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Some patients think that getting Houston braces installed is the hard part. However, any Houston family dentist will tell you that getting braces means making a few lifestyle changes, especially with regard to oral and dental hygiene. But not to worry, these adjustments are relatively minor, and they include habits that patients would like to keep even after their Houston braces have been taken off.

Oral Hygiene Practices With Houston Braces

While your Houston braces get to work fixing crooked or misaligned teeth, the patient maintains the responsibility of keeping their smile clean and bright. That means following these tips from their South Houston dentist:

Brush Your Teeth and Houston Braces After Every Meal or Snack

This may sound like a hassle, but your teeth will thank you in the long run. South Houston family dentists recommend using a toothbrush with soft and round bristles so that they can reach every crack and crevice in and around your Houston braces. Hold the brush with the bristles pointing towards your gums at an angle of 45 degrees. Aside from brushing your gumline, be sure to pay special attention to the areas above and below the brackets of your braces.

Make Flossing Your Houston Braces a Daily Habit

Unfortunately, brushing your teeth alone won’t clean every nook and cranny of your teeth or your braces. That’s why any Houston dentist will recommend that you learn to floss your teeth. If your traditional dental floss is uncomfortable or inconvenient, consider interdental brushes or even a water flosser to clean the areas between each tooth and the hard-to-reach components of your braces.

Use an Antibacterial Mouthwash to Keep Your Houston Braces Fresh and Clean

To round out your dental hygiene routine, an antimicrobial mouthwash can provide lasting protection between meals. It can also reach areas of your teeth or surfaces of your braces that you might be unable to with either a toothbrush or floss.

Keep Your Houston Braces Tuned With Regular South Houston Family Dentist Appointments

Your Houston braces will need to be adjusted and maintained over time to make sure that they’re doing their job. This is especially true for younger patients, who need a South Houston pediatric dentistry expert to account for a child or teenager’s behaviors and natural growth.

Foods to Avoid While Wearing Houston Braces

As a general rule, your Houston family dentist will tell you that hard and sticky foods are a no-no when wearing Houston braces. Those who defy these restrictions will find themselves paying the price either through the inconvenience of cleaning their teeth and braces, or through discomfort when such foods knock their braces out of alignment, needing a visit to the Houston family dentist to set them right. The most common examples of food to avoid include hard candies, chewing gum, taffy, caramel, jellybeans, nuts, and popcorn.

Get Affordable Braces from a Trustworthy South Houston Family Dentist

At Centra Dental, we believe in making visits to the dentist as stress-free and as pleasant as possible. Our team of highly-skilled and experienced dental professionals believes in being as helpful and caring as they can to each of our patients. Centra Dental accepts most PDP, DPPO, and PPO dental insurance plans, as well as CHIP and both Adult and Children's Medicaid, allowing us to be your trusted source for affordable braces. Call today to set an appointment and experience the Centra Dental difference!

Malocclusion is a term used to refer to an incorrect bite, improper tooth alignment, crowded teeth, and irregular teeth spacing. It’s a very common condition most often treated with dental braces, usually during a patient’s adolescent or teen years. But did you know that our South Houston cosmetic dentist offers braces for adults, too? Keep reading to learn why Houston braces might be recommended for adult patients and what options are best for you and your lifestyle. 

When Our South Houston Dentist May Suggest Adult Dental Braces

Houston braces for adults are becoming more and more popular now that this treatment has become more streamlined, affordable, and varied in its methods. Sometimes adult braces are prescribed to correct malocclusion that wasn’t treated in childhood for any number of reasons. Other times, it’s to correct a minor alignment issue that has recently become more severe. Even recent trauma or injury can lead to a need for Houston adult braces. But no matter the cause, untreated malocclusion is an unsightly and uncomfortable problem that can cause migraines, gum disease, speech impediments, and improper digestion due to difficulties chewing food. Our South Houston cosmetic dentist can explain the best plan of care for you and your needs.

Houston Braces Options for Adults with Our South Houston Dentist

Our South Houston family dentist offers a variety of treatments for adults living with crooked or misaligned teeth. After your initial consultation, we may recommend one of the following types of Houston braces for adults:

Metal Dental Braces 

The most popular and cost-effective option, these Houston braces for adults feature metal brackets that are glued to each tooth’s surface and connected by a metal wire that our South Houston family dentist tightens periodically over the course of treatment to straighten teeth. Metal dental braces have a noticeable appearance, but are effective at correcting nearly all malocclusion issues.

Ceramic Dental Braces

South Houston ceramic dental braces are composed of brackets and wires that are adjusted in order to move crooked teeth into a straighter line over time, just like metal braces. The difference is that they are constructed of clear or tooth-colored ceramic, making them less noticeable. 

Houston Invisalign

An appealing option for adults due to a virtually invisible and noninvasive design is Houston Invisalign. This treatment plan features a series of clear plastic aligners that gradually straighten teeth. They must be worn at least 22 hours each day in order to work effectively, but are removed when eating and drinking. They are more expensive than either of the options above and may not be recommended for those with severe malocclusion. 

Achieve a Winning Smile With Houston Braces For Adults 

Don’t dismiss your chance to have the confident smile you deserve! Instead, schedule an appointment with our South Houston dentist to discuss your braces for adults options and establish the treatment plan that’s right for you. Centra Dental strives to provide the highest quality care for all our patients, so come see why we’re the number one choice in South Houston family dentistry. 

Once your Houston family dentist has restored your smile to its full potential, the job of maintaining that smile begins. For the first few months after you’ve finished your Houston Invisalign treatment, you will need to wear some clear retainers. This might sound like a bit of a hassle, but it is a minor inconvenience compared to the olden days of living with South Houston braces for years.

Tooth Correction Was Tougher Before Houston Invisalign

For most patients today, South Houston Invisalign treatment is sufficient to correct mild to moderate cases of crowded, crooked, or misaligned teeth. Nowadays, only severe cases require the use of South Houston braces, entailing the installation of brackets and wires. Braces can incur long, painful, and expensive work for your Houston dentist, to say nothing of the aesthetic cost for patients in social situations. Keeping your Houston braces clean also takes a lot more time and effort, with food particles liable to get stuck between the various bits installed in your mouth. Fortunately, a consultation with your South Houston dentist will let you know that a better, less painful, and more convenient option now exists.

Invisalign’s Advantages Over Traditional South Houston Braces

Houston Invisalign treatment involves having a series of transparent plastic custom-fit aligner trays made for your mouth. Mechanically, they work the same way as South Houston braces, applying pressure to gradually push your teeth back into their proper place, but with a lot less hassle and aesthetic penalty. If you are thinking of getting some South Houston Invisalign treatment for yourself, consider scheduling an appointment with a South Houston dentist today!

Retainers Preserve Houston Invisalign Progress

After your Houston Invisalign treatment has concluded, your teeth will want to slip back into their old positions. That’s why your South Houston family dentist will require you to wear a retainer for several months. Research has found that tooth movement is at its most active during the night, which is why retainers must be worn even throughout the night as you sleep. Thankfully, your Houston dentist can fit you for a clear retainer, allowing your new smile to shine through in everyday situations. While they will require some work on your part to keep them clean, it is definitely a much smaller inconvenience than dealing with traditional Houston braces. This shows how advancements such as South Houston Invisalign have made dental work as convenient as they have ever been. Do you think your teeth need some form of correction? If so, a quick diagnosis from your Houston family dentist is only a phone call away!

You know the importance of regular visits to our South Houston dentist to keep teeth clean and healthy. This is especially true if you're wearing Houston dental braces. Not only is it easy for food to get stuck in and around the brackets and wires, but it’s just as easy to miss those hard-to-reach spots during at-home brushing and flossing. Over time, plaque can develop and cavities can form, which is why those with braces need to maintain regular dental cleanings with our Houston dentist.

Dental Cleanings While Wearing Houston Braces 

Dental cleanings with Houston braces aren’t much different than regular cleanings with our Houston family dentist. We’ll do a brief oral exam to ensure all brackets and wires are intact and survey the overall health of the teeth and gums. When we begin brushing and polishing teeth with braces, our South Houston family dentist will place extra focus on the spaces between the brackets and wires where plaque and decay-causing bacteria may be building. 

Our Houston dentist’s dental cleaning with braces typically follows these steps:

1. Oral Exam: this identifies any obvious issues, such as large cavities, irritation, or tooth damage before the other steps of the dental cleaning can occur.
2. Tooth Scaling: our South Houston dentist or dental hygienist will use a small metal tool to remove plaque and tartar buildup along and in between the teeth, paying special care to braces brackets.
3. Tooth Polishing: using a rounded, rubber-capped toothbrush and gritty toothpaste, we will deeply clean and polish the teeth around the brackets and wires.
4. Flossing and Flouride Treatment: finally, we’ll floss the teeth by weaving the floss under the Houston braces wires and between brackets. We may also include a fluoride rinse treatment to strengthen teeth in between dental cleanings.

Houston Dental Braces Oral Hygiene

Our South Houston dentist has some tips for maintaining proper oral hygiene during Houston braces treatment:

• Brush after every meal: pack a travel toothbrush and toothpaste in your purse or backpack so you have it with you at all times. Since food can easily get stuck in and around your Houston braces, you should brush your teeth every time you’ve finished eating to remove those food particles and prevent decay.
• Floss regularly: new crevices and spaces may develop as your teeth shift into their correct position, creating breeding grounds for decay-causing bacteria. Regular flossing can aid in removing food particles and plaque from the gum line and between teeth. 
• Avoid certain foods: overly sticky, sugary, or crunchy foods can get stuck to the different parts of your Houston braces, leading to damage or slowing treatment. 

Our South Houston Dentist Is Here for Your Dental Cleaning!

Here at Centra Dental, your smile is our top priority! If you’re wearing Houston braces (and even if you’re not!), we encourage you to maintain regular dental cleanings. Our kind and compassionate South Houston family dentist is here to address all your oral health needs in a comfortable setting designed to make you feel at ease, so schedule an appointment to see us as soon as possible!