Just got mine fitted. Some questions

[mjcewl1284]

So I got my teeth fitted for Damon braces just yesterday. No problems yet so far but I do have some general questions about them.

1- My ortho quoted me 10-14 months on the whole process for my teeth to correctly align. Is she off her rocker? I have a picture of my teeth here. Sorry about the slight blur.

I don't really doubt my ortho, who came highly recommended to me, but I am skeptical of the timeframe she gave me. Some of my friends who had braces (not Damon braces) say that 2-3 yrs is the minimum. Hence why I am skeptical.

2. My ortho also educated me about the slant brushing method so I don't damage my braces but I am a bit concerned about regular brushing (bristles at a parallel angle to the bracket). Maybe I am a bit sensitive, but do I brush gently or brush normally?

3. My ortho did not give me any special floss, but did give me a "christmas tree" brush, an interbrush, and a pick as some of the instruments for my cleaning. Do I need to pick up the special floss as well (I assume the "christmas tree" brush doubles as floss, which I have never used before)?

Thanks.

[Sunny]

Hi and welcome mjcewl!

Great that your treatment has started and here's to you getting excellent results!

Your questions ...
1) If your work is mostly alignment, which is all that can be seen from your photo, then the archwires usually do that work quickly, and 10-14 months with the modern memory archwires, is within an expected range.

The type of brackets you have will not affect how your teeth move, it's about the archwires and ortho skill. The brackets are bonded to your teeth, but will do nothing to help your teeth move, until the archwire is put in them and your ortho has the skill to know what else is needed.

Bite issues take the longest to correct and often people with teeth that look like they need minimal orthodontic work, take the longest due to the bite being the problem.

You chose your ortho to treat your teeth, so it's best to trust the person you've chosen!

2) Brushing should always be done gently, so as not to damage the enamel on your teeth or your gums. I'm not aware of the slant brushing method, but where I work, we recommend our patients use a toothbrush with a small soft head, like a child's one and/or an electric toothbrush with a small head, like the oral b range. We then demonstrate the way to brush above, below and over each bracket. We recommend the use of interdental brushes for under the archwire and oral b superfloss to take care of the gums. Plus a mouthrinse with fluoride.

3) Interdental brushes (cyclinder or those shaped like a christmas tree) are great for cleaning around the brackets, especially under the archwire. Interdental brushes to do not floss your gums correctly, for that you need to use floss. There are two brands that produce floss for people with braces ... that's oral b superfloss and crest glide threader floss. Some people use threaders, that look like a plastic (flexible) version of a darning needle and you can use any type of floss in. You'll need to check at your local pharmacy for a product you can use to floss correctly with.

Click here to check out some videos on flossing, brushing etc, while you have braces. Plus if you have any concerns, give your ortho's office a call and ask.

Hope these answers help! Good luck with progress!

[mjcewl1284]

Hi and welcome mjcewl! ...

3) Interdental brushes (cyclinder or those shaped like a christmas tree) are great for cleaning around the brackets, especially under the archwire. Interdental brushes to do not floss your gums correctly, for that you need to use floss. There are two brands that produce floss for people with braces ... that's oral b superfloss and crest glide threader floss. Some people use threaders, that look like a plastic (flexible) version of a darning needle and you can use any type of floss in. You'll need to check at your local pharmacy for a product you can use to floss correctly with.

Click here to check out some videos on flossing, brushing etc, while you have braces. Plus if you have any concerns, give your ortho's office a call and ask.

Hope these answers help! Good luck with progress!

Hi Sunny, thanks for your reply.

Well I did flossing the long way, like manually without the superthread. Not fun. But I did go ahead and get most of it, being really careful not to hit the wires too hard. One thing I need to ask which is a concern, my right central incisor and lateral incisor are very close together, so there is almost no way for me to floss between those two, in fact, the paste (for the bracket on the central incisor) is blocking the gap between those two teeth. I am not so sure it is possible to floss without messing the bracket there. What to do there?

(What I meant by the slant method was to angle the toothbrush at 45 deg and brush teeth to gum area above/underneath the bracket, sorry that wasn't too clear on my part.)

[Sunny]

Mjcewl flossing can be a major pain in the early days, but with practise you'll find it gets easier and faster. I guess we need to remind ourselves about the reasons for flossing, as it's a waste of money to have ortho treatment and neglect our gums, the areas that hold our teeth nicely in place. I've had mild gum disease as a result of not flossing, so I've learnt the hard way.

You'll need to ask your ortho to chip the additional bonding away from between those two teeth, as it's important that you be able to floss between them. Would you be able to get the small stiffened end of either the oral b superfloss or glide threader floss through at the gum line? If you could do that, you'd still be able to floss just below the gum area, which is what's needed, then at your next appointment get the additional bonding removed.

It sounds like you were instructed to brush on either side of the brackets, the same as we instruct our patients. Sorry I didn't understand!

Good luck with flossing getting easier each day!

[mjcewl1284]

One question on flossing: On one of the front teeth I am flossing, it feels like the tooth is moving. It isn't shifting a lot, the bracket/wire there is not damaged, and the tooth obviously still in the gum (and not hanging) but the tooth in question was the right lower lateral incisor and when I flossed that part, it moved a bit so that it wasn't resting on the central incisor anymore. Is this normal? Do I need to inform my ortho about this?

Also on mouthwash: I usually use 3 times per week, does this frequency need to go up?

Thanks again Sunny, you've been very informative.

[Sunny]

Teeth have to loosen so they can move mjcewl. It sounds like you've got some movement happening. I found movement had happened, while I was flossing and due to my bite being off, before I could see it ... exciting!

Ask your ortho about the mouthwash, as it may vary. Where I work, we ask patients to use a mouthwash with fluoride twice a day to rinse with, and then not to drink anything for as long as possible after that, so that the fluoride stays in contact with the teeth for hopefully 30 minutes.

Good luck with your movement!

[mjcewl1284]

My ortho just called to ask me if I had any problems with the braces and I mentioned the floss thing to her and she said just be gentle when flossing teeth and don't put too much pressure on each individual teeth during. I am slightly relieved. I guess I worry too often.

I usually use mouthwash before I sleep after brushing so I guess what you've described will always work for me.

Thanks again.

[Sunny]

That was so sweet of your ortho to check on how things are going for you!

Flossing is to remove anything that might have built up just below the gum, during the day. It's a process that should be gentle, as you don't want to harm your gums.

Enjoy!

[mjcewl1284]

A quick update: I have been to the ortho for my first realignment and went through quite a painful tightening, due to one wire "not inserting properly." But the whole process took 30 mins and my next appointment is set in 2 months. I will do a quick upload of teeth pictures later.

But to my new question on flossing: Recently while flossing, I've noticed that I can actually slide the floss lower than the gap in between teeth, we're talking penetrating into the ridge in between teeth and gum. Now I am not forcing it in, so I don't think it will hurt my teeth or affect re-aligning but is this normal? I have not experienced any bleeding when this happens, for what it's worth.

(If you need me to upload a picture because what I said might be confusing, let me know)

I've also started using a Waterpik, normally before bed each day, I don't think this could be the problem though.

[Sunny]

Great you've had your first adjustment and even though it was a long one, it went well!

When you floss, the floss should pass just below the gum line, as that is the purpose of flossing, to clean the area just below the gum line. The teeth can be cleaned with toothbrushes and interdental brushes, but the gums need to be cared for also.

Waterpikes are fine for removing food from around the brackets and between your teeth. Make sure you only use it on a low pressure and never face it towards your gums, as you gum tissue is fragile and you don't want to damage it.

Good luck with your progress and here's to your next adjustment being a good one!

[mjcewl1284]

Another update: Second realignment is in. My lower teeth have been "locked." The re-tightening was incredibly painful for some of my teeth, my ortho said that one of my front upper teeth (lateral incisor) is not responding, hence the tighter feeling. The other major point of the appointment was the fact that there was some tartar buildup (hardened) on the interior of my teeth (meaning that it's not on my enamel, it's on the other side). It's not major, but it is easily identifiable, as it is stark white. My ortho advised me to add an additional brushing method on the bottom incisors: left to right. I told her that I brushed those teeth up to down but not left to right. She scheduled a regular clean for me a month from now, giving me time to see if brushing/flossing would work on minimizing the tartar located there. So mixed feelings about my teeth cleaning (I thought I had been doing a pretty decent job, I guess that is not the case).

I have a question about the tartar problem: I brushed slightly harder on the tartar affected areas and the whole area started bleeding. Do I need to stop doing this? I know that I may need to wait a month to get it fully off, but is there anything I can do right now, besides flossing and brushing thoroughly, to decrease the tartar buildup?

(My friend had said she used to dip a single tufted brush into a flouride based mouthwash and before she went to sleep, she'd coat the affected buildup with the mouthwash, and it helped, the affected tartar area decreased.)

I apologize for not posting any updated pictures, but I definitely have shown some signs of improvement, and so I will upload some pictures soon!

[Sunny]

Wow ... a lot's happening. The lower teeth (lingual side) often get a buildup on the enamel, unless you're very careful with the cleaning in that area. The reason being there's an areas a bit further back in the mouth ... in line with the back of those teeth, that releases chemicals from our body into our mouth ... so the first place it 'hits' is those teeth. Now about your cleaning ... teeth don't bleed, so you must be brushing your gums and not your teeth. It's important not to brush your gums, other than very gently to stimulate them, as you risk wearing the delicate gum tissue away and it doesn't regrow. Personally I'd get my dentist to clean the area to begin with, then include a more careful brushing of that area in your oral hygiene routine. I don't think this is something you should be trying to remove if it's already formed and hardened. Way too risky.

I love your use of words about your adjustments. Does your ortho call it 'retightening' and 'locking'? They're old fashioned terms and I had to ask the ortho's I work for about their meaning. I was pretty confident that the use of 'retightening', relates back to the old full band brackets (up to 1970's I think), when the archwire was just a piece of metal, that had to be tightened to make the teeth move ... aren't we lucky that they work without such crude happenings now!

I hope you adjust to the changes that were made at your last appointment and that your lateral incisor gets into line! Good luck!

[mjcewl1284]

Wow ... a lot's happening. The lower teeth (lingual side) often get a buildup on the enamel, unless you're very careful with the cleaning in that area. The reason being there's an areas a bit further back in the mouth ... in line with the back of those teeth, that releases chemicals from our body into our mouth ... so the first place it 'hits' is those teeth. Now about your cleaning ... teeth don't bleed, so you must be brushing your gums and not your teeth. It's important not to brush your gums, other than very gently to stimulate them, as you risk wearing the delicate gum tissue away and it doesn't regrow. Personally I'd get my dentist to clean the area to begin with, then include a more careful brushing of that area in your oral hygiene routine. I don't think this is something you should be trying to remove if it's already formed and hardened. Way too risky.

Thanks for the feedback on this area. What would you suggest on brushing technique on the lower front teeth? I do brush in that area on the interior part from an up to down fashion, holding my tooth brush at a 45 degree angle away from my mouth (as shown here, and now have incorporated brushing from a left to right direction.

Also, would I need to increase flossing in this area? I always floss at least once every day, but I don't go twice or three times.

[Sunny]

You only need to floss once a day to make sure that the area just below the gum is clean. This is about brushing and what I recommend is that you try circular motion brushing. Make sure the head of your brush is soft and small ... if using a manual, we recommend using a childs toothbrush and if using electric use something like an oral b head.

This should be sufficient. I had problems in that area, but once I realised it was being caused by a gland releasing fluid into the area, I made sure I put more effort into my nightly clean ... and since then, there's been no build up. I brush in the morning ... but it's a quick clean, rarely brush during the day and do a thorough brush etc (complete oral hygiene overhaul) before bed ... and this is the best my teeth have ever been. I used to brush at least three times a day ... but I didn't brush properly or use the interdental brushes, floss etc. Then I had to have treatment for mild gum disease ... so my whole focus changed. What I've learnt, is it's not about quantity ... it's about making the one or two times a day you do oral hygiene work, being about quality.

Good luck!

[damon-braces-user]

Hi mjcewl1284. Would you mind posting a picture of your current teeth state with the brace? I'd like to see how much the damon braces has been able to correct the alignment within 3 months.

[Sunny]

dbu ... sorry to bring this up again ... but, it's not the bracket that moves teeth, it's the archwires ... and of course the skill of your ortho knowing how to use the archwires, elastics, powerchains etc etc etc.

Think about how your teeth would move if they just had brackets on them?

[mjcewl1284]

Hi mjcewl1284. Would you mind posting a picture of your current teeth state with the brace? I'd like to see how much the damon braces has been able to correct the alignment within 3 months.

Let me get back to you on that. I finally sent off my digital camera to the shop. It's been repeatedly having problems downloading to my computer, hence why there are no new pictures.

A quick update: This morning after eating, I was done cleaning my teeth and I peered into the rear section of my mouth and noticed a bracket hanging on the wire. I did not notice any of the white adhesive on the teeth (yuck, ingested adhesive). My previous appointment had been recently, so it's likely my ortho did not miss the hanging bracket. I popped in for a quick appointment and the bracket was reattached in 30 mins. I asked if this would delay my scheduled debonding and she said since the whole wire did not come off, she didn't see any delay in my progress.

She did tell me to brush carefully back there, as space is limited and any hard brushing will do damage, such as having a whole bracket come off and hang on the wire.

[Sunny]

Rarely do brackets coming off affect treatment, unless you're days away from surgery and tiny movement could affect the outcome. The archwire will keep working, wherever it's still engaged, so with our patients we rarely ask them to come back in until their next scheduled appointment, unless it's immediately after having their brackets put on.

Good luck brushing and don't worry about the bracket too much, as bonding normally will withstand a great deal of pressure ... it has to, as look how far many teeth have to move.

[mjcewl1284]

I will give a quick update on the latest checkup as soon as I get this out of the way.

Take a look at this picture .

Long story short, my ortho is attempting to straighten out my right central incisor using the wire that was inserted inside. Biggest question: How on earth am I going to floss now? I would essentially need to loop twice through two wires, and was not succesful this evening on any of my lower teeth. My ortho said not to mess with the wire as much as possible. Only thing I can think of now is to do a real clean thorough cleaning with my waterpik. Advice needed immediately.

[Sunny]

mjcewl we get our patients to use oral b superfloss, which has one end that's stiffened and can be threaded through at the base of most teeth ... and this works fine when patients have a lingual bar/expander as well as an archwire to deal with. Again it's about practice ... the more you practice the easier it will become.

A waterpik will not clean teeth completely, as it can't get the material that's below the gum line or material caught between teeth that are connected tightly. It's good at removing the bigger stuff that gets stuck around brackets ... so use if for that, but you'll still need to clean your teeth with something else.

Good luck and if you have difficulties flossing without feeling like you're affecting the lingal bar, give your ortho's office a call and ask them for advice.

Here's to progress!