Benefit of Braces

Why Braces?

Your dentist may have discussed with you the benefits of having healthy teeth and proper jaw alignment. Crooked and crowded teeth are hard to clean and maintain. This can result in tooth decay, worsen gum disease and lead to tooth loss. Other orthodontic problems can contribute to abnormal wear of tooth surfaces, inefficient chewing function, excessive stress on gum tissue and the bone that supports the teeth, or misalignment of the jaw joints. These can lead to chronic headaches and face or neck pain.

Benefits of Orthodontic Treatment

• Attractive smile
• Reduce appearance-consciousness during critical development years
• Maintain proper tooth relationships to allow effective chewing, digestion and speech
• Better function of the teeth
• Possible increase in self-confidence and interpersonal effectiveness
• Increased ability to clean teeth
• Improved force distribution and wear patterns of the teeth
• Guide facial growth for a more attractive profile
• Long-term health of teeth and gums
• Guide permanent teeth into more favorable positions
• Reduce the risk of injury to protruding front teeth
• Eliminate the need to replace missing teeth
• Aid in optimizing other dental treatment
• Correct improper jaw relationships and reduce stress on teeth, chewing muscles, jaw joints and the supporting bone and gum tissues

You’ll Want a Specialist

Orthodontic treatment may permanently change your teeth and possibly your face and profile. You want a well-qualified professional working for the best possible results. All orthodontists go to dental school for four years of training. They then attend two to three years of additional orthodontic training.

Orthodontic specialists limit their practice to orthodontic treatment only. They have learned the special skills required to manage tooth movement and guide facial development by completing an extensive advanced training program after dental school.

How Orthodontic Treatment Works

Orthodontic appliances can be made of metal, ceramic or plastic. They may be removable or they may be brackets that are glued to the teeth. By placing a constant, gentle force in a carefully controlled direction, braces slowly move teeth to a corrected position. When pressure is put on your teeth, the jawbone surrounding your teeth also changes shape. Old bone dissolves and new bone grows in to support the teeth in their new place. There are many new, innovative approaches to orthodontic treatment. The appliances are smaller, removable appliances have been improved and wires are more flexible and efficient than they used to be. It is best to set up an appointment with Dr. Benson to talk with you about your goals for your smile. He will gather the appropriate information to present all the possibilities to achieving your goals.

Duration of Treatment

A typical set of full braces last from 18-24 months. We will do everything we can to make your treatment go as fast as your body will allow us to. Every person is different and responds differently to treatment. Keeping regular appointments and following Dr. Benson’s direction will help your treatment stay on track with the treatment plan.

Foods to Avoid

What can you eat? You can eat anything you normally eat, just carefully! At first, you may want to stick to soft foods. Avoid hard foods until things are more comfortable. During orthodontic treatment you’ll want to protect your appliances so there are no delays in treatment. Sticky foods are hard to clean out and can cause cavities around the braces. It is best to limit or avoid caramels, gum or taffy.

General Soreness and First Aid

When you get your braces on, you may feel general soreness in your mouth and the teeth may be tender to biting pressures for three to five days. This can be relieved by taking Advil or Tylenol, whichever works for your headaches. The lips, cheeks and tongue may become irritated for one to two weeks as they toughen and become accustomed to the surface of the braces. Dental wax can be used on the braces to allow the cheeks to slide over sore areas. Rinsing with Rincinol speeds healing and has a pain reliever to help you get through this period.

Care of Appliances

To successfully complete the treatment plan, the patient must work together with Dr. Benson. The teeth and jaws can only move toward their corrected positions if the patient consistently wears rubber bands, headgear or other appliances as prescribed. Damaged appliances cause unnecessary office visits, lengthen treatment time and, in excessive cases, can incur additional fees.

Brushing

It’s more important than ever to brush and floss regularly when you have braces, so the teeth and gums are healthy after orthodontic treatment. Patients should keep their regular dental cleaning appointments. Hygienists are trained to clean around braces. Also, adults who have had a history of gum disease should maintain a three-month cleaning schedule.

Retention and Retainer Wear

After orthodontic treatment, it is required that some form of retainer be used for a prescribed amount of time. Our goal is to move the teeth into the correct position and we must find the best way to maintain our result. If we do not make an effort to retain the teeth following active treatment, they will tend to move back toward their original position.

There are different types of retainers on the market. Dr. Benson will let you know what he thinks will be best for your case. Retainers can be removable or bonded in place. As time goes on, you’ll probably wear them less often. Dr. Benson will continue to monitor your retainers over several years, making sure the retainers are doing their job.

Guidelines for Retainers

• Wear retainers full time until Dr. Benson says otherwise.
• Take retainers out when eating but always put them in your case.
• Brush retainers like you do your teeth. Store bought cleaners work well, too.
• Dogs love them, watch out! They always smell like food and will go out of their way to get them.
• At first, speaking is difficult – practice reading out loud or call a friend. Practice makes perfect.
• Lost or broken retainers involve a replacement fee and new impressions. With proper care, they will last for years.
• Always bring your retainers to your check-up visits.

Athletics

If you play sports, a protective mouthguard is advised for playing contact sports. A “boil and bite” type mouthguard is sufficient since the bite and teeth will be changing all the time. A custom appliance can be made after treatment. Ask us for more details.

Loose Wire or Bracket

Occasionally, wires may irritate your cheeks or a bracket may come loose. Call our office and we will determine if an office visit is needed. Most things can be fixed at your next regularly scheduled visit. We always have numbers available of someone you can talk to.