by | Feb 27, 2014 | Orthodontic Treatments
When is the right time for an orthodontic check-up?
People often wonder when they should first go for an orthodontic check-up. The American Association of Orthodontists has a simple answer to this question as they recommend that a child should pay his or her first visit to an orthodontist at 7 years of age.
This magic age of 7 has been earmarked as it is when the child is starting to gain a combination of both baby and permanent teeth. An early visit to the orthodontist will reveal any problems that are currently affecting the teeth. Once the baby teeth have all been lost and there is an underlying problem emerging, the permanent teeth may be at risk of damage later on. At a first consultation, the jaw and its relationship to the jawbone are closely scrutinized too.
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by | Feb 25, 2014 | Tootbrushing Mistake
Tooth brushing Mistake No.7: “Skipping Inner Tooth Surfaces”
Tooth brushing is a holistic task and is designed to ensure that teeth are thoroughly cleaned within the recommended two minutes that it takes to undertake the job well. Skipping over the front surface of your teeth, both front and rear, is not what is called a good teeth cleaning job. Places where you don’t clean, plaque and bacteria will thrive and the end result will be cavity formation and tooth decay. In the long run, this will lead to tooth loss and expensive tooth restorative treatment – and all because in your routine teeth brushing event you did not bother to clean the inner surfaces of your teeth.
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by | Feb 11, 2014 | Tootbrushing Mistake
Tooth brushing Mistake No.5: “Not Brushing Correctly”
Did you ever think there was a better way to brush your teeth? Do you just whisk around your mouth and teeth with a toothbrush with a dab of fluoridated toothpaste on it? There is more to teeth brushing than that. For a start, you should position your toothbrush at a 45o angle to your gum line and then brush your teeth in a diagonal motion – not just up and down – as this does little to remove all that damaging plaque and clinging bacteria. You should also ensure that you manipulate your toothbrush onto the inner sides of your upper and lower teeth as well as the easy to reach front lower and upper teeth.
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by | Feb 4, 2014 | Tootbrushing Mistake
Tooth brushing Mistake No.4: “Brushing Too Often or Too Hard”
Research conducted at a leading U.S. university identified that there was no real evidence that brushing teeth extra hard with a toothbrush led to cleaner and whiter teeth. In fact, the opposite was found to be true. Brushing too hard could well damage the layer on the surface of the teeth that would otherwise protect the teeth. Damage to the gums could also occur as well. A scientific method was designed that discovered that while brushing for the recommended 120 seconds, the pressure that should be applied by the toothbrush should be equal to an average sized orange. It was found that if the pressure went beyond this, the amount of plaque remaining on the teeth was about the same.
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by | Jan 30, 2014 | Orthodontic Treatments
Why should I visit the dentist during my treatment?
If you are undergoing an orthodontic treatment you may seem to think that you aren’t required to continue making appointments with your regular dentist. The truth is orthodontists are generally looking at very different and specialized issues such as correcting and adjusting your teeth into their correct position. The role of cleaning and oral health is something that needs to be taken on regularly by your family dentist or local dental office and this role is not something that should be neglected even if you are undergoing an orthodontic treatment.
If you have braces or wearing an orthodontic appliance you need to continue seeing your dentist at regular intervals as cleaning can become especially more important during the treatment. Because a dentist will have a variety of tools that can help to clean around orthodontic appliances you can actually work at preventing cavities and other damage while you are wearing orthodontic appliances with regular professional cleaning from a dentist. Braces and orthodontic appliances mean extra ducks and crannies which can be really difficult to clean with traditional brushing and flossing. Dentists will be able to get into all of these notes and crannies to prevent plaque and tartar buildup and to ensure that you are not facing any oral health concerns. Taking care of your teeth is very important as you have already invested time to align and straighten your teeth so it would be a shame to have unhealthy teeth for poor overall oral health when your braces or orthodontic appliance has removed.
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