How Much Toothbrush Are You Using?

When brushing your teeth many people are using way too much...

For years on commercials we all see the toothpaste companies swirling on a large dollop of toothpaste filling the whole toothbrush bristles from end to end.  

We suggest using a pea size amount of paste so that not only you can see where you are brushing but also minty fresh breath.  It is more important to get all of the food and plaque off of all of the teeth and gums.  For patients that are having a hard time removing this we tell our patients to brush for one minute with just wet toothbrush so that you can easily rid the teeth of debris and then use a small pea sized amount to freshen breath and add a shield for the teeth to help keep them clean and healthy throughout the day.

Some toothpaste have a 12 hour "shield" to help protect the teeth from the sugars and acids we put on our teeth when eating and drinking. 

The ADA (American Dental Association) recommends  brushing twice a day, with a soft bristled toothbrush.  It should fit in your mouth easily so that you can make sure you can use all the proper angles to get all the debris  off of every tooth and gums.

They also recommend switching your brush 3-4 times a year so that the bristles don't fray or flatten.  

The ADA also states people should see a dentist or dental hygienist at least every 6 months for a regular dental cleaning and exam.

Getting Braces Off! -TIME LAPSE

Sydney gets her braces off!!

What is an Expander?

What is an Expander?

Expanders are used for certain conditions when the upper jaw or palate is narrow. Expandtion can be done before adulthood, the palate is actually two seprate bones connected down the middle by a non-bony suture.

Fixed Rapid Palatal Expander

Advantages of this technique include more room to align the teeth, a broader more esthetic smile, a more stable final result and sometimes even easier to breathing through your nose!
Relatively heavy forces applied quickly (to minimize orthodontic tooth movement) will cause the two palatal bones to separate.  After a period of time new bone fills in and preserves the increased width of upper jaw.

A typical expansion procedure involoves activation of the appliance once a day for about 3-4 weeks.  This is followed by 3-4 months of stabilization before the appliance is removed.

For most patients it is the size and bulkiness of the expander that make it the most uncomfortable. Soreness of teeth can be expected and, as the appliance expands the mid facial bones, some discomfort under the eyes and around the nose may occur.  A large space can be expected to open between the front, center teeth.  This is because one tooth goes with the right side the other goes with the left side, each is a seprate bone.  This movement stretches the gum tissue between the incisors; and over a period of a few months they will be pulled back together.  Fixed (glued in) appliances are almost always necessary to acheive an ideal alignment.

When expanding:

If you experience a GREAT deal of pain activating the appliance, you are unable to turn the screw, or if the appliance becomes loose we ask our patients to call our office and make an appointment IMMEDIATLEY!

If you are unable to make the observation appointment during the expansion phase DO NOT continue to expand past your appointment date.

The most important part: Might not be fun, but it is FAST!

Candy is Bad for your Bite!

Halloween is one of the best times of the year but the worst time for your teeth and braces.  We ask our patients to refrain from eating sticky or chewy things when braces are on.  We encourage our patients to dress up go out and trick or treat.  We ask them to choose candy that will not break brackets, if they get a choice.  We ask that our patients eat a few pieces in at a time and then brush or rinse their teeth afterwards.  If patients receive candy that they can not eat or don't want to eat we allow our patients to bring in unwanted or hard & sticky candy.  We Swap them 1 coin per every pound that they bring in.  For every pound they get to fill out one raffle ticket for a chance to win one of three prizes.  We just ask our patients to bring candy in between November 4th and 7th.  (If you don't have an appointment please call first).  We will then use the candy to make gift bags for the military troops over seas.  Patients who bring in candy after November 7th may still get coins for turning in candy but won't be entered in the raffle.

Please Eat Responsible!

How to get your teenager to brush their teeth.

As many parents know it can be a struggle to get their preteen and teenagers to brush their teeth.  Not only is it bad for their teeth but it is also bad for their health.  Many people don't realize how expensive dental work can be.  They don't realize the importance in going to the dentist bi yearly for a cleaning and a check up.

They just think that can't happen to me.





I'm invincible!










INFORM

They don't realize it only takes a few missed brushings to begin a mouth full of pain and put them on the path to gingivitis, cavities and loss of teeth.  People never think they are going to be the one with holes in their teeth or stains.

SHOW THEM HOW TO BRUSH

People don't realize that once you start to get cavities in your teeth,  the more likely you are to start getting more.  If you stay ahead of decay it will keep the cavities away!  People also don't realize that it doesn't matter how long you brush your teeth if you are doing it the wrong way.
Everyone needs to make sure to brush every part of the tooth and floss between the teeth and gums to remove all of the plaque and food particles.  The way a person angles their tooth brush is an important part of brushing.  It is also important to make sure you are brushing every tooth.  We find that people miss teeth without even realizing it.  They hold the toothbrush in a way were the bristles never hit the teeth.  

If all else fails you can always embaress them in front of their friends if they choose not to follow the rules.

How do I Clean my Toothbrush?

How To Keep Your Toothbrush Clean And Safe?
One reason we brush our teeth is to remove bacteria from your mouth so it is important to keep your toothbrush clean and free of germs. 

So how do I keep my toothbrush clean?

Here are some tips to help keep your toothbrush clean and healthy:

• Keep your toothbrush covered when traveling and in a clean dry place at home.  When you are on vacation it is important to cover your toothbrush so it doesn't pick up dirt and grim from inside the suitcase or travel bag.  When you are at home it is important to keep your toothbrush covered but allowing it to dry out as well. (in a drawer or mirrored closet)  Don't leave it on a cup next to the sink in a bathroom.  Bathrooms have the most bacteria and germs.  Every time the toilet flushes bacteria is spread throughout the bathroom.   


• Replace it when you’re sick. Even if you just bought a new toothbrush or changed the head on your rechargeable electric brush, it’s a good idea to replace it when you have recovered from an illness to avoid exposing yourself to more of the bacteria that your body has just defeated.  If you don't want to throw it out you can always put it in the dish washer.  This will sanitize your toothbrush to get rid of the germs you got when you were sick.

• Keep you toothbrush away from little ones and pets.  Pets love to get a hold of your toothbrush and chew on them (they like clean teeth too.), hide them and put them in gross places.  Young children love to play with toothbrushes.  This can mean your toothbrush going to places you do not want your mouth to be (toilet, trash can, the dogs mouth or worse)

• Rinse your brush. Make sure after you brush your teeth to always rinse throughly so that there is no toothpaste left  in the brisles.

Go Green in March

For all of our creative artist out there or even our not so creative, we will be giving away an extra coin for showing off you green. 

If you make jewelry out of duct tape or purses out of juice boxes, send us a picture.

  If you make sculptures like Dr. Waxler we want to see them this month!

Here is a great website that shows off all the fun things that are green.

www.gogreenitems.com

Text Reminded Rubber Bands

We are in the first stages in beta testing a new way to get kids to wear their rubber bands.  Most teens, young adults and adults have their cell phones attached to their hip. Which means if their phone would remind them to put their rubber bands in they would not be able to say that they forgot them.

 Rubber bands are an important step in correcting your teeth's alignment.  To move teeth with rubber bands you need a slow continuous force.  When moving teeth with rubber bands it is the patient's responsibility to remember to put them in and wear them.  If a patient forgets to wear them it slows the process and can even double the time in braces.  When wearing elastic bands full time this means 20-23 hrs of the day with them in  the correct place.

The time that most patients forget them is after lunch until after dinner this means that the patient can lose anywhere from 1-6 hours of wear.  The best way to solve this problem is to have someone or something remind them that elastics wear is important and that they should have their bands in.

If you would like to help us test this new Rubber band reminder it is very simple all you have to do is text

@gotbands to (832) 900-4027. 

or if you would prefer email 

just email gotbands.mail.remind101.com

This will send you 3-4 text messages a day reminding you to put your bands in.  It can also tell you about upcoming events that are going on in out office and contests.

If you have any questions about this please email tara@centuryorthodontics.com

Why do I need Braces?

Why do I need braces?

Many of our patients come to us after seeing their dentist and they ask "why do I need braces?"  The answer to this question has many different answers.  Some reasons are obvious, you have crooked teeth, you don't like your smile or it hurts to bite but that isn't always the case with every patient.  Each patient is different and has different concerns with their teeth.  Only your orthodontist can tell you personally why you need braces.

Some of the purposes for having braces on teeth are:

• Straightening teeth- To align the teeth in an arch pattern so that it is easier to clean and chew. A bad        bite will have a negative impact on chewing, head and neck aches, as well as speech.
• Correcting Bites- Malocclusion are "Bad Bites," and have different terms to group them according to the bite alignment. 
• Cosmetic- These changes to your teeth will have no change in the functionality of your teeth but will enhance your smile.  Orthodontics for a cosmetic reason are to arrange the teeth in their correct place to obtain a "perfect" smile.

Reasons for straightening teeth:

• Straightening ones teeth makes it easier to chew and digest food.  
• Improvements to the roof of your mouth can help with breathing and reduce snoring.
• Having a beautiful smile brings confidence to the owner and makes others smile around you.

Patient with Over-Jet & Over Bite Before

After

Severe Crowding Before

After

What Can I Eat with Braces?

Now that you have braces, what can you eat?

The first days in braces are more difficult to eat than normal.  We tell our patients that soft foods are easier to eat and chew than foods that are tough.  There will be a slight discomfort when you first get your braces on, so the action of chewing just makes it more painful.  Here are some GREAT IDEAS for the first three days in braces:
Breakfast foods

Scrambled Eggs

• Scrambled eggs                    
• Pancakes
• Oatmeal
• Cream of wheat
• Bananas
• Toast

Banana Recipe 

Lunch Foods

• Pudding
• Jello
• Spaghetti O's
• Ravioli's
• Cheese
• Grapes
• Brownies
• Hummus and Pita Bread
• Bananas, Sliced Apples, Raisins
• Breads 
• Soups

Dinner Foods

Veggie Soup

• Breakfast for Dinner
• Pastas
• Rice
• Hamburger Helper
• Soups
• Grilled Cheese
• Hamburgers & Fries
• Chili
• Cooked Veggies
• Softer Meats

Desserts & Snacks

• Pudding
• Jello
• Smoothies
• Milk Shakes 
• Ice Cream
• Brownies
• M&M's (Non-Frozen)
• Chocolate
• Popsicle
• Cinnamon rolls

The first days in braces are always the hardest.  At first some patients have a hard time eating their favorite foods.  We ask patients to chew softly and to remember that they have braces on before they aimlessly bite into anything.  To help keep the brackets on patients need to cut foods into smaller pieces about 1 inch squares.  This helps allow you to get the food to the back teeth so the patient is less likely to break brackets.  After the about 2-3 weeks patients find it easier and easier to eat more foods that they like.
We tell our patients that they can have anything that they want as long as it is not Sticky, Chewy, or Hard!  This means that there are quite a few foods our patients won't be allowed to eat while they are having fixed orthodontic care.

Are you on Pinterest? Here is a link to our Braces friendly foods board on Pinterest.

Things to AVOID:
          Sticky:

• Jolly Ranchers
• Taffys
• Caramel
• Bubble Gum

        Chewy:

• Airheads
• Now & Laters
• Skittles
• Starburst

        Hard:

• Uncut Apples and Fruit with hard centers
• Chicken Wings, Ribs and Meat with Bones  
• All of the above items need to be cut into pieces
• Pens, Pencils and fingernails should be kept out of your mouth and away from brackets
• Nuts, Hard Pretzels, Some Chips & other Crunchy foods
• Frozen candies in Ice Cream

Things that you didn't thing you could eat but CAN:

• You MAY chew SUGAR-FREE gum (We actually encourage it!)
• Popcorn (Try to limit popcorn to special occations due to the extra Oral Hygiene needed to remove from braces, teeth and gums)
• Chips ( You have to break them into smaller pieces)
• Soda (We ask that you limit soda to mealtimes and always rinse with water after consumption)

Here are just a few ideas to help get you started on the first few days in fixed orthodontic treatment.

Checklist Before Leaving the Orthodontist

Got my Braces on! What's Next?

Checklist For Every Appointment

There are routine steps that we ask you to take prior to leaving the office.  These steps will minimize discomfort related to irritation from the braces and ensure an optimal response to treatment.  Please make these steps a part of each office visit prior to leaving:

• Using your finger and tongue, check that wire ends do not extend into areas that could poke or pinch the cheek or tongue.
• Make sure you understand what you are to do until your next appointment.  This could include wearing headgear or elastic rubber bands as instructed, activating an expander or following specific hygiene or diet instructions.
• Make sure you have an adequate supply of orthodontic wax, special cleaning aids, rubber bands or other related materials that you may need between appointments.
• Always schedule your next appointment before leaving the office.  Waiting 1-2 weeks after an appointment to schedule your next office visit complicates the scheduling process.  Waiting too long often means we will not have the appointment time that you would like.  Postponing appointments is a common contributor to extending treatment.
• Make sure that your questions about treatment are answered.  Treatment goes better when everyone understands the treatment process.  We encourage parents to accompany their children to their appointments, allowing us the opportunity to update you on the treatment process.

Parents should always feel welcome to come back to the clinical area.  If you have any questions about your child's progress please ask.  Questions such as: "How much longer will my child be in braces?" will be much easier to answer if you are present when the doctor is checking your child's braces.

How Do I Take Care of My Braces

Fixed Appliance Care

       We are glad to be working with you to create a great smile!  We need your cooperation to make youe treatment as pleasant as possible.  The following instructions should help you care for your appliances and your oral health while under going orthodontics treatment.

Initial Soreness:

        Ibprofen, or what you would normally take for a headache, may be taken as needed for discomfort.  It is best to keep ahead of the pain by taking the medication early and for 2-3 days after the appliance is placed and also for major adjustments.

        Wax may be used to cover brackets, bands, wires or any sharp areas.  A pea-sized ball pressed onto the area will relieve the sharpness.  Remove the wax before brushing and if you find it helpful to keep it on while eating, try not to swallow it!  Unusually sharp spots may require adjustments at our office.  Please call us for any questions regarding this.

       A mouth rinse of 1tsp. salt to 1 cup warm water maybe used yo help heal cuts or scrapes in your mouth.

Conscientious Oral Health:

          Brush teeth at least twice a day with a soft bristled or an electric tooth brush.  You will need to angle the bristles to remove all the plaque and food from your teeth.  You will need to angle your bristles above the brackets, on top of the brackets and wire and under the brackets.  Make sure to apply enough press so the bristles touch your teeth.  Often times it is necessary to pull your lips and cheeks back (especially the lower lip) to get at the area between the gums and braces.  Check your teeth when you finish brushing.  Your teeth, braces and wires should shine.  Gums should be pink and firm.  If they are not, you haven't brush adequately.

          Floss daily.  Use a floss threader or super floss to ease the process.  Use a proxy brush (the "Christmas tree" shaped brush) to clean under and around wires as well as between teeth.

         After your evening brushing and flossing, rinse with a half a cap full (1tsp) of fluoride rinse.  Swish in mouth for 60 seconds and spit it out. (DO NOT SWALLOW)  Bedtime is a good time to do this so the fluoride can work while you are sleeping.

Signs of Improper Oral Hygiene:

• Red, Puffy gum tissue that bleeds easily during brushing or flossing.  This doesn't mean to stop brushing and flossing!  When the gums heal up the bleeding will stop.
• Presence of plaque (Sticky film on braces and teeth)
• Bad Breathe
• Decalcification (white marks on the teeth)
• All these problems are preventable with good oral hygiene.

Breakage Instructions:

• Check your braces daily for any loose or broken bands, brackets or wires and call the office if you need a repair.
• Breakage can cause undesirable tooth movement that will prolong treatment time so please be careful.  Damage to the teeth and soft tissue is also possible if broken appliances are not repaired.
• Wax may be used to cover anything sharp or to hold things in place until you can get into the office to get them fixed.
• Remember if you have a broken bracket this could extend your orthodontic treatment.

Mouth and Lip guards:

• We offer generic mouth guards for active sports. Please let us know if you need one.
• We offer lip guards for patients who play certain musical instruments or who are in gymnastics or "Cheering" Poms.
• When you are finished with your fixed appliances, we also offer custom made mouth guards for patients who play sports and would like a guard that will also help keep their teeth straight.

Modified Eating Habits:

• Please do not chew anything HARD, such as ice cubes, hard candy, pens or pencils, and fingernails.
• Please do not chew anything STICKY, such as taffy, caramel, gummy bears, bubble gum etc. (sugarless gum is okay and even encouraged)
• Please do not bite into anything tough with your front teeth, such as apples, corn on the cob, bagels, and meat that is on a bone. (cut these things into pieces small enough to eat with a fork daintily)
• Please LIMIT amounts of carbonated drinks (soda), flavored water (propel), sports drinks (Gatorade), energy drinks (Red Bull) or juice.  Basically anything besides water.  If you drink these drinks, try to drink them with a meal and always remember to brush or at least rinse with water afterwards.
• Nothing STICKY, CRUNCHY, HARD or CHEWY!!!!!    All of these thing have a higher opportunity to weaken loosen or break brackets.  These loose or broken brackets could lengthen your treatment time, so it's up to you 

       

How to take care of my Invisalign

In our office we tell our patients in detail all of the Rules of Invisalign, along with how to take care of them, how to wear them and also the cleaning instructions.  We give our patients a small kit that makes the transfer into wearing Invisalign that much easier.  I will go over everything that we go over in our office as well as what we put in our kits. We always allow our patients to call us when they get home if they have questions.

Wearing of aligners

The most important part in teeth movement with Invisalign is that the patient is very cooperating with wearing their aligners and also that they keep track of which aligner that they are wearing them as much as they need to.  Each aligner is to be worn for 22 hours each day (Basically this means take them out only when you eat drink (anything besides water) or brushing your teeth) for optimal wear.  They wear each aligner for a 2 week 14 day period. Well patients ask "What happens if I have a meeting and I can wear them or its Thanksgiving and I will be eating all day and I don't want to lose them?"  The answer to this is simple just make up for the time that you lost at the end of your two week period.  So if on Thanksgiving you only wore them in the morning and at night but you missed the whole day well add a day at the end of your two weeks.  If you only had them out for a 4 hour meeting, instead of changing in them at your usual time change them 4 hours later or the next day.  It will never hurt to wear an aligner a little longer then what is scheduled.  It is important to get the most wear out of each aligner so that no incorrections happen.  (An incorrection is when a patient wears an aligner for less time and expects the next aligner to fill the void.(Each aligner can only move the teeth 100% of the way. So if you only wear your aligner 80% of the amount of time needed you are trying to force the next aligner to move your teeth 120% of the way.)) What happens if your aligner is rubbing?  We can always trim the edge that is bothering you or you may do so with a emery board or small scissors.   

Oral Hygiene

The next important thing to know about your Invisalign wear is Oral hygiene and the cleaning instructions for your aligners.  Your oral hygiene is pretty simple take you aligners out when you brush, and brush you teeth, floss and use the fluoride rinse.(We provide you a fluoride for your nightly brushing.)  Invisalign suggests that you brush your teeth after every meal.  We know that this isn't always possible so if you can't brush you may chew a piece of gum for a few minutes spit it out and replace your aligners or just rinse your mouth out the best that you can.  Patients ask what kind of toothpaste or what kind of toothbrush, well that is another easy question you may use whatever kind that you like as long as is accepted by the American Dental Association.  

Cleaning the Aligners

We ask our patients to clean their aligners when they brush their teeth and rinse aligners with water when they take them out to eat.  To clean your aligners we ask that you do not use toothpaste but a mild liquid soap (it can be anti-bacterial or not its up to you) (dish soap works great and fruity smelling soaps work best) What you do is work this into a lather in your hand then use a q-tip or a small soft toothbrush that has never had toothpaste in it to scrub the aligner. NEVER allow your aligners to be stored or cleaned in any extreme heat or cold locations.  This may distort the aligners resulting in them not fitting properly.  Dish washers and cars are not a good place for aligners and Never boil them to sterilize them. 

Aligner Insertion

1. Make sure you have the proper aligners.  The upper on the top and the lower on the bottom. Invisalign provides labels on each aligner.  It has your personal ID # and it provides a U for upper and an L for lower as well as the # aligner you are on. (See photo)
2. Make sure teeth are clean.  Make sure you rinse your aligners as well.
3. Place the top aligner in over the corresponding teeth then gentle push the aligner in place. Make sure you push the aligner into place completely so that there are no gaps between the teeth and the aligner.  Then do the same for the lower.  You may now apply pressure to the aligner by pressing teeth together. Do not put aligners in mouth and bite them into place.
4. If you experience a pinching or scratching sensation your aligner can be adjusted by the doctor or an assistant.  If it needs just a slight adjustment you can use an emery board to smooth an edge if you aren't at the doctor's office.

Aligner Removal
1. Start by using your fingertips on the back teeth (molars) and slowly work your way to the front. Gently pull them off your teeth.
2. To help prevent damage to the aligners avoid removing from the same place every time and removing them only when you are eating or brushing.
3. DO NOT remove with any sharp objects.
4. After removal rinse in water and put your aligners in a protective case.  DO NOT place in a napkin or anything that looks like trash. Only store them in a protective case.
       Don't twist or bend aligners.  This will result in cracking or the the breakage of your aligner

Storing your Invisalign Aligners

We provide our Invisalign patients with two cases.  We ask that all of our patients with removable appliances store their appliances in a protective case.  This will protect them from damage or loss.
Why do we give you two cases?  We ask that you keep your current aligner in one and the second case we ask that when you move to your next aligner you store your previous align in the second case.  This way you will have something to fall back on encase you loss or break an aligner.  If you do not have a previous aligner and you loss or break an aligner you have no way of insuring that your teeth will remain in the same place until you can get a replacement aligner.  It is a good idea to keep all of your aligners in a clean plastic bag in and out of reach of small children and pets.    

Invisalign Start Kit

In our Start Kit we provide our patients with everything that they will need their first few days in Invisalign.  This kit works great when you are not at home.  What it includes:

1. A case to keep all of your supplies in
2. Travel toothbrush and tooth paste
3. Floss
4. cups
5. Sanitary wipes
6. Latex gloves (for easier removal after attachments are placed)
7. Fluoride

Why we provide fluoride treatments?

We provide fluoride to all of our patients that are in any type of orthodontic appliances.  If proper oral hygiene is not provided the fluoride helps strengthen teeth so that decalcification does not occur.  Fluoride provides an extra strength to teeth preventing cavities.   We ask our patients to use the fluoride rinse once a day at bedtime.  We have our patients follow their normal nightly oral hygiene procedure and then use their fluoride rinse that we provide.  We have them use half of the white cap full and swish for 60 secs.  Then spit it out and do not rinse out with water after.  Then replace aligner.  After rinsing then go to bed.  If you must have a drink of water after you rinse please leave the fluoride on your teeth for at least an hour.  When reading the bottle it asks you to used more then what we do.  You only need a small amount to protect your teeth.  This bottle should last about 3 months.  If you are using the bottle faster then 3 months you are using too much and if you are not using the bottle in 3 months you are using too little.

Please do not swallow and keep out of reach of small children. 
 


 

Frequently Asked Questions about Invisalign

Q:Will my Invisalign treatment be painful?
A: During the first few day patients feel a slight discomfort similar to a tightness or tenderness associated with a new pair of shoes or tightness of a pair of roller skates. This is normal.  This is a sign of the aligner working and moving teeth.  This pain is normal and should slowly fade as the aligner moves teeth.  The best way to keep the discomfort at a minimum is to take tylenol or I-B profen or anything that you would normally take for a headache.  We tell our patients to take this the day you start and the next day.  This will ease this process and help keep your mind off your teeth.  The best medicine is to stay busy and keep your aligners in as much as possible.

Q: Will wearing my Invisalign affect my speech?
A: Like any orthodontic treatment there are always a slight difference in speech.  Our patients notice a slight lisping the first few days the best way to get rid of this is practice talking in them.  Read a book out loud or sing in the car.  Talk as much as possible to retrain your tongue and this will disappear.  Most of our patients notice no change in speech at all, however.  Usually the only people who notice are close friends or family that you talk to on the phone.  The people who you speak to on a daily basis (co-workers & friends)  do not notice any changes. 

Q: What do I do if my aligners do not snap into place?
A: Minor discrepancies between the new aligner and current tooth position are normal, since the current tooth position are normal.  Since teeth need time to conform to the new aligner position.  You may need to add a few days until you change into your next aligner.  Always check your aligner before you try in a new one.  Check to see if the aligner is the right number and if it contends your personal ID#.  If all of this is correct and it still does not fit correctly consult the orthodontist.

Q:  Are there restrictions on what I can and can not eat?
A:In general, no.  Unlike traditional orthodontic appliance you can take your "braces" out.  So you may eat whatever you want.  The first few days in your aligners you may not want to eat anything too tough or chewy. This maybe more painful. 

Q: Is it ok to drink hot or cold drinks while wearing my aligner?
A: Except for cool water, Invisalign recommends that you take out your aligners to eat or drink anything.  This is to avoid the formation of cavities or staining.  Also hot drinks may warp the aligners.

Q: Can I chew gum with my aligners in?
A: NO.  Chewing gum will stick to the aligners.  If you need to chew gum the best time is after a meal, chewing sugar-free gum will help clean food from between the teeth. 

Q: Will smoking or chewing tobacco stain the aligners?
A: Yes, it is possible to stain the aligner if you smoke or chew tobacco.

Q: What should I do if I loss or break an aligner?
A: We tell our patients that they should go back to their previous aligner and call us so we can order a new aligner.

Summer Time and Straight Teeth

Summer is one of the best times to get starting on teeth straightening.  This time of the year hours or more relaxed and flexible.  Patients are out of school which means you won't be missing school.  We have early morning and lunchtime hours so you won't miss camp or work.

We also have many patients starting invisalign.  They are really enjoying that we don't have to take impressions to make the invisalign anymore.  With our new I-tero scanner patients will have a 3-D model of their teeth in around 10 minutes.  Then those models are set directly to invisalign.  Doctors turn around time on invisalign has never been faster.  Don't have invisalign?  Make an appointment today!

Retention-  Remember to wear your retainer!  If you go for any length of time without wearing your retainer and it is not fitting properly please visit your orthodontist today!  The longer you go without a retainer that fits properly the more likely your teeth will move.  Patients get out of schedule without having daily schedule and vacations and camps and we understand but your teeth do not.  Make sure to bring your retainers with you on trips and make sure that you store them in a case and in a cool or room temperature environment.

Cleaning- Make sure that you clean your retainers when you clean your teeth and remember that we will clean your retainer anytime just call before you come in.

Remember to support Century Orthodontics by wearing your Century Orthodontic T-Shirt when you travel and to bring in or share a photo with us!

How to clean My RETAINERS

Cleaning traditional retainers is very easy. 

           When you are brushing your teeth, take your tooth brush and brush your retainer.  For a more “deep” clean you may use a denture cleaner or Retainer Brite.  This allows bubbles to clean particles away from your retainer.  Follow the instructions on the box.  If you have metal wires on your retainer, don’t leave your retainer in the cleaner for extended times because this can weaken the wires.

Cleaning Essix retainers or Invisalign type retainers can be very easy also. 

               Clean your aligner prior to each insertion.  First use a liquid soap to make a lather in your hand and place the aligner in hand.  Then scrub aligner with hands.  For a more accurate clean you may use a cue tip. We ask you to use a mild liquid soap. This liquid soap may be anti-bacterial if you wish.  Some patients prefer liquid soaps that are scented.  Do NOT use mouth wash.  The coloring can stain your aligners and make them more visible. Toothpaste can be abrasive to the plastic in your aligners. The scratches can collect bacteria causing discoloration and an odor.

“Oops I dropped my retainer in the trash!”

Going into the trash can be the worst scenario for a retainer.  Even if the retainer is found, many patients don’t want to put the retainer back in their mouth.  The best way to really clean your retainer is to brush it with an old toothbrush and get rid of any particles.  Then you can dip the retainer in peroxide or rubbing alcohol.

 If you want, you may bring it into us, and we will clean it for you.   

REMEMBER: if you lose your retainer or break it there may be a charge.

How do I know if I have a type of gum disease?

Gum Disease-

You may not have pain or any “problems,” but there are a few ways to tell if you need to go see your dental professional.  

            Some ways to know are your gums bleed when you are brushing or flossing, your gums are red and swollen, and/ or  you have mouth sores or bumps that will not go away.  
         
         When you are at the dental professional’s office, it is important that you ask what steps to take to improve your oral hygiene.  Even though you maybe brushing you may be doing it incorrectly or not brushing or flossing long enough.