Brace Yourself for Braces

With braces, oral hygiene is more important than ever. Plaque is a sticky coating on your teeth formed from bacteria and sugary food. Braces have tiny spaces where food particles and plaque get trapped, and insufficient cleaning while wearing braces can cause enamel staining and tooth decay around brackets or bands.

Be sure to brush carefully after every meal with fluoride toothpaste and a soft-bristled toothbrush. At the very least, brush twice daily for a minimum of 2 minutes each time. Rinse thoroughly and check your teeth in the mirror to make sure they're clean. Take time to floss between braces and under wires with the help of a floss threader. Additionally, visit the dentist to have your teeth cleaned every six months to keep your gums and teeth healthy.

Brace care guidelines

The following routine will help make daily brushing and flossing both simple and effective.

1. Prepare to brush. Take off elastics, and any other removable parts of your orthodontic appliance.
2. Clean your braces. Use your brush at a 45-degree angle from your gums to clean around the wires and pins of your braces. Brush from the top of each wire and then from the bottom. Take time to ensure that all plaque and debris are removed, and that you work all the way around upper and lower teeth.
3. Brush your teeth. Clean each tooth individually. First, place your brush at a 45-degree angle to the junction between the tooth and the gum, then apply gentle pressure as you move in a circular motion. Do this for about 10 seconds. Use the same brushing action on all outer and inner tooth surfaces, tilting the brush as needed to better reach the insides of smaller front teeth. Don't forget to brush your chewing surfaces.
4. Floss once a day with super floss, a type of floss for cleaning around braces, large teeth gaps, or between implanted teeth. Have your dental professional show you how to use this floss, or follow the instructions on the product package.
5. Rinse and check your teeth. Rinse thoroughly with water or mouth rinse, and examine your teeth and braces in the mirror. They should sparkle, shine and feel clean.

All material copyright MediResource Inc. 1996 – 2024. Terms and conditions of use. The contents herein are for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Source: www.medbroadcast.com/healthfeature/gethealthfeature/Brace-Yourself-for-Braces

What exactly is orthodontics?

"Ortho" means "correct" or "straight" and "odont" means "tooth". Orthodontics is a special discipline of dentistry concerned with aligning the teeth and jaws to improve one's smile and oral health. An orthodontist is a dentist who specializes in this type of treatment.

Why do people get braces?

Not everyone's teeth are perfectly straight. In fact, many people have crooked or overcrowded teeth. If your dentist thinks your teeth need straightening, he or she may refer you to an orthodontist. The orthodontist usually recommends braces to improve a patient's physical "orofacial" appearance. Through orthodontic treatment, problems like crooked or crowded teeth, overbites, underbites, incorrect jaw position and disorders of the jaw joints are corrected.

Braces do a lot more than improve your smile. They play an active role in correcting overcrowded and misaligned teeth. This is important because malocclusion (an abnormal bite) may cause other problems, such as impaired plaque removal around misaligned teeth which can lead to gum inflammation and cavities.

All material copyright MediResource Inc. 1996 – 2024. Terms and conditions of use. The contents herein are for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Source: www.medbroadcast.com/healthfeature/gethealthfeature/Brace-Yourself-for-Braces

Your dentist will know what appliance is best for your particular problem, but the patient often has a choice. Braces generally come in 5 varieties:

• metal
• ceramic or clear
• lingual
• self-ligating
• Invisalign®

The most common type are metal braces. The brackets (metal squares on each tooth holding the wire) and the wires are usually made of stainless steel. They are placed at the front of your teeth and need to be tightened every 4 to 6 weeks.

For people self-conscious of metal braces, the ceramic or clear options function the same as metal, but the materials blend in better with your teeth, making the braces less noticeable. Ceramic braces can get stained, so make sure to have them properly cleaned and tightened every 4 to 6 weeks.

Lingual braces use the same parts as metal, but they are placed behind your teeth so that they are less visible. However, they can be uncomfortable for the tongue, take longer to work, and are harder to clean. They should be tightened and adjusted every 6 to 8 weeks.

Self-ligating braces are placed in the front and are made from stainless-steel. These use clips to hold the wire in place with the brackets, while metal braces use elastics. Therefore, these braces don't need to be tightened, work faster, and are easier to clean. However, they can often be more expensive than traditional metal braces.

Invisalign® is the most unique and popular option as it does not have wires or brackets. Instead, they use a clear plastic shell around your teeth that is nearly invisible. Eating or drinking while wearing them is easier, but this style is only able to correct minor problems, like overbites and moderately crooked teeth. They should be replaced every 2 weeks. Talk to your dental professional to choose the best option for you.

All material copyright MediResource Inc. 1996 – 2024. Terms and conditions of use. The contents herein are for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Source: www.medbroadcast.com/healthfeature/gethealthfeature/Brace-Yourself-for-Braces

Braces do a lot more than improve your smile. They also play an active role in correcting overcrowded and misaligned teeth. This is important because an abnormal bite (also known as "malocclusion") may cause other problems, such as impaired plaque removal around misaligned teeth, which can lead to gum inflammation and cavities.

Taking good care of braces can help prevent damage to the braces themselves and the teeth underneath as well as make the braces more comfortable to wear. Learning the basics of orthodontic care will help you follow your dental professional's recommendations to keep your teeth and gums healthy during the time you're wearing braces.

The basics: brushing and flossing

Careful cleaning is required with braces, because plaque bacteria are easily trapped inside and around them. The following procedure will make daily brushing and flossing both simple and effective.

1. Prepare to brush. Take off elastics and any other removable parts of your orthodontic appliance.
2. Clean your braces. Hold your brush at a 45-degree angle from your gums to clean around the wires and pins of your braces. Brush from the top of each wire down to the bottom. Take your time to ensure that all plaque and debris are removed, and that you work all the way around upper and lower teeth.
3. Brush your teeth. Clean each tooth individually. First, place your brush at a 45-degree angle from the gum line, then apply gentle pressure as you move in a circular motion. Do this for about 10 seconds. Use the same brushing action on all outer and inner tooth surfaces, tilting the brush as needed to better reach the insides of smaller front teeth. Don't forget to brush your chewing surfaces.
4. Floss once a day. Have your dental professional show you the best way to floss, or follow the instructions on the product package. You may also want to use a flossing product designed for braces and orthodontic work, like a floss threader.
5. Rinse and check your teeth. Rinse thoroughly with water or mouth rinse, and examine your teeth and braces in the mirror.

Professional care: dentist and orthodontist visits

During the time that you have braces on your teeth, you will need to visit the orthodontist regularly for adjustments to your appliance. After a routine orthodontic adjustment, you may experience some tightness or even a slight amount of pain. If this discomfort or pain does not quickly dissipate, or becomes extreme, you should consult your orthodontist. Concerns about your appliances, and any problems with broken parts, should also be brought to your orthodontist's attention immediately.

It's also important that you continue with regular visits to your general dentist while undergoing orthodontic treatment. Routine checkups are necessary to spot cavities and signs of gum disease. Your dentist or hygienist may also perform frequent fluoride treatments to provide additional protection to tooth surfaces from decay while you're wearing braces.

Your home oral care techniques will be monitored by your dental professional and changes will be recommended as necessary. As always, be sure to follow their instructions.

All material copyright MediResource Inc. 1996 – 2024. Terms and conditions of use. The contents herein are for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Source: www.medbroadcast.com/healthfeature/gethealthfeature/Brace-Yourself-for-Braces

Many children and teens (and some adults) don't know how to floss with braces. Or they think that they can't floss at all if they have braces. But that's not the case. In fact, daily flossing is especially important during the time that you wear braces because you're more likely to have food particles trapped in the braces, bands and wires, which could increase your risk of a cavity if the food contains carbohydrates (sugars).

Be prepared to spend three times as long on your oral care while you have braces on your teeth. Don't worry, it's worth the time - if you don't pay attention to oral hygiene while your teeth are being realigned, you increase your risk of gum disease. Plus, it can help your teeth look that much better when it's finally time to get your braces removed.

Although flossing with braces is tricky, you can get the hang of it with practice if you follow these steps:

• Use waxed floss (unwaxed floss is more likely to get caught and shred in your braces), dental tape or a product specifically designed to clean around your braces.
• Use enough. About 18 inches of floss should suffice.
• Thread it carefully. Take the floss and carefully thread it under the main wire of the braces before passing it between two teeth. Then remove the floss and re-thread it under the main wire to pass between the next pair of teeth.
• Be sure not to snap the floss-simply move it up and down gently against the side of each tooth.

Parents: Do the flossing for younger children who lack the coordination to thread the floss under the main wire of their braces.

All material copyright MediResource Inc. 1996 – 2024. Terms and conditions of use. The contents herein are for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Source: www.medbroadcast.com/healthfeature/gethealthfeature/Brace-Yourself-for-Braces