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The day your appliances come off is an exciting time for any orthodontic patient. At Choice Orthodontics, we strive to make treatment a breeze for all our patients from start to finish. However, once your appliances come off, one of the most important parts of the process begins with retention. Retention is the part of the process that keeps your newly straightened teeth aligned after appliances are removed.

As your orthodontic specialist in the greater Atchison, KS and St. Joseph, MO areas, Choice Orthodontics believe everyone deserves a healthy smile they are proud to show off. That’s why we put a big emphasis on orthodontic treatment especially early treatment. Great orthodontics doesn’t just start when our patients first get their braces, ideally, it should start several years before that! Read on to learn more about the many benefits of early orthodontic treatment.

During your visit to Choice Orthodontics, you might hear mention of a Palatal Expander, but you may not know exactly what that means. Let’s dig in!

Invisalign is high tech, innovative way to straighten teeth. It is extremely popular for its ease of use, and invisible appearance, which allows adults and adolescents to enjoy the results they would get from braces treatment, without changing their diet and appearance. Dr. Lauren Windhorst has guided countless patients through Invisalign treatment at Choice Orthodontics in Saint Joseph, MO. So how long does Invisalign take to straighten teeth? That can depend on a few different factors.

By now you’ve heard about the wonders that braces can work on crooked teeth and how orthodontic care can change your life by improving your smile but what if we told you there was a more effective and efficient way to straighten your teeth besides just getting braces? Here at Choice Orthodontics, your local orthodontic specialist in Northwestern Missouri and Northeastern Kansas, we pride ourselves on our cutting-edge orthodontic care and our breadth of orthodontic experience. Dr. Lauren Windhorst offers not only orthodontic standards like braces and Invisalign, but she also specializes in the two-phase treatment, the most effective tool in our orthodontic arsenal. Find out what you need to know about our orthodontic offerings, and how you can achieve the smile of your dreams with two-phase treatment!

School is back in session and that means your teen needs to be on top of their orthodontic treatment, even while at school. If your child recently got Invisalign Teen, Choice Orthodontics has some tips and tricks to ensure their school year goes smoothly and their Invisalign treatment stays on track. Dr. Lauran Windhorst encourages you and your child to strictly follow our Invisalign Teen tips as they will make your orthodontic treatment more effective and efficient in the long term.

At Choice Orthodontics in Saint Joseph, MO, we want to remind you that although your braces are removed, that does not mean that your orthodontic journey is complete. The retention stage is key to the success of the entire orthodontic process. For a minimum of 24 months, your teeth will not be rigidly set, and you will be responsible for consistently wearing your retainers. Retainers are designed to keep your teeth in place and prevent them from shifting. This is applicable for all our patients wearing braces, Invisalign, or adult braces. Our orthodontic specialists will ensure your teeth stay straight and aligned for a beautiful, bright smile!

Congratulations! You just got your braces off! And while it’s exciting to finally finish the hard part, treatment is still not over. After you take off your braces, your orthodontist will give you a pair of retainers, also known as the retention phase. To preserve your straight smile, you will be advised to wear your retainers by your orthodontists’ instructions. And just like any orthodontic appliance, they will need to be thoroughly cleaned. But don’t worry! At Choice Orthodontics, we have some tips on how you can keep your retainers clean!

For many people, orthodontic treatment will be limited to expanders, braces, and may be the occasional tooth extraction. But the possibilities for treatment go far beyond that, giving orthodontists the ability to correct more complicated malocclusions, such as severe overbites and underbites, with “orthognathic” corrective jaw surgery. Choice Orthodontics is home to a highly qualified maxillofacial surgeon and team and uses state-of-the-art technology and personalized care to provide orthodontic treatment in Northern Missouri.

At Choice Orthodontics, it's our mission to provide high-quality orthodontic care in a fun, friendly office environment. Our orthodontist and dedicated team of highly trained orthodontic specialists work hard to get to know all our patients individually, and we strive to craft specialized treatment plans to perfectly suit our patients' unique orthodontic needs. While the treatments we perform in the office are critically important to your new smile, it's also vital that you take great care of your teeth and braces in Northwest Missouri - and that includes monitoring your diet and avoiding sugary foods and food bad for your teeth.

Finally, the time has come! After months and months, you are finally able to take your braces off. We know how exciting that can be, but what happens after that? Will your teeth stay straight? Well...not exactly. Unfortunately, your teeth shift all the time.

Halloween is a fun holiday for kids and adults of all ages. Whether you’re taking your child trick-or-treating this year or you’re still a child at heart and excited about all the tasty treats available in stores, caring for your or your child’s teeth, braces, and general dental care remains paramount.

Your diet affects your entire body, including the health of your teeth. At Choice Orthodontics, we want to ensure that you are eating the best possible foods to increase your oral health. Our Gallatin orthodontist, Dr. Windhorst, recommends eating more of the following foods: cheese, apples, leafy greens, carrots, yogurt, almonds, and celery.

Braces are a right of passage for most pre-teens and teenagers, but they also come with a lot of responsibility. This applies to adult patients with braces, Invisalign, SureSmile, and Acceledent as well. Braces need to be cared for at home and in between orthodontic appointments.

Some people feel self-conscious about smiling because they believe their gums are too prominent. Though we each have our own definition of what makes a smile beautiful — including how much gum is too much — orthodontists define a smile as “gummy” when 4 millimeters (just over 1/8 of an inch) of gum tissue shows.

Invisalign is slowly becoming the most innovative and popular orthodontic treatment option in the teeth straightening industry. It combines 3-D computer graphic technology to create customized aligners for your teeth. If you’re looking for a healthier, more beautiful smile, Invisalign might be the perfect solution for you!

You may know that orthodontics and dentistry both relate to teeth, but do you know what differentiates the forms of service these two areas offer? If you’re in need of treatment for your teeth, you need to know. Both dentists and orthodontists work on oral health and dental care, but they can help your teeth in different ways.

Many people wait to seek orthodontic treatment for a number of reasons, the main one being that they’re simply unaware that orthodontic treatment is what they need. Our team members at Choice Orthodontics of Northwest Missouri and Northeast Kansas are here to offer guidance on when to see an orthodontist by highlighting a few common conditions and problems we treat that should get attention sooner rather than later!

If you’ve ever considered using braces to straighten your teeth, you’re most likely familiar with direct-to-consumer orthodontic treatment options, as advertised on TV. These companies have exploded in popularity recently—boasting their affordability and less fuss involved. However, not all aspects of direct-to-consumer treatment are good. There are strong, unwavering benefits to completing orthodontic treatment with a certified and experienced orthodontist vs. getting the quick fix of straight-to-order aligners. Here are some things you should consider before clicking “purchase” on a smile kit.

Orthodontic technology has come a long way. In addition to the many first-rate orthodontic treatments that can straighten your teeth, there are other ways you can enhance your smile. With the use of innovative diode laser treatment, for example, you can easily remove excess gum tissue to improve the state of your smile.

When is the right time to see an orthodontist? This is an excellent question, especially if you’ve been thinking about braces or orthodontic treatment for yourself or someone you care about.

Choice Orthodontics delivers quality orthodontic care for people of all ages. While we proudly offer adult orthodontic treatment as well as early orthodontic treatment, most of the treatment we provide is in the form of adolescent orthodontics.

Braces are a right of passage for many people in this day and age. Though, despite being well-known, the actual process of living life with braces may not be as familiar.

At Choice Orthodontics, we believe that braces are only as good as the orthodontic team that cares for you while you have them. So, in order to take that first step toward providing excellent care, we want to keep you as informed about the process as possible so you know what to expect.

At Choice Orthodontics, our team is dedicated to providing exceptional service to all our patients. In order to complement our experienced orthodontist, our team has been comprised of the most skilled, and caring team members. Together, we are able to offer amazing orthodontic services to the Saint Joseph and Gallatin, MO area—building beautiful and straight, healthy smiles every day! Continue reading below to learn more about our staff members and contact us to book an appointment today.

Fall is here, which means another school year is in full swing with activities, meetings, and social events. So, whether it’s for yourself or your child, it may be time to invest in a plan to straighten your teeth. But should you pick braces or opt for Invisalign? At Choice Orthodontics, we offer both Invisalign and traditional braces as great options to straighten teeth. By considering your individual teeth, goals, and preferences, we can help you choose which option is right for you.

Orthodontic technology is continuously improving in terms of comfort, results, and appearance. This last element “appearance,” in particular, is an element of orthodontic treatment that has been innovated over the years in order to offer orthodontic patients treatment plans that are as discreet as possible. Invisalign clear aligners are a leading solution to this aesthetic quest.

Having braces or Invisilign takes a bit of getting used to at first, and a lot of care. You may heed all directions from your orthodontist and still experience minor aches and soreness, which is completely normal. There may come a time however, although rare, that you may actually experience an orthodontic emergency. But how do you know when it’s just regular pain or an emergency? Continue below to read a summary of some common orthodontic problems, learn if they’re emergencies or not, and discover how to treat them.

Invisalign is a great option for orthodontic treatment. The aligners are practically invisible, they’re removable, and best of all, you can eat any foods that you want. However, to get the most out of your experience with Invisalign, you have to take good care of your aligners and make sure you clean them properly. The Choice Orthodontics team has created a comprehensive list of the biggest do’s and don’ts when it comes to taking care of and cleaning your Invisalign aligners.

Imagine that you’re brushing your teeth or diving into a plateful of your favorite food and you suddenly feel a sharp pain in your mouth. Once you get in front of a mirror you get a closer look and you see a small, white sore. You’ve just found yourself a canker sore, and they’re never fun. The good news is that your local Saint Joseph and Gallatin, MO oral health experts at Choice Orthodontics are here to help you with all the information about canker sores that you need to know for prevention and treatment.

It’s never too late to begin orthodontic treatment. But when it comes to your child’s teeth, earlier is better than later. The American Association of Orthodontists recommends an initial screening at age seven to determine if early orthodontic treatment is right for your child. In most cases, if orthodontic work is not needed, your orthodontist will simply monitor your child’s growth patterns until the best time for treatment is determined.

Your third molars are more commonly called "wisdom teeth." Usually appearing in the late teens or early twenties, wisdom teeth often lack the proper space in the jaw to erupt fully or even at all. This common condition is called impaction.

At Choice Orthodontics, we work hard to provide high-quality orthodontic care to families across Saint Joseph, Gallatin, Savannah, Cameron, and other Northwest Missouri and Northeast Kansas communities. Dr. Windhorst and her highly-trained staff want to make every patient feel at home in our offices.

Sometimes braces alone aren't enough to move teeth into a better position, or correct a problematic bite or misaligned jaw growth. In those situations, your trusted St. Joseph and Gallatin orthodontist may recommend the use of special appliances, such as orthodontic headgear. Orthodontic headgear is worn partly outside the mouth and applies just enough force to move the teeth properly and guide the growth of the face and jaws.

Thumb and finger sucking habits are a perfectly natural way for babies and toddlers to soothe themselves. However, as a child grows there comes a point when this comforting habit can cause more harm than good. While it is completely natural for children to engage in thumb sucking during the first few years of life, prolonging the habit could cause social awkwardness and damage to the jaw’s growth pattern.

Most people don’t associate teeth with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). However, a 2012 study revealed that many children who are diagnosed with ADD don’t really have the condition. Rather, their behavioral problems are actually due to sleep-related breathing disorders (SRBD), such as sleep apnea.

At Choice Orthodontics, it’s our mission to offer efficient and effective services that help our patients achieve healthy, beautiful smiles. As part of this commitment, we’re always happy to share information on how you and your family can maintain great dental and oral health. For example, for all those soon-to-be parents out there, did you know that there are steps you can take during pregnancy to ensure your child develops healthy teeth?