At Morita Orthodontics, we believe everyone deserves a healthy, beautiful smile, and we’re proud to help our patients achieve one through world-class orthodontic treatment. As a leading orthodontist serving Honolulu, Aiea, and the surrounding areas, we offer a wide range of orthodontic treatments including both braces and Invisalign, and our orthodontists work closely with patients to develop deeply personalized treatment plans. Most of our patients are teenagers receiving braces for the first time or adults seeking to revitalize their lives with a new smile – but sometimes, the best way to achieve a great smile is to start orthodontic treatment during childhood.
While we treat patients of all ages at our office, the most common time for treatment is during the teenage years – and there’s a good reason for that.
For one, adolescence is the first time in a child’s life where we can use orthodontics to shape the alignment of the permanent teeth. There’s no set timetable for every kid, but generally by the age of 11-13 the deciduous (baby) teeth have all been lost, and the permanent ones have largely come in. This is the time when we can go to work correcting the problems that cause a bad bite (malocclusion), improper tooth spacing or poor alignment.
Adolescence is also an advantageous time for orthodontic treatment from a physiological perspective. Orthodontic problems don’t improve with age — in fact, they usually become harder to treat. When we treat malocclusions during the teenage years, we can take advantage of the body’s rapid growth to move the teeth faster. Whether we use standard braces or appliances like palatal expanders, we can create an improved appearance and function in a short period of time. In later years, when the bones of the face and jaw are fully developed, many conditions become more difficult (and more expensive) to treat.
There’s even a social element to getting orthodontic treatment in adolescence. For many teens, braces are a rite of passage: they’re one more example of the many changes adolescents go through at this time. Adolescence is also an easy time for braces from a social perspective, as a large portion of kids get braces at this age. Chances are you’ll see some of your classmates in our office, and you may even make new friends as you go through the process together. And once you finish treatment, you’ll have a gorgeous new smile that you can benefit from as you enter adulthood – and those benefits will last a lifetime.
So what is the orthodontic treatment process like for kids? Ultimately, it depends on your orthodontic condition and the kind of treatment you need. But regardless of your treatment method, it all starts with your initial consultation.
During your first orthodontic appointment, we’ll take pictures and X-rays of your mouth, create a physical model of your bite, and our orthodontist will perform a detailed examination of your teeth and bite structure. Based on these diagnostic records, we’ll develop a thorough treatment recommendation. This may involve traditional metal braces or Invisalign, but either way, your orthodontist will discuss the merits of all your treatment options in detail with you.
Across all of our treatments, we proudly use only the highest quality materials and appliances to provide a superlative standard in care. For example, our office is proud to use OpalSeal for all of our patients with conventional braces. Opalseal is a revolutionary new orthodontic primer that works as both an adhesive for the brackets and a protective coating for the teeth. OpalSeal helps prevent plaque buildup and also releases a steady amount of fluoride to the tooth’s surface, ensuring the teeth are strong and healthy after orthodontic treatment.
Every patient is unique, which is why we’re proud to offer a wide variety of treatment options to our patients:
The most popular treatment we offer, modern metal braces are lighter, more comfortable, and more aesthetically appealing than ever before.
Clear braces offer the durability and versatility of conventional braces, but their translucent brackets make them much more discreet and less noticeable.
Clear aligners offer a virtually invisible alternative to braces that are also easy to pop out of the mouth to eat, drink, brush, and floss. This makes them one of the most discreet and convenient orthodontic treatments on the market, perfect for today’s busy, socially-conscious teens!
Lingual braces use the same mechanism as traditional braces but are completely invisible, as the brackets are affixed to the backside (tongue side) of the teeth.
For some patients, we may recommend using additional orthodontic appliances to move the teeth. These can range from small devices that fit inside the mouth to external headgear, but we’ll work with you to create the most convenient possible treatment plan.
There’s no one answer that fits everyone: it all depends on what we need to do in your individual situation. For most patients, though, the active stage of orthodontic treatment lasts 6-30 months. Afterwards, you will wear a retainer for another period of months. When your orthodontic treatment is complete, your new smile will be yours for a lifetime.
Protecting your teeth is vital to oral health, and at Morita Orthodontics, we’re proud to offer comprehensive, convenient solutions to help keep your teeth safe. Custom-made athletic mouthguards are vital for patients who play or practice sports, and our Aiea orthodontist, Dr. Scott, has a wealth of experience in creating high-quality mouthguards. During Dr. Scott’s time at USC, he was selected to participate in the Sports Dentistry Selective. Dr. Scott worked with USC’s top college athletes, many of which became Olympians and professional sports athletes. Dr. Scott recommends an active lifestyle to promote healthy living.
Within this healthy living, it is also important to protect your healthy mouth. Read below to learn more about mouthguards!
A mouthguard is a tool used to protect your teeth and gums to prevent injury to your mouth. If you have braces, a mouth guard will help prevent damaging of your appliances and of course any harm to your teeth, gums, and lips. It is most common during contact sports however you can never be too safe to wear one during any sport, even non-contact activities or exercise.
Mouthguards are a critical tool not only prevent injury but also prevent any extra expense you might spend to take care of those damages. If you are going through braces treatment, your brackets and wires could be broken upon impact and you are at a higher risk of injury. Save money and protect your beautiful smile with any of our customizable mouthguards.
Morita Orthodontics is proud to provide you with many options to customize your mouth guards. Make protecting your mouth fun and unique with different color options, logos, and team numbers. We offer you 2 options of mouthguards: Braces-Guards, and Dr. Scott’s Sports-Guards.
Drs. Randal and Scott are happy to provide the finest orthodontic treatments in Honolulu, Aiea and surrounding areas. Feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns you have about any of our mouth guards or orthodontic treatments. Our friendly staff members will be glad to help you find the right fit!
Getting orthodontic treatment during childhood or adolescence is a great way to set the foundation for a lifetime of healthy smiles, and if you’re ready to take the first step, we’d love to help you. Contact us today to learn more about the treatments we offer, or start the process by requesting a consultation online. We can’t wait to hear from you, and we look forward to helping you achieve your dream smile!
If you’re interested in scheduling an appointment with us, you can fill out our online appointment request form or give us a call at our Honolulu office at (808) 941-3355 or our Aiea office at (808) 486-5505. We can’t wait to hear from you!
RE: COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
To our valued patients,
In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus), President Trump, the American Dental Association and the Hawaii Dental Association are recommending all dentists postpone nonemergency dental procedures for 2 weeks. Our practice is committed to protecting the community and avoiding using valuable resources that our first responders and frontline healthcare providers will need.
Our office will be closed effective today, Wednesday, March 18, and we plan to resume regular hours on Wednesday, April 1. If you are experiencing a true dental emergency including swelling or severe tooth pain, please call your general dentist office, and listen closely as emergency contact info will be available. For all nonemergent questions, please email us at [email protected].
We are so sorry for the burden this places on your schedules, but your continued health and safety are our number one priority. Our office is working diligently to reschedule all patients with existing appointments within the next 2 weeks. We will continue to evaluate the situation as it evolves and determine on a weekly basis when it is appropriate for us to return to normal orthodontic patient care. We ask for your compassion and understanding at this time as we all work together to keep Hawaii healthy.
Sincerely,
Your Morita Orthodontics Ohana
