Information Library
Each person's orthodontic needs are different and deserve personalized attention. We will use you or your child's initial visit as an opportunity to get to know you and discover what you want to accomplish. It is our goal to give you individual attention and take the necessary time to explain our procedures each step of the way. We believe the better you the parents and your child are informed, the better the results.
Brackets
The stainless steel brackets which we have cemented (bonded) to your teeth will serves the "handles" that will be used to apply pressure to the teeth in order t move them. The pressures may be applied in a number of ways, usually through the use of a small wire called archwire which is tied to each bracket. the pressure of these wires will make your teeth quite tender, however, this initial discomfort will gradually disappear. You might want to take some aspirin or Tylenol to ease this discomfort. The archwires are tied to the brackets with a very small elastic ligature (rubber band). If a bracket comes loose and is bothersome in its "wiggling up and down," you may use sharp instrument to very carefully remove the elastic ligature from around the wings on the bracket. The bracket can then be removed from the wire. Later on in your treatment when you have heavier, less flexible archwires in place, you may not be able to remove a bracket that come loose.
In referring to a bracket that comes loose, let me stress that if this should happen, it ti no cause for alarm or concern. It is not unusual for several brackets to loosen within the first few days after being cemented. The new pressure of the archwire may tend to loosen the brackets when they are first placed, especially on teeth which are quite far out of alignment. Some types of bite relationships cause more problems than others in causing brackets to come off early in treatment until the bite has changed. Should a bracket come loose, simply call the office and we shall have you come in within a few days to re-cement a new one. After the brackets have been on thorough the initial weeks of treatment, the usual cause of a loose bracket is biting down on a hard piece of food. If your next appointment is within a couple of weeks, we will re-cement it then. Otherwise, call the office and we will reappoint you sooner.
The enamel of the teeth is not affected by the cement which we use to bond the brackets. At the completion of treatment, brackets are removed painlessly by "pinching: the with a special instrument.
We have not found it necessary to place a lot of restrictions on your diet because of orthodontic treatment. As mentioned, hard foods may tend to loosen brackets, so you should be careful in chewing hard pizza crust, ice cubes, unpopped popcorn kernels, etc. We don't expect patients to go for couple of years just eating mashed potatoes and soup, but you should try to be reasonably careful about what you bit into. Of course, candy, sugared gum and goods high in sugar content should be avoided as much as possible whether or not you have orthodontic appliances.
It normally takes a few days for you to become accustomed to the unusual feeling of the brackets against the cheeks and lips. Occasionally, especially when the brackets are first placed, a bracket may rub a tender spot inside your mouth. We have given you a package of of soft wax. A small piece placed over the bracket or the archwire, where it is irritating your mouth will form a cushion which usually takes care of that problem. If you find that you need more wax, just ask for it at the reception desk. Should a sore spot develop inside your mouth and doesn't go away within a couple of days, please call the office so that we may check it.
Good oral hygiene habits are always necessary, but when you have orthodontic appliances, proper tooth brushing is absolutely essential to prevent damage to the teeth and to maintain healthy gum tissues. We are often asked, "do braces cause decay?" The answer is, "No!" The brackets do not cause decay, but food debris habitually left on the teeth round the edges of the brackets can cause marking or decay of the enamel which may not be obvious until the brackets are removed.food debris also has a very bad effect on the health of gum tissue which may become swollen and inflamed due to constant irritation. Therefore, it is very important that you brush away all food from around the brackets and bands after each time you eat and at bedtime. It is especially important that you brush well in the area between the bracket and the gums. We recommend a soft bristle toothbrush. a high pressure irrigation device (like a Water Pik) is also helpful to remove food particles, but it should not be used in place of a good brushing.
Let us remind you again to continue regular dental examinations with your family dentist throughout your treatment in this office.
Break
Contact our office right away for an appointment to replace or repair your retainer. Although this may result in a charge, it i a relatively inexpensive way to protect the investment you have already made in your orthodontic care.
Brushing and Flossing
Brushing
- Grab a soft brush and some fluoride toothpaste. Brush all surfaces of every tooth and band in your mouth.
- Then brush the inside and outside surfaces of your top and bototm gums.
- Brush slowly between your brackets and gums. Rinse your mouth and look at your teeth and bands. If they're not shining, brush 'em again!
Flossing
- Thread the floss through the threader and slip it up behind your archwires. This might seem tricky, but it's easy once you've done it a few times.
- Pull the floss between two teeth, work it up under your gum line, and wipe each tooth surface clean. Repeat with all of your teeth. When you're done, rinse your mouth with lots of water.
- Brush after meals. It's the only way to get bacteria off your teeth and braces. And here's a hint for better breath: Brush your tongue, too.
- Get nto the flossing habit - it's one of the best things you can do for your gums. floss every day to get out all the stuff your toothbrush misses.
- Last but not least, go easy on the sweets.
Elastics
The elastics (rubber bands) you have been shown how to attach are an important part of your orthodontic treatment. They apply the forces necessary to move the teeth either to close spaces or adjust the bite for the upper and lower teeth to fit together correctly.
A good way to think about how elastics work on your teeth is to compare their use to pushing a car up a hill. If you stop pushing the car, it will roll back down and you lose what you have accomplished with the earlier pushing. Teeth will move back the same way if you leave the elastics off, so it is a constant and steady push on the teeth, as with the car, that gets the job done.
The elastics should be used all the time, day and night, to keep an even pressure on the teeth. They can be removed at meal time but should be replaced immediately after brushing your teeth. You should change the elastics at least once a day since they lose their stretch after being in place for 24 hours.
If you are told to use an elastic on each side, be sure you always have the right and left sides on at the same time so that an uneven bite does not develop. However, if you are told to use an elastic on just one side, that is done to correct an uneven bite and you should be careful to always attach the elastic on the side that you are told to use it.
I suggest you divide your elastic supply so you always have some handy. You can keep some at home and always carry a small envelope with some elastics in your pocket or purse so that you will always have them handy wherever you are. Occasionally you may bite an elastic and break it, so you should be able to replace it right away. If you start to run out of elastics, stop by the office to pick up more. Elastics come in different sizes and we can check your chart for the correct size if you are not sure.
Remember, your teeth will not move the way they should if you do not use your elastics as directed. If you co-operate completely now in the use of the elastics, you will not only have a better result in the correction of your bite, but you will also be finished in as short a time as possible.
Retainers
Retention
The removal of your braces signals not only the first glimpse of your new smile but the start of the retention and observation period of your orthodontic care as well. Remember - this part of your orthodontic treatment is just as important as the active movement phase in determining the ultimate success of your treatment.! Retainers continue to stabilize yor teeth even after the braces have been removed. Their job is important because without some form of lifetime retention, latent facial growth, biting pressures, habits, and changing dental health will cause the teeth to shift even after orthodontic correction is completed.
How Long are retainer worn?
Retention supervision spans two years. The success of your retention depends on your keeping all appointments and carefully following the directions for retainer wear. During this time, checkup and adjustment appointmentsare scheduled with decreasing frequency. For the first three months after the removal of your braces, you will wear your retainers at all times. As retention continues, retainer are generally worn only at night for an additional year. This marks the end of the retention supervision period. Thereafter, you should indefinitely ear your retainer 3 - 4 time per week. of course, each person's requirements may differ depending on the severity of the original problem and the amount of remaining facial rowth.
Will my teeth move pack after treatment?
Even without orthodontic treatment, the position and fit of teeth generally changes throughout an individual's life. Orthodontists recognize that change in tooth position will occur after retainers are discontinued. Retainers, however, work to minimize these changes by accommodating your mouth's natural changes while maintaining the function and aesthetic results achieved during treatment.
How do I take care of my retainer?
Keeping your reatainers either in your mouth or moist in their case will avoid loss, breakage and extra expense. Brush your retainers with cool water and toothpaste daily and soak them in a denture cleanser or mouthwash regularly to kep them fresh. Never place your retainers in hot water, which may distort the material and necessitate replacement. If you do not have access to a toothbrush after eating, rinse your retainers in cool water before returning them to your mouth or to their case. Take care not to put your retainers ina pocket where they could break. Also avoid leaving them within reacho fpets or in a place where they may be overlooked or lost. a common pitfall, for instance, is wrapping your retainers in a napkin during a meal and leaving them at the table.
A word about final records...
We recommend taking a set of x-rays and photographs soon after the completion of your active treatment. Known as "final records," these will be used to review your treatment, plan your retention period and evaluate your wisdom teeth. We often recommend planning for an additiona x-ray to check wisodom teeth after the end of the one-year retention supervision period. There is a charge for office visits, appliance checks and x-rays after the endo fo retention supervision.
Separators
The doughnut shaped elastic separators were placed between your back teeth to create small spaces for fitting of orthodontic bands at your next appointment time. The separators were stretched to fit around the areas where the teeth touch each other, and as they return to their original shape, the teeth are pushed apart slightly.
Separators are usually left in the mouth for about five to seven days but may be left in up to two weeks or longer in some cases. Sometimes a considerable amount of discomfort for the first several days may result in the new pressure on the teeth. This discomfort will gradually go away, and the teeth are usually comfortable by the banding appointment time.
Occasionally one or more of the separators may come out from between the teeth after some space has been created. This happens mostly in areas where the teeth were not as tight together to start with. We usually don't need to replace the separators in these areas, and it is not necessary to call the office to inform us of separators coming out.
You do not have to change your diet while the separators are in place. However, for the first several days when the teeth may be more tender, you will probably want to avoid foods that require harder chewing. Your teeth should be brushed as usual after each meal, but do not attempt to use dental floss between the teeth where the separators have been placed.
No-No Foods
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Ice A thousand times NO. It will totally destroy your braces |
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Pizza Crust The hard crust bends wires |
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Hard Pretzels Bends wires, loosens bands, knocks off brackets |
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Suckers You might give in and bite |
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Caramel Candy, Bubble Gum Sticky goo pulls off wires and feeds the bacteria in your mouth/FONT> |
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Hard Rolls, Bagels, Bones, Ribs Bends the wire and knocks off brackets |
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Pens and Pencils A favorite exam time food... but it will break everything |
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Beef Jerky, Slim Jims Tough as nails |
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Doritos, Tacos, Tostitos, Cheetos, Fritos Will form a hard ball and break your braces |
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Nuts No nuts of any kind |
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Popcorn The little shells get between the gum and band and hurt you like crazy |
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Raw Carrots Hard as rocks |
Aging
| Your Concern | Best Time | Who To See |
| Fluoride, Vitamin drops | Before 6 months | Pediatrician |
| Child's first dental visit | By age 2 | Children's dentist |
| Stopping a pacifier | Before age 2 | Children's dentist |
| Stopping finger sucking | By age 4 to 7 | Orthodontist, dentist |
| First orthodontic visit | Between age 4 to 7 | Orthodontist |
| Changing to fluoride rinse | Between age 4 to 7 | Children's dentist |
| Tooth grinding | Before age 7 | Orthodontist |
| Crowded front teeth | Before age 7 | Orthodontist |
| Sealants to prevent decay | Age 6-7/ 11-13 | Family/Children's dentist |
| Jaws/teeth not aligned | By age 7 | Orthodontist |
| Jaw orthopedic appliance | Age 6-13 | Orthodontist |
| Stop tongue thrust | Age 7-13 | Orthodontist |
| Stop mouth breathing | Before age 7 | Orthodontist, ENT, Allergist |
| Remove wisdom teeth | Age 15-18 | Oral Surgeon, dentist |
| Straighten an adult's teeth | Age 18-80 | Orthodontist |
