Your first visit will be a comprehensive one as Dr. Knight will perform a thorough oral examination during your consultation exam. We will be checking your previous dental history and asking you questions about your health, lifestyle, and medical questions. Afterwards, Dr. Knight will sit down with you and give you his feedback on whether there are any lifestyle or eating habits that you should change or perhaps suggest an orthodontic treatment.

Regular visits with your dentist (yes you have to keep visiting your dentist during your orthodontic treatment), a healthy diet that doesn't contain too much acid or sugar, and proper oral care such as brushing, flossing, and using mouthwash are all key to achieving better oral hygiene.

Since this depends entirely on the type of orthodontic treatment you've elected to receive, Dr. Knight will be sure to go over the different timelines and appointment frequency when discussing different orthodontic treatment options. For instance, if you move forward with orthodontic braces, you should expect to be visiting your orthodontist once a month. In contrast, if you have chosen to receive the Invisalign treatment you'll likely be visiting your orthodontist once every five to six weeks.

The color of your teeth at the end of your orthodontic braces treatment will be based on how well you take care of your teeth as well as what diet you decided to follow while you were wearing braces. To avoid discoloration, you can apply some lifestyle changes during your treatment like cutting out/lessening drinking coffee, wine, and dark sodas or smoking cigarettes or cigars. Check out our list of foods to avoid to give you a better idea of how you can change your diet for the better during your orthodontic treatment.

This is an excellent question especially if you're attempting to stay within a budget, but you'd still like to improve your oral health. During your first visit, you will receive advice on both orthodontic treatments that you should opt for that will improve your oral health (such as Palatal Expanders) as well as suggested treatments that will help you obtain a better more beautiful smile, but aren't necessary as such. Be sure to clarify with your Dr. Knight!

The status of your oral health can actually reflect the standing of your overall wellbeing as well as be indicative of underlying health issues. Be sure to ask Dr. Knight if he notices anything unusual that may indicate a health issue or be symptomatic of something else going on with your body that is not orthodontia related.

Did you know that orthodontic treatments can begin as early as the age of 7? We're not talking about braces, but if your child starts visiting an orthodontist at an early age, they can get an early start on treatments that will correct dental issues before they worsen. Taking preventative measures will ultimately save you a lot of time and money down the road.

Insurance and whether or not they cover specific orthodontic treatments or if your orthodontist accepts them is always a hot topic. Here at Douglas Knight Orthodontics, we work vigorously to confirm whether or not we are able to accept your insurance. Please keep in mind that if we don't accept your insurance, we work with all of our patients to come up with a payment plan that works for us as well as their budget. Contact us today to find out more!

If you have an emergency due to an accident or injury, don't hesitate to call us! You can also read up on what to do in different emergency scenarios that we list on our emergency page. If you reach us over the phone, we'll do our best to guide you with steps to execute an at-home remedy until you are able to come into the office. However, if you cannot reach us right away and you fear for your health, don't wait—call 911 and/or visit the emergency room as soon as possible!

We recommend anything that has Fluoride as an active ingredient. This ingredient is important to oral health and has been shown to strengthen your teeth! Since we don't endorse any specific brands, we don't want to explicitly say which products you should purchase and which you shouldn't. If you are wondering about a product on the market, but are unsure about whether or not to take the leap and purchase it, feel free to bring up the product in question during our next appointment and we'll let you know our thoughts!

Schedule A Consultation With Your Tacoma Orthodontist Dr. Knight, Today!

Overbites & Invisalign

In the early days of Invisalign, it was a fairly limited treatment that could only be used to correct minor problems in the alignment of the teeth. Over time, however, the Invisalign System has grown more advanced and more powerful, allowing us to correct more complicated malocclusions. So can Invisalign treat an overbite?

The answer is yes and no. For minor overbites, especially when the overbite is caused more by front teeth jutting outward rather than skeletal bone alignment issue, Invisalign can be effective as a treatment option. Thanks to new developments in Invisalign such as Precision Cuts, we can even attach elastics to Invisalign aligners now, giving us much more freedom to treat mild to moderate cases of overbite.

However, for more severe cases of overbite, Invisalign may not cut it. While Invisalign is a highly effective treatment option, it isn't very effective for making significant changes to the alignment of the jaws and facial bones - and this is often necessary in the case of severe overbite. So while Invisalign can treat some cases of overbite, for more severe cases, we may need to opt for another orthodontic treatment like traditional braces.

Contact Your Tacoma, WA Orthodontist

While Invisalign can't treat all cases of overbite, it's still an effective option for the majority of our patients - and if you want to find out if it can help you, we're here to help. Request an appointment today or contact us to learn more about Invisalign and see how it could help lead you to a brand new smile. We can't wait to hear from you, and we look forward to helping you achieve the smile of your dreams!

Douglas Knight Orthodontics wants you to show off your new braces or Invisalign Teen, and not feel the need to shy away from smiling. We've got some simple pieces of advice that will make all the difference this school year. The following are our tips for returning to school with braces or Invisalign Teen:

• Make an orthodontic care kit: put together a small bag of items that will help you through the day. Dr. Knight suggests a toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, and a small mirror. This way, no matter what happens or what you eat, you'll be prepared to have bright, shining teeth, even in the middle of the school day.
• Bring a water bottle: a water bottle is always a good idea, but especially for orthodontic health and braces or Invisalign Teen aligners. Water can be a quick solution in class or in the halls when you have something stuck in your teeth or braces.
• Braces approved lunches: make it even easier on yourself, pack your own lunches! We recommend packing lunches with foods that can be easily consumed with braces. For easy lunches, avoid foods like raw carrots, nuts, large pieces of meat, and whole apples.
• Remove your Invisalign Teen aligners: always remember to remove your Invisalign Teen aligners at meal and snack times. This way, you'll be sure to keep your aligners intact and on track with your Invisalign plan.
• Brush after eating: with either braces or Invisalign Teen, make sure to brush and floss your teeth effectively after every meal. For Invisalign Teen, you should also brush your aligners before placing them back in your mouth.
• New mouthguard: if your child plays athletic sports, let's set them up with a brand new, custom fit mouthguard to protect their teeth throughout the school year.

By taking these tips into account, you'll have nothing to worry about. Your braces and Invisalign Teen aligners will be clean and protected throughout the school day!

Call Douglas Knight Orthodontics In Tacoma, WA Today!

If you have questions or concerns about starting the new school year with braces or Invisalign Teen, please never hesitate to ask our team. We will be more than happy to help you and together, we can find a solution. To schedule your next appointment with our orthodontist, call our Tacoma, WA office directly or fill out our easy online form. We look forward to seeing you soon!

The simple answer for why teeth grow in crooked is genetics - but it actually goes even deeper than that. To find the root cause of most orthodontic problems, or malocclusions, we can blame nothing less than evolution itself.

Modern humans evolved from hominid species that needed to eat much tougher, harder foods, and they had larger, more powerful mouths to accomplish this. But as humans discovered the power of cooking food, natural selection acted to make our mouths smaller and less powerful. And herein lies the problem.

Most people grow 32 adult teeth. But the average person's mouth isn't actually big enough to accommodate all 32 of those teeth, and that's why the vast majority of people develop orthodontic problems in adolescence or adulthood. The problem becomes even more pronounced when the third molars (also called wisdom teeth) come in, around age 18-20 - almost no one has room in the dental arch to accommodate these teeth, which is why most people need to have them removed.

Contact Your Tacoma Orthodontist

When it comes to the causes of crooked teeth, the answer comes down to evolution. Our teeth, generally speaking, haven't caught up to the smaller mouths of anatomically modern humans, and that means most of us will develop a malocclusion of some sort. Thankfully, treating these malocclusions is easy, and we're proud to offer a wide range of orthodontic treatment options to help you achieve a straight, healthy smile now matter what your orthodontic condition. Want to achieve a new smile of your own? We'd love to help - schedule a consultation online today!

Invisalign is a clear, removable alternative to braces: instead of metal brackets and wires, Invisalign uses a series of translucent plastic trays called aligners to straighten teeth. Thanks to this unique design, Invisalign offers a number of benefits compared to traditional braces - and here are some of the most significant:

• Virtually Invisible: Perhaps the biggest benefit of Invisalign is that it's almost impossible to notice when worn. That means you won't have noticeable orthodontics in pictures, social situations, or even professional events.
• Smooth Comfort: Invisalign aligners are smooth to the touch and lay flat against the teeth, which means they won't cause the tiny cuts and scratches inside the mouth that braces inevitably do. This makes for a more comfortable treatment overall.
• Eat What You Want: While wearing braces, you'll need to avoid foods that are hard, crunchy, gooey, or sticky, as they can damage your brackets and wires. However, Invisalign aligners come out whenever you eat. This means Invisalign has no dietary restrictions, allowing you to enjoy your favorite foods throughout your treatment.
• Easy Oral Hygiene: Finally, you remove your aligners to perform oral hygiene. While braces require special tools like floss threaders to properly clean your teeth, you can brush and floss your teeth normally with Invisalign, making oral hygiene as easy as ever.

Schedule a Consultation for Invisalign in Tacoma, WA

Whether you're a teenager getting orthodontics for the first time or an adult looking to revitalize your smile, Invisalign is one of the most convenient, discreet treatment options on the market. If you're interested in improving your smile with Invisalign, simply reach out to us at our contact page to learn more about treatment. We can't wait to hear from you, and we're excited to help you start on the path to a gorgeous, healthy new smile!

Orthognathic surgery, also known simply as jaw surgery, refers to any surgical procedure affecting the bones of the jaws and mouth. Usually, orthognathic surgery aims to alter the positioning and alignment of the jaws, creating a healthier bone structure that can then support a healthy new smile. Orthognathic surgery may be necessary because the jaws have grown at different rates, or it may appear later in life due to a developmental issue or trauma.

Normally, orthognathic surgery is reserved for those with relatively severe orthodontic problems. Orthognathic surgery may be used to treat speech problems, issues with the function of the bite and smile, or severe TMJ pain. But in all cases, jaw surgery serves to correct underlying issues in the bone structure of the jaw, helping us create a healthier smile in the long-term.

Critically, orthognathic surgery is always the first step of a longer treatment process. After orthognathic surgery, you'll still need braces or other orthodontic treatment to bring the teeth into proper alignment. Jaw surgery works to create a healthier relationship between the jaws, which then allows us to orthodontic treatment to straighten the teeth and create a healthy, complete smile.

Contact Your Tacoma, WA Jaw Surgeon

When possible, we strive to use non-invasive treatment methods like braces or Invisalign - but for patients with more serious, underlying issues, orthognathic surgery may be the best option. Feel free to contact us if you have more questions about jaw surgery, or if you think you might benefit from orthognathic surgery, request a consultation online. We can't wait to hear from you, and we look forward to helping you achieve your dream smile!

Why Is Orthodontic Treatment Important?

1. Improves Oral Hygiene and Reduces Risk of Decay Misaligned teeth can be difficult to clean properly, which can lead to an increase in plaque buildup, tooth decay, and gum disease. Studies have shown that properly aligned teeth are easier to clean, thereby reducing the risk of periodontal disease and cavities. Orthodontic treatment not only enhances your smile but also protects your long-term oral health by making daily oral hygiene practices more effective.
2. Corrects Bite Problems An improper bite (also known as malocclusion) can cause difficulty with chewing and speech, and can also lead to jaw pain, temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ), and even headaches. Orthodontic treatment is essential in correcting bite problems like overbite, underbite, and crossbite, thus improving both functionality and comfort.
3. Enhances Self-Confidence Orthodontic treatment has a significant psychological impact. A straighter smile can improve self-esteem and confidence. Research suggests that people with well-aligned teeth are perceived as more attractive and confident, which can positively influence social and professional interactions.
4. Prevents Long-Term Dental Issues Misaligned teeth and jaws can result in uneven wear on the teeth, leading to further complications such as tooth chipping, grinding (bruxism), and even tooth loss over time. By addressing these issues early through orthodontic care, you can avoid more invasive and costly dental treatments later in life.

Types of Orthodontic Treatments

1. Braces Traditional metal braces remain one of the most effective solutions for correcting dental alignment. Modern advancements now allow for ceramic braces, which are less noticeable. Braces gradually shift teeth into their optimal position through the use of brackets and wires that are adjusted over time.
2. Clear aligners Invisalign offers a nearly invisible treatment option for people who want a more discreet approach. These removable, custom-fit trays move the teeth gradually and can be more convenient for maintaining oral hygiene compared to traditional braces.
3. Retainers After the completion of active orthodontic treatment, retainers are necessary to maintain results. Retainers help prevent the teeth from shifting back to their previous positions. Wearing a retainer as prescribed by your orthodontist can ensure long-lasting results.

Why Should You Choose Orthodontic Treatment?

Orthodontic care goes beyond aesthetics. It is an investment in your oral health, functionality, and confidence. Whether for children, teens, or adults, orthodontics helps correct misaligned teeth and bite issues, ensuring better oral hygiene and preventing complications that can arise from untreated dental misalignments. Studies support the long-term benefits of orthodontic treatment, making it an essential step toward achieving and maintaining a healthy smile.

If you’re considering orthodontic treatment, consult with an orthodontist to explore your options. Early intervention can lead to quicker results and prevent further complications. Your smile and your oral health are worth it!

References:

1. Twetman, S. et al. (2003). "Caries Prevention in Orthodontic Patients: An Evidence-Based Review." American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics.
2. McNamara, J. A. (2000). "Early Intervention in Orthodontics: Benefits and Limitations." Journal of Clinical Orthodontics.
3. Pithon, M. M. et al. (2014). "Perception of Smile Esthetics Between Orthodontists, Dentists, and Laypersons." The Angle Orthodontist.
4. Kokich, V. O., Kiyak, H. A., & Shapiro, P. A. (1999). "Comparing the Perception of Dentists and Lay People to Altered Dental Esthetics." Journal of Esthetic and Restorative Dentistry.
5. Proffit, W. R., Fields, H. W., & Sarver, D. M. (2007). Contemporary Orthodontics. Elsevier Health Sciences.
6. Phan, X. et al. (2015). "Efficiency of Invisalign Compared With Traditional Orthodontic Treatment." Journal of the World Federation of Orthodontists.
7. Littlewood, S. J. et al. (2017). "Retention in Orthodontics." British Dental Journal.