Some kids can’t wait to get braces. Others are a little worried about what it will be like or how they will look. It can help to learn more about braces, which straighten your teeth and make your smile even better looking.
Lots of kids don’t have perfect teeth, so don’t worry if yours aren’t straight. Take a look at most of your classmates. Many of them probably don’t have straight teeth either. Sometimes teeth just don’t grow evenly.
Your teeth might be crooked, or your upper and lower jaws might not be the same size. If your upper jaw is bigger than your lower jaw, that’s called an overbite. If your lower jaw is bigger than your upper jaw, you have an underbite.
Your dentist might notice one of these problems during a regular visit and recommend that you see an orthodontist. This person, who also might be called a braces specialist, can determine whether you need braces.
If your parents had braces, you may have seen pictures of them with their mouths full of metal. Today, braces are much less noticeable. Metal braces are still used, but you might be able to get clear braces or braces that are the same color as your teeth. There are even braces that go behind your teeth where no one can see them.
The wires that are used in braces today are also smaller and better than they used to be, and they’re made of a space-age material that straightens your teeth faster and easier. The rubber bands that go along with braces come in funky colors now, too. So you could have black and orange ones for Halloween!
Braces straighten teeth by putting steady pressure on your teeth and by staying in place for a certain amount of time. Most kids just need regular braces with wires and rubber bands doing their jobs to keep pressure on the teeth. The wires on your braces help to move your teeth, and the rubber bands help to correct the alignment, which is the way your teeth line up.
If your teeth need a little extra help, you may have to wear head- or neck gear with wires attached to your teeth. If you do have to wear headgear, don’t panic! You probably will only have to wear it while you sleep or when you’re at home in the evening.
Everyone has to wear braces for different lengths of time, but most people usually wear braces for about 2 years. You’ll want to take special care of your teeth after the braces come off. You may need tow ear a retainer, which is a small, hard piece of plastic with metal wires or a thin piece of plastic shaped like a mouthguard. Retainers make sure your teeth don’t go wandering back to their original places. Your retainer will be specially molded to fit your newly straightened teeth.
After you get your retainer, your orthodontist will tell you when you have to wear it and how long – you might have to wear your retainer all day and all night for 2 years; you might have to wear it at night for 6 months, or you might have to wear it every other night for many years. It just depends on your teeth.
Braces act like magnets for food, so you need to keep your teeth especially clean while you have them on. You’ll want to brush after meals and be extra careful to get out any food that gets stuck in your braces.
Your orthodontist also may give you a special flosser you can use to floss in and around your braces. When your orthodontist changes your wires, ask if you can do a quick floss (it’ll be easier without the wires).
You won’t have to go on any special diet when you have braces, but you’ll want to avoid some foods that are problems for braces. Stay away from popcorn, hard and sticky candy, and especially gum. Sugary sodas and juices can cause a problem, too, because the sugar stays on your teeth and may cause tooth decay. You can have these drinks, but be sure to brush afterward.
Because braces put pressure on your teeth, you might feel uncomfortable once in a while, especially right after the orthodontist makes adjustments. If you have pain, ask your mom or dad to give you a pain reliever.
If you ever have a loose wire or bracket, or a wire that is poking you, you should see the orthodontist right away to get it taken care of. If your orthodontist can’t find a problem, he or she may give you some soft wax that you can stick on the bracket that’s bothering you. Then it won’t rub against your mouth.
So braces can be inconvenient, but lots of kids have them and the year worth the trouble. When will you know for sure? On the day your braces are removed and you can see your new and improved smile!
We love our patients and love to help them form healthy dental life that will last them a lifetime. For more information call us today to answer all of your questions so get an appointment.
It has been said that nothing is more important than your health, and there is a lot of truth to that saying. Among other things, a loss of health can mean a loss of earnings if you are not able to work, and it can also mean extremely expensive medical bills. Health insurance can help you avoid some of those costs and it can also help individuals to lead more healthy lives by paying for preventive measures such as regular check-ups and immunizations to name just two.
There are several means by which an individual can get health insurance. A person may pay for his or her insurance. A person may receive health insurance as part of an employment package. A person may receive health insurance through local or Federal programs.
In many instances, there can be a combining of the premiums paid. What that means is that, for example, an employer might pay a certain amount of the medical insurance premium and the employee pays the remainder of the premium, usually through payroll deduction. In other cases, an employer or government entity may pay the full amount of the premium.
As with all types of insurance, health insurance comes in many forms and is available at differing levels of coverage. The best-case scenario would be if an employer paid the full amount of the monthly premiums and there were no co-pays or deductibles charged to the patient. This type of coverage is rare, however, unless you are extremely well placed in a company or you are living below the poverty line.
Most consumers will be in a co-pay system of health insurance wherein they are responsible for a certain amount of the bill and the insurance company will pay the rest. As you might imagine, there are many different levels of coverage in these arrangements as well.
Normally, the more money the patient is required to pay from his pocket at the time of the medical services, the less the monthly premiums will be. For those individuals who are relatively healthy and have a reasonable income, this might be the best option for health insurance. For those with a limited income or for those who have health problems, this can be a difficult option to live with as the co-pay or deductible of each medical visit will need to be paid for out-of-pocket by the patient.
The importance of having health insurance should not be dismissed or underestimated. Rising medical costs can wipe out a lifetime of savings with just one major medical event. Even the most routine of surgeries can cost tens-of-thousands of dollars, and more sophisticated procedures can easily run into the hundreds-of-thousands of dollars. Health insurance can help pay those skyrocketing costs and help save you from financial ruin.
Before selecting a health program to participate in you should read the contract carefully and understand all of the terms and conditions that are in it. If you are unsure about any of them, ask your employer or the insurance representative for clarification.
Orthodontic problems can affect both children and adults — even those who wore braces when they were young. That’s because teeth are more mobile than you might think. In fact, teeth move very gradually all the time in response to the normal forces of biting and chewing. But the teeth can also be pushed out of proper alignment when, for example, young children develop unhealthy habits such as thumb sucking or tongue thrusting. These and other orthodontic problems usually become apparent around age 7, when the permanent teeth have started to come in. That’s why an orthodontic evaluation is recommended for all kids at this age.
Adults often see their teeth begin to crowd toward the center of the mouth. Your bite may also shift into poor alignment due to a missing tooth. But it’s good to know that no matter what your age, orthodontic treatment is available for all of the common orthodontic problems listed below — provided your teeth and gums are healthy. It’s also important to remember that wearing a retainer after any orthodontic treatment will help preserve the results for as long as possible.
Abnormal eruption is when a tooth emerges through the gum in the wrong place. If the tooth is blocked from growing in fully (a situation called impaction), a minor oral surgical procedure may be required to uncover the tooth before orthodontic treatment begins.
Crossbite is when one or more of the upper teeth bite inside the lower teeth rather than outside. This is usually related to the misalignment of the upper and lower jaws. In a child who is still growing, widening the upper jaw with an orthodontic appliance called a palatal expander may solve the problem.
Crowding results from a lack of space for the teeth to fit normally within the jaws, either because the teeth are too big or the jaws are too small. Possible solutions may include removing some teeth and/or making more room in the jaws with a palatal expander or through a surgical procedure.
Excessive spacing may result when one or more teeth fail to grow in, are lost to trauma or disease, or there is a discrepancy between jaw size and tooth size. It’s important to close the gaps because excessive space allows nearby teeth to shift out of position.
Open bite occurs when the upper and lower front teeth do not come together when biting, resulting in an open space between the two. This is often the result of tongue thrusting (also called infantile swallowing pattern) and/or prolonged thumb sucking.
Overbite (deep bite) is when the upper front teeth bite too far down over the lower teeth. Sometimes the bite is so deep that the upper teeth cover the lower teeth completely, forcing the lower teeth to bite into the roof of the mouth (palate). This often results from a discrepancy in jaw size.
Overjet (protrusion) is when the upper front teeth extend too far forward or the lower teeth don’t extend far enough forward. This may be related to genetics, improper jaw development, missing lower teeth and/or improper alignment of molars. Thumb sucking or tongue thrusting can exacerbate the problem.
Underbite occurs when the lower front teeth extend past the upper front teeth. It can be caused by overgrowth of the lower jaw and/or undergrowth of the upper jaw. Depending on the severity, treatment may involve conventional orthodontics and/or jaw (orthognathic) surgery.
We love our patients and love to help them form healthy dental life that will last them a lifetime. For more information call us today to answer all of your questions, so get an appointment today.
Everyone loves to see healthy, white teeth. That’s why some parents might get very concerned when their child’s teeth begin to turn yellow. There are many reasons why this can happen, and it’s actually pretty common. This discoloration is either internal or external, and there are many treatments available for each situation.
It is important to remember that a child’s teeth can become stained just as easily as an adult’s can. Some of the most common reasons for external discoloration include something your child has eaten or drunk. Internal causes of discoloration might be trauma, fluorosis, or dentin defects. In most cases, treatment for either internal or external causes can be handled at the dentist’s office or at home.
It can be rather distressing to look at your child one day and realize, “My child’s teeth are yellow!” Here are some of the most common reasons for your child’s yellow teeth.
| CAUSES | DESCRIPTIONS |
|---|---|
| Fluorosis | If a child ingests too much fluoride during the growing years, this irreversible condition can develop. The fluoride damages the cells that form enamel, and eventually, the teeth turn a dingy yellow. |
| Tetracycline | This antibiotic can make patches, ribbons or streaks of yellow on the teeth, thanks to destroying certain cells when a child takes it. However, most doctors try not to prescribe this antibiotic to young children. |
| Tooth trauma | When only one tooth turns yellow or brown, it usually means that it has been damaged by some sort of trauma. The damage might be to the tooth itself, or to the nerve inside. This needs immediate attention from a dentist. |
| Food and drink | Certain foods have staining properties, and a young child’s teeth are especially susceptible to this. Things like soda, soy sauce, and fruit drinks can cause the discoloration. The more a child eats or drinks things like this, the worse the discoloration can be. You can make it less noticeable by asking your child to rinse their mouth with water after they have something that might stain their teeth. |
| Poor dental hygiene | A child must brush and floss twice a day to cut down on the chances of yellow teeth. Letting plaque build up on teeth can lead to the yellow tinge. |
Want to get your child’s teeth white? Start by going to the dentist. All children should see a dentist by the age of one. If you have serious concerns, start by telling the dentist the problem: “My child’s teeth are yellow”. The dentist will definitely have some solutions in mind.
Home care is also very important. Brush your child’s teeth twice a day with a pea-sized amount of toothpaste that contains fluoride. You should also teach your child how to floss properly. They don’t need to have a full mouth of teeth to learn this! As soon as they have two teeth that can touch, it’s time to teach them how to use floss.
But keep in mind that no matter how much your child brushes, they still need to have a professional cleaning to remove tartar and plaque buildup. These buildups can lead to yellow teeth no matter how good your child’s oral hygiene is.
Look into whitening strips for your child’s teeth, or discuss having the procedure done at the dentist’s office. This is usually harmless, but you will want to check with your dentist to be sure before you buy something that is too harsh for your child to use. Sometimes treatment will be covered by your dental insurance.
If your child still has baby teeth, there is really no point in bleaching them, as they will soon fall out anyway. But if your child already has permanent teeth, are whitening and bleaching agents safe for use? In most cases, young children should not use over-the-counter whitening products, as the amount of peroxide in them could do more harm than good. Once the enamel is damaged, that means yellow teeth forever, because the enamel will not grow back! To be absolutely sure of your whitening agents, talk to your dentist.
The best way to avoid any problems with yellow teeth is prevention. Good oral hygiene is absolutely essential to avoid the yellow staining of your child’s teeth. Make sure your child brushes and flosses twice a day, and rinses their mouth out with water after they have sugary or strongly colored foods, such as soy sauce or tea. When your child brushes, remember to use a toothbrush with soft bristles and don’t forget to brush the gums and tongue, too.
If your child is still using a bottle, don’t let them fall asleep with it, and don’t let them use the bottle after they have been weaned to a cup.
Don’t let anyone smoke around your baby, as this can contribute to the problem.
Don’t put anything sugary on a baby’s pacifier.
Make sure that your child gets enough fluoride, but not too much! In many places, fluoride is added to the drinking water, and you can get plenty of it through the toothpaste, too–that’s really all your child needs. Some experts recommend using a small amount of fluoridated toothpaste and not rinsing it out after your child has brushed. The fluoride can continue to work. However, if your child doesn’t like this, you can buy an over-the-counter fluoride rinse that gives the same advantages.
Your teeth can become discolored by stains on the surface or by changes in the tooth material. Dentists divide discoloration into three main categories:
In rare cases, children with a condition called dentinogenesis imperfect are born with gray, amber or purple discolorations.
If you pass on hot or cold drinks because you know they’ll make your teeth hurt, it may be time to talk to your dentist about the possibility that you have sensitive teeth.
Sometimes other things can aggravate them, too, like sweet and sour foods or even cold air.
To be able to treat these tooth twinges, it helps to know what might be behind them. Once you’ve nailed down the cause, you can find a solution.
That’s a hard, protective layer that helps your teeth deal with everything you put them through. When it’s gone, nerve endings that cause pain are exposed.
If you have sensitive teeth, it’s possible some of your enamel has worn away.
To prevent or put the brakes on that damage:
Don’t brush too hard. Do you clean your teeth with a heavy hand? You might be taking off more than just plaque. Side-to-side brushing right at the gum line can make your enamel go away faster. You should use a soft-bristled brush and work at a 45-degree angle to your gum to keep enamel clean and strong.
We love our patients and love to help them form healthy dental life that will last them a lifetime. For more information call us today to answer all of your questions, so get an appointment today.