How To Take Good Care Of Your Braces?

Food particles and plaque can accumulate on braces in no time at all. Lack of proper oral hygiene while wearing braces can result in tooth decay or other periodontal diseases.

You must follow a routine plaque control program similar to what is explained below:

A special orthodontic toothbrush or a soft toothbrush can be used.
As flossing with braces is harder to do and time consuming, use of super-floss, floss threaders etc can be beneficial. In order to remove hard to reach plaque and food particles between tooth and braces, an inter-dental brush can be really helpful.
Oral irrigators can be added help in cleaning up your teeth faster.
Risk of cavities can be reduced by the regular use of a mouthwash with fluoride in it.
Do not eat hard to bite food items as they can loosen or bend braces. Consume fruits and vegetables only in small pieces and always chew them using the back teeth.
Chewing gum, candy items etc should not be used as they can loosen, break or bend the braces.
Reduce you sugar consumption as sugar is known to raise the risk of tooth decay.
Never miss out on any of your follow up dental appointments.
It is not an easy task to take proper care of your teeth with braces, but the hope of attaining a killer smile should act as a motivation for you in doing so.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Should I Get Braces?

A great smile can change your face totally. Braces can help you to attain a much brighter smile. Adjusting the teeth and thus making changes in the way your face is seen can help in achieving this. This will in turn add to your self-confidence and over all good feeling.
Your digestion will improve as you chew better. Uneven teeth can be a problem in chewing properly. If food goes to the stomach without getting chewed properly, that can cause indigestion or malnutrition.
Reduced risk of future dental problems. If you do not use braces and get your teeth fixed, you may be facing multiple dental problems for years. You may find it difficult to clean uneven teeth. Your teeth and gums may be facing unnecessary wear and tear. After suffering through such problems for years, many adults are opting for braces these days.
You can reduce the risk of breathing problems. As people get older, the roof of their mouth may cause some blockage in their nose and cause breathing trouble. This may cause snoring or sleep apnea. Braces from an orthodontist can reduce these risks.
Uneven teeth are prone to get damaged faster and this problem can be significantly reduced.
Take care of harmful habits.

Why Do We Need Braces?

Orthodontic problems are part of human genetic system. People have been growing steadily in size over the last few millennia. The proportion of size increase for human teeth was at a considerably faster level than the rest of his face. This resulted in having bigger teeth than what can fit properly in people's mouth. So an orthodontist takes charge of the situation so as to rearrange your teeth and resize your mouth as much as possible.

Is There Any Other Reasons For People To Get Braces?

Babies using pacifiers for a very long time, sucking fingers even after they turn two years old, habit of biting finger nails, habit of biting lips, injuries to the mouth etc can result in orthodontic problems. Sudden stoppage of breastfeeding can also cause similar problems. But the main reason for most people is the faster pace of teeth growth compared to growth of their mouth. As it is a standard feature of human growth, you don't have any choice other than facing it.

How Does Orthodontics Work?

Braces bring each of the teeth in to the desired positions by the application of gentle and consistent pressure. When you look at your braces, they may look like they are sitting idle. But all through the orthodontic procedure, there are some small helpful changes happening in your mouth. The major parts of braces are the brackets placed on each teeth and arch wire, which joins the arches together. Brackets are made of metal or ceramic and are designed to fit on to each tooth. Now the orthodontist will stretch the arch so as to bring the desired look after the treatment is over. The arch wire will be constantly applying pressure on the brackets and will bring the teeth in to the right positions.

The orthodontist is able to stretch your jaw so a to make space for all your teeth to fit in comfortably. As a next step, the teeth will be pushed in to the appropriate spaces. He can use a "palatal expander" so as to stretch your upper jaw. Again, a "facebow" can be used to push back any teeth sticking outwards. With all these gadgets at his disposal, your orthodontist can move your teeth and jaw so as to get the perfect smile you always dreamed about.

At What Age Can You Start Orthodontic Treatment?

There is no age limitation for orthodontic procedures and these are recommended for kids as young as 4 years old. Older people up to 60 years are known to undergo this procedure to gain perfect teeth. But the right age for the best results and least pain is between 8 and 14 and we recommend you to start the procedure around this time.

Human jaw is known to grow at the fastest pace when you are 8 or 9 years old. This is the appropriate time for "interceptive orthodontics" where your jaw can be expanded so as to obtain the best results. After this, you will have to wait until your permanent teeth are in place before you start your full orthodontic procedure. This is usually done at ages 13 or 14 after the permanent teeth are in place.

Is There Any Difference In Orthodontic Treatment Done Once You Are Older?

There is no age limitation for this treatment and can be delayed for a few years. But it will take much more time and can be a lot more painful once you are older. In order to gain the expansion gained easily at age 8, the orthodontist will have to exert much more pressure at age 14 and this would be much more painful. After you turn 20 years or so, only surgery can provide the desired jaw expansion.

How Does It Feel To Put Braces On?

Except for the initial sore feeling in mouth, teenagers never find any big problem with braces. They may feel the soreness for a week or so every time after the braces are tightened. The newer braces are so user friendly that you won't even notice their existence in your mouth. The only exceptions would be if you get smashed in your face or when the braces are tightened.

It won't be such an easy feeling if you get braces past 18 years of age or so. You may feel like your teeth are loose. Even then the resultant killer smile gained can be worth all this trouble.

Do Braces Hurt?

It depends on the type of braces you get. Older braces were really painful for the most part. New generation braces are painful only when they are set in place or tightened.

Is It Okay To Talk With Braces On?

Absolutely. Normal braces do not affect your voice or talking ability. Every thing normal teenagers do like singing, shouting, talking, yelling etc is possible. Braces are not going to hinder you from any of these activities. Only exception would be if you get hit on your face. That can be a painful experience!

Some times the orthodontist has to place an instrument that can restrict your tongue movement. This may cause difficulty for you to talk clearly for a couple of days or so. Later, you can talk properly.

Are There Any Activities Those Need To Be Avoided While Having The Braces On?

Avoid fighting and chances of getting hit on your face. As such avoid sporting activities that involve close body contact like boxing, karate, wrestling etc.

Can I Eat Normally After Getting Braces?

It is okay to eat most of the food items you eat now. As your mouth is going to be sore for a week after the braces are put on, try to eat only softer food items for that period of time. After this period of time, you can go back to your regular menu.

Is There Any Other Food Product To Be Avoided?

Eating sticky food items like chewing gum, caramel, candy etc can cause the braces to slide away from their position. Crunchy food items like carrots, apples, hard rolls etc need to be reduced so as to avoid the risk of your braces get knocked out.

What To Do If The Braces Come Off?

It is not a serious problem and can be easily reattached by your orthodontist. If it occurs quite frequently, you may need to spend some extra time to get the results.

Why Don't The Orthodontist Set The Braces In Place Real Strongly So That The Braces Do Not Come Off Even During Eating?

The braces are to be removed after the treatment program. In case, they are set in place too strong, they cannot be removed easily at the end of the procedure.

How Is The Very First Visit To My Orthodontist Going To Be?

Your orthodontist will start the treatment only after a few appointments. The very first appointment will be dedicated to study your medical history. He will thoroughly examine your mouth and decide whether you need any orthodontic procedures.

Your orthodontist is going to go through your mouth and verify the finish of each section. He will check to see if your mouth is large enough for all your teeth to fit in. He will check the alignment of your top teeth and bottom teeth. He will look for any uneven, missing or crooked teeth. He will see if there is any breathing problems or joint problems in your jaw. The orthodontist is going to make his final decision as to whether you need braces or not based on all these factors.