Amelia’s Invisalign and growth-focused orthodontic story shows how Elevate Airway TMJ Sleep approaches teen treatment as more than straightening teeth. After years of care for a narrow jaw, severe overbite, missing teeth, and spacing, Amelia came to Dr. Heather Stamm at age 15. Her treatment considered aesthetics, function, bite, and continued jaw growth, reflecting the practice’s broader approach to airway growth and orthodontics.
Amelia’s Invisalign and Growth-Focused Orthodontic Story at Elevate Airway TMJ Sleep
Amelia’s Invisalign and Growth-Focused Orthodontic Story at Elevate Airway TMJ Sleep
Key Takeaways
Transcript
Amelia’s Early Orthodontic Experiences
- Amelia: From an early age, I needed orthodontic care because my jaw was incredibly narrow. I had a very severe overbite, and I also had missing teeth.
- Amelia: There were a lot of experiences where I felt that I was just another patient they needed to check off. It wasn’t personalized. It was just, “Here’s the treatment. Here you go. That’s just what we’re going to do.”
Looking Beyond the Cosmetic Concerns
- Dr. Stamm: Amelia came and saw me when she was 15. She had quite a few spaces up top and really didn’t like what they looked like. But I tend to look at more than just the cosmetic part. Being that she was 15, I was also trying to focus on where we were going to grow with that as well.
- Amelia: Something I was really worried about was just the aesthetics being covered and functionality not being addressed, or vice versa. Things could be functional and align well, but my teeth wouldn’t look as straight or as good as I had hoped.
Bringing Aesthetics and Function Together
- Amelia: She was so incredibly wonderful with making sure that each of the aspects was covered, and my teeth aligned perfectly with my missing teeth.
- Amelia: It was a pretty difficult case in terms of making sure everything fit together, but I have no problems now, and everything is absolutely wonderful. I appreciate that so much.
Personalized Treatment Instead of a One-Size-Fits-All Approach
- Amelia: It was the tailored care and personalized care, as opposed to just, “Here, this treatment works for everybody. Here you go, and we’ll send you on your way.”
- Amelia: When it came down to the process of getting everything started, it was incredibly easy. The past appliances that I’ve had were very bulky. I had to get used to them for a very long period of time. Braces would cut and snag, and my Herbst appliance was a very clunky piece of metal that was in my mouth.
Amelia’s Experience With Invisalign
- Amelia: Invisalign was so sleek. Getting scanned to get the process started was incredibly simple. Everybody was so incredibly kind and made everything so incredibly easy.
Following Growth Over Time
- Dr. Stamm: What’s different about us is that we follow the child or teen for five years during their growth. The main ortho can take a couple of years, and then we have them holding in a passive retainer so that their jaws can grow.
- Dr. Stamm: Then we’ll go in and fine-tune everything to make sure the bite is good and solid. I want her to be able to have this beautiful, functioning smile and jaw to last throughout her whole entire life.
What Made Amelia’s Experience Different
- Dr. Stamm: That is definitely something that sets us apart from traditional orthodontics that just moves your teeth, gives you a retainer, and you’re on your way.
- Amelia: I would 100% recommend this practice to any one of my friends or family. In fact, they do come here.
Care Tailored Specifically to the Patient
- Amelia: I would say that the standout quality of this practice was that I feel like this treatment is specifically for me, that I am not just one of the people here. I get that personalized connection and that personalized treatment tailored specifically to you.
- Amelia: I would say that’s a very special and very hard thing to come across.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Amelia seek orthodontic treatment with Dr. Stamm?
Amelia had needed orthodontic care from an early age because of a very narrow jaw, severe overbite, missing teeth, and spacing. When she saw Dr. Stamm at age 15, she was also concerned about how her teeth looked and wanted treatment that considered both aesthetics and function.
How did Dr. Stamm approach Amelia’s treatment differently?
Dr. Stamm looked beyond the cosmetic appearance of Amelia’s teeth and considered her growth, jaw, bite, and long-term function. Because Amelia was 15, Dr. Stamm wanted the treatment plan to account for continued growth rather than simply straighten the teeth and end treatment with a retainer.
What was Amelia’s experience with Invisalign?
Amelia described Invisalign as sleek and said getting scanned to begin treatment was incredibly simple. This contrasted with previous orthodontic experiences involving braces and a bulky Herbst appliance. She also emphasized that the Elevate Airway TMJ Sleep team made the treatment process feel easy and personalized.
Why does Elevate Airway TMJ Sleep follow growing patients for several years?
Dr. Stamm explains that the practice follows children and teens for five years during growth. After the primary orthodontic phase, a patient may hold in a passive retainer while the jaws continue growing. The team can then fine-tune the treatment to help establish a good, solid bite.
What stood out most to Amelia about Elevate Airway TMJ Sleep?
Personalized care stood out most to Amelia. Instead of feeling like she was receiving the same treatment offered to everyone, she felt that her care was designed specifically for her needs. She valued both the personal connection with the team and the attention given to aesthetics and function.
