Foods to Avoid

When a person's teeth or jaws do not fit together properly, orthodontic treatment may be necessary to correct the problem. If left untreated, these orthodontic problems, often referred to as malocclusions, can cause speech difficulty, premature wear of the teeth and protective enamel, and even increase the chance of injury to the teeth and jaw joints.

Now that your braces are in place, it is very important to maintain a good oral hygiene regimen throughout the length of your treatment. Braces, wires, bands and retainers can all trap food particles and make it difficult to brush or floss away plaque. Careful brushing and flossing, preferably after every meal and snack, is the best way to prevent plaque build-up, tooth decay and gum disease.

You know how important it is to brush and floss properly when you're wearing braces — but what's the best way to do that? Let's start with the basic brushing tools: Either a soft-bristled brush or a bi-level brush (one that has shorter bristles in the middle and longer bristles at the edges) can be effective. Used carefully, an electric toothbrush can work just as well. But be sure the electric brush is set to a moderate power level, and don't let its vibrations cause the back of the brush to hit the braces! You should brush with a fluoride toothpaste at least two times per day (preferably after meals), for at least two minutes each time. Remember to brush all of the tooth surfaces: the front, the back, and the chewing surfaces as well. Be especially careful to clean the areas between wires and teeth, and between brackets and gums — that's where food particles can easily become trapped. Here's a suggested brushing technique: Beginning at the front surfaces, place the tips of the bristles flat against your teeth, and use small circular motions to gently polish them clean. For areas between braces and gums, tilt the brush toward the gum line (down for the bottom teeth, up for the top) while keeping up the circular motions. Next, move on to the chewing surfaces of upper and lower teeth, using a firm back-and-forth motion. Finally, finish up by carefully brushing the back surfaces of the teeth the same way you did the front surfaces. 

An orthodontist is to teeth what a cardiologist is to the heart. Orthodontists are highly trained specialists who partner with your dentist to provide you with the best oral health care. Orthodontists are qualified dentists, who after graduating from dental school, go on to additional full-time university-based education in an accredited orthodontic residency program supervised by orthodontists. That training lasts at least two academic years – sometimes more. By learning about tooth movement (orthodontics) and guidance of facial development (dentofacial orthopedics), orthodontists are the uniquely trained experts in dentistry to straighten teeth and align jaws. Orthodontists diagnose, prevent and treat dental and facial irregularities. Members of the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) limit their practices to orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics. Orthodontists treat a wide variety of malocclusions (improperly aligned teeth and/or jaws). They regularly treat young children, teens and adults. Selecting an orthodontist who is a member of the AAO is your assurance that you have chosen an orthodontist: the dental specialist with at least two years of post-doctoral, advanced specialty training in orthodontics in a university-based program accredited by the American Dental Association. Specialty education includes the study of subjects in biomedical, behavioral and basic sciences; oral biology; and biomechanics. Only orthodontists may be members of the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO). Courtesy of The American Association of Orthodontists, www.braces.org

If you've been thinking about orthodontic treatment for yourself or someone you care about, you may be wondering: When is the right time to see an orthodontist? It's an excellent question, and there are several ways to answer it. The most basic one is this: You should see an orthodontist any time you have a question about the alignment of your teeth, or the quality of your bite. Sometimes, a problem in this area is painfully obvious. For example, you may have difficulty biting, chewing or speaking, or some of your teeth may be clearly protruding, crowded or misplaced. If that's the case, then it's time to consult with our office — an orthodontist has the special skills and training needed to diagnose and treat the problem. Other conditions may not be as clear cut. Mouth breathing, clenching or grinding your teeth, and the inability to comfortably close your lips may be signs that orthodontic treatment is needed. Likewise, if your jaws seem to frequently shift in position or make sounds as they move, or if you find you're unintentionally biting your cheek or the roof of your mouth, you may have an orthodontic issue. Teeth that meet abnormally can even cause a facial imbalance (asymmetry), meaning that some facial features aren't in proportion with others. This is a problem that can often be corrected by orthodontic treatment.

Most people wouldn’t dream of sharing a toothbrush. Even the most vigilant person can’t keep all of the bacteria at bay. The following tips are to help give you a fighting chance at keeping your toothbrush as clean as possible. Use an antibacterial mouth rinse before brushing. This helps reduce the amount of bacteria that will end up on the brush. Soak your toothbrush in an antibacterial mouth rinse for about a minute after brushing. It kills bacteria and prevents more from growing. You can also soak new toothbrushes before using them. Protect your brush. Close the toilet lid before flushing. Skip the cover. Plastic covers trap moisture and promote bacterial growth. It is best to store your toothbrush in open air, in an upright position. Replace it often; at least every 3 months if you’ve been sick with an illness spread through saliva.

We recently attended a meeting on orthodontic treatment for OSA. What is OSA? OSA stands for obstructive sleep apnea. It occurs when the airway becomes blocked during sleep. The ability to breathe is temporarily lost causing the person suffering from OSA to wake from sleep multiple times during the night. To be properly diagnosed with OSA, one must see a sleep doctor. The orthodontist comes into play NOT in the diagnosing, but in helping treat the OSA with an oral appliance or through orthodontic treatment. The primary cause of OSA is the tongue blocking the airway during sleep. Anything that can be done to prevent the tongue from blocking the airway reduces the effects of OSA. The orthodontist has the unique ability through orthodontic treatment to create more room for the tongue to rest in a more forward position. The orthodontist can also have an appliance custom made that holds the lower jaw in a forward position during sleep to help reduce apnea events.  What is even scarier is that kids can also suffer from OSA. Does your kid snore? Kids shouldn't snore, and if they do, they could be suffering from OSA. OSA can affect their growth, IQ level, mood, and behavior. Most kids suffering from OSA don't act lethargic but typically are hyperactive as a defense mechanism to being drowsy. Kids with OSA often suffer from GERD, ADHD, and sometimes enlarged tonsils and adenoids. Your ability to breathe and get proper rest is so important for your health that signs of OSA should not be ignored.

During the course of orthodontic treatment, a patient with braces may have to wear elastic rubber bands to help with the correction of their malocclusion.  Rubber bands come in different lengths and colors, and they place forces on the teeth and jaws to move teeth, and therefore, help correct many different orthodontic problems. Certain brackets have hooks where the elastics are stretched in various ways. Sometimes we even place the hooks right on the wires! Some orthodontists will have hooks on every posterior bracket which makes it a little more difficult to keep clean. Most orthodontists have hooks on the cuspid and molar brackets only. These hooks can be used for various attachments, like springs and rubber bands to help move the teeth. The majority of the time, these hooks are used for elastic rubber bands. Rubber bands can be used in many different configurations. Normally, they are used inter arch which can be from top to bottom, side to side or front to back. A typical example is a patient that has an excessive overjet (overbite). An overjet is measured by the distance from upper incisors to lower incisors when the teeth are occluding (biting down). A patient who has a Class II malocclusion has a large overjet. In a growing child, rubber bands can slow the growth of the upper jaw and enhance the forward growth of the lower jaw. The picture below shows an excessive overjet and correction with orthodontic rubber bands.