STRAIGHTENING TEETH WITH STYLE

Innovations in orthodontics are giving more people something to smile about.

These days, smiles aren't saved for after treatment. Bright, often colorful, grins are creasing faces everywhere.

For example, 11-year-old Jason Abner has reason to grin. His hometown high school football team -- the East Prairie Eagles -- is a winner. Last week he chose red and black ties for his braces in honor of their success.

"Our team is going to state, I'm trying to support the school," he explained.

But he'll be smiling long after the football season fades. Jason said he and several friends agree that sporting color on braces is "pretty cool."

Bringing color and choice to the technology that was once relegated to one style -- basic metal -- has helped patients of all ages feel better about the treatment and about themselves, Cape Girardeau orthodontists say.

"People in the past have had a negative connotation about having braces. That has changed and evolved over the last 10 years," said Tenisha Drake, a spokeswoman for orthodontists Edwin Noffel and David Feuerhahn.

"It's almost to the point of being trendy to have braces," Drake said.

The addition of color to the treatment process "brings excitement and interest for the patients," said Orthodontist Doug Rediger of Crowe and Rediger Orthodontics. "It's a fun thing to do."

A common misconception about braces and color is that the appliance itself provides the color, explained Orthodontist Donald Dennington. In some rare instances, that may be the case. However, Dennington noted, "braces are typically metal." The color is usually provided by the elastic ties and elastic chains involved in the tooth straightening process.

Elastic ties surround brackets that are often bonded to the teeth. A continuous elastic chain may connect the brackets. Elastic rubber bands may also provide color enhancement.

Local orthodontists agree color ties and chains are particularly popular among their younger patients, but one particular age group doesn't have the corner on the fun. Adults, too, often enjoy getting in on the act, especially around the holidays.

"Adults usually want the plain ones till they see how much fun the colors are," Dennington said.

Cheri Landgraf, who wears braces and works in the offices of doctors Crowe and Rediger, noted she'll likely go with red and green ties for Christmas and pastels around Easter.

But there are other choices involving braces too.

Clear or transparent braces, often called ceramic or porcelain braces, often appeal to adult patients, several doctors noted.

On the other hand, some patients' personal styles lead them to the other end of the spectrum -- 24k-gold-plated braces.

Regardless of whether the patient chooses color elastics or another style of braces, like the clear or gold ones, orthodontists hope the choice will help reinforce one important ingredient for success -- a persistently positive attitude.

"The number one problem in orthodontics is motivation," observed Orthodontist Shanon Kirchhoff. "I'm like a coach. You're always wanting to make things new and exciting."

The options available are akin to "mouth jewelry," Kirchhoff said. For some younger patients, "it can be a fashion faux pas if you get the color wrong."

The little rings, or elastic ties around the brackets, are usually changed every four to six weeks, allowing for plenty of diversity of color if the patient chooses.

Even after the braces are removed, there are creative options. Local orthodontists offer retainers in colors and styles to suit each patient. Often, the retainers are personalized with initials or other favorite logos. Some even shimmer with glitter or glow in the dark.

Cheryl Abner, Jason's mother, is a believer in the power of a little color. Her 14-year-old daughter, Kersten, recently had her braces removed, while Jason acquired his braces just before school started this fall.

"The colored bands kind of helped with the pain," Cheryl Abner observed of Kersten's and Jason's experiences. If it weren't for the color option, her children would have found the experience much more distasteful.

"I thought they looked neat," Kersten Abner recalled. "I chose all different kinds. My favorites were teal and pink."

Jason, however, isn't as particular about his color choices, his mother said.

"It was blue and green the first time," she recalled. "Then it was blue and purple."

The ideal age for treatment, Drake said, is between 10 and 13. Most orthodontists point out that early intervention can be of great value.

"We like to see patients around the ages of 6 or 7 come in for a visit," Rediger said. "A lot of times, we can treat things up front that might cause problems later."