About two years ago our family began seeing Dr Mead. Dr Mead merges cutting edge technology and great technique to provide excellent dental care. He is fantastic with our kids. Going to the Dentist is no longer a chore but an enjoyable experience. The staff are very nice, the text reminders about appointments are very helpful and we never have to wait for our appointment they are always on time. Thanks Dr Mead 🙂
- Ken Livingston
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Invisalign is a series of “invisible” aligners created through 3-D imaging technology that moves teeth in kindest, gentlest way until an ideal alignment as possible can be achieved.
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Oral Orthopedics

Orthodontics and oral orthopedics is the formal name of the dental speciality that is associated with the correction of malocclusions and bad bites.
The purpose of diagnosing the need for orthodontics is two fold –
1 – We first place the bone and joint in the proper place so going forward problems such as extractions, TMJ, and sleep apnea can be avoided.
2 – We create a healthy bite that puts the teeth in proper alignment which prevents excessive wear, gum recession, and unnecessary force on roots that can cause nerve problems.
There are several dental malocclusions that can be treated with orthodontics such as crowding, teeth spaced too far apart, teeth don’t meet at all, or meet in an abnormal way.
The key to orthodontics and the philosophy that Downtown Dental Syracuse puts forth is early intervention between the age of 7-12 and no extractions of permanent teeth.

Types of Orthodontic Treatments We Provide

Two Phase Early Intervention

Normally beginning between the ages of 7-12 a combination of appliances and braces are used to shape and move the bone to proper placement so there is sufficient room for the permanent teeth to erupt without the need for extractions. There is then a ‘break’ where the appliances and braces are removed until all the permanent teeth erupt. Once this happens regular braces are placed to align the teeth properly.

Fixed metal or ceramic ‘white’ braces

Normally these are used when an adolescent or adult has all or most of their permanent teeth in place. Brackets are places and a series of wires are used to align the teeth properly until an ideal bite is achieved.

Invisalign

Clear plastic aligners are placed in succession to make teeth move at a slow comfortable rate until they are aligned properly. Several white attachments or ‘buttons’ are placed on teeth to allow the teeth to be moved into proper alignment.
Where is was once thought that all cases were not possible through invisalign it is now almost always a choice for most types of dental malocclusions.

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