Life With Braces

At Rose Hill Family Dentistry, Dr. Mark and Nicholas Troilo do not perform any form of orthodontics. We have teamed up with several of the best and most reputable orthodontists in the area to meet your smile-straightening needs. Drs. Nick and Mark collaborate with orthodontists in Derby, Andover, and Wichita to provide all orthodontic care for our patients.

Eating with Braces

In reality, you can choose to eat anything you want; however, certain foods come with risks. Very hard foods like nuts and candy, in addition to sticky foods like chewing gum, can tear the brackets right off your teeth, leading to additional office visits and delayed treatment. Foods high in sugar can also lead to decay around your brackets which—you guessed it—can also delay treatment.

It’s best to stick to easy-to-chew foods. If you want to eat something that requires force biting in to, like apples or carrots, just cut them up first!

Brushing and Flossing with Braces

As expected, brushing is your first line of defense. Ideally, brushing with braces should be completed after every meal. Braces trap food much more than natural teeth, and because of this, additional measures must be taken to accommodate the additional buildup of food and plaque. This is also where floss threaders and a water flosser come in handy.

Traditional flossing is not possible with brackets. A device called a floss threader is an additional device that is needed during orthodontic treatment.

A water flosser is also a great tool to use during orthodontic treatment. It is one of the best weapons to free the braces of food debris. The water flossers use pulses of water to blast away food and plaque buildup around the brackets and around the gum tissues.

Discomfort

The original placement of braces and subsequent adjustments can and will cause soreness in the jawbone surrounding the teeth. This is expect and completely normal. If you have any questions about anything please call your orthodontist. They will be able to reassure you over the phone or recommend you come in for a quick examination.

Ensuring Successful Orthodontic Treatment

The most important aspect to successful orthodontic treatment is high compliance with your hygienist, general dentist, and orthodontist. We work together as a team to provide you the best information and care to give you the best outcome possible. Other than great home care, having patience is important in the process to getting you where you want to be with the alignment and cosmetic appearance of your teeth.

If the patient is non-compliant, and does not follow the recommended instructions of orthodontic care, they could be forced to remove the braces and suspend or even stop treatment. Decalcification of the enamel can and will occur around the brackets if they are not properly cleaned regularly. If this occurs, the only treatment is composite fillings or possibly crowns.