Preventive Braces in Virginia Beach, VA

Orthodontists use preventative braces on younger patients to help make room for and guide permanent teeth into straighter positions. Drs. Savage, Sabol & Visser treat children living in Virginia Beach, Norfolk, and Chesapeake, including children throughout Virginia’s eastern shore, with preventative braces. Our patients can start treatment for as little as $99 with low monthly payments.

What is Preventive Orthodontics?

Preventative braces are orthodontic devices used to guide permanent teeth into position. Depending on the type of orthodontic problem, the treatment may include making space between teeth, widening dental arches, correcting bites, influencing jaw growth, and other issues. Depending on the purpose of them, preventative orthodontics are often first part of a two-phase treatment.

How Much Do Preventative Braces Cost?

The cost of preventative braces varies with each patient depending on the reason for them, the type of appliance needed and the length of time for the interceptive treatment. During your complimentary consultation, we go over the cost along with our payment and financing options. We offer in-house financing as well as financing through CareCredit® to make your treatment more affordable. We also recommend patients bring their dental insurance information to the consultation so that we can determine if coverage for orthodontics is available. We work with most insurance companies to determine your out-of-pocket costs prior to beginning your treatment. At Savage, Sabol and Visser, we offer orthodontic treatment options for just $99 down and as little as $200 a month.

About Interceptive Orthodontics

Interceptive orthodontics and preventative braces are used primarily with children. With interceptive orthodontics, orthodontists can prepare a young patient’s mouth to wear braces. Some of the problems that require early treatment include protruding teeth, jaw misalignment, missing teeth, speech impediments, and oral habits like thumb and finger sucking. This treatment may also shorten the treatment time later when braces are applied.

Why Do Children Require Preventative Braces?

The American Association of Orthodontics recommends children see an orthodontist starting at seven years old. General dentists are typically the first dental professionals to notice issues during general check-ups at which point they refer young patients to area orthodontists.

What Types of Preventative Orthodontics are Used?

Preventative braces may not necessarily involve traditional braces; instead, they include orthodontic appliances designed to prepare for braces. The most frequently used preventative braces are space maintainers, expanders and thumb sucking appliances.

• Tongue Sucking/Habit Appliances: Some children thrust their tongues against the backs of the front teeth more than others. This is usually caused by children who have a current digit sucking habit or a previous one, used a pacifier for too long or may never learned to swallow properly. As permanent teeth come in, they can be pushed outward by the habit. To allow the teeth to erupt normally, orthodontists used tongue sucking or habit appliances to gently retrain children and allow the tongue to be retrained to its normal position.
• Space Maintainers: Whether due to an accident, genetics or poor hygiene, young children can lose baby teeth before their permanent teeth are ready to erupt. Space maintainers are used to keep other teeth from pushing into the empty area so that the permanent teeth can come into the correct area.
• First Phase Braces: For children whose jaws may not be coming together properly as they grow or whose teeth are not coming in correctly, the first phase of a two-phase orthodontic treatment may require braces. The goal is to allow the child’s mouth to grow and form correctly which may reduce the amount of time spent in braces and could reduce the need for the removal of permanent teeth later.
• Palatal Expansion Appliances: Palatal expansion appliances can be used to broaden the upper jaw in an effort to help the top and bottom jaw better align. In order to be most effective, palatal expansion appliances are typically used at an early stage of orthodontics, when the mouth of young children is still developing in order to obtain maximum skeletal changes.

Preventative braces often help children avoid larger orthodontic issues as they age. Drs. Savage, Sabol & Visser use preventative braces on children living in Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake and those throughout Virginia’s eastern shore, as well as the surrounding communities. Our patients can start treatment for as little as $99 with low monthly payments. Contact us to schedule a consultation for your child today!

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