It is common knowledge that we are drawn to people with a
beautiful smile. Indeed, a fabulous smile can make the most
ordinary looking person attractive. When you look in the
mirror are you happy with your smile? Does your smile look
as good as it did when you were younger? Your smile is the
most important feature on your face. Wouldn't it be great if
you looked fabulous?
Our Orthodontist can help you achieve this? This is the
branch of dentistry that specializes in the diagnosis,
prevention and treatment of dental and facial
irregularities. The technical term for these problems is "malocclusion,"
which means "bad bite." The practice of
orthodontics
requires professional skill in the design, application and
control of corrective appliances, such as braces, to bring
teeth, lips and jaws into proper alignment and to achieve
facial balance.
The brace will not mark the teeth. If dental plaque is allowed to become
thick around the brace the plaque itself may damage the teeth. Instruction
will be given on the use of special brushes. A daily fluoride
mouth rinse can be used to harden areas that are very difficult to clean.
Care must be taken to choose an alcohol-free, pH-balanced rinse. Certain foods
and drinks may also lead to damage. You should avoid drinking lots of fizzy
drinks and keep in-between-meal snacks to a minimum.
Very crunchy and sticky foods can break your brace. Toffee and chewing gum
must be avoided. Really enjoyable hard foods can
be chopped up and chewed gently!
It is important to realise that once a brace is removed the teeth can drift back
towards their original positions. They must, therefore, be held in their new
positions for a long time with retainer braces until they have settled.
Retainers are either removable appliances or thin wires stuck onto the
tongue side of the teeth.
After braces are removed, the teeth can shift out of position if they are not stabilized.
Retainers provide that stabilization. They are designed to hold teeth in
their corrected, ideal positions until the bones and gums adapt to the
treatment changes. Wearing retainers exactly as instructed is the best
insurance that the treatment improvements last for a lifetime.