Adolescent Treatment
Dr. Stormberg and his experienced team are proud to bring beautiful smiles to our teenage patients in La Mesa, El Cajon, and throughout San Diego county.
Orthodontic Options for Your Teen
By using advanced orthodontic technology and creating an individualized treatment plan, catered to the specific needs, preferences, and lifestyle of our patients, we’re able to achieve results that will last a lifetime. Once you bring your child to our office for their initial consultation and complete any necessary early treatment, you’ll return when they reach adolescence to begin Phase II orthodontic treatment.
Why Is Adolescence The Best Time For Treatment?
Each child’s situation is unique, and sometimes additional intervention is needed to begin correcting orthodontic issues and prevent oral health issues down the line. However, the most popular time to begin treatment is anywhere between ages 9-12. During this time, most children have lost all their baby teeth and have a full set of permanent teeth with subsequent orthodontic problems. Braces and other orthodontic appliances work in tandem with the teenage growth spurt and higher metabolism levels, so that treatment is completed in an efficient and effective manner.
The Benefits Of Treatment
Adolescence is the perfect time to begin receiving treatment for the following reasons:
- Improved Facial Appearance & Oral Health – As your teen progresses through orthodontic treatment, you’ll notice positive changes to their appearance and smile. Also, straighter teeth and a healthier smile are much easier to maintain, making trips to the dentist a breeze.
- Positive Social Experience – Most of your teen’s classmates and friends will also have braces, making it that much easier to get your child to come to every appointment. They’ll be excited to wear braces with their friends, and go through the experience with their peers!
- Saves Time & Money – The longer you wait to solve orthodontic issues, the worse they can become. Choosing to align treatment with your child’s natural growth and development will save you time, money, and minimize overall treatment time.
Popular Treatments At Stormberg Orthodontics
- Traditional Metal Braces – When people think of orthodontic treatment, they think of metal braces. They remain one of the most efficient and cost-effective treatment methods, and today’s metal braces are smaller and more comfortable. Teens also enjoy customizing the colors of their braces.
- Clear Braces – For a more discreet treatment option, we offer clear braces with brackets made out of a ceramic materials. It’s important for patients to pay special attention to their oral hygiene, as the elastic ties can discolor in between visits to our office.
- Invisalign Teen – Invisalign is a series of clear, plastic removable trays that move teeth into optimal position over a period of time. Modern orthodontic technology has created specialized aligners for teens, with “compliance indicators” to show Dr. Stormberg if they’re being worn as prescribed. They’re nearly impossible to notice, and are great for busy teens. Dr. Stormberg is in the 1% Top Provider for Invisalign and Invisalign Teen in the world, with more than 20+ years of experience with Invisalign.
- Orthodontic Appliances – If major tooth movement is needed, we may recommend other small devices to prepare the teeth for treatment. For example, we use rapid palatal expanders to expand the jaw and make room for growing teeth.
To ensure your treatment progresses as planned, it’s important to follow Dr. Stormberg’s instructions, recommendations, and list of foods to avoid.
Retention
After your teen completes treatment and has a beautiful, straight smile, it’s important that they understand the work isn’t over yet. Orthodontic retention begins right after treatment ends, and Dr. Stormberg will work with you to provide a retainer that fits your needs and lifestyle. We recommend wearing your customized retainer as much as possible for the first three to six months, then wear it each night for the rest of your life!
How it Works
1. Getting to Know You
Your first visit to our office is the beginning of your orthodontic journey, and we’re just as excited as you! We take complimentary Xrays and images of your teeth and Dr. Stormberg performs a thorough examination of your teeth, mouth, and gums.
2. Custom Treatment Plan
Dr. Stormberg creates a customized treatment plan for each patient to ensure you reach your full smile potential! At Stormberg Orthodontics, we want to help you get the smile that you love with treatment as convenient as possible.
3. Your New Smile
We pride ourselves on giving our patients beautiful, healthy smiles that last a lifetime and that dedication doesn’t end when your braces are removed. Stormberg Orthodontics offers a variety of retainer options to find the best fit for your smile and lifestyle.
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FAQs from Dr. Kurt Stormberg
FAQs from Dr. Kurt Stormberg
American Association of Orthodontists recommend you should schedule your child’s first appointment by age 7.
Orthodontic treatment and a child’s growth can complement each other. By timing orthodontic treatment to predictable stages of dental development, the orthodontist may be able to take advantage of your child’s growth and development. Some problems that can be treated quite well in a growing child may require corrective surgery or permanent teeth to be extracted if treated after growth has occurred.
FAQs from Dr. Kurt Stormberg
FAQs from Dr. Kurt Stormberg
FAQs from Dr. Kurt Stormberg
Because each patient is different, treatment time with Invisalign varies. You could be in treatment for as little as 6 months or as long as 24 months – it all depends on the specific type of orthodontic problem you have and how compliant you are wearing your aligners and keeping your scheduled appointments.
Yes. In order for Invisalign to work as it’s designed, you must wear your aligners for up to 22 hours each day. You can remove them when eating and when brushing & flossing. You can also take them out temporarily for those special occasions such as interviews or school photos as long as you put them right back in afterward.
Invisalign aligners are designed to be removed when eating. One of the greatest benefits associated with Invisalign is the fact that there are no food restrictions whatsoever. You can continue enjoying all your favorite foods including hard-crusted breads, corn-on-the-cob, etc. as long as you take your aligners out before eating, but be sure to at least rinse, if not brush and rinse, before replacing your Invisalign trays. Any foods with color or food coloring (coffee, tea, red sauce, curry, sodas) can be on your teeth and slowly stain your attachments and/or trays.
When you first start wearing Invisalign, you may notice that your speech is not as clear as it normally is. This is nothing to panic about, as you simply must get used to wearing the aligners. Just spend a bit of time speaking or singing out loud while wearing your aligners and before you know it, your speech will return to normal.
No, chewing gum is not a good idea because it will stick to your aligners and make a big mess.