L.A. Orthodontist Explains How Metal Metal Braces Work

Close-up of braces on teeth

teeth-with-metal-bracesSimply put, orthodontics is the art of straightening crooked teeth, often through the use of braces. Many people are familiar with the concept of orthodontic treatment and the dramatic results that braces can provide. However, fewer people understand how the orthodontic appliances successfully move teeth, which are rooted in the jawbone, without damaging surrounding oral structures. Your Los Angeles orthodontist, Dr. David Alpan, explores the components of metal braces, and the slow process that allows them to create beautiful, straight smiles out of crooked and misaligned teeth.

What are Metal Braces Made Of?

Typical metal braces consist of three basic components;

Brackets—bonded to each tooth’s surface

Arch wires—placed over the brackets; provide the necessary force for moving teeth

Ligature ties—also known as “O-rings” for their circular shape; hold arch wires in place and are changed when braces are tightened

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Century City CA Dentist: Lingual Braces vs. Standard Braces

Person with blurred face, striped shirt

white-smile-3Braces have made many developments in recent years. It is now possible to straighten your teeth without anyone else being any the wiser. You may be familiar with clear braces, like those provided by Invisalign, but you may not have heard about lingual braces, a customized treatment that uses wires and brackets in a very discrete way. To learn more about lingual braces, read below as your Century City CA orthodontist, Dr. David Alpan, compares them to standard metal braces.

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Los Angeles Orthodontist Addresses FAQs About Invisalign

Smiling woman holding clear aligner

smile3We understand that no one is particularly excited to receive braces. While dental misalignment can be embarrassing, many adults feel braces could be just as damaging to their image. Fortunately, at Alpan Orthodontics, we offer a clear and comfortable method of smile enhancement. In today’s blog, your Los Angeles orthodontist, Dr. David Alpan, answers common questions about the benefits of Invisalign.

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When Adults Need Braces in Century City

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You had braces at 13. Your parents paid for them, and you wore the retainer, mostly. Now your bottom teeth are crowding again, and you catch yourself smiling with your mouth closed on video calls. Sound familiar? You’re not alone, and you’re not too old. Plenty of adults are fixing something that didn’t hold the … Read more

Century City Orthodontist: Dental Health for Children

Child at dental appointment with parent

Although children may take a few years to fully grasp the concept of oral hygiene, a parent’s job of ensuring a child’s good dental health can never begin too early. Until children can brush and floss their own teeth, parents are all that stand between their children’s smiles and the forces that lead to destructive dental diseases. Today, your Century City orthodontist, Dr. David Alpan, explains early dental health for children, and offers a few tips to successfully teach your children how to brush and floss their teeth.

The Early Years

You shouldn’t wait until your child’s teeth erupt from the gum line before worrying about cleaning their mouths. The truth is that children are born with their primary teeth already formed, or forming, in the jawbone. To keep your newborn or infant child’s mouth clean before teeth begin to erupt, Dr. Alpan suggests running a clean, warm, damp washcloth gently over the gums to clear them of oral bacteria and residual milk after each feeding and before bed.

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Century City Orthodontist Corrects Smile Misalignment

Couple relaxing on a couch

Recently, a study conducted by Wakefield Research revealed that over a third of Americans are unhappy with their smiles. Dental misalignment, including crooked and crowded teeth, hinders the appearance of our smiles. Fortunately, at Alpan Orthodontics, we can correct dental imperfections. In today’s blog, your Century City orthodontist, Dr. David Alpan, explains how our orthodontic procedures can transform your smile.

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Los Angeles Orthodontist: Try Our Lingual Braces Quiz

Close-up of dental braces inside mouth

Have you ever heard of lingual braces? These are brackets and wires placed on the back, or tongue facing, side of your teeth. This provides inconspicuous smile correction. At Alpan Orthodontics, we provide Incognito hidden braces, a popular lingual orthodontic system. In today’s blog, your Los Angeles orthodontist, Dr. David Alpan, uses a fun and informative quiz to explain how lingual braces can transform your smile while remaining hidden from view.

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Los Angeles Orthodontist Answers Your Questions About Incognito Braces

Invisible braces for teeth alignment

Do you wish you could correct misalignment without enduring embarrassing metal braces? With Incognito hidden braces, you can boost the appearance of your smile using practically invisible orthodontics. In today’s blog, your Los Angeles orthodontist, Dr. David Alpan, answers questions about the innovative Incognito system.

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Los Angeles Orthodontist Offers Invisalign for Adults and Teens

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Vivera-RetainerWould you be willing to wear braces to obtain a gorgeous smile? What if they were practically invisible? At Aesthetic Orthodontics, we understand many people hesitate to choose braces for smile improvement, which is why we offer innovative Invisalign aligners. In today’s blog, your Los Angeles orthodontist, Dr. David Alpan, explains how Invisalign provides inconspicuous smile enhancement.

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Century City Orthodontist Helps You Assess the Cost of Braces

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One of the most common questions concerning braces is how much the treatment will cost. As a dedicated orthodontist in Century City, Dr. David Alpan provides a variety of high quality affordable orthodontic treatments to all of our patients. Correcting your bite’s alignment (occlusion) is an ongoing process, and our mission is to help ensure that you receive the treatment you need while keeping your overall cost manageable.

Determining Immediate & Long-Term Costs

At Alpan Orthodontics, the first cost associated with orthodontic treatment is free. During your free orthodontic consultation, Dr. Alpan will thoroughly inspect your face and the alignment of your teeth and jaw, including your jaw’s joints.

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Century City Orthodontist Discuss Prevention with Children’s Braces

Two people with blurred faces

The purpose of orthodontic treatment is to address the misalignment of your teeth and bite, which can seriously inhibit your mouth’s proper function and, in severe cases, negatively affect the symmetry of your facial features. When occlusal problems are detected early, while your child’s oral structures are still growing, early orthodontic treatment may lessen or prevent the need for treatment at an older age. Malocclusion, or bite misalignment, can occur in various ways and for a number of different reasons, and your Century City orthodontist, Dr. David Alpan, is specially trained to diagnose and treat occlusal complications at any age. Today, we explain how early orthodontic issues can blossom into bigger trouble if not treated, and how children’s braces are designed to prevent that from happening.

The Importance of Symmetry

Prevention, early detection, and early treatment are dominant factors in all areas of good dental health. For instance, preventing tooth decay and gum disease can help you avoid the need to restore dental damage caused by the infections. Likewise, correcting a child’s incorrectly-growing bite at an early age can help place that child’s smile on the path to permanent proper alignment.

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L.A. Orthodontist: Two of Oral Health’s Biggest Enemies

Couple enjoying beach day together.

Protecting your oral health requires a good general understanding of what could trouble it, and how to prevent or defeat these issues before they significantly damage your oral tissues. As an orthodontist in Los Angeles, Dr. David Alpan takes time to properly educate patients about specific oral health issues, as well as discussing their viable treatment options to determine the best course of action. Today, we examine two of the most notorious threats to your smile’s wellbeing, which can be found among the plethora of oral bacteria that consistently inhabit your mouth.

The Cavity Germ

One of the most infamous mouth microbes is the bacterium Streptococcus mutans, which significantly contributes to dental plaque formation. Though sticky dental plaque can feel annoying, S. mutans real danger to your oral health lies in its ability to convert sugar and other carbs into acid, which weakens your enamel and depletes your teeth of minerals. After a while, this acid can irreversibly damage your enamel and allow bacteria to infect your tooth, causing tooth decay and small holes (cavities) to form.

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