While having braces may not seem like a ball of fun, it doesnt have to create a negative affect on your life. Most people visit their orthodontist every six to eight weeks, finish treatment, and enjoy gorgeous smiles. Sometimes, orthodontic care doesnt go as planned and you made need to contact the orthodontist for special circumstances. These tips can help you stay calm and handle the situation like a pro.

Understanding the limitations of your braces or retainer can stop you from damaging these devices. With braces, staying away from crunchy or sticky foods can prevent breakage. When you have a retainer, wear the appliance as directed and leave it in the case when not in use.

During your time in braces, ask your orthodontist about a mouth guard if you play sports. Also, dont mess with your brackets or wires because you can accidentally cause problems with the dental appliance.

Also known as a rapid maxillary expansion appliance, a plate expander is used to widen the jaw so that the upper and lower teeth will fit together properly. Usually, orthodontists place palate expanders in the mouths of young patients who need their arches to open more fully. After a palate expander, your child will probably need braces. Learning more about palate expanders will help you answer questions and reassure your child.

While your child may experience some initial discomfort during the placement, using the expander shouldnt hurt. Chewing, swallowing, and talking may be awkward while your child gets used to the appliance. If your child feels pain when you turn the screw, contact your orthodontist right away for Palate Expanders.

Because the expander is cemented in the mouth, your child cant remove it during treatment. For optimal care, your child should brush the expander and his or her teeth after each meal. You may want to encouraging rinsing afterwards to remove any stubborn food particles.

When people think about orthodontics, they usually envision a mouth full of metal. While braces are part of orthodontic treatment, there are other phases as well. Depending on the case, you or a loved one may have several phases of treatment. To determine the right steps for your particular case, the orthodontist will perform a complete evaluation. Children should visit an orthodontist by age seven for a thorough assessment because some problems respond better before growth stops.

Usually lasting 6 to 18 months, Phase One orthodontics involves children between the ages of 7 and 10. During this period, the primary goal is to address the position of the jawbone to prevent issues such as large overbites, cross bites, or facial asymmetries. Because this involves movement of underlying bone structure, Phase One is most successful for children who havent finished growing.

Most people are familiar with Phase Two orthodontic treatment, which involves actual placement of braces on the permanent teeth to move them into proper alignment. Usually Phase Two occurs after a child stops developing. When adults decide on orthodontic treatment, it typically falls into this category. Though metal braces used to be the only option for Phase Two, ceramic brackets, lingual braces, and clear aligners enable patients to select from other methods of treatment.

Once you finish with the braces, your orthodontist will take impressions for your retainers. These appliances will keep your teeth from shifting back into the old position. Initially, you will the retainers for almost 24 hours a day, but the time will be reduced as your orthodontist monitors your progress with best orthodontic treatment.

During orthodontic treatment, you need to take special care of teeth and gums. Extra brushing and additional flossing tools may become part of your routine. At the same time, you need to ensure that nothing happens to your braces.

While you have braces, you should avoid certain foods. Hard candy and sticky substances can crack brackets or break off wires. When you have apples or carrots, cut them in bite size pieces just to be safe.

For sports activities, you need to protect your face and mouth by having a mouth guard. Normally, dentists and orthodontists recommend custom mouth guards, but during orthodontic treatment you need the store-bought appliances so that your mouth guard wont damage your braces.

Having braces isnt always fun, especially when it comes to food intake. Most orthodontists tell their patients to avoid sticky snacks or hard candy because these food items can damage brackets and wires. Although there are some limitations on your diet, you still have lots of choices for healthy eating during orthodontic treatment.

Fruits and vegetables are alright. An important part of eating right, most people several servings of both categories each day. Hard fruits and vegetables, such as apples, carrots, and broccoli, can be tough to bite into, so cutting these foods into bite-size pieces so that back teeth can chew them will prevent any issues. Choosing soft options, like bananas or cooked squash, is another good option.

Go with whole grains. Since most grain products are soft, having braces shouldnt impact your ability to eat regular breads or cereals. You may want to avoid unground whole grains because the seeds can get stuck in between your brackets.

Eat more chicken (or beef too). Certain cuts of meat can be tough and difficult to chew when you wear braces. Dont eat meat straight off the bone, and select lean cuts of fish, beef, and chicken for easier chewing.

Its hard to miss with advertisements and visits to the dentist that tartar is something you want to avoid for good oral health. But do you know what this substance is, how to keep from getting it, and what to do if tartar does develop?

Even if you brush and floss regularly, its impossible to get rid of all of the bacteria in your mouth. Bacteria and food residue combine to form plaque on your teeth. If left to thrive, plaque attacks your teeth and gums. It causes decay, gum inflammation, and will harden into tartar if not removed before it has the chance.

Tartar buildup makes it more difficult to brush and floss well, and tartar along your gums may lead to gum disease. Mild gum disease, or gingivitis, is often caused by plaque and tartar on your teeth. It can usually be reversed with careful dental hygiene. If left untreated, it will progress into periodontitis. This more serious gum disease can damage the bones and tissue that support your teeth, increasing your risk of tooth loss. It may also cause infections that contribute to heart disease and other health problems.

If you have braces, you visit the orthodontist on a regular basis. Orthodontics is one of several recognized dental specialties. Even though most people have heard of braces, they may know little else about the field of orthodontics. Expand your knowledge and impress your friends with these factoids:

As you check out orthodontic treatment for yourself or a family member, its important to make sure you have accurate information. Plenty of faulty ideas and folklore have been heralded as orthodontic gospel.

Reality: Just like people visit a neurologist, not a family doctor, for issues relating to the brain, you should see an orthodontist to correct alignment and bite problems. Beyond regular dental school, orthodontics complete another two to three years of advanced training relating to the function and fit of teeth.

Reality: A little less than 20 percent of orthodontic patients are 18 years or older. Not only will a straight smile look fantastic, but it also makes brushing and flossing easier, which can improve oral health.

Reality: Braces arent one-size fits all. Treatment time depends on your specific case, ranging from a few months to a couple of years. As for discomfort, you may experience some initial soreness, but after the adjustment period, most people have few complaints.

Reality: While traditional metal brackets arent the most appealing choice, newer options exist for less noticeable orthodontic treatment. Many kids and teens choose brightly-colored wires and brackets to add flare to their orthodontics. Adults who want to preserve their professional images may want to consider Invisalign clear braces, lingual braces that go on the back of the teeth, or ceramic brackets.

Affecting one of every 700 babies annually, a cleft palate is a common birth defect that results in facial or oral malformations. With a cleft palate, a split or opening occurs in the roof of the mouth and can impact the hard and/or soft palate. A cleft lip is a split or separation of the two sides of the upper lip. These defects can occur on one or both sides of the mouth. In fact, patients can have a cleft palate without a cleft lip, a cleft lip without a cleft palate, or both a cleft lip and cleft palate.

Most of the causes of a cleft defect are unknown. These issues typically occur very early in pregnancy. A cleft palate or cleft lip develops when not enough tissue is present or the tissue does not join together properly.

Because cleft defects create an obvious physical manifestation, diagnosing these deformities is usually easy. Sometimes, an ultrasound will pick up a cleft palate or cleft lip. If that doesnt happen, the physical signs are often identified and confirmed at birth.

Cleft palates and cleft lips can cause difficulties such as eating problems, hearing concerns, speech delays, and dental issues. Children with cleft palates or cleft lips often have an increased risk of cavities as well as extra, missing, or malformed teeth. Part of treatment involves addressing oral health concerns.

In recent years, more kids and adults are wearing braces. Research indicates that 70 percent of the population could benefit from orthodontic treatment. Based on fossil findings, our ancestors had little trouble with alignment of their teeth, so what happened to us? As different ethnic and genetic populations began to merge, human growth pattern in the mouth didnt accommodate teeth and jaw development.

Often, children inherit the need for orthodontic from one or both parents whose teeth didnt align correctly, just as you inherit eye color or seasonal allergies. These tendencies can be passed down from generation to generation. Consequently, your childs teeth may be too large or too small for the jaw area, resulting in crowding or extra spaces.

With modern orthodontic treatment, your orthodontist can correct alignment and spacing problems. Generally, its a good idea to bring your child in for an orthodontic evaluation around age seven. At this time, the orthodontist can assess your childs current and future development to determine if any intervention is necessary. Some children require Phase I, or early orthodontic treatment, to prepare their mouths for Phase 2, the straight-forward phase of treatment that usually involves traditional braces.

If you would like a straighter smile, but never made steps to change it, theres still time. Even adults can benefit from orthodontic treatment. With modern alternatives like Invisalign clear aligners or ceramic braces, you can achieve a picture-perfect smile without the hassle and embarrassment of metal braces.

This entry was posted on Saturday, May 31st, 2014 at 8:00 am and is filed under Blog, Burbank, General Orthodontics, Orthodontic Treatment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 29th, 2014 at 4:00 pm and is filed under Blog, Burbank, General Orthodontics, Orthodontic Treatment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.