Calgary Ortho FAQ

An Orthodontic Specialist or Orthodontist is a certified dental specialist who has taken an additional 24-30 months of training beyond that of a general dentist to diagnose and treat poor oral posture and improperly positioned jaws and teeth. The goal is to meet the goals of the patients we serve while improving the function (oral posture and airway) and the esthetics of the jaws and teeth.

No referral is necessary. Just click here to fill out a patient intake form and set up an appointment with Clear Orthodontics today!

It all depends on what you want regarding you or your child’s health. In growing individuals, health includes maximization of proper growth and development of the jaws and face through development of correct rest oral posture and nasal breathing (rather than mouth breathing). Although people don’t need straight teeth, we believe that the beauty of a person’s smile is more than what you see on the surface. In every stage of life, smiling helps to build a positive self image, creates confidence, and is a vital form of positive human expression. We can’t tell you what you need until we know what you want. After we take the time to listen to your concerns and learn what you would like to see happen, we can then give you treatment options to achieve your goals.

Crozat appliances are light wire removable appliances that develop the width of the upper and lower arches. They are utilized in children as a phase I appliance to make room for teeth and in adult cases where arch width is needed before braces or Invisalign.

Invisalign is a series of computer designed/computer manufactured clear trays that fit over the teeth and straighten them 0.1mm – 0.3mm at a time without braces or wires.
Working adults love the subtlety and flexibility of the Invisalign Adult system, and kids and young adults can benefit from the Invisalign Teen system.

It is true that Invisalign does not widen arches efficiently or effectively. That is why in cases that require wideing of the arches, Dr. Ward utilizes small removable wire appliances called Crozats create width before invisalign. Like Invisalign, Crozat appliances are invisible as they rest on the inside of the teeth. After the width is created, the patient can then go into aligners to straighten their teeth. The result is invisible arch development and invisible tooth alignment!

Combination Crozat/Invisalign treatment opens the door for many people to straighten their teeth without braces who were not candidates for Invisalgn. Dr. Ward teaches the Crozat appliance technique for the American Academy of Gnathologic Orthopedics, the only organization in the world that teaches the Crozat Philosphy.

More than likely, you are not too old, as Dr. Ward has successfully treated patients from ages 2 – 72! The biologic processes of tooth movement are the same regardless of age (although limitations do exist depending on the individuals health and medical history) and the health benefits of orthodontic treatment for adults include improvement of how the teeth function, increased tongue space what can help snoring and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), improved oral hygiene of teeth and gums, as well as the esthetics of the smile.

Each individual’s case fee is determined by several factors including treatment degree of difficulty, treatment time, and clinical time required and procedures required to achieve treatment goals. We make sure you are aware of ALL fees for all options discussed at your initial consultation just so there are NO SUPRISES. If you do have insurance or a health spending account, we will assist you in maximizing your benefit. We also offer flexible financing and we will do everything we can to help fit the treatment option you wish to pursue into your schedule and budget.

Teeth tend to move back to their original positions so we recommend you wear your retainers every night to protect the investment of time, energy and money you have made in your smile. If they are tight when you try them in, that means your teeth are moving and we recommend wearing them a few additional hours in the day or early evening.

We provide two sets of retainers for our patients: a temporary set of clear aligners and a permanent set make of acrylic and wires. If you lose one or both sets, notify our office as soon as possible, wear your temporary set in the meantime if you still have them, and we will schedule to make you a new set for a fee.

It is recommended that children have an orthodontic check-up by the age of 6, or earlier if there are signs of:

• Poor resting oral posture including mouth breathing, tongue posturing between teeth, and finger or lip habits (thumb-sucking, etc).
• crowded primary (baby) teeth
• crossbite
• underbite
• premature loss of primary teeth

This way, problems with the growth of the jaws or crowding of the teeth can be addressed, often eliminating the need for complicated treatment, such as adult tooth removal or surgery, after the adolescent growth spurt. As well, some of the underlying causes of orthodontic problems, such as a dependency to breathe through the mouth instead of the nose, thumb-sucking, and dental decay, can be recognized early to prevent problems from worsening.

• Room for all the permanent teeth can be created
• Development of the upper and lower jaws
• Correction of poor oral posture including mouth breathing, finger sucking habits, and tongue thrusting can allow for more ideal growth and development.

Early treatment that develops the width of the jaws while improving resting oral posture, such as Biobloc Orthotropics™, can improve one’s direction of facial growth and avoid future invasive procedures such as tooth extraction and surgery.

• One’s growth potential can often be missed by delaying treatment of problems that could have been addressed at an earlier age.
• Patient compliance is usually better in the pre-teen years resulting in better treatment outcomes.

Yes! It is True! Closed mouth resting oral posture associated with nasal breathing (read article) has been proven by Dr. John Mew to effect the facial growth direction and growth and development of the jaws.

Early treatment, also called Phase I Treatment, takes place while your child still has baby teeth present. Phase I treatment usually lasts between 1 and 2 years, during which time retainers are worn until the permanent teeth come in. After the permanent teeth have come in, we can determine if Phase II Treatment is needed. Most children require a second phase of treatment, but Phase II treatment is considerably shorter and less invasive if your child benefits from early Phase I treatment.