TREATMENT INFO

What Makes Us Different

Braces are braces!..... Right?..... Wrong! There is a difference between a dentist who does orthodontics, such as a family dentist or children's dentist, and a specialist in orthodontics. While it is legal for any dentist to perform orthodontic services, non-orthodontists have not had the additional 2-3 years of specialty training that all dentists must have in order to legally and ethically call themselves an orthodontist. Dr. Roncone completed his Orthodontic Residency training at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine and has had specialized training in physiology and cleft palate. He is the only orthodontist in the country to be awarded dual specialty degrees from both Harvard and the Forsyth Dental Center. He has taught orthodontics at Harvard, the University of Maryland School of Dentistry and has been a visiting lecturer at both UCLA and USC Schools of Dentistry. Additionally, he has taught well over 500 courses in orthodontics, TMJ therapy and practice management to thousands of orthodontists in every state and in 56 countries around the world--and he continues to do so! He is one of the most sought after lecturers in the world.

While no orthodontist can ethically claim to be "better" than others our patients can be assured of the following differences:
We do not use headgear and have not for 15 years even though more than 50% of orthodontists still do. Dr. Roncone has developed a device that works from inside the mouth to quickly and comfortably move teeth.
Dr. Roncone also does not use orthopedic devices that force the lower jaw forward. This displaces the jaw joint mechanism and can lead to TMJ (jaw joint) problems later in life.
Our office never recycles braces. Bluntly put, many orthodontists save significant sums of money each year by removing braces from their patients and sending them to a "recycling" company. These used braces are then placed in other patients' mouths over and over. Besides the fact that these braces become less accurate with each use, it is a practice that our office finds revolting.
We do not have hidden charges in our office. Many offices charge for emergency visits, broken brackets (braces) and wires, and missed or cancelled appointments. When any of these occur to a significant degree, consultations are scheduled to fix the problem or remove braces.
Dr. Roncone's goal is to create exquisite, natural looking smiles and to make sure that the jaw joint and the bite is correct.
Your safety is of utmost importance in our orthodontic office. Not only do we use hospital-grade sterilization machines but these machines are monitored by a company monthly to ensure they always work properly.
We maintain a position that being on-time for your appointments is critical. We make every effort to respect your valuable time.
Appointments are usually every 6-12 weeks.

We have been extremely successful at achieving the following goals:

Natural looking straight teeth
Beautiful smiles
Healthy TMJs (jaw joints)
Relaxed muscles of the head and neck
Great occlusions (bites)
Relief of pain for our many TMJ patients

Smiles Are Not Created The Same In Orthdontic Offices!
Ask our past and current patients about their opinion of our results.

Dr. Roncone was the first orthodontist in the world to be able to extend time intervals between patient visits. He introduced titanium wires used on a routine basis in the late 1980s. A number of years ago a system of special braces was introduced to the orthodontic profession, created by Dr. Roncone. He is one of only a very few orthodontists to have an orthodontics system named after him. This combination of wires and braces means several important things to you:

Less time away from school or work

Fewer appointments

Shorter time in the dental chair

Faster, more comfortable tooth movement

This differs from most orthodontists who do not use these high-tech appliances. In such offices where this technology is not utilized, often you will need to be seen much more frequently (every 4-6 weeks) causing not only scheduling inconveniences to you but also significantly more discomfort when moving teeth.

Other Differentiating Factors in Our Office

We maintain a position that being on-time for your appointment is critical. We make every effort to respect your valuable time.

Each of our clinical staff members is a Registered Dental Assistant (RDA). In fact, the majority of our non-clinical staff members are also RDAs. Only RDAs can legally assist the orthodontist in various clinical procedures. Special training is required in order to receive a California State RDA License.

Our staff sparkles with enthusiasm and caring attitude toward our patients.

We are always available for emergency appointments even on non-patient days or evenings through our emergency pager system.

Special emphasis is placed on homecare which allows treatment to proceed in a timely manner. Excellent oral hygiene is our goal. To this end we provide you with all hygiene aids necessary to attain and maintain excellent care of your teeth and gums.

We will always communicate with you so that you will know exactly what is happening. We invite your questions and participation in your treatment.

Our communication with your family dentist is ongoing so that we can work together to attain what is best for you.

Parents have an open invitation to observe what we do in the clinic. We encourage you to participate with us in your child's or your treatment.

Your initial consultation with us is the most complete and thorough possible. A systematic review of skeletal, muscle, periodontal (gums), teeth, occlusion (bite) and jaw joints (TMJ) is performed and immediately entered into our computer data base.

Any radiographs (x-rays) taken are the absolute minimum necessary to allow proper diagnosis and screening. Our machines are the safest available and are maintained monthly to assure absolute safety for you. We have invested over $150,000.00 in advanced x-ray technology for the purpose of your safety.

Over 50% of our patients are adults. It is not unusual for our office to see many patients in their 30s, 40s, 50s 60s and even 70s. As long as bone and gum tissue are healthy it is never too late to obtain splendid cosmetic or functional results.

For those patients who have unexplained headaches, muscle tightness, difficulty opening their mouth, neck aches etc., they may be suffering with a form of TMJ or jaw joint problems. This problem can mimic many other problems and have often been misdiagnosed as stress, migraines, and arthritis or not diagnosed at all. For those who do not specifically come in for such problems, a screening examination is performed on all patients. Over the years several thousand such patients have been successfully treated by Dr. Roncone who is considered the foremost orthodontic authority on TMD. He conducts two special seminars on this topic each year imparting his knowledge and experience to other superb orthodontists around the world.

More than 20% of our patients have come to Dr. Roncone after having been unsuccessfully treated previously by others.

The quality of care is Dr. Roncone's first consideration in his office. He uses the most advanced techniques and the best materials. He never cuts corners in order to save money and he never will.

We not only use the most advanced orthodontic techniques, Dr. Roncone has been responsible for the development of a large number of these techniques that other orthodontists use today.

Since Dr. Roncone has assisted in the development of various types of braces, there is never an additional charge for clear ceramic braces in our office.

Many dentists, physicians and other health care professionals have come to Dr. Roncone for treatment of their family's orthodontic or TMJ problems.

We have in the past and currently treat patients from many states and foreign countries including Mexico, Canada, Taiwan, South Africa, England, the Netherlands, Israel, Italy, Saudi Arabia and more.

The vast majority of our referrals (70%) come from our current and past patients. Thousands of people who have been more than pleased with the results they have obtained and whose smiles and straight teeth have withstood the test of time.

Phase I and Phase II Treatment

Dr. Roncone specializes in 2 phase treatment and has developed a highly successful treatment program. When a child is seen by age 7, many wonderful things can be accomplished! Extraction of permanent teeth can be avoided in the vast majority of cases. This allows us to achieve an excellent profile avoiding a flattened profile and thinning of the lips.

Our method of treatment can correct:

"Gummy" smiles

Chronic open mouth & mouth breathing

Excessive snoring

Severe overjet and overbite

Narrow dental arches

Air way problems

Cross bites which should be corrected as early as possible

Swollen gums

"Pouting" lower lip

Smile problems associated with a short upper lip

Chronic chapped or cracked lips

Elimination of the need for headgear

True lower arch expansion can only be done while many deciduous (baby) teeth are still present in the mouth. Dr. Roncone feels it is very important to expand both the upper and lower arches to obtain the best smiles and facial results.

Phase I lasts approximately 12-15 months after which there is a "resting" phase. During this time the child is monitored for facial development and permanent tooth eruption approximately every 4-6 months. When all of the permanent teeth are just about erupted Phase II begins. Phase II consists of placing braces on all permanent teeth. 2 Phase orthodontics is planned to obtain the best possible treatment results. It is not doing orthodontics over again!