Comprehensive orthodontic treatment

Dr. Ashcraft is an experienced specialist who diagnoses your specific orthodontic problems and develops a customized treatment plan to correct them with you. He has a very conservative approach when deciding the treatments that are used, but he also thinks outside the box when needed to make sure you get the best possible outcome! Treatment time for comprehensive orthodontic treatment can vary greatly depending on many factors, but the national average treatment time is anywhere from 18-30 months. We make every attempt to meet or beat that expectation with our comprehensive cases. It will be a joint effort between the patient and our office to get you the smile you've always wanted in the shortest time possible.

The purposes of comprehensive treatment are:

• Align all permanent teeth properly (straightening your teeth). Having straight teeth means you can easily clean them the way they should be cleaned, and you can use your teeth the way they are designed to be used.
• Correct bite problems (overbite, underbite, crossbite, open bite, deep bite, etc.) While a slight overbite is ideal (not having your front teeth edge-to-edge), too much can cause your smile to appear to be too far out. An underbite is when your upper teeth fit behind your lower teeth, causing your smile to seem to be the reverse of the norm. A crossbite is when some teeth fit behind other teeth in an unhealthy manner. An open bite is when your teeth do not fit together (you might notice this type of bite develop with people who have or have had thumb sucking habits, had a pacifier too long, etc). A deep bite is when your top teeth go over your bottom teeth too much, which can cause damage to the back of the upper front teeth and gum tissue, as well as the edges of the lower front teeth and gum tissue.
• Improve jaw relationships and facial balance. Orthodontic problems with your teeth can contribute to jaw relationship problems. It can also make your facial features appear to be imbalanced. This can cause people to feel uncomfortable when smiling in pictures or to cover their mouths when they smile. We want everyone to be able to live without being uncomfortable or self-conscious when they smile.
• Enhance long-term function, stability, and aesthetics. Once your teeth are in their proper positions, you will be able to properly clean and care for your teeth, they will not wear down abnormally as you age, and you will always want to smile in pictures, knowing you have a great smile!