The Top 10 Things Not to Do While in Braces

Being in braces, you will find that you are able to do just about everything you did prior to treatment. There are some things you will want to avoid doing while undergoing orthodontic treatment, however. In this post, we will outline the top ten things that will cause problems for you and your braces, so your experience in braces is problem free!

Eating Hard Foods

Hard candy and foods might be tempting, but they can cause problems for you and your braces. When you chew on something hard, you can cause the brackets to break off of your teeth, and you can cause the wire to come out of the brackets, which might poke your cheek and gums causing pain for you! Some examples of hard foods and candy include jaw breakers, sweet-tarts, hard pretzels, hard breadsticks, and nuts.

Eating Sticky and Chewy Foods

Sticky and chewy foods can be delicious, but they are often the causes of problems with braces. Non sugar-free gum, taffy, caramels, and other similar foods can get stuck on braces and pull lose your brackets and wires, which can cause you discomfort if wires start to poke from being pulled loose. Stick with drier foods that are easier to chew and wont adhere to your brackets and wires the way sticky foods will.

Chewing on Things Other Than Food

If you like to chew on pencils, pens, mouth guards or other non-food items, this is a habit you will want to break immediately before pursuing orthodontic treatment. Not only are these items bad for your teeth in general, but they can bad for your braces, too. Chewing on non-food items can result in brackets coming loose or breaking off and can also result in wires being knocked loose, so learn to curb that habit sooner rather than later.

Not Brushing Teeth After Eating

While it might seem inconvenient to have to brush after every meal, excellent oral hygiene is absolutely necessary when you are in braces. Braces act like shelves on your teeth and can hold food on your teeth and gum line, causing irritation that can result in swelling, bleeding and eventually cavities. Keep a small pouch with a travel-sized toothbrush and toothpaste at work, school or in your car to make it more convenient to brush.

Not Flossing

Flossing your teeth is definitely more of a challenge when you have braces, but with the right tools and a little patience, it is possible. Flossing is also necessary when you have braces as the brackets and wires can hold and hide food in places not easily visible to you. Left on your teeth and gums, the food will decay causing gum swelling, bleeding, bad breath and eventually cavities. Use flossers designed especially for braces, floss threaders, or invest in a Waterpik to ensure you are flossing effectively.

Playing With Wires

It might feel strange at first to have braces on your teeth, and when you are bored, it might be easy to reach into your mouth and play with your wires. However, when you choose to play with your wires, you run the risk of breaking the wire, which can result in a wire poking into your cheek and gum line causing you pain. Doing this can also result in a bracket breaking off of your teeth, which might mean an extra trip to the orthodontist’s office. Try to keep from playing with your wires, and if you suffer from fidgety hands, perhaps find another outlet for your boredom such as a stress ball or fidget spinner.

Picking at Brackets

When a bracket is rubbing, or feeling strange to you, you might be tempted to pick at the bracket with your fingernails or other objects. As tempting as it may be, you must refrain from picking at your brackets. Doing so can result in brackets coming loose and causing you additional discomfort and trips to the orthodontist. If a bracket is really bothering you, use orthodontic wax to cushion the irritation, and maybe call your orthodontist if you feel as if the problem is more severe.

Removing the Wire

While you might have figured out how to open the doors on your brackets to remove your wire, you should never do this. It might make brushing and flossing easier, but you run the risk of not putting your wire back in properly, or not being able to get the wire back in at all. Putting a wire in improperly can result in incorrect tooth movement, which might delay treatment completion, and can also in more extreme cases, even cause root damage. Leave the wire removal to your orthodontist, and learn to become a pro at your oral hygiene routine with your wire in.

Playing Sports Without a Mouthguard

If you enjoy playing sports, you will want to get a mouthguard to protect your braces and teeth. Even if you have never had an accident while playing a game, one can happen at any time, and it is better to be protected. Ensure you get a mouthguard, such as the Shock Doctor, that is designed for braces. We sell them at a discount to our patients, but if you are in another state, check with your local orthodontist to see if they offer mouth guards at their office or if they can direct you to a supplier.

Not Wearing Elastics

The biggest thing that is guaranteed to delay your braces coming off is not wearing elastics that your orthodontist recommends to you. Your elastics are essential to correcting your bite, and if you do not wear them, your bite will not change, and your orthodontist will not take off your braces until it is correct. So, wear those elastics day and night!

In conclusion, while it might seem like there are a lot of things you should not do while you are in braces, luckily, these are all things that are easy to avoid or stop doing. If you have further questions on whether or not something will harm your braces, call your orthodontist to ask. They will happy to answer your questions on how to keep your braces and teeth in great shape while you are in treatment.

Those Dreaded White Spots…

What is, and What Causes Decalcification?

When you first get your braces on, your orthodontist will stress the importance of excellent oral hygiene while in braces. They also will probably show you new techniques to ensure you have the knowledge to keep your teeth clean while in treatment. All of this extra emphasis on oral hygiene might make you wonder what all of the fuss is about? In truth, you orthodontist wants to ensure that when your braces come off, your teeth are visually perfect in addition to being perfectly aligned. For those patients who do not follow an excellent oral hygiene routine, they will often finish treatment with what is called decalcification. Decalcification is also commonly referred to as “white spots” on your teeth.

If food is allowed to sit on your teeth, it will eventually form plaque, which eats away at your teeth, breaking down the calcium and other minerals your teeth are composed of. This chemical break down creates white areas on your teeth. Essentially, these white spots are the start of cavities, which left untreated will turn into cavities.

Is There a Way to Remove The White Spots?

Unfortunately, once decalcification occurs on your teeth, there is no way to reverse it. This is why it is absolutely necessary to get in the habit of practicing excellent oral hygiene from day one in treatment. If you have developed decalcification, you can prevent it from becoming a full-fledged cavity by practicing excellent oral hygiene and by using a restorative toothpaste (such as Pronamel or Prevident) and fluoride rinse (such as Act or PhosFlur). Your orthodontist might also recommend or provide a prescription-strength toothpaste, such as MI Paste (this is a prescription product and cannot be purchased over the counter) to prevent further decay.

In Conclusion

The best way to treat decalcification is to prevent it from the start by sticking to an excellent oral hygiene routine which includes brushing your teeth after every meal, flossing regularly, and using a fluoride rinse daily. Your orthodontist will provide you with the tools and knowledge to prevent decalcification from the start of your treatment, but the responsibility for caring for your teeth while you are in braces ultimately rests on your shoulders.

For questions about oral hygiene while in braces, contact your local orthodontist. For patients of Walker Dixon Orthodontics, or for those who are interested in pursuing treatment with us, please call our office. For our Fishers location, call: 317-570-0011, or for our Indianapolis location, call: 317-849-0011.

Elastics in Orthodontic Treatment

So, you are at your orthodontist for an exam or for your regular appointment, and the doctor tells you that you will need to wear elastics during your time in braces. This may leave you wondering what elastics are and why you need to wear them in the first place? Read on to get the full scoop on the what and why of elastics in orthodontic treatment.

What Are Elastics, Anyways?

Almost everyone who has braces will at some point be told they need to wear elastics. The elastics resemble tiny rubber bands, but they are composed of latex, though non-latex elastics are available to those who are allergic or sensitive to latex. They come in a variety of sizes, which, in our office, are given animal names to help you remember which elastics you are wearing. The elastics are worn by attaching them to hooks that are placed strategically on your brackets.

Usually, you can place the elastics with your fingers. It takes a little practice, but given time, you will be able to put them in and take them out without even looking. You may have a few appointments before you have to wear elastics, and when its time to start wearing them, your orthodontist will instruct you on how they want you to wear them.

Why Are Elastics So Important?

Your orthodontist and the orthodontic assistant at your appointment will probably stress your cooperation with elastic wear when it is time to start wearing them. Something so small might seem like its of minor importance, but elastics are incredibly important to orthodontic treatment.

Your elastics are designed to retrain your jaw, and wearing them as recommended by your orthodontist will help correct your bite in ways that the wire and brackets alone cannot. Make sure to pay attention to the instructions as there are a number of ways the elastics can be worn, and you want to make sure you are wearing them correctly.  You can even request a diagram from your orthodontist that you can reference after your appointment to ensure you are wearing your elastics correctly long after you leave their office.

If you do not wear your elastics as often as you are told, or if you wear them improperly, your treatment can go on longer than originally estimated. Your orthodontist can always tell if you have worn your elastics properly, so make sure to be diligent and consistent in their wear, and be honest with your orthodontist if you could have done better with wearing them since your last appointment.

For additional questions on why elastics are important, or if you have questions on how you should be wearing them, do not hesitate to call your orthodontists’ office. If you are a patient of Walker Dixon Orthodontics with questions on elastics wear, or if you are interested in pursuing treatment with us, call our Fishers office at 317-570-0011, or our Indianapolis location at 317-849-0110.

Discomfort 101: The Best Ways to Treat Discomfort When in Braces

When you have braces, a little discomfort is to be expected. Luckily, all discomfort with braces is minor, and you should never be in so much pain that you miss school or work. Most discomfort caused by braces vanishes within a few days as your mouth and teeth adjust. With a little extra effort, you can reduce your discomfort levels until your mouth and teeth have had time to adjust!

Tooth Soreness:

This is very common after you have had your braces first put on and after each adjustment appointment. If you experience tooth soreness, take your preferred over the counter pain reliever such as Tylenol, Aleve or Advil, and refrain from eating any hard or chewy foods until the soreness goes away. Tooth soreness after appointments usually goes away after a few days, so just hang in there until its gone!

Mouth Sores:

Mouth sores are inside of your cheeks and sometimes the inside of your lips as well. Braces are composed of a lot of parts that are rubbing the inside of your mouth, so mouth sores are quite common when you have braces. To treat them, try a simple saltwater rinse composed of a cup of warm, not hot, water and 1-2 teaspoons of salt. Swish the solution around your teeth for about 15-30 seconds before spitting and continue the process until all of the solution is gone. It may taste funny, but a salt water rinse is easy and highly effective at healing mouth sores and making them less painful. There are rinses such as Peroxyl which we sell at our office that are designed specifically for mouth sores as well.

Using orthodontic wax is an effective way to cover and cushion a spot that is causing a mouth sore. Make sure to get the area you want to cover very dry to ensure the wax sticks. Paper towel works well for getting an area dry enough! While wax will help, use it sparingly as you will want the area getting the sore to get used to the braces being there. Over time, your mouth will get used to the braces and mouth sores will heal.

Something is Sharp or Poking

This can be the result of a couple of different things, but often, as your teeth begin to move and space between them closes, the wire has nowhere else to go but out the back of your bracket which can be a little uncomfortable. Using fingernail clippers or jewelry wire cutters, you can clip the offending wire on your own, or with the help of a parent if you are young. If the wire is impossible to reach, you can use orthodontic wax to cushion the sharp point. Again, make sure to get the area as dry as possible to help the wax stick. Use a salt water rinse to help your mouth heal if the poking wire has caused a sore.

If you have followed all of the steps above, and are still experiencing discomfort, call your orthodontist’s office. They will be able to tell you whether or not your discomfort can be treated at home, or if you need to come in for an appointment or see your dentist.

Emergency Care: Loose or Scratching Hook

When you start to wear elastics, you will might have new parts added to your brackets that allow you to wear your elastics. These parts look almost like tiny rods that the assistant will slide up through your bracket. The rods (often referred to as “drop-ins,” “posts” or “hooks”) have wire ends that fold over your bracket to hold it in place, ensuring you can wear your elastics with ease. Once you start wearing your elastics, this puts some tension on those posts and can sometimes cause them to start to wiggle loose. If this happens, you might notice that you have a slightly scratchy sensation near the bracket with the post. The good news is, this problem you can easily fix at home!

First, examine the bracket using your mirror. You might have to get close, but you should be able to see the offending wire end sticking up from the top of the bracket. Once you locate the problem, its simply a matter of pushing that little piece of wire back down into the bracket. You have a few options as to how you can do this. One option is to fix it using tweezers. Squeeze the tweezers to where they are closed and use the pointed end to push the wire end back down towards the bracket. This should only take a couple of tries. Other fine-ended hard objects can be used for this too. Just make sure what you are using is clean and not too sharp! If you do not have tweezers or do not feel comfortable using hard objects, you can also use the same technique with a pencil eraser to push the wire back into place.

If the wire end still does not want to go back down, orthodontic wax can be used to cushion your lip or cheek from the rough spot until your next regularly scheduled appointment. To ensure maximum effectiveness of orthodontic wax, be sure to get the area dry first. Paper towel works well at getting an area dry enough for wax to stick.

While an elastic hook coming loose might be irritating, it is not an orthodontic emergency, so there is no need to worry or rush to the orthodontist’s office. Just follow the steps above, and you will have the problem fixed on your own in minutes.

Protecting Your Retainer

Since your retainer is a lifetime commitment, you will have your retainer a long time. As such, it is important to know how to care for your retainer. This care includes identifying potential hazards to your retainer and preventing damage or loss. Luckily, keeping your retainer safe is easy and requires just a little extra effort. A lost or damaged retainer will have to be replaced, which costs you (or your parents) extra money and time.

A common source of damage to retainers is the dog. Since your retainer is in your mouth, it smells of your saliva, which as gross as it sounds to us, is highly appealing to your beloved pet. Dogs will do just about anything to get to a retainer, from climbing up on the counter or even chewing through retainer cases to get to it. You might find the remains of your retainer after your dog eats it, but other times, the retainer will simply disappear from its trusted resting place never to return again. The best way to prevent your dog from eating your retainer is to keep the retainer in its case and secured in either a drawer or up on a high shelf or in a cabinet.

The lunch, kitchen and dining rooms have also been the end of many retainers. Too often, a retainer is left on a lunch tray, forgotten, or is wrapped in a napkin to conceal it from view at the table, only to be discarded in the trash can and lost forever. Don’t let your retainer fall victim to a trash can. Unless specifically told otherwise by your orthodontist, keep your retainer at home in a location far from any dining areas, ideally your bathroom. Most retainers only need to be worn at night, but if you have been instructed to wear it more often, keep your retainer in its case. The case is larger and more visible, which will reduce the likelihood of it being accidentally thrown away. For an extra measure of protection, write your name and a phone number in permanent marker on the case so if it is left behind, someone can find it and return it to you.

For additional questions about retainers or about orthodontic treatment in general, contact your local orthodontic specialists at Walker Dixon Orthodontics in Indiana. For the Fishers office, call 317-570-0011, or for the Indianapolis location, call 317-849-0110.

Cleaning Your Retainer

Since your retainer is a lifetime commitment, you will have your retainer a long time, so it is important to know how to care for your retainer. This care includes keeping it clean. Luckily, keeping your retainer clean is easy and requires just a little of your time.

Cleaning:

There are a couple of methods recommended for cleaning your retainers. Dish soap and warm, not super hot, water is the most recommended way to clean your retainer. You can use a soft bristled toothbrush or proxabrush to get into the cracks and crevices, but remember to scrub gently to avoid unsightly scratches. Denture cleaner is another option that is easy to use and is inexpensive to acquire. Simply soak the retainer in the cleaner for the recommended time frame on the cleaner’s packaging.

Some methods are not recommended for cleaning your retainers. First and foremost, do not use any cleaners that are toxic to human consumption to clean your retainers. Make sure to read labels, and contact your orthodontist if you have questions on whether a product can be used on a retainer. Not only are some chemicals toxic to you, but they might also be too strong on your retainer and can cause damage!

Toothpaste is another substance to avoid. Toothpaste is designed to be abrasive to remove plaque and stains from your teeth, and this abrasiveness can make your retainer cloudy and cause scratches. Any colored cleaners, such as mouthwash and rinses, should also be avoided. They will kill off bacteria, but they will also stain your retainer and might be too strong. Lastly, do not boil your retainer. The high temperature can cause the retainer to become disfigured or even melt altogether!

For additional questions about cleaning retainers or about orthodontic treatment in general, contact your local orthodontic specialists at Walker Dixon Orthodontics in Indiana. For the Fishers office, call 317-570-0011, or for the Indianapolis location, call 317-849-0110.

All About Retainers!

What is a Retainer, and Why is It Important?

A retainer is a device used to keep your teeth in their perfect positions after your braces come off. It is important to wear your retainer consistently after your braces come off to ensure your teeth do not shift back to their pre-treatment state. Since your teeth are always alive, they are always going to want to move, therefore retainers are a lifetime commitment, and should be replaced relatively soon if they are lost or broken.

What are the Different Types of Retainers?

Because all mouths and teeth are different, your orthodontist may recommend a retainer that might be different from your friends’ retainers. The type of retainer most people think of is the kind of retainer that has a wire that goes around your teeth and a plastic piece that fits on the roof of your mouth. This type of retainer is known as a Hawley. Since it has a wire, the Hawley retainer can be adjusted when there are changes being made to your teeth. Your orthodontist might give you this type of retainer if they know you are going to lose teeth, or if your teeth have moved after your braces have come off.

Another type of retainer is the Acrylic Overlay. This retainer is a clear plastic tray that looks like a hollow model of your teeth at first glance. It fits right over your teeth, and is barely noticeable when worn. Your orthodontist will often give you this retainer if they want to keep your teeth exactly as they were, and is not adjustable, although it can be trimmed when baby teeth are lost to maintain its fit.

The last type of retainer is the 3-3, or as it is commonly known, the permanent retainer. A subtle, small piece of wire, your orthodontist will attach this retainer to the back of your bottom six front adult teeth at the end of your treatment. As these teeth are the most prone to fast movement, this retainer with faithfully keep your bottom teeth right where they need to be at all times.

If you have additional questions about orthodontic treatment, retainer wear, or if you need to replace a lost or broken retainer, contact your local orthodontic specialists at Walker Dixon Orthodontics. For the Fishers office, call 317-570-0011, or for the Indianapolis location, call 317-849-0110.

TMJ and TMD

What is TMJ/TMD?

TMJ is a commonly used abbreviation for the temporomandibular joint, also known as the jaw joint. These joints connect the mandible to the skull and allow for the range of jaw motion through the muscles in the area. When the joints do not work together with the muscles, that is when TMD, or temporomandibular joint disorder, occurs. TMD symptoms can include jaw pain and limitations in jaw movement such as locking or limited ability to open or close the jaw.

How do you treat TMD?

The correct course of treatment for TMD varies from case to case, and depends largely on the type and severity of symptoms. Self-treatment is always recommended first and includes the use of cold and warm moist compresses, over-the-counter pain reliever and a soft diet until symptoms subside. It is also recommended to avoid activities that put additional strain on the jaw muscles which includes yawning widely, chewing gum and eating hard or chewy foods. If symptoms persist, or are greater in severity, it is a good idea to consult with your dentist or your local orthodontic specialist who might recommend a splint or orthodontic treatment to correct a bite discrepancy that might be causing TMD. Surgery for TMD is usually only recommended as a last resort to treat TMD after all other methods of treatment have been exhausted, and extreme caution is advised for those seeking surgical treatment for TMD.

If you are experiencing TMD symptoms, and would like additional information on how bite correction can help provide you with relief, contact your local orthodontic specialists at Walker Dixon Orthodontics to schedule an exam. For the Fishers location, call 317-570-0011, or for the Indianapolis location, call 317-849-0110.

Emergency Care: Wire Poke

Your braces are a system made up of a lot of little parts that work together to make lots of little movements of your teeth. Since there are a lot of parts that move a lot, and they are attached to your mouth, which also moves a lot, it is likely that you might have some part of your braces that breaks, falls off, or just does something flat out weird that you can’t quite figure out.

Today, we are going to explore one of the different things that can go wrong while you have your braces, and what you should do if you encounter them. Some problems you might be able to fix on your own (or with a little help from mom and dad), but other problems might be a little more complex. For those, you will definitely want to ask your orthodontist for a helping hand.

Wire Poke:

You wake up one morning, or are going about your day, and all of a sudden you start to get the feeling that something is scratching at the back of the inside of your cheek, or when you talk, you feel as though your cheek is getting caught on something sharp. Surprise! You have what orthodontic offices like to call a wire poke. Probably the most common problem seen with braces, this issue is most often seen in the early stages of treatment as space between teeth is closing the quickest at this time. Naturally, as the space between your teeth closes up, the wire has to go somewhere, and often, it has nowhere else to go but out of the brackets on your very back teeth, making for an uncomfortable situation for you!

You can tell if you have a wire poke a lot of times just by how it feels, but if you are not sure, you can pull you cheek back and look in your bathroom mirror at your back brackets. You might just see a tiny piece of wire hanging out back there. If its too dark to  see exactly what is going on back there, you can use a flashlight (like the one on your phone) or recruit a parent to help you take a look.

Once you determine that you have a wire poke, it is then time to determine how to go about getting it fixed. Sometimes, a wire poke can be fixed at home with no extra trip to the orthodontist required. If you are recently in braces, your first wires are really thin and flexible, which means a simple nail clipper can sometimes do the trick. Simply slide the nail clipper back towards the offending piece of wire, holding your cheek back and out away from the brackets and snip that piece of wire as close to the bracket as you can. Kiddos, recruit the help of your parents for this one! If it is too far back to reach with the nail clipper, you can clip the wire up closer to the front where it is easier to see and get to until you can get into your orthodontist for a permanent fix. Your orthodontist can always replace a wire, but your comfort should come first.

If you are unable to fix the problem at home, call your orthodontist to see about making an appointment. Until you can get into your orthodontist, you can use wax to cushion the wire. Make sure to get the area as dry as possible (a paper towel works great for this), roll a pea-sized piece of wax into a ball, and press the wax firmly on the sharp piece of wire. This should make you a lot more comfortable until your orthodontist can get you in for a wire clip.

Remember, while a wire poke might be uncomfortable, it is easily fixed and no reason to panic. Take a deep breath, follow the steps above, and see about getting into your orthodontist.