How to Live with and Care for Braces

How to Live with Braces 

With your shiny new braces, you are on your way to a beautiful smile, but what is the best way to take care of  braces?   It really is important to know how to take care of braces and your teeth through the orthodontic process.

Braces and Eating

You will need to give up a few crunchy, sticky and hard foods that can potentially damage your braces while you are wearing them.  A small sacrifice for the end result of a sparkling new smile!

Foods to Avoid

• Crunchy foods — chips,  hard taco shells, hard pretzels, hard crackers, popcorn, chips, ice,  lollipops, Jolly Ranchers, Now & Laters...
• Chewy foods — licorice, bagels
• Sticky foods — caramel candies, gumballs,  jawbreakers, Starbursts, jelly beans, skittles, Good  & Plenty, Milk Duds, fruit roll-ups, taffy
• Hard foods — nuts, hard candies
• Foods that require biting into — that you would normally bite into with your front teeth such as corn on the cob, apples, carrots

Foods You Can Eat

• Dairy — soft cheese, pudding, milk-based drinks
• Breads — soft tortillas, pancakes, muffins without nuts
• Grains — pasta, soft cooked rice
• Meats/poultry — soft cooked chicken, meatballs, lunch meats
• Seafood — tuna, salmon, crab cakes
• Vegetables — mashed potatoes, steamed spinach, beans
• Fruits — applesauce, bananas, fruit juice
• Treats — ice cream without nuts, milkshakes, puddings, soft cake

No Chewing on Inedible Items

No nervous gnawing on pencils or pens -- and no chewing gum or bubble gum.

Soreness Caused from Braces and Appliances

Your mouth, cheeks, gums and teeth may feel a little sore or tender when you first get braces.  This does not last long and to relieve the irritation, you can dissolve a teaspoon of salt in 8 ounces of lukewarm water and swish and gargle.  Do this for a couple of minutes but do not swallow the salt water.
If the discomfort continues for a more than 2 weeks, you can put wax over the braces which lessens the friction of the braces with your skin and helps with tender areas.
If your teeth start to feel a little bit loose, it's normal and all right.  Your braces are designed to loosen your teeth slightly, then move them into the correct position.  Your teeth will become firm once again after they are repositioned.

Sports and Braces

Playing sports with braces is fine - as long as you wear a mouth guard to protect both your teeth and your braces.

Call or visit Dr. Cruz today! 

Phone: 619.421.5060

Interceptive Orthodontics and Early Intervention

Check out yearbooks or prom pictures from the 1950s and '60s and you'll see a lot of smiles framing heavy metal braces or closed-mouth smiles.  That sight is a lot less common in contemporary high school photos.  Why the change?  Today, kids tend to get braces at a much earlier age.  Patients with special problems can actually begin orthodontic treatment at age 7 or younger.

The American Association of Orthodontics (AAO) recommends that all children receive an orthodontic screening by age 7.  Permanent teeth generally begin to come in at age 6 or 7 and often orthodontic problems become apparent at that point. 

Orthodontic treatment in young children is known as interceptive orthodontics.  At these early ages, a child's teeth are still developing, bones and the jaw are still growing. That means certain conditions, such as crowding, may be easier to address. 

Before permanent teeth have come in, it may be possible to help teeth to erupt and emerge through the gums into better positions.  It's common, for example, for the dental arch to be too small to fit all of the teeth.  A few decades ago, the solution for crowding was almost always to extract some of the permanent teeth to make space. Then fixed braces were used to position the teeth properly. 

Early intervention takes advantage of the fact that a child's jaw is still growing.  For example, if the upper jaw appears too narrow for the size and number of a child’s teeth, a device called a palatal expander may be used to expand the child's upper dental arch. Once the arch is the proper size, there's a better chance that the newly emerging adult teeth align in a better position. 

Early treatment, or intervention, also may be useful when the dental arches and jaws are not in the correct position.  Functional appliances may be used to fix or improve these problems before they cause more dental difficulties. More treatment usually is needed later on, but it is generally be shorter in duration and less complicated.

Early treatment does not apply to all orthodontic problems.  However, it may help in certain cases.  Two conditions that require early intervention are crossbites and protruding front teeth.  A crossbite can cause uneven jaw growth and front teeth that are too prominent can be injured or fractured in an accident, such as a fall.

Contact your San Diego Orthodontist and San Diego braces specialist, Dr. Cruz, for more helpful information about your child’s development and early dental intervention.  Call  (619) 421-5060  for a Complimentary Consultation today!

Invisalign and Teen Invisalign

If you have been looking for a way to straighten your teeth without the inconvenience and discomfort of traditional braces- Invisalign orthodontics might just be the answer for you.  Nearly invisible, Invisalign aligners are easily removable, comfortable and allow you to keep a bright, wide-open smile all through the straightening process.

Teens and adults are opting for the Invisalign system of clear aligners which are effective in correcting a myriad of dental issues including underbites, overbites, over-crowded teeth and cross-bites.  The Invisalign system can efficiently improve tooth alignment while having minimum impact on your day-to-day life because the clear aligners are:   

• Virtually invisible

• Gentler and more comfortable on your gums and cheeks than braces- and no poking or broken wires

• Easily removed for eating- you can continue to eat crunchy and sticky foods such as popcorn and pizza

• Removable for cleaning your teeth- easier to floss, brush and maintain top dental hygiene

• Easier to adjust- you'll spend less time in the orthodontist office

The risk of cutting or injuring the inside of your mouth is less likely with Invisalign which is especially beneficial for the sport-oriented teenager or adult. 

 

The Invisalign Process

Each step in the progress of your treatment plan is mapped out with sophisticated 3D computer modeling.  Dr. Cruz sets up your customized Invisalign plan from the initial position of your teeth to the final results. 

Once the schedule and design for your treatment are completed by Dr. Cruz, exact instructions are sent to Invisalign for the construction of your customized, clear sequence of aligners. 

The number of aligners required by each patient vary, depending upon each patient's individual needs.  You may need as few as 12 aligners or as many as 48 in a treatment program.  

Once you receive your customized aligners, you wear one set for about two weeks at a time as you progress through the program. Your social life and sport life continue as normal as your teeth gradually move into optimal, final alignment.

For more information about Invisalign Teen or Invisalign, please visit our site or contact the office- 619.421.5060