At Innovative Orthodontic Centers, we invest in the latest materials and technology to ensure our patients receive the fastest, most comfortable braces treatments. We have options including metal and clear self-ligating braces and SureSmile® to meet your straightening needs at any age.
Your Dream Smile is Waiting
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Contents
The Braces Basics
Dental braces are fixed orthodontic appliances that apply gentle, continuous force to gradually shift your teeth and bite into alignment for a healthy, gorgeous smile. While all braces rely on a system of brackets and archwires to guide tooth movement, not all braces are created equal.
A Better Way to Straighten Your Teeth
At Innovative Orthodontic Centers, we take a high-tech approach and use precise digital treatment planning, advanced self-ligating brackets and robotically customized SureSmile® wires for all of our braces. This provides:
Enhanced Comfort
Elastics-free self-ligating brackets reduce friction and irritation, while shape-memory wires apply less pressure.
Better Results
State-of-the-art software and prescription wires allow for custom smile design and precise control over tooth movements.
Faster Treatment
Our proactive approach helps teeth take a more direct path to their final positions without frequent adjustments, so you’ll see your new smile sooner and with fewer office visits.
How to Tell if You Need Braces
Visiting an orthodontic specialist for a consultation is the only way to determine for certain if you need braces. The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that kids have their first orthodontic evaluation by age 7. But, it’s never too late to seek care! You should schedule an appointment if you have any of the following issues:
Crooked or crowded teeth
Gaps between your teeth
Protruding teeth
Difficulty brushing and flossing effectively
Frequent biting of the inside of your cheek or tongue
Jaw pain or headaches
Early or late loss of baby teeth in childhood
Late eruption of permanent teeth
Difficulty biting and chewing food
Missing or extra (supernumerary) teeth
An underbite, overbite, crossbite or open bite
Feeling self-conscious about the appearance of your smile
How Do Braces Work?
According to the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO), “successful treatment with braces requires pressure, time, and cooperation.” The braces put pressure on your teeth, helping to move them into their ideal positions over time. However, cooperation (i.e., avoiding foods that can break brackets, wearing elastics as prescribed, keeping teeth clean, etc.) is necessary to make treatment as efficient and effective as possible.
The Braces Procedure
It all begins with a complimentary consultation with one of our American board-certified orthodontists, Dr. Manal Ibrahim or Dr. Christine Gin. If you decide to move forward with braces, you can start treatment on the same day as your consultation! Here’s what to expect when getting braces at our practice:
Consultation
At your free braces consultation, a team member will snap some photos of your face and teeth and take complimentary, low-dose, digital x-rays. We’ll also use our iTero scanner to take digital impressions (no gross molds!) so you can see your predicted outcome before you even start your treatment. Dr. Ibrahim or Dr. Gin will examine your mouth, develop a diagnosis and talk with you about your goals and options.
We’ll answer all of your questions and go over the details, such as cost and how long you’ll wear braces. For your convenience, we’re able to kick off your treatment on the same day as the consultation to save you from making an extra trip to our office.
Parts of Braces
ARCHWIRE
This is the main wire that acts as a track to guide the teeth into place. Orthodontists can manually bend the wires, which means frequent wire changes and limitations in wire materials. Thankfully, at our practice, we use SureSmile®. With this system, the archwires are bent using robotic technology for exceptional precision, fewer adjustments, and enhanced comfort.
BRACKET
These small metal or ceramic attachments hold the archwire in place. Usually, a bracket is cemented directly onto the tooth’s surface, eliminating the need for a band.
LIGATURE
A ligature is a thin wire, steel tie or tiny elastic that holds your archwire in your bracket. Ligatures aren’t required with our self-ligating braces. However, patients can customize their braces with colors if they’d like.
COIL SPRING
Coil springs fit between brackets and over the archwire to open or close space between your teeth.
WIRE TIE
This fine wire is twisted around the bracket to hold the archwire in place. With self-ligating brackets, you don’t need steel ties with your braces.
BAND
A thin ring of metal, known as a band, can be fitted completely around a tooth and cemented in place. The band provides a way to attach the brackets to the teeth.
BUTTON
These small, circular pieces are bonded to your teeth and help with tooth movement. We use both clear ceramic and metal buttons.
ELASTIC (RUBBER BAND)
Small rubber bands are hooked between different points on the appliance to provide pressure to move the teeth.
BITE RAMP
These little plastic blocks are bonded to the back of your teeth – usually the upper front teeth – to open a deep bite. They prevent you from biting down on your bottom braces and accidentally causing damage. As soon as your bite has changed enough, we remove them.
Types of Braces
There are many different types of braces, ranging from traditional metal braces to lingual braces, but at Innovative Orthodontic Centers, we forgo these conventional options in favor of cutting-edge solutions that allow for maximum precision, control and speed without cutting corners.
Self-Ligating Metal Braces
It wasn’t too long ago that having metal braces meant sporting gleaming, bulky hardware. Aside from the aesthetic concerns, the treatment also relied on elastic bands or metal ties to apply pressure to the teeth. The friction wasn’t exactly comfortable.
Well, those days are gone. We use In-Ovation® R metal braces, which are smaller, more attractive, self-ligating brackets. Instead of ties or elastics, the system utilizes free-sliding technology to guide teeth gently into place with little to no pressure. In-Ovation® self-ligating metal braces work more quickly than standard braces and without the associated discomfort.
Our Modern Braces Explained by Dr. Ibrahim
Meet the Doctors
Dr. Manal Ibrahim
Board-Certified Orthodontist
Naperville orthodontist Dr. Manal Ibrahim has been providing her patients with outstanding, cutting-edge dental and orthodontic care for over 25 years. She’s a leader in advanced orthodontics and a renowned businesswoman who prides herself on her “secret formula” for helping patients achieve the results they want in a fun, welcoming atmosphere. She helps kids, teens and adults, including those with complex cases, transform their smiles more quickly and comfortably.
Dr. Christine Gin
Board-Certified Orthodontist
Dr. Christine Gin loves building relationships with patients and providing them with top-notch care. She earned her Certificate in Orthodontics and a master’s degree in dentistry before continuing her training for two more years to become certified in temporomandibular and orofacial pain. Dr. Gin is fluent in Mandarin, Fookien and Filipino.
Why Choose Innovative Orthodontics for Braces in Shorewood and Naperville?
Flexible Financing
In an effort to make braces affordable for our patients, we accept most insurance and offer flexible financing options, including interest-free, in-office payment plans and third-party financing.
Fun, Modern Office
Our office was designed to feel like your home away from home. Adults can relax in a spa-like environment while kids and teens can take advantage of our kidzFlix cinema or kidzCave arcade game room.
Expert Team
Our American board-certified orthodontists are supported by our friendly, knowledgeable team who keep up-to-date on the latest technology and treatment innovations.
High-Tech
From diagnostics to treatment planning, we harness the power of technology to achieve better outcomes while ensuring your braces treatment is comfortable, accurate and quick.
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Your dream smile is waiting!
ARCHWIRE
This is the main wire that acts as a track to guide the teeth into place. Orthodontists can manually bend the wires, which means frequent wire changes and limitations in wire materials. Thankfully, at our practice, we use SureSmile®. With this system, the archwires are bent using robotic technology for exceptional precision, fewer adjustments, and enhanced comfort.
BRACKET
These small metal or ceramic attachments hold the archwire in place. Usually, a bracket is cemented directly onto the tooth’s surface, eliminating the need for a band.
LIGATURE
A ligature is a thin wire, steel tie or tiny elastic that holds your archwire in your bracket. Ligatures aren’t required with our self-ligating braces. However, patients can customize their braces with colors if they’d like.
COIL SPRING
Coil springs fit between brackets and over the archwire to open or close space between your teeth.
WIRE TIE
This fine wire is twisted around the bracket to hold the archwire in place. With self-ligating brackets, you don’t need steel ties with your braces.
BAND
A thin ring of metal, known as a band, can be fitted completely around a tooth and cemented in place. The band provides a way to attach the brackets to the teeth.
BUTTON
These small, circular pieces are bonded to your teeth and help with tooth movement. We use both clear ceramic and metal buttons.
ELASTIC (RUBBER BAND)
Small rubber bands are hooked between different points on the appliance to provide pressure to move the teeth.
BITE RAMP
These little plastic blocks are bonded to the back of your teeth – usually the upper front teeth – to open a deep bite. They prevent you from biting down on your bottom braces and accidentally causing damage. As soon as your bite has changed enough, we remove them.
