FAQs

Establishing a good diet is important for the overall health of your teeth during orthodontic treatment. This includes avoiding sticky, hard, chewy foods such as candy and nuts as well as damaging drinks such as soda and juices. You can still enjoy plenty of delicious meals and snacks!

It is important to keep your teeth and gingiva (gums) clean during orthodontic treatment to avoid staining. Bacteria (dental plaque) often sticks to teeth (especially by the gum line and between the teeth). Adding brackets to your teeth creates more surfaces that the bacteria can stick to. This is why it is important to brush your teeth regularly and often, especially in the morning, at night and after eating. We recommend products, such as a water flosser and plaque-detecting toothpastes, such as PlaqueHD, that are helpful in your care for your braces.

Your treatment at Carlson Orthodontics may only take half the time it would take at other orthodontic practices, but there are still a few things you should know about wearing braces. For the most part, wearing braces won’t change your daily life, but here are some helpful guidelines to help you make your time in braces the best it can be.

Brushing:
Use a toothbrush with soft bristles and a small strip of fluoride toothpaste. When you brush your teeth, move the brush in small circular motions to reach food particles that may be under your gum line and on your brackets and wires. Hold the toothbrush at an angle and brush slowly and carefully, including between teeth, on the surface of each tooth and around each bracket and wire. It will take you several minutes to thoroughly brush your teeth. Brush your teeth four times daily to avoid the accumulation of food particles and plaque:

• In the morning after breakfast
• After lunch or right after school
• After dinner
• At bedtime

Brushing the brackets and wires can cause your toothbrush to wear more quickly than before braces. If you notice the bristles starting to bend or fray, replace your toothbrush with a new one. Do not swallow any toothpaste as you brush, and rinse your mouth thoroughly with water after you finish brushing. It is important to carefully floss and brush daily for optimal oral hygiene.

Flossing:
It is very important to floss between your teeth every day. A floss threader with a stiff end will help you push the floss under your archwire. Floss at night to make sure your teeth are squeaky clean before you go to bed. When you first begin flossing, your gums may bleed a little. If the bleeding does not go away after the first few times, let a staff member know at your next appointment.

What to Eat:
For the most part, you’ll be able to eat many of the same foods you’ve eaten before. The general rule is to avoid things that are hard, sticky, gummy or chewy, to prevent breaking the bond that holds the brackets on the teeth.

Click HERE for a more detailed list that you can print.

General Soreness: Sometimes you’ll feel some soreness as your teeth move - especially right after an orthodontic appointment. Some Ibuprofen or Acetaminophen will do the trick. You can also get some relief by having a cold drink. As a matter of fact, this is the perfect opportunity to enjoy a milkshake and tell ‘em your orthodontist said so :-).

Broken Bracket:
If you break a bracket or bend/break your wire, place the bracket in an envelope so you can bring it to the office. In the event of a broken bracket, you should call the office to let us know and schedule an appointment for our next business day. If you have an appointment already scheduled, please call us anyway, as your appointment will need to be adjusted to make time for the repair.

Loose Wire:
For a poking wire, bend it carefully, moving it away from your cheek, and cover the end with some wax (which we’ll be happy to provide). Wax can also be purchased in the dental section of your local drug store.

How It Works

• Place a small amount of toothpaste on your toothbrush - brush normally.
• Continue to look in the mirror as you are brushing, making sure to remove all traces of green/teal color.
• Once you've thoroughly brushed and rinsed, the color will be brushed away and so will the plaque!
• Smile and feel confident you have done a great job brushing!

The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that children get an orthodontic check up no later than the age of 7. This is when most adult permanent molars and some front teeth begin to erupt, and also when issues with growth and development of the jaws become more apparent. Even though most people think of pre-teens and teens when they think of orthodontics, there are good reasons your child should get an orthodontic evaluation sooner. Although most children do not need early orthodontics (Phase I of treatment), at our office, we offer Growth and Development Evaluations at this age free of charge so that our doctors can monitor development and detect potential issues before they have a chance to become more serious.

Orthodontists are dental specialists who have two to three years of additional training after dental school to be able to correctly diagnose and treat dental and skeletal irregularities. Our doctors' expertise not only allows us to create beautiful smiles but to ensure optimal bite correction and function. Only those with additional specialty education may call themselves “orthodontists” due to the high level training involved to properly treat orthodontic patients.

Most orthodontic problems are usually inherited from a family member, such as crowding, spacing, extra or missing teeth, underbites, protrusion, periodontal disease and jaw growth issues. However, some malocclusions can be created by things such as finger or thumb sucking, accidents, early or late loss of baby teeth, chronic mouth breathing, premature birth or other causes.

Orthodontic treatment is becoming more popular for adults; one of every four orthodontic patients is over the age of 18. Today’s latest technologies offer smaller, less visible and more comfortable orthodontic appliances, from ceramic braces to Invisalign®. Adults are finding treatment more appealing.

Orthodontic treatment is important for many reasons. Misalignment of the teeth and jaws can cause abnormal wear on tooth surfaces, difficulty chewing and/or speaking, and excessive stress on supporting bone and gum tissues. Without treatment, many of these issues will need more-extensive dental treatment later in life. Facial esthetics and the positions of the lips can also be improved with orthodontic treatment. Crooked and crowded teeth are not aesthetically pleasing, but more importantly they are harder to clean and maintain. Orthodontics is more than just straightening teeth; it can provide the foundation for proper tooth, jaw and lip support.

The length of orthodontic treatment ultimately depends on the severity of the dental issues, such as bite and crowding or compliance and goals of treatment. Usually orthodontic treatment lasts from 1 to 3 years, which can be determined through a free consultation with our doctors.

You should continue with your regular exams and cleanings with your general dentist.

Please arrive 10 minutes before your scheduled appointment time.

We understand emergencies come up. As a courtesy to all our patients, if you are late we can only see you for the amount of time left of your scheduled appointment.

Frequent missed, changed or cancelled appointments may extend total estimated treatment time.

You will lose points on your smile club card if you break more than 3 brackets during your treatment.

Please follow this link to check out your points on our rewards hub!
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