When is the best time for Orthodontic Treatment?

Starting orthodontics too early can cause treatment to be prolonged unnecessarily and starting too late can make treatment more challenging or even affect the final result, so optimizing the start time of treatment is very important (if it is determined that treatment is needed).

At the initial consultation appointment, Drs. Jasmine Gorton and Bill Schmohl carefully assess everything visible inside the mouth as well as the patient’s input prior to deciding when to recommend moving ahead with pre-treatment orthodontic records such as x-rays. For your convenience, any records that are needed (including x-rays) are done in our office .

Orthodontic Radiographs

Radiation safety has evolved a great deal in the past two decades. Today, radiation exposure from orthodontic and dental x-rays is very low, especially with the change to digital radiography from analog radiography. However, we are still very careful and judicious in our use of x-rays.

At Gorton & Schmohl Orthodontics, we take a low-dose digital 3-dimensional x-ray called a CBCT (which stands for cone-beam computed tomography). This enables us to completely visualize and evaluate the erupted and unerupted teeth, jaws, jaw joints, and airways of each patient and plan their orthodontic treatment appropriately. The radiation is extremely low relative to the impressive amount of information we are able to glean from these images. The effective dose is the same as the background radiation from spending a few days outside in the sunshine.

We use a leaded thyroid shield designed to prevent radiation exposure to the thyroid gland. The techniques and equipment we use prevent transmission of radiation to the reproductive organs.

We are concerned about radiation safety for every patient and staff member, which is why we use only the latest methods and technology. If you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to ask one of our team members!

Marin Orthodontics - CBCT machine