Baird Orthodontics

I just got my braces. Now what? You WILL survive! The best thing you can do is follow the instructions given by Dr. Baird and his team. Here’s the lowdown…

DO:

1. Brush morning, night, and after meals when possible. Get the teeth clean! Brush on top of the brackets, under the wire, and gently brush the gums. Don’t forget the parts of the teeth that don’t have braces! If you can’t brush after a meal or snack, swish with water. Let the shower blast your teeth or use a waterpik if available. Sugarless gum does not replace brushing, but it can help get rid of some plaque as well!

2. Floss daily. Platypus flossers can be found on amazon.com.

3. Limit sugar intake, especially soda and sports drink.

4. Eat healthy foods.

5. Be careful biting and chewing.

6. Wear elastics as instructed (usually 24 hours a day)!

7. Visit your dentist every 6 months!

DON’T:

1. Break brackets. Some foods are hard on braces - think anything that’s hard and sticky. Here are a few foods with bad reputations: carmel, Now and Laters, Tootsie Rolls, bagels, beef jerky, nuts, popcorn. Popcorn husks (you know. Those little shell things around the kernel) can easily get stuck and cause trauma to the gums - not fun! Cut apples and carrots into smaller pieces and chew them with your back teeth. We can’t list every item that has ever broken a brace, so just be careful and use good judgement.

2. Forget to do all the things in the DO list.

Orthodontics is a team game! We will do our best to provide you with excellent treatment, but some things you have to do for yourself.

Here are four keys to finishing braces sooner and with better results:

1. Keep your teeth and gums clean all the time. Go easy on the sugar, especially soda and sports drinks!

2. Don’t break off brackets!

3. Wear elastics as instructed. The pattern of wearing is important, our team will show you how this works. The pattern may change from time to time depending on what is needed. Wearing them all the time is a big deal. Elastics work really well if worn full time, with very limited movement if worn part time!

4. Come to all appointments!

Congratulations! You made it through your orthodontic treatment! Now what???

1. Retainers are used to keep your teeth in place. The longer retainers are worn the better!

2. Visit your dentist to make sure everything is looking good after the removal of your braces.

Removable Retainers (Plastic):

1. Wear removable retainers day and night for 6 weeks (except when eating and brushing).

2. Talking can be a bit of an adjustment but it improves within the first 2-3 days. You may also produce some extra saliva for the first couple of days.

3. Wear nightly for one year. After that, continue to wear at least every other night as long as possible.

4. Take out your retainers and brush them when you brush your teeth. You can occasionally clean them with dish soap.

5. Don’t clean retainers in the dishwasher. Don’t boil your retainers or use alcohol to clean them. Don’t leave them in a hot car. They could become distorted and no longer fit, allowing teeth to shift

6. Call us right away if you notice your retainer does not fit well.

7. Keep your retainer in the box we provide when it’s not in your mouth - even at home. Dogs like to chew on retainers, they can get bumped to the floor and stepped on, they can be thrown away at restaurants, etc. The majority of lost or broken retainers can be avoided by keeping them in your box.

Cemented Retainers:

1. Be careful eating. The bonds are not as easily broken as with braces, but they can break.

2. Keep track of the status of your retainer. If the glue is broken on even one tooth, that tooth may move. Call right away for re-centering.

3. Keep it clean! Brush and floss!

4. Cemented retainers should remain in place for at least 5 years. If you can keep things clean, they can remain for a lifetime.

5. Retainers, like most things in this world, do not last forever. The first set of retainers is included in your original treatment fee. New retainers may be purchased as needed due to breakage, loss, or if you just need a fresh retainer months or years down the road. If you decide to switch from a cemented to a removable retainer (or vice versa), the fees will apply as well.

6. Without a retainer your teeth may move, even if your teeth have been straight for a long time. Re-straightening teeth can sometimes be accomplished with a spring retainer, but only for minor corrections. Sometimes re-treatment with braces is the only option. The sooner you call us if you notice your teeth moving, the easier it is to maintain tooth position. Re-straightening will be easier too.

Retainers, like most things in this world, do not last forever. The first set of retainers is included in your original treatment fee. New retainers may be purchased as needed due to breakage, loss, or if you just need a fresh retainer months or years down the road. If you decide to switch from a cemented to a removable retainer (or vice versa), the fees will apply as well.

Without a retainer your teeth may move, even if your teeth have been straight for a long time. Re-straightening teeth can sometimes be accomplished with a spring retainer, but only for minor corrections. Sometimes re-treatment with braces is the only option. The sooner you call us if you notice your teeth moving, the easier it is to maintain tooth position. Re-straightening will be easier too.

Replacement Fees:

First set of retainers (cemented or removable): Included in treatment fee.

Replacement removable retainer: $137

Retainer with spring to move a tooth: $163

Re-cement retainer - first six months: No Charge

Re-cement retainer (after six months): $10

Re-cement whole retainer (new retainer): $137

Re-treatment with braces: Varies depending on what is needed.

The upper jaw (maxilla is the fancy word) is made of two bones. Because of this, an expander may be used to slowly separate the bones and widen the upper jaw. Here are some facts and tips that will help during this time:

1. Talking and swallowing will improve during the first few days.

2. The expander should feel tight for a short time after each turn.

3. Brush the gums near the expander.

4. Rinse with water after each meal to prevent food from getting stuck.

5. The expander should remain in place for 4-6 months following expansion to allow the new bone to stabilize.

6. If the expander comes loose, or if there is a significant amount of pain (which is rare), stop turning the expander and call us.

Precautions:

1. If you have any questions regarding the appropriate use of this product, including how long it will take to bleach your teeth, please consult your dentist.

2. Regular dental checkups and cleanings are important before and after bleaching to maintain a healthy smile.

3. Some patients experience sensitivity with bleaching. Should this occur, stop treatment and contact your dentist.

4. Some patients have noticed temporary discomfort of the gums, lips, throat, or tongue. Should any of these symptoms persist more than two days or progressively worsen, call your dentist. These side effects will usually subside within 1-3 days after treatment is discontinued.

5. Pregnant or breastfeeding women, or patients with serious health concerns should not whiten. Consult their primary care provider prior to treatment

6. If patient has a known allergy or chemical sensitivity to any of the ingredients in Opalescence whitening, do not use. Mint or melon flavor can be irritating to some patients. If a patient has a known sensitivity to flavorings, the nonflavored variant should be selected.

7. Do not use household bleach to whiten teeth.

8. Do not use tobacco or eat while bleaching trays are in place.

9. Teeth are naturally darker along the gum line. These areas may require more time to lighten than the rest of the tooth surface and usually remain slightly darker.

10. White spots that appear on the enamel during the whitening process may blend with continued whitening.

11. Crowns, bridges, partial dentures, veneers, and composite fillings will not bleach.

12. Coffee, tobacco, and other products can re-stain your teeth over time. Should this occur, teeth can be re-whitened.

13. Some amalgam fillings may leave a dark purple color in your bleaching tray; this is normal.

14. Check expiration date and store according to instructions.

15. Avoid swallowing large amounts of gel or water used to rinse gel residue from the teeth.

16. Avoid contact with eyes.

Instructions:

1. Follow your dentists’ instructions on how to load gel into your custom bleaching tray. Use 1/3 to 1/2 of syringe.

2. Place trays in mouth and lightly tap tray to adapt sides to teeth. Wear Opalescence 10% gel for 8-10 hours or overnight, Opalescence 15% for 4-6 hours, Opalescence 20% gel for 2-4 hours, Opalescence 35% for 30-60 minutes, and Opalescence Quick 45% gel for 30-60 minutes.

3. Remove trays from mouth and remove excess gel with clean finger or soft toothbrush. Do not swallow rinsed gel.

4. Clean tray with soft brush and water. Store tray in case provided.

Broken Bracket

The bracket will usually stay connected to the wire, just leave it there and call for an appointment to put it back on. Please call ahead rather than waiting for your regular appointment so we can schedule the proper amount of time.

Poking Wire

Cover with wax. If wax doesn’t work, try a cotton ball, piece of fabric, or anything you can think of to protect the cheek, even a chewed piece of sugarless gum. Call for an appointment to get it fixed.

Loose expander or other appliance with bands

Usually they will be loose on one side only. Push the loose part back into place and call for a recementing appointment. If both sides are loose, go ahead and take it out. If eating is inhibited, call the emergency number.

Call the West Jordan office if you can’t work out a problem on a temporary basis. Dr. Baird’s cell phone number will be on the message. You can also text him. An alternate number will be provided on the West Jordan voicemail if Dr. Baird is out of town.