Dental Brace Guide

• Don’t forget to clean behind your back teeth.
• Don’t give mouthwash or fluoride toothpaste to young children, as they can swallow it.
• Don’t clean your tongue so hard that it hurts.
• Don’t rely on mouthwash alone too keep your teeth and gums clean and your breath fresh. Practice complete oral hygiene.
• Don’t ignore your gums – you can lose your teeth as well as have bad breath.
• Don’t drink too much coffee.
• Don’t smoke.

To prevent relapse, or the teeth moving to the original position, after the treatment with braces is completed the dentist usually recommends the use of retainers. There are different types of retainers available: the Hawley retainer, which is made of metal hooks enclosed in an acrylic plate and shaped to fit the palate; the Essix retainer, which is made of clear plastic tray and is form-fitted to the teeth and being held in place by a suction; and the bonded retainer, which is made of a wire which is permanently held in place to the inner side of the teeth near the tongue.

Heard of Occlusal Splints? These are dental appliances that can be removed. It is carefully designed to fit the upper or lower arches of the teeth. It can also be called as bite planes, bite splints or night guards.

Occlusal splints are used to protect the tooth and restoration surfaces. It also manages the disfunction of mandibular or jaw. It also makes space for further restoration procedures. . There are some people who are prone to nocturnal bruxism, or nighttime clenching. They must wear occlusal splints (or fondly called night guards) at night.

Children often use soft splints because of their unstoppable growth. Occlusal slints are composed of acrylic resin.

Braces are investments in oral health. Initially, patients experience soreness but may be relieved if they go along with the following suggestions:

1. Irritation – use of wax, cotton and gauze to cover dry, inflamed areas, until your mouth has adjusted.
2. Food – the first few days after wearing your appliances, or after adjustments are made, you will only be able to take soft foods.
3. Brushing – you should brush your teeth and massage your gums, in front of a mirror, after every meal. Check for any particles that you may have missed.
4. Breakage – do not play with any part of the appliance with your tongue. If something is broken or comes loose, see your orthodontist.

Now let’s go back in learning more on the different parts of our dental braces.

The appliance that is placed in the palace is called an Expansion Appliance. It is used to widen the arch. Did you notice the band or bracket that was used when the orthodontist was attaching the rubberbands on your last check-up? That is called the Hook. The Rubberband is the clear band that is the connection of the hooks between the upper and lower teeth and lastly, Ligature Tie is the very thin wire that is wrapped around a bracket holding the archwire into its slot.

Do you have a friend who wears retainers? Have you ever wondered what it is?

A retainer is a removable orthodontic appliance that should be worn after the orthodontist removes your braces. The teeth have the tendency to go back to it’s original position when removed and the retainers helps prevent it from occurring.

Usually, upper retainers are made of hard plastic and wire that fits in the room of the mouth. On the other hand, the lower retainer can be removed permanently cemented to the lower teeth to prevent it from coming out.

In the first several months, your orthodontist would require you to use the retainers all the time and after that, the orthodontist will finally decide how often should the retainers be worn or if you still need to wear it. It is very tempting not to wear your retainers, but if you don’t want to wear braces again, you have to follow your orthodontist’s instructions.

Have you seen a photo of a relative who had braces a long time ago? If yes, then you may have seen a picture of a person with a mouth full of metal.

Dental Braces today still have metal, but they are less noticeable. You can even get some clear braces or the one that has the same color as your teeth. Not only that, there are also some braces that can go behind your teeth where no one can see them!

The wires today are much smaller and better. It is now made of a space-age material that can straighten our teeth easier and faster. We also have assorted colors of elastics to choose from!

There is a new veneer process called Lumineer. This new type of veneer surgery will exempt patients from the usual drilling involved with regards to the operation. These kind of veneers come with a ten year warranty so long as regular check up with the resident dentist is observed. Lumineer is available under the practice of cosmetic dentistry. Artificial teeth or cosmetic teeth as most people may know it is especially popular because of the porcelain veneer procedure. Despite the pain involved, clients still find themselves undergoing the operation just to have that pearly white perfect smile.

Do you know the different parts of your braces including it’s functions?

The wire running between your braces that gives force to move the teeth is called the Archwire. If you happen to see a ring that is surrounding the anchor molar tooth in the back part of the mouth, that is called the Band. Brackets are stainless steel that are glued on the face of the tooth. A coil spring is a small thing placed around the archwire which maintains or increases the space between teeth. An elastic tie holds the wire in place. These are usually colored or silver.

What are Elastics? Why do we have to wear them 24/7? These are special rubber bands that are being used along with the braces that helps produce a gradual movement of the teeth.

Is it Ok to take it off once in a while? It is best to keep the elastics all the time. You can remove it though when needed like when you brush your teeth, when you’ll be eating your meals or when changing the elastics.

For first timers, you will feel discomfort. But when you wear the elastics as instructed by the orthodontist, you will get used to it in a few days. If you are disciplined in wearing the elastics, there is a big possibility for having the treatment in a short time.