STAINS ARE BAD enough on our clothes; we especially don't want them on our teeth. Nothing can tarnish the joy and accomplishment of Braces-Off day like discolored patches where the brackets used to be. Where do these stains come from and how can patients avoid them?
What Causes Stains During Orthodontic Treatment?
Braces-wearers are more susceptible to stains than they would be otherwise, but stains aren't inevitable. They happen because effective brushing and flossing is harder with all that hardware in the way, giving food particles and plaque countless new hiding places out of reach of a toothbrush. When plaque builds up around brackets, it can leave decalcified patches on the tooth's surface, which becomes very noticeable when the braces come off.
Preventing White Spots
The best way to prevent white spots and other stains is with good oral hygiene habits. Brush thoroughly at least twice a day (ideally after every meal), floss daily, and keep up with regular dental appointments. This will keep plaque under control, and the hygienist can get rid of whatever plaque or tartar remains.
Stain Culprits to Avoid
Also avoid foods and drinks that tend to stain, such as coffee, dark tea, and colas. The dark-colored compounds in them can stain teeth directly. Acidic drinks (like soda), sugary treats, and starch-filled snacks can stain indirectly by eroding enamel or sticking to it and contributing to plaque buildup. Tobacco and alcohol are also huge stain culprits!
Disclaimer: the content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.
HAVING WISDOM TEETH removed can be like a rite of passage for young adults, even though some people don't even get wisdom teeth and others have enough room to fit the full set. But how do wisdom teeth affect orthodontic treatment?
Wisdom Teeth and Crowding? Wisdom teeth have minimal impact on dental crowding, so they usually won't need to be removed just to improve the alignment of the other teeth. Luckily, if they do need to be extracted (whether because they're impacted and endangering the roots of neighboring teeth or there isn't enough room for them to come in), that doesn't have to interrupt orthodontic treatment.
Retainers Matter More Than Ever Many teenagers get braces well before the age when wisdom teeth removal would be considered, and there's a persistent myth that wisdom teeth can cause a post-braces smile to become crooked again. Our teeth do naturally shift as we age, but that's not because of wisdom teeth. It IS, however, a big reason to be diligent in wearing retainers!
Disclaimer:the content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.
THE HUMAN CAPACITY for finding different solutions to problems is nearly endless. Enough trial and error will usually be able to find an effective fix. However, we urge everyone to save the trial and error for non-medical projects. Something as complicated as moving teeth into their proper alignment should only be attempted by fully trained experts.
There’s No Substitution for Expertise Orthodontists take many factors into account when devising a patient’s treatment plan, such as growth patterns in bones, the position of wisdom teeth, and the patient’s overall health. Someone with a few hours of internet “research” cannot compare.
Household Items Cannot Compare to Brackets and Wires DIY braces might seem like a clever way around the expense of braces, but they are a serious gamble. Rubber bands, paper clips, earring backs, and fishing line are no substitute for brackets and wires placed using years and years of training and experience. At best, they just won’t work very well. At worst, they could cause major damage, even tooth loss.
An Infamous Cautionary Tale One infamous example is David Campbell, who used rubber bands to try to close the gap between his front teeth. The rubber bands seemed to disappear overnight, so he added more. In reality, they were slipping underneath his gums, where they strangled the roots of his teeth. It cost him more to fix the damage and save his front teeth than it would have cost to simply get braces!
Disclaimer:the content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.
THE DEFAULT IMAGE that pops into our heads when we think of braces is usually of a teenage orthodontic patient, but more and more adults are getting their teeth straightened. It's generally more ideal to get braces as a teen, but no one is too old to get a straighter smile.
Teeth Shift Over Time Even people who had braces as teens might end up needing them again, because our teeth shift constantly over the course of our lives. Enamel loss, tooth grinding, tooth loss, and something as simple as persistently mouth-breathing, leaning one's head on one's hand, or stomach-sleeping can cause shifting.
Habits Affect the Position of Teeth Good dental hygiene habits, side-sleeping and back-sleeping, and nose-breathing are all better for dental alignment, but they can't undo shifting that already happened, and that's where orthodontic treatment comes in. Teeth of any age will respond to orthodontic appliances, and adult patients have one advantage over their teen counterparts: they are more mature and better able to follow the orthodontist's extructions to the letter. That means better and timelier results!
No Need to Be a "Brace-Face" Many people who could benefit from braces avoid them because they don't want to be a fully grown adult who is a "brace-face." Luckily, clear aligners can give them the same results without a mouth full of metal. This transformation can be a secret one.
Disclaimer:the content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.
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