Controlled Arch Orthodontics

You may be surprised at this, but at Restore Modern Dentistry, we’re not just concerned with the health of your teeth.

We know that sounds strange, as we are dentists, but our approach to taking care of our patients is centered around treating the whole patient — not just the mouth.

We take a comprehensive approach to care and offer you all the services you need under one roof to reduce your need to go to multiple providers. To that end, in addition to general dentistry, cosmetic dentistry and periodontal care, we also offer patients modern dental treatments, including TMD treatments, sleep breathing disorder therapies and facial development orthodontic options, including Controlled Arch braces.

What Are Controlled Arch Braces?

When you think about the word “braces,” your mind may immediately jump to the wires, brackets and rubber bands of your youth. But Controlled Arch braces are a little different from the orthodontics of yesteryear.

Instead of pushing and pulling the teeth to achieve a straight smile, Controlled Arch braces, also known as arch orthodontics, focus on more than just straightening the teeth. Instead, this type of treatment takes your facial characteristics and physiological makeup into consideration when planning for your teeth’s positioning.

Controlled Arch braces first address problems with the jaw and dental spacing issues, then move the teeth into their new position.

The result is a smile that is both beautiful and healthy.

Controlled Arch Orthodontics Versus Traditional Braces

As we mentioned, traditional orthodontics are designed to improve the smile’s appearance by moving the teeth around until the desired look is achieved (retractions).

However, many experts have learned that moving the teeth in a too-small space caused by improper jaw development can cause issues. Primarily, there’s not enough room for all the teeth; this results in unnecessary tooth extractions to create enough space for the teeth. Bite and jaw problems and sleep breathing disorders can also occur.

Instead, the Controlled Arch approach begins by aligning the jaw to achieve an ideal position. In most cases, patients who undergo Controlled Arch braces therapy also require expansion of the jaw to allow enough room for all the teeth. This factor reduces crowding, eliminates the need for tooth extractions and reduces the potential for stress on the jaw joints.

Another benefit is improved facial appearance, as unnecessary extractions can affect how you look and age over time.

How Controlled Arch Orthodontics Works

Controlled Arch braces treatment involves the use of large arches and arch wires to expand the arch of the upper jaw and the molars’ position.

After treatment, the bite improves, and jaw alignment issues and stress on the jaw joints subside. The upper airway is widened, reducing the risk of developing sleep apnea and other sleep breathing disorders.

Who Is a Candidate for Controlled Arch Orthodontic Care?

Controlled Arch braces are an ideal option for patients whose jaws did not fully develop, impacting the width of their arch and the positioning of their teeth. Controlled Arch braces treatment can be used for adolescents and adults, even if you had braces as a kid and have experienced an orthodontic relapse.

Controlled Arch braces can treat:

• Overbites, underbites and crossbites
• Crowded teeth
• Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) or TMD symptoms
• Sleep breathing disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea
• Facial appearance abnormalities, such as a narrow face, flat mid-face and recessed chin
• Unbalanced bites
• Chronic mouth breathing

Benefits of Controlled Arch Braces

Controlled Arch braces can do more than straighten the teeth. Benefits include:

• Corrected jaw development
• Improved appearance of the cheekbones and face
• Reduction in the formation of laugh lines, wrinkles around the mouth and nose, “turkey neck,” and sagging jowls
• An improved profile and improvement of the mid-face
• Relaxed jaw muscles and a reduction of the risk of developing TMD symptoms
• Reduced risk of developing a sleep breathing disorder like sleep apnea
• Correct breathing; mouth breathing is eliminated
• Correct oral rest posture
• Faster treatment times than traditional braces

The most significant benefits of Controlled Arch orthodontics include:

No Extractions. When the arch isn’t large enough for all your teeth, traditional orthodontic systems have little way of helping. The result is unnecessary extractions! Controlled Arch orthodontics allows us to actually develop arch space so extractions become avoidable. The process will enable you to keep your teeth.

A Balanced Bite. Believe it or not, you can have straight teeth and still have a “bad bite.” Even when the teeth are aligned, the jaws and muscles may have to work too hard to keep them together. This lack of harmony is what we refer to as a “bad bite,” which can cause you pain, TMD and headaches. Controlled Arch orthodontics can help!

Avoid TMD. Degenerative joint change, dislocation of the TMJ discs and ear pain can all come from poorly aligned bites, even when the teeth have been straightened. Controlled Arch orthodontics can prevent this!

Controlled Arch orthodontics is just one of the orthodontic therapy offerings. Learn about our other orthodontic treatment approaches here. 

Are you considering Controlled Arch orthodontics? Call Restore Modern Dentistry to learn more or schedule a consultation today. We can’t wait to hear from you.