Dr. Allen has been practicing dentistry since 2010. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Auburn University before attending the University of Alabama at Birmingham for his dental degree and orthodontic specialty training. Dr. Allen and his wife, Dowe, have three children: Bricken, Emily, and Henry. During his leisure time, he enjoys hunting, fishing, and playing golf.
Dr. Allen is dedicated to continuing his education, and he maintains memberships with numerous prestigious organizations, including the American Association of Orthodontists, American Dental Association, Alabama Dental Association, the OKU National Dental Honor Society and the University of Alabama Orthodontic Alumni Association. He has also received various awards:
Rely on the professionals at Allen Orthodontics to provide you with the complete information about your orthodontic treatment and the guidelines that you should follow to maintain good oral hygiene. Visit us today and take advantage of ourFREEparking.
There are certain foods that you should avoid while having braces to ensure better and faster results. Hard foods can damage the wires and brackets, and sticky foods might get caught between them. You should also minimize your consumption of sugary foods to help reduce potential tooth decay and keep your teeth healthy.
Brushing your teeth and flossing regularly is the best way to ensure good oral hygiene. Basic brushing tools such as a soft-bristle brush or a bi-level brush can be effective. We will provide you with a Sonicare toothbrush with your treatment, and the vibration from this toothbrush can help make brushing while having braces easy.
We advise you to brush with a fluoride toothpaste after every meal and before going to bed each night and should brush for at least two minutes each time. You should thoroughly and carefully clean the areas between wires and teeth, and also between the brackets and gums as this is where food particles can easily become trapped.
There are some special tools that may help clean your teeth. One is the interdental toothbrush or the proxabrush. It has a small tuft of bristles that stick up all around like a pipe cleaner. Use it gently and carefully to clean the tiny spaces under the wires and also around the bands and brackets.
Another special cleaning tool that can be helpful is a water pik. This device shoots a small stream of pressurized water at your teeth, which can help dislodge bits of food that are trapped between your teeth. It can be very effective when used along with proper brushing and flossing techniques. While it is easy to use, a water pik is not a substitute for a toothbrush or dental floss.
To keep your teeth and gums healthy, you need to floss at least once a day. Using a floss threader will make flossing so much easier. Using this device is quite simple: You pull one end of the floss through the threader and then push the threader, carrying with it the free end of the floss, under the archwire. Now grasp the floss on each end and slide it up and down the sides of both teeth and all the way under the gums until you hear a squeaky sound. Finally, pull it out and use a new section of floss for the next area.
You might take some time to get used to the orthodontic appliances placed on your teeth. It is not unusual to experience a bit of soreness after the appliances are first placed or some minor aches as teeth begin moving into their new positions.
If you think you have an orthodontic emergency, the first step is to determine whether it is an urgent situation that requires immediate attention or a minor problem that you can take care of yourself. We do have an after-hours emergency line available for those emergencies that require our attention.
If any of these situations arise, you should seek help from your dentist immediately. He or she is trained to handle a range of dental problems and can most likely offer the necessary diagnostic tools, anesthetics, and treatments that you may need. Severe pain or swelling could be a sign of infection or disease, which a dentist or a periodontist is best able to treat.