Orthodontist here

[wirebender06]

Hi everyone,

I'm an orthodontist in California who stumbled upon this forum while searching for tools people are using to floss with their appliances.
I'd be more than happy to give my opinion on things that might be relevant with braces.

I understand that while starting ortho treatment is exciting, it can also be very stressful. Just know that you are not alone and when all is said and done, you will not regret having gone through the treatment and can look forward to a lifetime of great smiles and wonderful dental health.

[shinshan904]

Hi everyone,

I'm an orthodontist in California who stumbled upon this forum while searching for tools people are using to floss with their appliances.
I'd be more than happy to give my opinion on things that might be relevant with braces.

I understand that while starting ortho treatment is exciting, it can also be very stressful. Just know that you are not alone and when all is said and done, you will not regret having gone through the treatment and can look forward to a lifetime of great smiles and wonderful dental health.

Do you think it is ok for patients to change their own ligatures in between appointments? I've gotten a lot of mixed answers on this. I have clear ones and after 1 1/2 weeks they are already yellow.

[NarcoAngel]

I have a question. I have a protruding canine. I am wondering how long it will take to determine if the tooth is ankylosed? And what will they do to correct it? Is there anything that they can do?

[wirebender06]

No, we do not recommend patients change their own ligatures. 1. it can be fairly dangerous as you may slip and cut your gums, chip or teeth, etc. 2. You may debond one or more of your brackets in the process and thus delaying your treatment even more. It is not uncommon for your ties to change colors, but you can minimize this by watching what you eat and avoiding foods that stain ( red sauces, red wine, curry, etc. )

You should definitely discuss this with your orthodontist and get some feedback.

[wirebender06]

I have a question. I have a protruding canine. I am wondering how long it will take to determine if the tooth is ankylosed? And what will they do to correct it? Is there anything that they can do?

It should take 4-6 mo to determine if your canine is ankylosed. If it is erupted, it is likely not ankylosed. Without knowing the details of your case, I cannot comment on what they might do to correct it. In general, if you have an erupted canine that is blocked out of the arch, first thing you do is to make space. Then attach with a bracket and then guide it back into the arch. If you notice the tooth is not moving and the arch is distorting, then you may suspect ankylosis.

[NarcoAngel]

It should take 4-6 mo to determine if your canine is ankylosed. If it is erupted, it is likely not ankylosed. Without knowing the details of your case, I cannot comment on what they might do to correct it. In general, if you have an erupted canine that is blocked out of the arch, first thing you do is to make space. Then attach with a bracket and then guide it back into the arch. If you notice the tooth is not moving and the arch is distorting, then you may suspect ankylosis.

It's erupted, and outside the arch (if you can see my photo icon). It is not attached to the wire yet, he just attached a band from it to my lower 2nd pre molar. what is the band supposed to do?

[Lillaree]

I would just like to say welcome to the site. And I'm sure I'll have questions for you later on once I get my braces.

Regards, Laree

[shinshan904]

No, we do not recommend patients change their own ligatures. 1. it can be fairly dangerous as you may slip and cut your gums, chip or teeth, etc. 2. You may debond one or more of your brackets in the process and thus delaying your treatment even more. It is not uncommon for your ties to change colors, but you can minimize this by watching what you eat and avoiding foods that stain ( red sauces, red wine, curry, etc. )

You should definitely discuss this with your orthodontist and get some feedback.

Why is it that some orthodontists allow their patients to change their own ligatures and some don't? Are there any other reasons you can think of that would cause any kind of delay in treatment other than a bracket debonding?

[wirebender06]

I would just like to say welcome to the site. And I'm sure I'll have questions for you later on once I get my braces.

Regards, Laree

Thanks! I'll try to answer the best I can but I'll try to be careful not to step on anyone else's toes. As they say, the views expressed on here are that of myself and do not reflect the views of anyone else's orthodontist. They are just my opinion.

[wirebender06]

Why is it that some orthodontists allow their patients to change their own ligatures and some don't? Are there any other reasons you can think of that would cause any kind of delay in treatment other than a bracket debonding?

I don't know of anyone who allows their patients to change their own ligature ties. Its just outright very dangerous and counterproductive to treatment IMHO.

[ihatemybraces]

Sorry if this is a bit long...

I asked this question in my blog but I didn't get a response, hopefully you can help me?

I have a band on my left side which goes from the inside of the last lower molar to the outside of the last upper molar. I think its to pull the bottom molar into a straighter position and align the top molar with the bottom molar. This is done with the help of a bracket on the inside of the last lower molar. This bracket hurts my tongue especially when eating and drinking!

So I have been putting Brace Guard (a silicone gel type thing) on the inside bracket to protect my tongue. But I think it is taking the stress off the band. So I have stopped putting it on and the bracket is really hurting my tongue again.

Do you think that putting the Brace Guard on the bracket removes the point of the band? As it won't pull the bottom tooth back into the correct position?

Should I put the Brace Guard over the band or is it not ok to do this?

Thanks by the way and welcome to the site :-)

[wirebender06]

Sorry if this is a bit long...

I asked this question in my blog but I didn't get a response, hopefully you can help me?

I have a band on my left side which goes from the inside of the last lower molar to the outside of the last upper molar. I think its to pull the bottom molar into a straighter position and align the top molar with the bottom molar. This is done with the help of a bracket on the inside of the last lower molar. This bracket hurts my tongue especially when eating and drinking!

So I have been putting Brace Guard (a silicone gel type thing) on the inside bracket to protect my tongue. But I think it is taking the stress off the band. So I have stopped putting it on and the bracket is really hurting my tongue again.

Do you think that putting the Brace Guard on the bracket removes the point of the band? As it won't pull the bottom tooth back into the correct position?

Should I put the Brace Guard over the band or is it not ok to do this?

Thanks by the way and welcome to the site :-)

When you say you have a band, do you mean you wear an elastic rubber band? If so, then what you are trying to do is correct a crossbite, which happens when the upper and lower molar do not relate in the proper way in a side to side direction. We often have our patients wear cross-elastics either from the inside of one tooth to the hook on the outside of the opposing tooth. Sounds like the hook on the tongue side is bothering your tongue quite a bit. The brace guard shouldn't reduce the effectiveness of the rubber band as long as you wear the rubber band for the prescribed duration of time. Elastic rubber bands work by putting a gentle force on the teeth, but in order for them to be effective, you have to be consistent with the time. That goes for all types of elastic rubber bands. Consistency is the key. Many patients delay or prolong their treatment time by not wearing their rubber bands for the right amount of time each day.

The brace guard should only be a temporary fix and your tongue should hopefully get used to the hook down there. If not, tell your orthodontist and maybe he can adjust it for better comfort. Hope that answers your question.

[ihatemybraces]

Yeah it's an elastic rubber band that I keep on 24/7 and change it every 2-3 days. I've gotten used to the hook on the tongue side now. It still bothers me from time to time, but it's not as bad as it was at first. My tongue has stopped bleeding for now.

Thanks for the answer :-)

I have another question though :-p

The midpoint of my top set of teeth is ok, but my bottom set are off the midpoint to the right by 1.5mm. How will my dentist correct this? Will this be with a rubber band and when will I start this process? After my bottom set are fully straighted or what?

Thanks again :-)

[Tarheelgirl29]

Hi, I'm 39 and have the damion system braces on. I have had them for 4 months and I find there is nothing better for cleaning than a water pick. My ortho says my teeth are very clean every time he sees me. I would so recommend to anyone with braces to get a water pick.

I'm an orthodontist in California who stumbled upon this forum while searching for tools people are using to floss with their appliances.
I'd be more than happy to give my opinion on things that might be relevant with braces.

I understand that while starting ortho treatment is exciting, it can also be very stressful. Just know that you are not alone and when all is said and done, you will not regret having gone through the treatment and can look forward to a lifetime of great smiles and wonderful dental health.[/QUOTE]

[wirebender06]

Yeah it's an elastic rubber band that I keep on 24/7 and change it every 2-3 days. I've gotten used to the hook on the tongue side now. It still bothers me from time to time, but it's not as bad as it was at first. My tongue has stopped bleeding for now.

Thanks for the answer :-)

I have another question though :-p

The midpoint of my top set of teeth is ok, but my bottom set are off the midpoint to the right by 1.5mm. How will my dentist correct this? Will this be with a rubber band and when will I start this process? After my bottom set are fully straighted or what?

Thanks again :-)

If you have not had extractions, then the likely way the midlines will be corrected is through rubber band wear. That will most likely take longer to fix and you'll see gradual improvement over time. You also might want to ask your orthodontist how often to change your rubber bands. My patients will change them several times per day. They lose their elasticity as you wear them.

[wirebender06]

Hi, I'm 39 and have the damion system braces on. I have had them for 4 months and I find there is nothing better for cleaning than a water pick. My ortho says my teeth are very clean every time he sees me. I would so recommend to anyone with braces to get a water pick.

[/QUOTE]


water picks are a great adjunct to help with oral hygiene during orthodontic treatment. I don't personally believe that it should be used as a replacement for flossing though. I would recommend you use both to be safe.

[LindaBinda]

I think it's really nice of you to give your time and expertise to us!

Thank You!

[BlondeAddiction]

The Waterpik is the best thing since sliced cheese! Even after rinsing AND brushing there will STILL be food stuck or wrapped around my wire. A quick blast of the waterpik and its gone! I love mine! I agree though that you should use both. I water floss daily and string floss weekly

Get one! (I have a counter one AND a travel one when I'm Traveling for work or vacations) LOL

[wirebender06]

I think it's really nice of you to give your time and expertise to us!

Thank You!

No problem, looks like i'm checking in about once a week and catching up on this thread. Hope you all had a great weekend!

[wirebender06]

The Waterpik is the best thing since sliced cheese! Even after rinsing AND brushing there will STILL be food stuck or wrapped around my wire. A quick blast of the waterpik and its gone! I love mine! I agree though that you should use both. I water floss daily and string floss weekly

Get one! (I have a counter one AND a travel one when I'm Traveling for work or vacations) LOL

Glad to hear its working out well for you. I'd still recommend getting the "real" floss in there at night before bedtime. Think of it like doing your dishes after an Italian meal. You get all the caked on cheese, sauce, etc on your dishes. You let em sit in the sink for a few hours. By the time you get to washing them, you wouldn't just rinse them under the sink would you? Even with the most powerful faucet/hose, you'll get a majority of the bigger pieces of food, etc rinsed off, but there's still gonna be some gunk on your dishes. That's what happens when you just waterpik. You get flush a majority of stuff off your teeth ,but the really tenacious plaque that is super thin but very adherent to your teeth is still there. That's where brushing and flossing will take care of the rest. Just like your dish soap and sponge and a bit of scrubbing will make your dishes shine, your toothbrush and floss will make your teeth shine.

Just my 2 cents.

[BlondeAddiction]

Great advice! I thought 3x a day water flossing and 1-2x a week string was good. Can't hurt to step it up a notch though! Thanks for the insight. I'm serious about taking care of my teeth.

You rock!

[wirebender06]

Great advice! I thought 3x a day water flossing and 1-2x a week string was good. Can't hurt to step it up a notch though! Thanks for the insight. I'm serious about taking care of my teeth.

You rock!

That's fabulous that you are serious about taking care of your teeth. Believe it or not, not everyone in ortho treatment takes it as seriously as they should. Keep up the good work, its easy to be motivated the first half of treatment, its much tougher to keep the same level of enthusiasm the remainder of your treatment. Let me know if I can help out in any way!