by | Jun 6, 2017 | General Articles
While wearing braces, it can be a challenge to maintain excellent oral hygiene. The goal of orthodontic treatment is a beautiful, healthy smile. If you don’t continue to practice great oral hygiene, you can end up with decay or gum disease. During orthodontic treatment, you will want to avoid anything that could delay treatment like having brackets pop off or having bands loosen.
Foods to Avoid
It is important to avoid certain foods while wearing braces so that treatment is not prolonged and oral hygiene stays impeccable. These foods include:
- Popcorn
- Hard candy
- Corn on the cob
- Whole Apples
- Ice
- Beef jerky
- Chips
- Pretzels
- Sticky candy
- Bagels
- Nuts
- Sugary sweets
- Soda and
- Inedible objects
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by | May 23, 2017 | Invisalign, Invisalign Teen, Orthodontic Treatments, Team Demas Orthodontics
LAST UPDATED: MAY 23, 2017
If you are wondering if traditional braces are cheaper than Invisalign, the answer is generally yes. Of course the actual cost of whatever option you choose will vary based on factors such as how long you will be wearing them, but traditional braces will generally run you less money than invisible aligners. The reason for this is that Invisalign is more high maintenance. With traditional braces, you will generally need to go in for adjustments about once every month. The orthodontist will adjust the wiring, which is fairly cheap itself, and that will be it. Because it is an older technology, it was designed so that keeping the braces fitted to your teeth entails a lot less work on the part of the orthodontist.
In contrast, with Invisalign, you will need to go in about once every two weeks to get a new mold for your teeth. These molds will have to be changed each time you go in (since the aligners that you are wearing are shifting your teeth and they will not be in the same positions that they were in even two weeks ago). Once the impressions from your teeth are acquired, they will be sent to a lab that will make the actual molds that you will be wearing. The constantly changing molds will make it so that your teeth are constantly shifting closer to the positions in which you want them, but it also means more work for your orthodontist, and more resources consumed for everyone involved. As such, it will naturally be more expensive than traditional braces.
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by | May 11, 2017 | Smile Quote
Spend Your Money On Orthodontic Treatment
You might spend a lot of time getting dressed in the morning without considering that a smile is the prettiest thing you can wear. If you have avoided visiting an orthodontist to have your teeth straightened, then you should schedule an appointment to learn more about aligners and braces.
Today, adults, in addition to teenagers, are able to wear aligners or braces to fix their misaligned teeth. Having straight teeth will lead to having a strong bite that makes it easier to consume delicious fruits and vegetables, and if you are experiencing chronic sleep apnea, then repairing your smile can improve your health.
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by | May 2, 2017 | General Articles
9 Reasons Why Widely Spaced Teeth Impact Your Overall Health
Most people focus on the aesthetics of widely spaced teeth. They want to improve their look, smile, and self-esteem.
gif courtesy of giphy.com
However, there are more than just appearance problems that you should be concerned with. Teeth that are spaced too widely apart can cause great health issues. Sure, you want to have the confidence of a beautiful smile, but those spaces between your teeth can do more than damage your smile. They could be ruining your health.
1. Gum Disease
Your overall health begins in your mouth. What you put into your mouth is a good start, but your teeth play an important role in your health too. If there are large spaces in-between the teeth, then there is ample space for bacteria to build up. Plaque and tartar are always looking for a nice, warm spot to multiply. When your mouth is filled with this type of bacteria, it can cause other problems too. These pockets of bacteria can lead to gingivitis if left untreated. Gingivitis can lead to periodontal disease. The longer this disease goes undiagnosed and treated the more sorts of problems it can cause. It is a recipe for disaster. Thankfully, utilizing various teeth straightening methods can prevent bacteria from breeding.
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by | Apr 25, 2017 | General Articles, Invisalign, Invisalign Teen, Orthodontic Treatments, Team Demas Orthodontics
You, or your parents, have spent years and a lot of money to get your teeth into perfect alignment and now you see that they are shifting back to their former position. The big question on your mind is most likely: Can retainers fix a slight shift of teeth after braces? The simple answer to this question is yes. But, more than giving you a simple answer, it’s important for you to understand how the slight shift occurred and what you can do to prevent it from happening again.
MAINTAINING YOUR SMILE AFTER BRACES FAQ
Why do Teeth Shift after Braces?
It was the tension applied through your braces that forced your teeth to move into their straightened positions. When that pressure is removed, your gums and bone may try to return to their former misaligned conditions. To maintain the new structure of your teeth, you will need to use a retainer.
After your braces were removed, your orthodontist provided you with a retainer that you were to wear daily for a scheduled period of time. That schedule may have been for several hours every day as well as throughout the night. The retainer was meant to allow your gums and bone to adjust and support the new position of your teeth.
If you did not follow your orthodontist’s schedule or only wore your retainer sporadically, you provided your teeth with the opportunity to start shifting back to their previous condition. The shifting of your teeth does not happen fast, so it is possible that you will not notice the change until you see something in the mirror or you have problems when brushing and flossing.
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