Dr. Iris Kohlmann, Orthodontic Specialist, serving Castro Valley and the East Bay Area, CA

Dr. Kohlmann provides orthodontic treatment for all age groups including: Early Treatment, Comprehensive Treatment, Limited Treatment, and Orthodontic/Surgical Treatment.

Children may show signs of jaw problems as they grow and develop. Heredity, habits, growth development, tooth size and eruption patterns, etc. may affect not only the relationship of the jaws but the position of the teeth. Children grow rapidly so with parent’s awareness and early evaluation by your general dentist, early treatment can result in balancing the relationship of the jaws and guide the erupting permanent teeth. An early phase of treatment may be indicated prior to full braces to take advantage of your child’s growth and development. Children who have had an early stage of treatment will usually need to wear braces again once all permanent teeth have erupted; this second phase will be much shorter and easier than if no early treatment had been done.

Early treatment may last 9 to 14 months and may benefit your child greatly. Interceptive Phase I treatment helps:

This is the usual orthodontic treatment course recommended for most patients who have all their permanent teeth erupted or erupting. The goal is to align the jaws and teeth for a proper function and a beautiful smile. Treatment may last from 1 to 3 years and may include a combination of appliances followed by a retention period. Comprehensive orthodontic treatment combines art, science and technology. Please discuss with us your goals of treatment and how we can work together to discover your great smile.

This is treatment to address only one or a few of a patient’s diagnosed problems. There are some situations in which correction to an ideal bite is not wanted or recommended.

Some patients have jaw discrepancies that require surgical repositioning of the jaws to obtain the ideal result they desire. These cases will require a period with braces to properly position the teeth within each jaw so that when the surgical jaw correction is done the teeth will fit together and function properly. Dr. Kohlmann works closely with the Maxillofacial Surgeon in the planning and treatment stages to assure the best possible results.

The most common appliances used are metal/stainless steel brackets, ceramic/clear brackets or Invisalign™ (invisible removable aligners). Occasionally a special retainer can be used to correct very mild problems. The doctors may also recommend additional appliances to address specific treatment goals.