Kellyn Hodges Orthodontics

Orthodontist Kellyn Hodges works alongside highly trained dental professionals in the Philadelphia area to offer a wide range of dental procedures and orthodontic treatments including braces and Invisalign®. Her experience and education allow her to offer each patient advanced and compassionate care for beautiful, healthy smiles that last for years to come. If you are unhappy with crooked teeth or another oral health condition, Kellyn Hodges Orthodontics, serving Bala Cynwyd, Bensalem, Montgomeryville, and surrounding areas can meet your needs.

Braces often take up to two years to achieve the desired results, but the average timeline for Invisalign is approximately 12 months. Unlike braces, the clear aligner trays are virtually invisible. Most people will not even realize you are undergoing orthodontic treatment. With Invisalign, there are no metal brackets to clean around like with braces. This allows you to brush and floss as you normally would. You can simply remove the trays and clean your teeth at least twice a day. Since you need to wear the aligners for a minimum of 20 to 22 hours a day, it is important to remember to put the clear aligners back in place when you are finished.

Many people are interested in orthodontic treatment because they desire straighter teeth. While braces can certainly enhance the aesthetics of your smile, they also improve your bite and protect your overall health. At Kellyn Hodges Orthodontics, serving Bala Cynwyd, Bensalem, and nearby areas, our orthodontists provide braces so that you can make your smile more attractive and easier to maintain, reducing your risk of decay and gum disease. Patients of all ages can benefit from conventional braces. In some instances, we may even recommend early orthodontics for children. Our orthodontists believe that by addressing issues while your child is still in the developmental stages, we can help them avoid more complex problems in the future.

The term orthodontics is derived from the Greek "orthos," meaning straight or proper, and "odous," meaning tooth. This field of dentistry addresses dental misalignment and improper bite patterns, also called malocclusions. Proper occlusion, or alignment of the teeth, is crucial to the long-term health of the teeth, jaws, and gums. Dr. Kellyn Hodges and her staff offer advanced and compassionate orthodontic care for patients throughout the Philadelphia area. Whether you are looking to correct substantial misalignment or simply want straighter teeth and a more attractive smile, orthodontics can help.

It only takes about an hour to transform your smile with an in-office teeth whitening session. While it pays to invest time in certain cosmetic procedures, whitening gives you instant gratification due to its rapid results. Unlike store-bought whitening products that can contain harsh chemicals, our professional treatments are safe and painless, even for patients with sensitive teeth and gums. We use trusted formulas that break down tough stains without causing damage to your enamel. Rather than waste money on over-the-counter strips that might not work, you can be sure of the value of professional cosmetic dentistry. Our highly concentrated products can whiten your teeth up to nine shades, so they can even address more severe surface stains.

At our orthodontic offices in Bala Cynwyd, Bensalem, and Montgomeryville, PA, we educate our patients about the incredible benefits of dental implants and restorative dentistry. Dental implants are replacement tooth roots made from titanium that oral surgeons place directly into the jawbone. Over a period of several months, the implants fuse with the bone tissues and become a permanent part of your anatomy. Once they have fused to the bone, dental implants can support prosthetic teeth. Dental implants go through the gums and into the jawbone. Once they have fused with the bone, they can receive abutments (small connector pieces) and crowns, bridges, or dentures.

Traditional dentures are removable prosthetics designed to replace an entire arch of missing teeth. They contain a gum-colored base that rests on top of the gums and are held in place with a combination of suction and a dental adhesive. If you are missing teeth but still have some healthy natural teeth, you may benefit from a partial denture. In addition to the gum-colored base and prosthetic teeth, partial dentures have small metal clasps that fit securely around remaining natural teeth. Traditional full and partial dentures can generally be produced quickly and are a relatively affordable tooth replacement option. Implant-supported dentures provide several unique advantages, including improved stability for denture wearers. Instead of resting on top of the gums, the dentures are anchored by dental implants that are surgically placed in the jawbone. By replacing the missing tooth roots, dental implants stimulate your jawbone tissue, helping to keep your jawbone healthy and intact.

If you are experiencing severe tooth pain or notice an abscess (a puffy area on your gums near the roots of a tooth), you may have a root canal infection. Visit the dentists at our offices in Bala Cynwyd, Bensalem, or Montgomeryville so we can examine your oral health and take X-rays to determine if you need root canal treatment. Root canal therapy, also called endodontic treatment, is necessary when the tooth pulp has become infected. The pulp in the root canals and center of each tooth consists of blood vessels, nerves, and soft tissues. Cracks, cavities, or other tooth damage can allow bacteria to reach the pulp, causing an infection. Patients require timely endodontic treatment to eliminate this infection.

Some cosmetic procedures can dramatically improve the appearance of your smile in as little as one office visit. We also have take-home whitening treatment options that allow you to get professional results in a matter of weeks. While cosmetic dentistry is mainly designed to improve the aesthetics of your teeth, treatment can also improve your oral health. Cosmetic treatments such as dental crowns, orthodontics, and dental implants can all enhance the strength and balance of your smile. Our dentists understand the incredible impact a radiant smile can have on your quality of life. An attractive smile not only improves your own self-image but also helps you present the best version of yourself to others.

Tooth extraction is the removal of a tooth from its socket in the jawbone. Often, a tooth that has sustained severe damage may be beyond repair and require extraction. While a dentist will do everything in their power to save a compromised tooth, such as root canal therapy, tooth extraction may be necessary to preserve your oral health or ensure the best orthodontic results. Depending upon your needs, we can refer you to an oral surgeon who performs simple or complex extractions.

Removing wisdom teeth in the earliest stages of development can benefit every aspect of your smile. Even when wisdom teeth erupt properly, they can be difficult to clean and floss, making them especially prone to decay. Often, tissue flaps develop as the wisdom teeth erupt. This creates the perfect place for bacteria to accumulate, increasing your risk of tooth decay and periodontal disease. If you have impacted wisdom teeth or they erupt at an angle, it can result in pronounced discomfort, damage to surrounding teeth, overall misalignment, cysts, infection, and gum disease. Because wisdom teeth are not essential to proper oral function, extraction is almost always recommended when these issues occur. Additionally, if you plan to receive orthodontic treatment to fix misalignment, removing your wisdom teeth can give your other teeth more space to align properly.

Our Philadelphia, PA-area dental offices offer both implant-supported and traditional bridges. A traditional dental bridge consists of one to three pontics (fake teeth) flanked on either side by lifelike dental crowns. You will need one pontic for every missing tooth. The dental crowns on either side of the pontics provide support for the bridge. Traditional dental bridges can be placed more quickly than implant-supported bridges, but require heavy alteration of the crowned teeth. Instead of attaching the bridge to remaining natural teeth, the bridge is secured to dental implants surgically anchored in your jawbone. (If you're missing only one tooth, the implant will support a crown.) The implants function as artificial tooth roots, which encourage jawbone growth that benefits your oral health. While dental implants can last a lifetime, they require several months to fuse with your bone before a bridge can be placed.

Dental crowns are used to strengthen and protect teeth that have been damaged while restoring the appearance of your smile. These restorations cover the entire visible portion of a tooth and are custom-crafted to blend with the shape and color of surrounding teeth. Dental crowns are a kind of dentistry that restores the balance and symmetry of your smile after treatment for cavities or trauma. This treatment can also alleviate discomfort, improve your ability to chew comfortably, allow you to speak more clearly, and help maintain the alignment of your teeth.

The first signs of overbite tend to show in younger patients as their jaw develops and permanent teeth move into place. We recommend scheduling your child for an orthodontics appointment when they are around seven years old. By that time, we can see how your child's jaw is developing and recommend orthodontic care when necessary. Dr. Kellyn Hodges and her dedicated Philadelphia team can correct overbite and other forms of malocclusion in adults. However, preventing or treating overbite in children is generally easier since their jawbones are still developing. For some adults with an overbite, jaw surgery may be the only viable solution for correcting the condition. Our team serving the Philadelphia, PA, area offers several orthodontic treatments that can treat overbite in children and adults, such as braces, Invisalign®, retainers, and more. Dr. Hodges and her greater Philadelphia team can help you find the right treatment to suit your unique needs and lifestyle.