Curtis R. Imel, DDS, PC
2050 Marquette Rd., Suite 200
Peru, IL 61354
(815) 224-2355

Common Treatments


crowding of the teeth before crowding of the teeth after

Before

After

Crowding of the teeth

This patient started treatment at age eleven and wore braces for 26 months. He loves his new smile.


open bite before open bite after

Before

After

Openbite: front teeth don’t touch

This girl sucked her thumb as a young child. She started treatment at age 13. She had braces and a special appliance — called a crib — to retrain the tongue, for 28 months. Now she can bite the lettuce out of a sandwich.


deep overbite before deep overbite after

Before

After

Deep overbite: lower front teeth bite into palate

This adult patient, age 25, required braces and jaw surgery to correct his severe overbite. Treatment lasted two years. His problem could have been corrected without surgery if he had been treated before he was a teenager.


missing lateral incisors before missing lateral incisors after

Before

After

Missing lateral incisors

This patient’s lateral incisors were missing since birth. She had braces for 20 months to move the teeth into the correct position. The missing teeth were then replaced with bonded “Maryland” bridges.


underbite before underbite after

Before

After

Underbite: lower front teeth in front of upper teeth

This woman’s underbite was causing her jaw joint discomfort and permitting excessive wear patterns on her teeth. After 30 months of treatment, starting at age 32, she now finds smiling and chewing much easier.


spacing of teeth before spacing of teeth after

Before

After

Spacing of teeth

This patient was bothered by the spaces between his teeth. Braces closed the spaces and gave him an ideal bite in 24 months. Special glued-in retainers help keep the spaces closed.


overbite before overbite after

Before

After

Overbite: protruding front teeth

At age ten, this girl had a large overbite with the top teeth protruding beyond the bottom. She had two phases of treatment. The first helped her jaws to grow more harmoniously, and the second aligned her teeth and bite. At age 13, she was proudly displaying her new smile.


non braces treatment before non braces treatment after

Before

After

Non-braces treatment

Sometimes braces are not needed to achieve noticeable improvements in tooth alignment. This patient was first seen at age seven for crowding of the lower permanent teeth. A procedure was performed to reduce the width of the adjacent baby teeth, and the permanent incisors aligned on their own in nine months.


phase 1 before phase 1 after

Before

After

Phase-One

This boy’s parents were concerned both about aesthetics and the health of the erupting permanent teeth when they brought him to the orthodontist at age eight. The lower front teeth were crowded and they touched the palate, and the upper front teeth were extremely displaced from their normal positions. After 20 months of Phase-One treatment with an expander and partial braces, the boy’s appearance and dental function were vastly improved.


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