Orthodontic FAQS

Orthodontists like Dr. Jennings are dental specialists who diagnose, prevent and treat dental and facial irregularities. Finding the right orthodontist in Louisville or Mt. Washington, KY, who can help you achieve your smile dreams is the key to getting the best results.

Only those with this formal education may call themselves “orthodontists,” and only orthodontists like Dr. Jennings may be members of the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO). Orthodontists receive an additional two to three years of specialized education beyond dental school to learn the proper way to align and straighten teeth.

Dr. Jennings from Jennings Orthodontics has achieved this specialization and is an active member in AAO.

The American Association of Orthodontists and Dr. Jennings recommend children see an orthodontist by age seven. By then, most children in Louisville and Mt. Washington have several permanent teeth that have erupted, letting Jennings Orthodontics evaluate their orthodontic needs.

Dr. Jennings 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 Dr. Jennings finds them early.

Most orthodontic patients begin active braces treatment at Jennings Orthodontics between ages 9 and 14.

Dr. Jennings can help patients of just about any age. In fact, about one in every four orthodontic patients at Jennings Orthodontics is over age 18.

Thanks to today’s smaller, less visible and more comfortable orthodontic appliances, including metal braces, clear ceramic braces, and clear aligners, like the popular Invisalign® system, adults in Louisville and Mt. Washington find treatment appealing.

Patients at Jennings Orthodontics who need orthodontic treatment generally have one to three years of active treatment.

After your free consultation at our Louisville or Mt. Washington, KY office, Dr. Jennings can determine your estimated treatment time.

The cost of orthodontic treatment at Jennings Orthodontics depends on many factors, including the severity of the problem, how complicated the problem is, and how long treatment lasts.

Dr. Jennings will be glad to discuss the cost of treatment and your financing options with you before treatment begins.

The good news is that braces are more affordable in Louisville and Mt. Washington than in the past. Our Jennings Orthodontics team also works with insurance companies and offers payment plans that meet your family’s budget.

Most orthodontic problems we see in patients from around Louisville and Mt. Washington are inherited. These genetic problems might be crowding, spacing, protrusion, extra or missing teeth.

Other oral problems that Dr. Jennings sees can be caused by thumb-sucking or finger-sucking, dental disease, accidents, the early or late loss of baby teeth.

Crooked and crowded teeth are hard to clean and maintain. A bad bite can also cause the surface of your teeth to wear down unevenly, difficulty chewing and/or speaking, and excess stress on supporting bone and gum tissue.

Without treatment from an orthodontist like Dr. Jennings, many problems become worse and can require additional dental care later in life.

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

Your job is to follow Dr. Jennings’s instructions, keep scheduled orthodontic appointments and maintain excellent oral hygiene to get the best results.

Patients living around Louisville and Mt. Washington will also need to see your general dentist as recommended to continue their general dental care.

If you notice an unwanted change in your smile or bite, contact Jennings Orthodontics at 502-215-5986 for information. An orthodontic “tune-up” may be necessary to regain proper alignment.

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. Jennings can help determine whether or not your wisdom teeth need to be removed.

Dr. Jennings will recommend how long and how often you need to wear your retainers, whether they are removable (the kind you put in and take out) or fixed (bonded behind your teeth). Wearing your retainers as prescribed is the best way to keep your teeth from moving after your orthodontic treatment.

There are many reasons teeth may move following orthodontic treatment at Jennings Orthodontics. Your teeth are set in bone, not concrete. Because bone around your teeth is continually changing (breaking down and rebuilding), it’s not uncommon for your teeth to shift after treatment.

Your teeth are more likely to remain where Dr. Jennings has placed them through braces treatment by wearing your retainers.

As you use your teeth for biting and chewing, they will settle and cause small changes after your braces are removed. 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 Jennings Orthodontics.

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

Sometimes changes can occur that are disappointing to both the patient and Dr. Jennings. Changes in tooth position are not a failure of your orthodontic treatment. 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, Dr. Jennings prescribes retainers after removing your braces.

No. Your retainers stabilize and preserve the alignment of teeth and jaws Dr. Jennings achieved through your orthodontic treatment.

Many people in Louisville and Mt. Washington wear removable retainers nightly for the rest of their lives. Ask Dr. Jennings for guidance about your long-term retainer use.