Our Blog

WE CAN SEE a hint of the state of dental health in Shakespeare's England from a sonnet in which he describes his lady love's reeking breath. The lines "black contagious breath" and "his breath stinks with eating toasted cheese" make it into two of the history plays. This was likely because dental health in England was in a sorry state during the Bard's day.

The Sugar Trade Devastates English Dental Health
Cavities and missing teeth were common in Early Modern England, but it was much worse for the wealthy and even Queen Elizabeth herself, whose teeth were described as "very yellow and unequal" by a French ambassador and "her teeth black" by a German traveler, who correctly identified sugar as the culprit. That's right: the sugar trade had reached England, and aristocratic teeth paid a heavy price for it. Surgeons, tooth-drawers, and blacksmiths had a lot of work to do pulling rotten teeth.

Cavities Only the Nobility Could Afford
Sugar was so expensive that only the wealthy could afford it. Some were even using sugar paste to brush their teeth! Many in the lower classes would actually rub charcoal on their teeth to make themselves appear richer. As for actual dental hygiene, people would use quills or wood for toothpicks and cloths to wipe off plaque. We're definitely happier with modern floss and toothbrushes!

Top image used under CC0 Public Domain license. Image cropped and modified from original.

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.

ANYONE WHO HAS or had braces has noticed the different parts and probably wondered what role they perform in orthodontic treatment. Some patients just have the basics: brackets, archwires, and O-rings, while others have extra components to correct a more complex issue.

Brackets, Archwires, and O-Rings

The brackets serve as the anchor points. We place them very precisely on each tooth. Then comes the archwire, which can come in different thicknesses and be made of different materials depending on what we want it to do. The archwire remembers its original shape and applies pressure on the brackets (and, in turn, the teeth) over time to return to that shape. The colorful O-rings keep the archwire fastened to the brackets but allows it to slide a little when necessary.

Elastics for Malocclusions

A common and simple add-on is the elastic band. These correct bad bites by applying pressure to the jaws to move into a better alignment. They only work on schedule if the patient uses them EXACTLY as instructed. Skipping them here or there will delay treatment, but so will doubling up! Don't try to outsmart the orthodontist's plan; it came from years of training and experience.

Other Common Braces Add-Ons

Braces are sometimes preceded by spacers to make room for them. Some patients require a palatal expander to correct a narrow palate, crowding, and/or crossbites. Holding arches can keep the space open if a child loses a baby tooth too early. If a patient has a deep bite, we can correct it with a bite plate.

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.

LET’S TAKE A look at how orthodontic treatment can overlap with speech pathology. Overbites are common causes of lisps and whistling while talking, as are gaps between teeth. Air can escape through the gap while trying to make sounds that require the speaker to press their tongue against their teeth. Orthodontic treatment corrects these problems and makes it easier to speak clearly.

It Can Be Tricky to Speak Around Crowded Teeth

In order to correctly form words and control the speed of our speech, our tongues need room to move. A small jaw or dental crowding can restrict the tongue’s movement, increasing the chances of a stutter or slurred speech. Braces correct these issues and give the tongue all the space it needs to form the correct sounds!

English Versus Crooked Teeth

The English language contains several sounds that require our teeth to be correctly positioned in order to pronounce them. It’s difficult to say sounds like CH as in “chair,” SH as in “shape,” F as in “feet,” V as in “van,” J as in “jump,” S as in “soup,” the voiceless TH as in “think,” the voiced TH as in “the,” Z as in “zoom,” and ZH as in “treasure” with a bad bite, gaps, or crowding. Braces move the teeth into their proper positions, solving these pronunciation problems!

The Many Benefits of Straight Teeth

Not all speech disorders can be improved with orthodontic treatment, but anyone who struggles to make certain sounds due to malocclusions, crowding, or crooked teeth will likely see an improvement. Clearer speech isn’t the only benefit to straight teeth either — they’re easier to clean, they look great, and they even improve digestion.

Top image used under CC0 Public Domain license. Image cropped and modified from original.

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.

A LOT OF PEOPLE take it for granted that braces can move teeth into their correct positions, but how many people know how that actually works? It’s a pretty fascinating process, and we’re excited to give our patients a closer look at the cellular level of their treatment.

The Components of Your Braces

Each part of your braces serves an important purpose. At minimum, they will include brackets, bands (sometimes called ligatures or O-rings), and archwires, but sometimes they also include extra parts and appliances to help with individual treatment plans.

The Brackets Are the Anchors

You can sometimes tell if someone is new to braces by looking at their brackets. If they aren’t in a very straight line, they’re probably close to the starting position. At that stage, the brackets can even emphasize how crooked their teeth were before braces. We place the brackets in very deliberate spots on the teeth so that they will move into the correct positions.

Archwires Are the Guide Rails

The archwires are what runs through all the brackets, and they can vary in material and thickness depending on the best treatment plan for the patient. The archwires provide gradual, steady pressure in a particular direction as they fight to go back to their original shape. Finally, we use colorful O-to hold the brackets and archwires together.

Elastics for a Bad Bite

The most common extra with braces is elastics, which are used to correct a bad bite or misaligned jaw. They apply pressure towards the proper alignment, but they can only do their job when the patient wears them EXACTLY as the orthodontist instructs. Not wearing them will delay Braces Off Day, but so will wearing too many. Trust us: we have calculated the right amount of rubber bands and the right length of time they need to be worn for the most efficient results.

Your Treatment Goes Down to the Cellular Level

Our teeth don’t simply move. There’s a lot going on with the individual cells that make up the bone of the jaws. Ahead of the tooth, specialized cells called osteoclasts break down the bone cells that are under pressure, making room for the tooth to move. Behind the tooth, osteoblasts are busy building new bone cells to keep the tooth snug in its socket (this part takes longer). The bones are actually reshaping themselves.

Finish Off With Retainers

It takes time for bones to change shape, and until they do, our teeth still remember their old positions. This is why retainers are so important. They help our teeth and jaws get used to their correct positions. They also prevent future shifting that will happen to most people’s teeth with age.

Now You Know How Your Braces Work!

Hopefully we’ve answered a few questions you had about braces, but you should ask us at your next adjustment appointment if you have more! We believe that the better our patients understand their orthodontic appliances, the better they will understand the reasoning behind the instructions we give, and the more confident they will be about their results on Braces Off Day!

We’re looking forward to taking your “after” pictures!

Top image used under CC0 Public Domain license. Image cropped and modified from original.

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.