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Houston braces are for absolutely anyone who suffers from a malocclusion–a bad bite. We are proud to offer affordable metal braces, ceramic braces, and even Invisalign Clear Aligners to meet various patient needs. In monitoring our patients’ progress during their dental braces treatment, we are often asked how they can keep their teeth as clean as possible, so in this blog, our Houston family dentists will offer our top tips for maintaining your best dental health possible while undergoing Houston braces treatment.

Tip 1: Brush Your Teeth More Frequently If You Wear Houston Braces

When you don’t wear Houston braces, we advise you to brush your teeth twice a day–once in the morning and again right before bed. When wearing braces, however, it is easy to miss a few spots when brushing your teeth, potentially resulting in cavities. To avoid this, our South Houston dentist recommends carefully brushing your teeth after every meal and snack. It may seem excessive, but this is the best way to prevent food from getting stuck in the brackets of your metal and ceramic dental braces, or behind the plastic of your Invisalign Clear Aligners. Remember that food left behind impedes your treatment from working properly and will put you at greater risk of tooth decay and gum disease.

Tip 2: Consider Using Interdental Brushes

Interdental brushes, also known as brush picks, are a great step between brushing your teeth and flossing because it gets rid of any stray food particles that were left behind in between your teeth after brushing. We recommend using them after you brush throughout the day and then switching to string floss at night before bed, which brings us to our next tip...

Tip 3: Floss Your Teeth Every Night

Even if you use a brush pick, there might be smaller, harder-to-reach food particles that you may have still missed, but the good news is that floss can easily remove these. Today, there are several types of floss available, including floss designed to be used while wearing dental braces. Although flossing can be tricky with Houston braces, patience helps and so can we the next time you come to our South Houston dentist office for a cleaning and a check-up.

Tip 4: Get A Houston Braces Teeth Cleaning At Our Houston And South Houston Dental Offices Every 6 Months

By coming into our Houston family dentist office for your teeth cleanings twice a year, we can check on your overall dental health and clean your teeth more deeply and thoroughly than you would at home. Additionally, this gives us a chance to ensure your teeth are shifting as they should and that you aren’t developing any oral health concerns. If it’s time to get a dental cleaning, please book an appointment so we can schedule one as soon as possible and assess the health of your teeth.

Now that summer break is in full swing, parents may be thinking about having their children begin South Houston braces treatment. If that’s the case with your family, our South Houston dentist is ready to examine your child’s teeth and determine if Houston braces are needed. 

Summer Is The Perfect Time For Braces

Getting braces during summer break is great because your child isn’t in school anymore, which allows for more flexible scheduling. Further, children will have this time away from school to get used to their new dental braces, meaning any discomfort won’t be a distraction during classes. When Houston braces are worn correctly, patients notice a significant difference in their teeth, so when the next school year comes, your child will feel more confident when showing off their smile.

Signs Your Child Might Need Houston Braces By Our Dentists In Houston Or South Houston

Does your child’s smile exhibit any of the following?:

• Crooked teeth
• Gaps in their smile
• Crowded teeth
• Underbite
• Overbite

Then chances are they need braces. Our dentists in Houston and South Houston offer ceramic dental braces, metal dental braces, and even Invisalign, all of which are made affordable! Getting a straighter, healthier smile doesn’t have to break the bank when you entrust our dentists with your Houston braces treatment.

Which Houston Braces Should Your Child Get?

With our various dental braces options, it can be difficult to figure out which one is right for your child this summer. When we start discussing Houston braces treatment, we will move forward with a Houston braces consultation that will give us insight on whether Invisalign, metal Houston braces, or ceramic Houston braces are right for your child’s unique case. 

Think This Summer Is The Right Time For Your Child To Undergo Houston Braces Treatment? Visit Centra Dental In Houston And South Houston!

Serving families in Houston and South Houston, we are proud to be the top-rated choice for affordable Houston braces. If you’re wondering about having your child undergo dental braces treatment, please book an appointment with us so we can begin with a consultation. We accept various insurance plans and dedicate ourselves to helping your child achieve their best dental health. We can’t wait to embrace your child’s smile this summer!

If you’ve read our article about why kids should get Houston braces early on, then chances are you agree that, with the school year starting again soon, now is a great time to start asking about having your child undergo Houston braces treatment. Our family dentist–which treats children and their parents at our dental offices in Houston and South Houston–offers various types of Houston braces. Keep reading to learn more about them.

Metal Houston Braces

Metal dental braces are the most common Houston braces treatment our Houston and South Houston dentists offer. Metal braces are very strong and feature up to four components:

• Metal brackets
• Gray archwire
• O-rings
• Rubber bands (if necessary; they are perfect for correcting overbites)

Our affordable metal Houston braces even allow our patients to enjoy some creative freedom by customizing the colored rings we place around their brackets.

Ceramic Dental Braces

Similar to metal Houston braces, ceramic braces forgo the metal (as their name suggests) and are, instead, made up of:

• Ceramic brackets
• Frosted/light gray archwire
• O rings
• Rubber bands (if necessary)

Ceramic Houston braces are well-favored because they mimic the natural color of our patients’ teeth, making for a far more subtle dental braces treatment while still effectively correcting the alignment of mild to moderate malocclusions (bad bites).

Invisalign South Houston Braces

Our third option for Houston braces treatment is Invisalign Clear Aligners. Though this method of correcting a bad bite is newer than metal dental braces, it is highly effective and recommended for patients who have a mild malocclusion. Invisalign braces only consist of the plastic clear aligners, but rather than tightening the archwire–as we would with ceramic or metal dental braces–we simply give our Houston braces patients a brand new set of Invisalign clear aligners that will continuously re-shape the bite until it is straight.

Which Type Of Houston Braces Are Right For Your Child?

Our dental practice in Houston and South Houston is known for its affordable Houston braces, but with so many options, how do you know which is right for your child as they embark on their new school year? If you’re ready to learn more about dental braces treatment, please book an appointment with our Houston and South Houston family dentists so we can initiate a Houston braces consultation. At this consultation, we will assess your child’s bite and discuss their needs/wants. Depending on all of these factors, we will determine which type of Houston braces treatment is best for them and for how long they may expect to wear their braces. We look forward to giving your child a beautiful, healthy smile they are proud to show off!

Most of our South Houston dentist patients who undergo dental braces treatment are children, but did you know that we also get a fair amount of adult patients? Just because we recommend getting braces when you’re a child does not mean getting braces later is out of the question. Adults can and should wear Houston braces if they have a malocclusion.

Malocclusions Affect People of All Ages

Different malocclusions warrant different Houston braces treatments. If you had a malocclusion–which is defined as a bad bite–as a kid, then chances are it did not go away when you became an adult. If left unaddressed, malocclusions will cause multiple problems for your dental health. Such problems that our adult patients come to our South Houston dentist for include:

• Headaches
• Tooth decay
• Gum disease
• Speech impairments
• Difficulty chewing and digesting. 

Dental braces at our Houston and South Houston dentist offices help correct these issues, even if the correction takes a little longer.

Centra Dental Offers Multiple Houston Braces Options for Adults

Today, Houston braces are much more subtle and lightweight than they used to be, so adults and teenagers alike can wear them without feeling as self-conscious. We offer metal braces, ceramic braces, and Invisalign to suit different types of malocclusions, as well as different patient preferences.

South Houston Invisalign

For adults with minor malocclusions, Invisalign may be favorable as the most flexible and subtle treatment option because it helps adults feel less worried about having a smile covered by metal.

South Houston Ceramic Dental Braces

On the other hand, adults who suffer more moderate malocclusions may benefit more from either metal braces or ceramic braces. Ceramic braces are the next most subtle treatment option, as both the brackets and the archwire blend in with the color of the teeth more easily while being a little stronger than Invisalign.

South Houston Metal Dental Braces

Metal braces, while more subtle and comfortable than they used to be, are still a bit noticeable. However, they work on all malocclusions, especially the most severe cases. Our metal braces can move teeth vertically, align teeth that are higher than they should be, and also rotate teeth.

Centra Dental In South Houston Helps Adults Achieve A Healthy Smile With Houston Braces

If you are an adult hoping to straighten your teeth, please book an appointment with us so our South Houston dentists can complete your orthodontic evaluation. We will address your concerns and determine the best treatment plan for you.