How could we forget those special years in our teenage lives where braces were a thing? Years where we worried a little bit too much about how we looked and what others thought of us. It is thanks to this orthodontic treatment that we are now able to fix an abnormal bite and smile with confidence.
So for this article we will be talking about orthodontics and braces and how important they are for our teeth! With a bit of help of Los Algodones dentists we will be providing you all kinds of information about braces.
What are braces?
The main purpose of braces is to help straightening and align or teeth.
A bad bite or malocclusion can be fixed by wearing braces. This is because they exert an amount of pressure towards the desired direction. Braces can also help fixing small cases of overbite or underbite, where the upper and lower set of teeth do not meet properly.
What types of braces are there?
There are many different types of orthodontic braces out there to help you correct your teeth and bite. Each of them feature different pros and cons. Here we have three of the most seen and used:
- Traditional braces. These are the metal braces that we are used to see and love. They are made of metal brackets and wires. Although they are the most noticeable, they are also the cheaper choice.
- Ceramic braces. These are very similar to traditional braces, the only thing that changes is the material. Ceramic allows for the braces themselves to be clear or even tooth-colored, so they are less noticeable. They usually are a tad more expensive than traditional braces.
- Lingual braces. Imagine normal braces but instead of them being attached to the front, they are on the back. That’s how lingual braces work, and they are quite stealthy for people who do not want braces to be shown. As they are attached on the back, readjusting them at the dental office usually takes a little bit more time.
- Invisalign. These are mouth guard-like braces that are custom-made and worn like retainers. They are easy to wear and one of the good points about them is that you can remove them so eating is definitely easier. They are pretty good at correcting small problems, but lack when it comes to more serious ones.
Problems that are avoided with the help of orthodontic treatment
There are many issues that sprout from having an abnormal bite. This is important to know as it makes harder to keep good oral habits in the long run.
Since the teeth are not aligned at all, it is harder for the toothbrush to clean and get to every spot it needs to. Not only that but also changes and puts gums and teeth in a bad position. As such, a person with a misaligned bite will suffer from jaw problems, tooth decay, gum disease, abnormal wear tooth enamel, and more.
How do you brush with them?
Brushing with braces is notoriously harder than normal. This is because if we are not careful enough, there will be still food residues all around the wires and brackets. This is why Los Algodones dentists step in and give us some tips as to making the endeavor a little more fruitful.
- Brush your teeth every day. Rinsing your mouth first with water can help getting most of the food particles out of the way.
- After eating, rinse your mouth vigorously. This helps dislodging food for when you are unable to brush.
- Flossing is more doable with alternatives. There are quite a few alternatives you can use such as archwires and floss threaders.
- Interdental brushes help greatly. There are narrow spaces between the wires and your teeth. For this, using an interdental brush can greatly ease things up.
- We recommend not using any whitening product. Whitening or using any type of abrasives will only affect the parts where the braces are not. So in order to avoid an uneven color on your pearly whites it is best to wait to take off the orthodontic treatment.