.

What is AcceleDent®?

AcceleDent® is a mouthpiece that vibrates in a specific way that increases the rate of tooth movement. It is used for 20 minutes per day, whether the patient is wearing traditional braces, clear braces, or Invisalign®. Not only does this device speed up the orthodontic treatment process, but it also reduces the soreness that is common with tooth movement.

How does it work?

AcceleDent® produces gentle vibrations that increase the rate of movement of teeth into their proper positions. It is a hands-free device that is simple for anybody to use. It uses cyclical pulses to increase the rate of bone metabolism in the areas surrounding the roots of the teeth. The faster the bone around the roots is able to change, the faster the teeth can move. The patient bites into the device and then is free to go about his or her daily activities for the 20 minutes it takes to use the AcceleDent® device.

Along with its ability to straighten teeth faster, AcceleDent® makes the teeth straightening process much more bearable for people. Patented “SoftPulse Technology” micropulses produce eight times less force than a standard electric toothbrush. These pulses actually decrease the soreness and discomfort experienced after an orthodontic “adjustment.”

Safe to use

AcceleDent® has been approved by the FDA, so patients can be sure that the technology is safe to use. Since it was first introduced in 2009, thousands of patients around the world have used AcceleDent®. It is only available by prescription from your dental professional (e.g. orthodontist!).

Additional information

So how much does AcceleDent® really reduce the time it takes to straighten someone’s teeth? Studies have shown that AcceleDent® can reduce a person’s time in treatment by as much as 30%. The device comes with a charging port, an activator and a shell designed to keep it sanitary and safe when you carry it with you.

Cartoon characters come in all shapes and sizes. Some characters are tall and others are short. Some have dark hair while others have blond hair or red hair. These physical characteristics are the traits that differentiate cartoon characters from each other. Some characters even have braces. Check out these five well-known cartoon characters that sport braces on their teeth:

Tootie from Fairly Oddparents: Fairly Oddparents is a show that’s about Timmy Turner, a boy who gets unlimited wishes from his fairy godparents Cosmo and Wanda. Timmy was granted fairy godparents because he was being tortured by his evil babysitter, Vicki. Tootie is Vicki’s younger sister who has an enormous crush on Timmy. Tootie, who wears braces, is a little crazy and drives Timmy nuts throughout the show. But, Tootie has a very good heart and always defends Timmy when she has a chance.
 

Sharon Spitz: Sharon Spitz is the main character on Braceface. She has beautiful blond hair and green eyes. Sharon is a typical teen girl who deals with normal teen things like puberty, liking boys and friendship troubles. Sometimes, she messes up along the way, but, like any other teenage girl, she always learns a lesson from her mistakes. And, with help from her friends, she learns that standing up for yourself is very important.

Chuckie Finster: Chuckie Finster used to be the cute red-haired baby on Rugrats, but he grew up and is now on the show All Grown Up. Chuckie has wild red hair that’s kinky, purple glasses and braces. He is Tommy’s best friend and a well-known scaredy-cat. He has a stepsister called Kimmie who is a lot braver than he is. In the show All Grown Up, Chuckie is portrayed as an uptight dork who is way too protective of his sister and tries to prove his bravery to others. But he always stands up for his friends when it’s needed.

Jimmy: Sweet and insecure, Jimmy is the little boy who wears a large retainer on the TV show Ed, Edd and Eddy after one of the characters accidently hits him in the face with a bowling pin. He is a little clumsy and innocent, but his headstrong friend, Sarah, is always there to protect him from bullies. Jimmy is usually a target of one of Ed, Eddy and Eddy’s schemes. Sometimes, though, Jimmy can create complex schemes that end up working even if he’s the weakest kid in the cul-de-sac. Secretly, Jimmy has an enormous crush on Sarah, but he keeps his feelings to himself.

Also check out these real life celebrities with crooked teeth. Some celebs, like the cartoons, used braces to correct their smiles, but some like Katherine Heigl decided Invisalign was a better fit for her.

Celebrities today must project an air of perfection. There are tons of celebrities with horrible teeth that are crooked, gapped, etc. and even more who have had their smiles transformed by orthodontics and dentistry and made more beautiful.

1. Madonna
Madonna has had a gap between her two front teeth forever, but it would seem that in the past few years that space had gotten a little smaller. It’s likely that she had some dental work to reduce the size of the space since such imperfections do tend to grow over the years instead of shrink.

 

2. Keith Urban
As one of Australia’s most famous exports, singer Keith Urban sang for years with a large gap between his two front teeth. After he underwent a style makeover, however, he arrived on the scene without that trademark gap.

 

 

3. Katherine Heigl
As an actress known for a beautiful smile, she surprised fans when she admitted to having some dental work. She had a tooth that twisted oddly in her mouth and decided to get it fixed by using Invisalign several years ago so her teeth would be absolutely perfect just in time for her wedding day.

 

4. Zac Efron
Like many young actors today, Zac Efron had a giant gap in his teeth and decided to do something about it during the early years of his career before he had too many films under his belt.

 

5. Jewel
A gorgeous voice has always been joined by a truly terrifying set of teeth in Jewel’s mouth. When she decided to take an acting role as the late June Carter, she actually wore prosthetic teeth and didn’t get real dental work done to have them straightened.

 

6. Anna Paquin
Although many stars do tend to get their teeth issues repaired, Anna Paquin doesn’t seem to be interested in doing anything to her teeth except allow the gap between the two teeth in the front of her mouth to get bigger. The gap was quite small when she was a child, but it’s grown significantly in recent years.

 

7. Keira Knightly
Despite having quite an unruly mouth full of crooked teeth, the acting awards and accolades for Keira Knightly have rolled in for quite some time, and although she’s occasionally tried to hide her crooked teeth, her giant smile has made that rather difficult.

 

8. Matthew Lewis
As a star with a set of what could probably be considered the most crooked teeth in Hollywood, actor Matthew Lewis, of “Harry Potter” fame, got a dramatic makeover for his teeth and went from a set of truly terrible teeth to a very nice and very straight set.

 

9. Gwen Stefani
Most stars try to hide when they have some work done on their teeth and then seem to appear suddenly after a short absence from the limelight with a great set of teeth. Gwen Stefani didn’t follow that trend, however, and actually showed off her braces for photographs in the early days of No Doubt’s popularity.

 

10. 50 Cent
Popular rapper 50 Cent sang and acted for years with a pair of front teeth that were a little larger than the rest of his teeth, but after a fellow rapper made fun of him, he decided to get part of the problem fixed. Although he kept the gap in his teeth, the rapper did have their size modified to match the rest of his mouth.

There are also some famous cartoons who sported braces during their time on the small screen.