Orthodontic FAQs

Finding an orthodontist in Olathe or Overland Park who can help you achieve your smile dreams is crucial. Orthodontists like Dr. Joe Moon are dental specialists who diagnose, prevent and treat dental and facial irregularities.

This means Dr. Moon is more qualified to give you the smile of your dreams than you could get from ordering aligners online. Orthodontic specialists like Dr. Moon have extensive and specialized training to provide their patients around Olathe and Overland Park with professional, personalized treatments.

Teeth, and sometimes the structure of the entire face, are permanently changed by orthodontic treatment. Orthodontic treatment needs to be designed for your needs, professionally monitored, and properly completed.

Only those with this formal education may call themselves “orthodontists,” and Dr. Moon at Moon Orthodontics has achieved this specialization. During these two to three years of additional training orthodontic specialists complete, Dr. Moon learned to diagnose and develop a specialized treatment plan for each patient.

Dr. Moon also learned to apply their knowledge to correct issues efficiently and effectively during treatment. This will result in not only obtaining a beautiful smile, but a healthy smile.

The American Association of Orthodontists and Dr. Moon recommend an orthodontic screening at age seven. By this age, most Olathe and Overland Park children have several permanent teeth that have erupted, letting us evaluate their orthodontic needs.

By this age, Dr. Moon can spot subtle problems with jaw growth and emerging teeth while some baby teeth are still present.

That’s important, because some orthodontic problems may be easier to correct if they are found early. Most of our Moon Orthodontics patients begin active braces treatment between ages 9 and 14.

Orthodontic treatment can be successful at almost any age. In fact, about one in every four orthodontic patients at Moon Orthodontics is older than age 18.

Thanks to today’s smaller, less visible and more comfortable orthodontic appliances (including metal braces, ceramic braces, and Invisalign), adults around Olathe and Overland Park find treatment appealing.

Patients who need orthodontic treatment at Moon Orthodontics generally have one to three years of active treatment. This can be determined through a free consultation at our Olathe or Overland Park offices.

The cost of orthodontic treatment at Moon Orthodontics depends on a handful of factors, including the severity of the problem, how complex the problem is, and how long treatment lasts.

Dr. Moon will be glad to discuss the cost of treatment and your financing options with you before treatment begins. The good news is, braces are more affordable today than ever. Our Moon Orthodontics team also works with insurance companies and offers payment plans that meet your family’s budget.

Most orthodontic problems are inherited. Examples of these genetic problems are crowding, spacing, protrusion, extra or missing teeth and some jaw growth problems.

Other oral problems are caused by thumb- or finger-sucking, dental disease, accidents, the early or late loss of baby teeth, or other causes.

Crooked and crowded teeth are hard to clean and maintain. A bad bite can wear down teeth, make it hard to chew and talk and create stress on supporting bone and gum tissue.

Without treatment from an orthodontist like our doctor at Moon Orthodontics, many problems become worse and can require additional dental care later in life.

Orthodontic treatment is a partnership between you and Dr. Joe Moon. Dr. Moon provides custom-made fixed or removable appliances that use gentle pressure to move teeth into their proper positions.

To get the best smile you can, your job is to follow Dr. Moon’s instructions, keep scheduled orthodontic appointments and maintain excellent oral hygiene.

You will also need to see your general dentist as recommended to continue your general dental care.

You might need an orthodontic tune-up from Dr. Moon to regain proper alignment.

If you notice an unwanted change in your smile or bite, contact Moon Orthodontics for a free consultation.

Not necessarily. Research suggests that wisdom teeth don’t always cause teeth to shift. In most cases, wisdom teeth are removed for general dental health reasons rather than for orthodontic health.

Your family dentist or Dr. Moon can help determine whether or not your wisdom teeth need to be removed.

The small changes that happen after braces are removed are due to settling in as you use your teeth for biting and chewing. The more serious and unwanted changes may be traced to genetics or later-than-normal growth, which is unpredictable.

Movement is most common in lower front teeth. This is particularly true if the teeth were extremely crowded before treatment. Changes in tooth position are a lifelong and naturally occurring phenomenon.

The best way to keep your teeth from shifting is to wear your retainers as prescribed. If you notice movement after your braces are removed, please contact Moon Orthodontics.

The fact is that throughout your lifetime, even though you have had orthodontic treatment, you can expect changes in tooth position. Many factors at work may cause teeth to shift. Such changes are different for everyone, and most of the time, they are hardly noticeable.

However, on occasion, changes can occur that are disappointing to both the patient and Dr. Moon. Changes in tooth position are not a failure of your orthodontic treatment, but they are a natural process.

We expect changes in our bodies as we grow older, and teeth are no exception. To help control and limit these changes, retainers are prescribed after your braces are removed.

Dr. Joe Moon will recommend how long to continue wearing your retainers, whether they are removable (the kind you put in and take out) or fixed (bonded behind your teeth).

Wearing your retainers the way Dr. Moon prescribes will be the best way to keep your teeth from moving after your orthodontic treatment. There are many reasons teeth may move following orthodontic treatment at Moon Orthodontics.

Teeth are not set in concrete, they’re in bone. Because the bone around your teeth is continually changing (breaking down and rebuilding), your teeth may shift after your braces are removed.

When you wear your retainers, your teeth are more likely to remain where Dr. Moon moves them through braces treatment.