Take Care of Your Teeth While Wearing Braces

So, you just got your braces on, and you're wondering why you should continue visiting your general dentist since you’re seeing your orthodontist every other month. Patients always ask us if they should continue to see their dentist while in orthodontic treatment. In short, the answer is yes. While you are wearing braces, it is essential that you take care of your teeth and gums so it is crucial to keep up with your regular visits with your dentist in addition to going in for your regular orthodontic adjustments . 

One of the best reasons to visit your dentist while you undergo orthodontic treatment is to remove plaque and tartar. Having braces provides additional nooks and crannies in which food particles and bacteria can hide. Eventually, plaque and tartar can form around your brackets, bands or other appliances which can lead to cavities. Having your teeth professionally cleaned can help ensure most, if not all, plaque and tartar is removed. Even if you are undergoing clear aligner treatment, dental checkups and cleanings are equally as important.

The next reason to visit a dentist is to help protect your teeth from decalcification, or the loss of calcium in your teeth. A potentially serious condition in which white spots on your tooth surfaces, decalcification is irreversible and if left untreated, can lead to cavities. Decalcification is preventable; patients who cut down on sugary sweets and acidic foods, practice good oral hygiene, and visit their dentist regularly can help prevent decalcification.

The final reason we recommend visiting your dentist while you have braces is this: cavities can prolong your treatment. If you are interested in completing your orthodontic treatment on time and without any delays, visiting your dentist every six months or as recommended can go a long way toward making that a realistic goal. Your dentist can provide fluoride treatments or other treatments that strengthen your teeth and protect them from cavities. Making sure to visit your dentist will help ensure your teeth look their best once your braces come off.

DON'T BE CONFUSED ABOUT DENTAL CLEANINGS!

 

The different types of dental cleanings that we perform can be confusing and we are asked often about the differences in treatment and cost for getting teeth cleaned. Since it has become such a common question, I thought I would try to explain the differences here in not so abstract terms!

DENTAL CLEANINGS: According to the American Dental Association, this is the definition of an adult dental cleaning (technically a prophylaxis): "A dental prophylaxis performed on transitional or permanent dentition, which includes scaling and polishing procedures to remove coronal plaque, calculus, and stains. Some patients may require more than one appointment or one extended appointment to complete a prophylaxis.
MY Explanation: A lot of scary words in there, so let me break it down. A dental cleaning is done for people with healthy gums. It removes plaque and calculus (also known as tartar) from above the gum line. This is typically completed by a hygienist in one visit. The hygienist may use a scaler/curette (patients refer to them as metal picks) or an ultrasonic scaler (commonly referred to as the tool that "vibrates, buzzes and shoots water"). Lastly, the hygienist will polish your teeth with an air-driven slow-speed prophy cup filled with flavored pumice. The key: the patient has healthy gums (meaning no bone loss, no periodontal disease) and the teeth are simply cleaned in one visit.

ROOT PLANING: According to the American Dental Association, root planing (deep cleaning) is defined as follows: "This procedure involves instrumentation of the crown and root surfaces of the teeth to remove plaque and calculus from these surfaces. It is indicated for patients with periodontal disease and is therapeutic, not prophylactic, in nature. Root planing is the definitive procedure designed for the removal of cementum and dentin that is rough and/or permeated by calculus or contaminated with toxins or microorganisms. Some soft tissue removal occurs. This procedure may be used as a definitive treatment in some stages of periodontal disease and/or as a part of pre-surgical procedures in others."
MY  Explanation: This is not a cleaning. The patient getting root planing does not have healthy gums. It is therapy or treatment for diseased gums. Your teeth are probed/measured for the purpose of diagnosis. Patients with good oral hygiene can manage pocket depths at 3-4mm. Probing depths 5mm and above with evidence of plaque, calculus, inflammation or infection require treatment of the tooth and root surfaces. This is done typically one corner of the mouth at a time with dental anesthetic. It is always followed up with a reevaluation, to make sure the treatment was successful. The key: the patient has been diagnosed with periodontal disease (bone loss has occured and acute or chronic gingival inflammation is present). This treatment is completed 1/4 of the mouth at a time with dental anesthetic. The patient may leave with an antibiotic or an antimicrobial rinse.  

PERIDONTAL MAINTENANCE: This is the most confusing part of periodontal therapy. Periodontal Maintenance is defined by the ADA as follows: "This procedure is for patients who have previously been treated for periodontal disease. Typically, maintenance starts after completion of active (surgical or nonsurgical) periodontal therapy and continues at varying intervals, determined by the clinical diagnosis of the dentist, for the life of the dentition. It includes removal of supra and subgingival microbial flora and calculus, site specific scaling and root planing where indicated, and/or polishing teeth. When new or recurring periodontal disease appears, additional diagnostic and treatment procedures must be considered."
MY Explanation: This seems like a cleaning, except it's for patients who have previously had gum surgery or root planing...aka they do not have a healthy mouth. The hygienist will go after troubled spots, numb if necessary, and constantly evaluate the "state of disease." The name explains a lot: Periodontal Maintenance, in other words the dentist/staff are maintaining the current conditions and trying to prevent them from getting worse. They may be more frequent than dental cleanings too. The key: Not a cleaning, but it sure feels like one, because the whole mouth is treated in one visit. It is more active, more thorough and more involved.

The Best New Year’s Resolution You Can Make For 2013

 

A lot of New Year’s resolutions will be health related this year – we want to lose weight, quit smoking, etc. The sad reality of these good intentions is that once February rolls around, most of us will be done; we’ll get caught up in our busy lives and go back to our old routines. The reason why we don’t keep these well intentioned resolutions is this: We want to be thin before we’re fit, meaning, we want all the superficial benefits of good health without wanting good health itself. We’ll pay big bucks for a quick teeth whitening before our Vegas trip or wedding to look good, but we neglect to spend just minutes each day taking care of our bodies.

This year, why not make a New Year’s resolution that will actually change your life and give you back tenfold in health and happiness what you put into it. THAT’S a resolution you’ll have no problem keeping well into February and beyond, for your whole life! 

Do you value your smile? The more you smile, the longer you live – this has been proven by a UC Berkeley study that found that the width of a smile in a yearbook photo accurately predicted a person’s happiness and well-being 30 years later. Smiling wider has been proven over and over to improve happiness, salary, marriage, self-confidence, and longevity. The best way to smile more? Take basic preventative measures to take care of your teeth. It might sound like the least sexy, most boring New Year’s resolution you could make, but consider the following:

• Smiling is contagious. If you smile, others smile, even if they don’t want to, as we’ve found from many studies. Think of how this might affect you at work, or in that big interview, or in your marriage or dating life.
• Smiling immediately improves your mood. Imagine how resilient this will make you as you work towards your other New Year’s resolutions this coming year.
• Smiling causes production of endorphins, which are the same chemical produced by exercise. Endorphins boost your immune system, relieve stress, and lower your blood pressure, just like exercise does.
• Smiling causes the release of serotonin, which will allow your brain to work at optimum levels.
• Here’s the best part: Smiling makes you look more attractive and confident. Attractive and confident people have higher salaries, better marriages and friendships, and ultimately longer and more fulfilling lives, which leads to – more smiling!

So if any one of your New Year’s resolutions includes looking and feeling better, getting healthier, making more money, improving relationships, or becoming happier and more fulfilled – consider that little tube of toothpaste or that forgotten container of floss in the back of your bathroom cabinet. You can reap all of the benefits above by flossing daily, brushing after each meal, making sure to brush properly so you aren’t damaging tooth enamel, and making an appointment to see your dentist in the new year. These basic prevention methods are some of the simplest and most impactful things you can do for your health and happiness all year.