Types of Braces

"Clear tray aligner" systems offered at our office:

• Invisalign® and Invisalign® Teen
• Simpli5 (a series of 5 trays)
• Red, White & Blue (a series of 3 trays)

These systems vary in number of trays based on amount of movement needed and treatment time.

Getting Started With Your Treatment

After your initial visit with Dr. Barlow, you will begin your "orthodontic journey" with our fabulous team. Based on Dr. Barlow's recommendations, we can help you decide on which types of braces are best for you. The next appointment would involve the placement of spacers. These are very small elastics that are placed between certain molars to open space up for band placement. Within a week or two, you will return for the placement of your braces. That appointment is usually a longer visit. One of our many great team members will assist Dr. Barlow in preparing the teeth for the braces placement. They will go over tooth brushing instructions and other helpful information to get you started "on the road" to your BEAUTIFUL SMILE!

General Soreness

When you get your braces on you may feel general soreness in your mouth. Your teeth may be tender to biting pressures for three to five days. This is perfectly normal for patients that have just gotten their braces on. We can assure you that this will not last forever! To relieve the pain, we recommend dissolving one teaspoon of salt into 8 ounces of warm water. Swish and gargle for a couple minutes (do not swallow the salt water). If the pain is more severe and does not go away after rinsing, you can also take a pain reliever such as Tylenol or Advil (Ibuprofen). It is also not uncommon for your lips, cheeks and tongue to become irritated for a week or two as they "toughen" and become used to your new braces. We would be happy to give you wax that you can put over the braces to lessen the tenderness. If you need wax, please let us know.

Loose Teeth

If your teeth begin to feel "loose,” don't worry, it is normal. Teeth must loosen with your braces before they can be moved into the right position. Once the right position is achieved, the teeth will again tighten up.