Monthly Archives: July 2021

Braces Maintenance: Taking Care Of Your Braces

What’s the best braces maintenance methods? Braces are among the most common dental accessories, and many Americans get them every year. There are different purposes of braces, and you will come across different types as well. The main point about getting braces is maintenance. Many people are not consistent with the maintenance of their braces, which could lead to major issues.

No matter what type of braces you wear, you should take effective care of them. This will help you get rid of them as soon as possible. To learn more about maintaining braces, read further below!

Braces Maintenance

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The Importance of Braces

There are many benefits of getting braces. Yes, you may know of braces as important for improving your smile, but they also help correct misaligned and overcrowded teeth. Not getting braces could cause a malocclusion, which is an intense plaque around the misaligned teeth, which could become difficult to remove later on. This is why it is very important to wear braces and take effective care of them.

How to Take Care of Your Braces Effectively

There are a few things you can do to take care of your braces. To help you out, mentioned below are a few tips. You have to make sure to follow these almost every day so to avoid any further complications.

Keep a Watch on What You Eat

The one annoying thing most people with braces face is food getting stuck in their braces. This can lead to many other issues. When you get braces, you have to be very careful as to what you eat. You should make sure to avoid hard, sticky, and crunchy foods. Your orthodontist is most likely to give you a list of foods that you must avoid. Following the list will help you maintain a beneficial diet.

You will have to say goodbye to sugary items and drinks as they stain and decay the brackets of your braces. The stains are permanent, and you wouldn’t want them to make your braces look unsightly.  Besides food, you must avoid biting your nails if you have such a habit.  Doing this could break or bend your braces, which can be dangerous and a hassle. It can seem hard to make such major food changes, but you have to make a start somewhere. Once you adapt to it out of necessity, you will be proud of your decision.

Brush Your Teeth Regularly

Having braces may make brushing your teeth quite difficult, but that doesn’t mean you can stop. You must still continue to brush them. Brushing is a very important part of oral care, and it doesn’t matter if you have or don’t have braces. Rather, brushing becomes even more essential when you’re undergoing orthodontic treatment such as braces, as food particles tend to get stuck in them.

By brushing your teeth, you can get rid of the pieces of food and plaque that get stuck. Failing to remove them could result in major dental problems. Dentists recommended that you use a brush with a soft head. This will make it easier to brush thoroughly and effectively.

Use the Correct Brushing Technique

There’s a certain technique you must follow whenever you brush your teeth with braces. Always start by placing your brush at a 45 degrees angle on your teeth’ gum line. When placing it on your braces, hold it at a downward angle right on top of your bracket and then use the upwards angle to clean the bottom as well.

Taking Care of Braces & Maintenance
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Use this technique every time you brush, which should be after every meal.  It is always recommended to brush your teeth after every meal when you have braces, as opposed to brushing only twice a day. Doing so will help prevent dental issues, so your braces stay clean and shiny!

Floss After Brushing

People often ignore the importance of flossing and think that brushing their teeth is more than enough.  However, flossing is crucial, especially when you have braces. It can get difficult to floss when wearing braces, but if there is a will, there is a way. The purpose of flossing is to get rid of the plaque buildup and other food particles stuck in your teeth or braces.

When flossing with braces on, you can use floss threaders or even interdental brushes, which are easily available at pharmacies. When you’re flossing with braces, make sure to be as gentle as possible. If you apply too much pressure, you risk damaging your braces. That means making another visit to your orthodontist.

Braces Maintenance: The Bottom-Line

Taking care of braces is not a difficult thing, but what might be a task for you is being consistent with the braces maintenance. Braces are a long-term oral health investment, and poor care would only lead to more dental issues. In the long run, you’ll regret not taking care of them.

Hopefully, with these tips mentioned above, you can take better care of your braces. For the best orthodontic services and queries about braces, contact Manhattan Family Orthodontics.

What Is Orthodontia?

Orthodontia or orthodontics is a special area of dentistry that deals with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of facial and dental deformities and irregularities. According to the AAO (American Academy of Orthodontics), your general dentist might refer you to a special orthodontist when they find you need orthodontic treatment.

What Is Orthodontia?
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Orthodontists study further for more than two years to gain extensive knowledge and practice advanced methods to treat their patients.

They learn about the development of the face, jaw alignment, teeth alignment, jaw growth, braces, and so on.

What Do Orthodontists Do?

Orthodontists are dentists who are experts in jaw and teeth alignment. Thus, they are able to perform additional surgical and treatment procedures on their patients that yield positive results.

They can also diagnose and treat dental conditions, but they focus on correcting the positioning of teeth and jaws of their patients.  They perform some of the treatments mentioned below:

  • Braces application and management
  • Retainers and medication
  • Teeth-Straightening surgeries
  • Malocclusions (misaligned jaw and/or teeth)
  • Application of dental appliances, such as orthodontic headgear, Herbst appliances, palatal expanders, etc.
  • Supervising the facial growth in children and adult after an accident or reconstructive procedure

What Problems Does Orthodontia Treat?

Every patient has a set of teeth that is unique to them and requires orthodontic treatment methods to rectify any common problems using variations in technique.

Fortunately, there is a wide scope and range of treatment options as orthodontists specialize in correcting these issues. Here are some of the common orthodontic problems that orthodontists deal with in their patients.

  • Cross-bite – It occurs when the lower tooth (or teeth) falls over to either side of your jaw and outside the upper teeth’ arch.
  • Deep-bite – It is the form of overbite in which the upper teeth almost completely cover the lower teeth when you close your bite.
  • Over–jet – occurs when the front of the upper teeth sit over the lower teeth in such a way that there is a horizontal gap in the upper teeth.
  • Open–bite – It is the lack of contact (meet) between the front of the lower and the upper teeth sets (upon bite), which can result in adverse effects on the back teeth.
  • Tooth Wear – Teeth can wear out due to multiple reasons, such as eating, aging (i.e., weakening of structure), acidic foods, etc. Did you know that grinding teeth can also result in erosion?
  • Protrusion – refers to front teeth setting outwards at an unusual angle. Consequently, there can be gaps between the top and lower teeth.
  • Periodontal Diseases – Treating gum diseases such as gingivitis is the specialty of many orthodontists.
  • Crowded/Spaced Teeth – Crowding occurs when the teeth fight to take up space on your jaw. This means that a tooth might have erupted at an unusual angle and is now disrupting the angular positions of the other teeth causing misalignment. On the other hand, spaced teeth mean that there are excessive gaps between the teeth.

Significant Benefits of Orthodontic Treatment

Here are a few of the many significant benefits that you can receive through orthodontic treatment:

  • Enhanced smile and facial appearance after the correction of the bite problems and teeth misalignment.
  • Improved chewing and eating ability that results in better digestion and the prevention of any digestion problems.
  • Protection of gums and teeth from pain and deformities of the temporomandibular joints –for instance, treatment and elimination of bruxism.
  • Better oral hygiene due to ease of cleaning and maintaining straight teeth.
  • Lower tooth damage risk after the correction of the bite that results in the elimination of additional chewing and biting pressure.

Importance of Orthodontia

·       Orthodontic Care at Early Age

The American Dental Association (ADA) suggests the optimal age for the first dental visit is 7 years. What you should know is that during the early years, the mouth (jaws, gums, teeth) is in the development and growth stage. Therefore, early evaluation from an expert orthodontic can help identify any underlying oral health conditions.

What Is Orthodontia? | Orthodontics
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·       Orthodontic Care in Teenagers

Many orthodontists consider teenage and adolescent years the ideal time to get braces and engage in comprehensive orthodontic treatment. One of the prime reasons for it includes the falling out of all the baby teeth.

Adolescence is also another stage of growth and development of the jaw in children, which makes it easier to conduct orthodontic treatment and effectively rectify any oral misalignments.

·       Orthodontic Care at Adult Age

It is never too late to seek general dentistry or orthodontic treatments. In fact, many people consider getting braces and teeth adjustments in old age. Moreover, many adults undergo special reconstructive and cosmetic surgeries to develop better facial growth and improve their appearance.

Orthodontia: Conclusion

Are you struggling with any oral health conditions that can potentially become serious in the future without adequate care? Well, you should reach out to our professional, experienced, and expert orthodontists at Manhattan Family Orthodontics.

Contact Us to book an appointment with an expert orthodontist at our uptown NYC or downtown NYC offices. Check out our official website for more info on the orthodontic services we provide relating to the broad specialty of Orthodontia.

 

Reference Links:

https://www.healthline.com/health/orthodontist-vs-dentist#orthodontic-treatments
https://www.colgate.com/en-us/oral-health/teen-oral-care/what-is-orthodontics
https://www.colgate.com/en-us/oral-health/early-orthodontics/what-is-orthodontics
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orthodontics
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/orthodontia
https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/braces.html