Band-
A metal ring which fits snugly all the way around a tooth - usually a back tooth.
Arch wire- The arch wire is the main wire running through your braces. This wire straightens the teeth.
Bracket- The individual braces connected to the teeth are called brackets.
Band-
A metal ring which fits snugly all the way around a tooth - usually a back tooth.
Spacer or separator- A small elastic which causes the teeth to move apart slightly- usually in order to fit a band around a tooth
Click image to enlarge view
Elastic tie- Elastic ties connect the wire to the brackets- they come in a variety of colors
Steel tie- Connects the arch wire to the brackets and is made of metal.
Incisor- A front tooth
Canine- Pointy tooth next to the incisors.
Molar- A large back tooth
Premolar- Tooth between the canines and the molars
Retainer- Used to hold the teeth in place, sometimes to move teeth as well. May be removable or bonded in place
Elastics or rubber bands- Used to help improve the bite, usually run from upper to lower teeth in some manner as directed by the orthodontist
Appliance- Anything placed in your mouth to move or hold the teeth may be called an “appliance”, including braces, retainers, etc.
| 1. | The most important thing to remember after getting braces is to keep things clean. If you don‘t, you will develop white marks on your teeth, known as “decalcification”. Decalcification is permanent, so you must prevent it yourself from the first day you get braces. You can also get tooth decay, known as “holes in your teeth”. You can also get gingivitis, which is swollen, unhealthy gums. Bleeding when brushing is a sign of gingivitis. This means you need to brush better than ever if your gums bleed so they can get healthy again. **You are the only person that can prevent these three problems from happening. Brush after every meal and before bed, and floss once a day. Our assistants should have shown you exactly how this is to be done. If they have not shown you in a way you understand, please ask them to show you again until you can do it. This goes for parents as well. |
| 2. | Use a fluoride rinse such as ACT fluoride twice a day to help the tooth structures stay strong. This product is available at many department stores or grocery stores. |
| 3. | Stay away from candy and soda pop as much as possible. Brush as soon as you can after eating these foods. |
| 4. | Visit your dentist every six months while your braces are on. |
| 5. | Please be careful biting with the braces. Individual braces are called “brackets”. The brackets will stay on the whole time you are in treatment if you treat them right. Some foods will break off brackets. These include: a. Hard foods carrots, apples, ice, bagels, pizza crust, chips, etc. Please cut up carrots and apples, etc., and chew them with the back teeth. b. Sticky foods- Jolly ranchers, caramel, Now ’n Laters, etc. ** If bracket debonding becomes a consistent problem, you may be charged a service fee to put them back on, so be careful. |
| 6. | You will probably be a little sore for a few days after an adjustment of the braces, including after the first day they are put on. Advil or Tylenol may be used to help you get through the first few days of soreness. A soft food diet will probably be helpful as well. Some have suggested chewing sugarless gum as a way to stimulate blood flow around the teeth, which may reduce the soreness as well. |
| 7. | Our emergency number is 230-3143 if questions or problems should arise. An emergency number will always be listed on our answering machines as well. |
| 8. | Develop good habits from the start to make having braces as easy as possible. If you are supposed to wear elastics or other appliances, do it! It‘s the best and fastest way to get finished with braces. Your cooperation makes treatment go faster and is vital to the best possible treatment results. |
| 9. | Getting adjusted to the braces may take a few weeks. If something is bothering you, use the wax to cover it up until your mouth gets a little tougher. A poking wire may be clipped with fingernail clippers at home in an emergency (make sure to hold onto the back part, or “free end” of the wire with tweezers, etc.), or you can call the office to schedule a time to come in to get a long wire trimmed. Many department stores and grocery stores sell products designed to numb the tissues of the mouth. These may be helpful in getting through the first few weeks as well. |
Elastics are used to correct your bite. They usually are placed between the top and bottom braces. You will be instructed how to wear the elastics depending on what your needs are. Wearing elastics as instructed is CRITICAL to getting your braces off as quickly as possible. They should be worn 24 hours per day unless instructed differently by Dr. Baird.
Retainers keep your teeth in place after orthodontic treatment. Retainers may be bonded in place or removable. The type of retainer you need may depend on the individual problems associated with your case. Removable retainers should be worn full time for the first few months after treatment and at night after that. Long-term retainer wear is the best way to protect your investment in your smile.
Bonded retainers are recommended in some cases with severe rotations or crowding, or at the patient’s request. Bonded retainers are fixed in place. This creates some issues with oral hygiene. It is important to floss every day and to brush extremely well around a bonded retainer. You also need to be somewhat careful when eating, not as much as with braces, but bonded retainers may come loose as well. If your bonded retainer comes loose, please contact our office.
If you are careful brackets will stay bonded to your teeth the entire time you are in treatment. If a bracket does come off, it will usually stay attached to the wire. If it is not bothering you, call the office to schedule a rebond within a week or so. Broken brackets are a cause of extended treatment time, so donšt wait too long.
If only the front teeth have braces and the end bracket comes off, you may find the wire poking you in the front. The wire may be clipped close to the next attached bracket with fingernail clippers.
If you canšt make yourself comfortable using wax or other means, call the emergency number listed on our answering machine.
Wires may come out of the bracket slot or tube in the back of your mouth. Or a wire may break. This is especially common with the lighter wires used early in treatment. If this does not poke or hurt you, it should not be a problem until your next appointment.
You may wish to carefully try to replace the wire in the tube using tweezers or needle-nose pliers.
Steel tie wires are sometimes needed to keep the main wire in place. Occasionally the end of this wire will become bent toward the cheek. A number of items may be used to bend it back toward the teeth and away from the cheek: a pencil eraser, the broken end of a toothpick, the end of a fork, etc.
If you can’t make yourself comfortable using these tips or by using wax or other means, call the emergency number listed on our answering machine.
If a cemented appliance or a band becomes loose, try to keep it in place or push it back into place until you can be seen. If the loose appliance prevents you from eating or is causing pain, call our emergency number.
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Please contact us if you have questions that have not been answered. |
| To schedule an initial consultation please call: |
280-1722 (West Jordan)
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We look forward to meeting you! |
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