See a Change in Your Smile in Less Than 6 Weeks!

As graduation season draws near, students have plenty of things on their minds, from summer plans to higher education to entering the job market. Spring will involve lots of preparation for the future, both short and long term. When it comes to planning for success, nothing is better than investing in the health of your teeth and gums.

You deserve to celebrate all you have accomplished and to do so with a smile. Graduation involves special events and photos to mark the occasion. If your smile isn’t all you want it to be, Adirondack Orthodontics can help you prepare for this momentous occasion, helping you to change your smile in less than six weeks!

Carefully Planned, Expertly Executed

Invisalign is an orthodontic solution that can provide quicker results than typical solutions like braces, with treatment taking an average of six to eighteen months to complete. In many cases, minor results can be seen in less than six weeks. And, while faster than traditional braces, Invisalign is a process that’s anything but rushed. Plus, treatment can begin the same day as your consultation! Your treatment will be monitored by your orthodontist to assist you in achieving the smile you have always wanted.

A More Discreet Option

Invisalign aligns the teeth using clear aligners that can be removed as needed. All you need to remember is that your aligner should be worn at least 22 hours a day. While this rule is normally only relevant to times when you’re eating, it could come in handy when it’s time to attend your graduation, take pictures, or go for job interviews. And since the aligners are clear, you’ll be able to look back on your graduation photos and see your beautiful smile – which is a memory you’ll hold on to forever.

Conveniently Located & Flexible

If you would like to learn more about all the progress you can make in your orthodontic treatment leading up to graduation, get in touch with Adirondack Orthodontics today to set up a FREE consultation and 3D Scan! We have multiple locations throughout the Capital Region, so you can schedule appointments at your convenience during this busy season. We look forward to giving you a smile that you’ll be proud to show off during graduation season and far into the future!

Invest in Your Smile

Tax season doesn’t always bring smiles in the process, but investing your return in something that truly makes a difference can! The season is fast approaching and that return provides relief knowing you can plan for something you’ve desired: a straight, beautiful smile! The team at Adirondack Orthodontics wants you to know about the multitude of benefits we have to offer. Combined with our easy payment options, family discounts, and other ways to save, your tax return dollars can help you save on the orthodontic services you need. It’s the season of getting the smile you have always wanted!

Here’s one helpful way to save: take advantage of our PIF discounts! Even better, that’s just one of the many discounts we offer. We want to support you in the essential role you play in our community. If you are a first responder, teacher, or military service member, you may be able to take advantage of one of our additional discounts! Check out our Offers page and see if you qualify for one of these saving opportunities.

Prefer an interest-free payment plan? We’re always willing to work out a payment plan to make sure you can afford the orthodontic services you need. Plus, we can provide auto-pay and third-party options to make your payments as convenient as possible. We work with most insurance plans and can even help you understand how to best maximize your insurance to get the braces or clear aligners necessary for your smile journey. Using your tax return as a down payment is a great way to start your smile journey.

Don’t wait any longer to get started on your path to a more confident, healthy you. Adirondack Orthodontics has five convenient locations in Clifton Park, Glens Falls, Latham, East Greenbush, and Albany to make the process of getting started and completing treatment a breeze. Schedule a free consultation and let our Treatment Coordinators help you plan your savings! After assessing your smile, we can tell you about the treatments that will give you the smile of your dreams and assist you with saving while making your smile dreams come true!

Put your tax return dollars to work for you this year, schedule your free consultation with Adirondack Orthodontics!

Just in time for National Children’s Dental Health Month, learn how you can help your child enjoy a beautiful smile for life!

Since February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, we’d love to discuss one of the best ways to set up your child for success when it comes to the health of their teeth: our early treatment. During this critical time when children are learning and gaining confidence, early intervention is key for addressing any dental issues and possibly preventing the need for more complex orthodontic treatment in the long run.

Find out what early orthodontic treatment entails, who’s a good candidate for it, and more below.

What Is Early Treatment for Kids?

Early orthodontic treatment consists of tackling orthodontic issues from a young age. You’re probably already familiar with the latter stage of orthodontic treatment, which is the traditional adjustment of the adult teeth using clear aligners or braces. Early treatment happens in childhood, when there is a mix of baby and permanent teeth in the mouth, using various orthodontic techniques to correct potential issues early.

How Early Can Orthodontic Treatment Begin?

Every patient is different, but we recommend that you bring your child to a board-certified orthodontist by age seven for a personalized evaluation and to formulate a custom treatment plan. Treatment will typically begin as soon as you and the orthodontist agree your child is ready and may include a space maintainer, Invisalign, an expander, braces. The process usually takes 12 months or less.

What Problems Does Early Treatment Address?

Early treatment can help to resolve common orthodontic issues like overbites, underbites, open bites, crossbites, crowding, excessive wear, or protrusion. Treating these issues at a younger age can often keep them from growing more serious, making later orthodontic treatment easier. Sometimes, early treatment can even prevent the need for future orthodontic treatment or extraction altogether.

What Happens After Early Treatment?

After receiving early orthodontic treatment, your child may receive a retainer to keep their teeth in place. After that, we can monitor the growth of their teeth and determine if further treatment is necessary in their case. If it is, rest assured that we will guide you and your child every step of the way.

Who Is a Good Candidate?

While not every child requires our early orthodontic treatment, we recommend that all children come in for a consultation at the age of 7 so that we can take a look at their teeth. Children whose teeth are clearly misaligned or who have habits like thumb-sucking can often especially benefit from early treatment.

At Adirondack Orthodontics, we look forward to setting up your child for success. Call us today to schedule a consultation for your child.

Don’t forget that the Times Union’s Best Of voting begins soon! We will be sharing more details on how to vote for your team at Adirondack Orthodontics for Best Orthodontist as voting gets underway.

Discreet Teeth Straightening Solutions Customized for You

Perhaps you already made your New Year’s resolutions for 2022. Even if you have, there’s one more that you should add to your list: finally enjoying a straight, beautiful smile. A new year can mean a new you, and there’s no better way to invest in yourself than in improving the health of your teeth. Anyone with crooked teeth, crowded teeth, an underbite, or an overbite may want to consider Invisalign®. By the end of 2022, you could be well on your way to the smile of your dreams!

One in five Americans is self-conscious about their smile. Make sure you take yourself out of that statistic by embracing a personalized orthodontic solution with help from Adirondack Orthodontics.

Invisalign®

One of the best-known orthodontic solutions out there, Invisalign® involves a series of customized clear aligners that straighten your teeth over time. Treatment is carried out under the experienced eye of our certified orthodontist to ensure you’re taken care of along the way. Many patients choose Invisalign because they can remove the aligners to eat and don’t need to worry about brackets and wires.

At Adirondack Orthodontics, we are proud to be a Diamond+ Invisalign® provider, which signifies our position as one of the top 1% of Invisalign providers in the country. (This means we have done more cases and have lots of experience)

No matter what the treatment plans we recommend for you and which one you ultimately choose, the team at Adirondack Orthodontics welcomes the opportunity to help you gain the attractive smile and confidence you deserve in 2022. Call our office today to schedule a consultation so that we can discuss what treatment options may be right for you. We proudly serve patients throughout the Capital Region from five convenient locations.

Last Updated on 4/1/22

Thank you for continuing to trust us with your care, and thank you for doing your part in keeping our community safe and healthy as well by wearing masks, staying home, and waiting in the car before your appointments. It means the world to us that our patients have relied on us to keep them safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, and we are grateful to partner with you in these efforts. We would like to take this opportunity to reassure you that the health and safety of our patients and families, as well as our staff and their families, are always our highest priorities.

Per the latest determination from the New York State Department of Health (March 2, 2022), visitors to healthcare facilities who are “two years of age and older and able to medically tolerate a face covering/mask shall be required to wear a face covering/mask in health care facilities, regardless of vaccination status, subject to applicable CDC exceptions, and until this determination is modified or rescinded.” In accordance with this, Adirondack Orthodontics will be following the state mandate and requiring all such visitors to our office to continue to wear masks indoors.

Masks must cover the nose and mouth, and acceptable masks include cloth masks, surgical masks, and N-95 respirators. If you arrive without a mask, we will be happy to provide a surgical mask for you.

We will take every step needed to keep you, your families, and our staff members safe, and we will update this page as new information and state requirements emerge. Please let us know if you have any questions.

How to Know Which is Right for You

Once you have decided to invest in the health and appearance of you or your child’s smile through orthodontia, next you will need to decide between Invisalign or braces. An experienced orthodontist will be able to tell you which will work best for you, but we always believe in keeping our patients fully informed so that they can choose the option that fits their lifestyle best.

Read on to learn more about the pros and cons of Invisalign and braces.

How Much They Cost

While the costs of both Invisalign and braces vary, Invisalign tends to be the more expensive option. However, it’s important to factor in dental insurance coverage and available discounts before you determine which option is more affordable for you and your family.

How They Look

One of the most common reasons our patients choose Invisalign is that it’s a discreet option. Invisalign comes in a series of clear aligners, while braces involve metal brackets being placed on the teeth for the duration of the treatment. If you want a less obtrusive treatment, Invisalign may be the best option for you.

How They Feel

Moving your teeth into their proper positions, no matter the method, can be an uncomfortable experience. However, braces tend to be a little more uncomfortable because brackets are not just placed on the front of teeth but around the back molars as well. This can result in discomfort inside of your mouth.

How Convenient They Are

Braces are easy to manage because your orthodontist does all the work during your appointment. Invisalign requires you to take the aligners on and off and use them in the correct sequence. However, this also means that Invisalign makes it easy to floss and brush your teeth, and you won’t have to forget any of your favorite healthy foods. Braces require you to limit or stop eating certain foods and maneuvering a toothbrush and floss around the brackets and wires can be difficult.

How Well They Work

Fortunately, following your orthodontist’s instructions will mean that Invisalign and braces are equally effective. When it comes to the end result, you don’t need to choose one over the other.

No matter your budget, lifestyle, and preferences, Adirondack Orthodontics can help educate you on the pros and cons of each type of treatment. Ultimately, your choice should involve not just the factors listed above but the recommendations of our orthodontist after an in-person consultation. After your examination and taking any scans and X-rays, we can provide a recommendation and get you started on your journey to a healthy, beautiful smile. Schedule your free consultation today!

What to Eat & What to Avoid

While you go through the process of aligning your teeth with braces, you need to consider what you eat to avoid any potential problems. Brackets and wires can be dislodged with something sticky, while certain foods may get stuck in your braces, creating tooth decay. Whether you want to maintain your braces or keep your teeth in pristine shape, we recommend avoiding common food pitfalls.

Take a look at just some examples of foods you can’t eat with braces.

Hard Food

Enough force can cause your braces to break, so hard food is a no-go. Carrots and other raw veggies, hard candy, ice, hard cookies, and other hard foods should be avoided.

Sticky Food

Probably the most well-known entry on the no-no list is sticky candy. Caramel, taffy, and gum can create major problems for your braces, not to mention getting stuck on your teeth and creating cavities.

Crunchy Food

Unfortunately, even crunchy food can disrupt your braces. Snacks like hard pretzels and popcorn should be avoided, and even then you should also stay away from nuts and many types of chips.

Other Food

Certain foods are just hard to bite into with braces, especially foods that require you to bite down with your front teeth. Corn on the cob, chicken wings, bagels, beef jerky, and apples are at the top of that list. Pizza crust and large pieces of meat should also be avoided.

The list of items to avoid eating may seem daunting, but there is plenty you can eat while you have braces! Pasta, potatoes, soft breads, most fruits, and cooked (soft) veggies are all safe to enjoy. And, of course, most dairy products are easy to eat with braces and will cause no issues, so continue eating yogurt and cheese. Lastly, if you do want to eat candy, just make sure it’s not hard or sticky, and be sure to thoroughly brush and floss your teeth afterward.

Taking care of your teeth and braces doesn’t have to be a worry. Just plan ahead and think twice before you bite down on anything hard, sticky, or crunchy. And if you have any issues with loose or broken braces, just give us a call at Adirondack Orthodontics.

Find Out Which Type of Invisalign Will Work Best for You

By now, you’ve probably heard about Invisalign, the modern orthodontic system that uses a series of clear, custom-made aligners to help you get the smile you want. But what you may not have known is that there are several different types of Invisalign. Your age, the condition of your teeth, and the types of problems you’re facing are all factors that you should consider as you decide which type of Invisalign you’d like to use for your treatment.

Take a look below at the different types of Invisalign to get a better idea of which treatment may be right for you. And when you want to find out for sure, turn to the orthodontic experts providing Invisalign throughout the Capital Region: Adirondack Orthodontics!

Invisalign Lite

With a treatment duration of six to seven months, Invisalign Lite is usually recommended to patients who have mild to moderate problems like overcrowding and alignment issues. If you have a crown or if you want to correct a minor issue, Invisalign Lite may be the right choice for you.

Invisalign Teen

Designed for young adults (teens) whose teeth are still developing, Invisalign Teen aligners come with indicator dots to notify the wearer of when to change the aligner. Candidates for this type of Invisalign may need help with straightening their teeth while setting aside room for teeth that have yet to erupt.

Invisalign i7

Invisalign i7 is the treatment usually chosen for overcrowding. Seven aligners are used over the course of three to six months to correct this kind of mild orthodontic issue.

Invisalign Full

Known for treating more advanced orthodontic issues, Invisalign Full generally takes around 12 to 18 months, depending on the complexity of the problems. This type of treatment is usually chosen by adults who need aligners for their upper and lower teeth.

No matter the severity of your overcrowding or misalignment or how far you are from your ideal smile, Invisalign has a comfortable, discreet option you can choose to get the perfect smile. As always, your team at Adirondack Orthodontics would be happy to provide a full clinical examination and help you decide which treatment to choose. We can even go over the cost and financing information so you can make a plan to achieve the straight, beautiful, and healthy smile you’ve always wanted!

Schedule your free Invisalign consultation today!

How Early Intervention Can Set Your Child Up for Dental Success

From ages one through seven, the formation of the teeth and jaw play an important role in how your child speaks and chews. Since these are essential skills, our team provides a treatment that will allow us to intervene early to identify any major orthodontic issues and stop them in their tracks: phase one orthodontic treatment.

What is phase one orthodontics?

Phase one orthodontics is the process by which children aged 6 or younger work with a board-certified orthodontist to address issues with their teeth and jaw before these problems worsen. This phase usually takes around 10 to 14 months and begins with a complimentary consultation.

What treatments are involved?

The treatments involved in phase one depend completely on the patient’s dental issues. During the first phase, we will address your child’s issues with treatments such as Invisalign, a space maintainer, tooth removal, braces, or an expander. During the treatment, we will be sure to look for tooth eruptions, missing teeth, and other issues.

What are the benefits of this treatment?

Phase one allows us to take a look at your child’s teeth and jaw, identify any issues, and prevent problems from worsening. Simply put, phase one can prevent the need for more complicated orthodontic solutions later on.

Who needs this treatment?

Children aged six or younger who are experiencing major developmental issues with their teeth, including an overbite, underbite, crowding, protrusion, and more. Children who suck their thumb till the age of five may be good candidates, since this can affect the formation of the roof of the mouth.

How do I get started?

Phase one orthodontics isn’t the right fit for everyone. The best way to find out if your child would benefit from this treatment is to call on the team at Adirondack Orthodontics to schedule an appointment. We can identify any alignment issues during a completely free, no-obligation consultation.

Set your child up for dental success by contacting the team at Adirondack Orthodontics today! We have locations throughout the Capital Region to serve you.

Great Reasons to Start Your Orthodontic Journey Now

As virtual or in-person school wraps up for so many kids in the Capital Region, parents are looking ahead to summer and helping their kids plan their seasons. Vacations, summer camps, internships, and more may be part of the plan, but have you considered how your child’s oral health factors into the equation?

Summer is the best time to begin orthodontic treatment for the same reasons that it was put off in the first place: kids who were hesitant to take time off from school for orthodontic office visits can more easily fit them into their schedules. Plus, while options like Invisalign give kids the option of a more discreet orthodontic treatment, kids still may prefer to begin their orthodontic journey while not around their peers.

As a parent, you might find that starting your child’s treatment in summer is easier on you, too. First, fitting transportation to and from office visits into your schedule is less challenging in the summer. At Adirondack Orthodontics, we offer virtual consultations, but some visits must take place in the office. Fortunately, we have locations throughout the Capital Region, so you can find the office closest to you. Plus, with the increased free time summer provides, you’ll more easily be able to manage your child’s treatment and make sure they’re taking care of their teeth. From guiding your child on what to eat to checking that they’re wearing their aligner, you’ll have the time to ensure that your investment in orthodontia is paying off with the proper care.

Giving your child a healthy, straight, and beautiful smile has never been easier than with the help of Adirondack Orthodontics. Summer is the perfect time to get started, so be sure to schedule a free consultation soon. We would be happy to find the right treatment for your child and give you essential information about financing and personalized payment options.

Contact Adirondack Orthodontics today to get started! We can’t wait to give your child the confidence they need for the next school year with the best orthodontic treatment this summer.