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Patients who chose Houston Invisalign to correct issues with teeth alignment are well aware of the benefits this treatment can provide. It’s easy-to-use, barely visible, and not as unsightly as traditional metal braces. One of the most common questions our Houston dentist receives is in reference to proper Invisalign hygiene. If you’re new to South Houston Invisalign or are considering the option for your misalignment, knowing the best methods to keep your teeth and aligners clean can help you achieve successful results and maintain your overall oral health.

What Is Houston Invisalign?

Invisalign is designed for patients who want to correct malocclusion, which occurs when teeth are not properly aligned, resulting in an improper bite. The treatment features clear, flexible plastic aligners that gradually shift your teeth to the proper place, typically in less time than traditional metal braces. South Houston Invisalign is an appealing option for many due to its sleek and virtually invisible appearance. 

Proper Invisalign Hygiene, According To Our South Houston Family Dentist

If you or your teenager has decided to begin the Invisalign process with our South Houston dentist, it’s important to keep your aligners and your teeth clean in order to achieve the best results. This can be accomplished by adhering to the following:

Clean Your Aligners Several Times Per Day

Our South Houston family dentist recommends cleaning your aligners with antibacterial soap whenever you brush your teeth. You should also soak them at least once a day in Invisalign cleaning crystals, which are designed to provide a deep clean that kills bacteria and prevents stains.

Brush Your Teeth After Eating

Since the aligners are designed to be removed while eating, but also only placed on freshly-brushed teeth, it’s wise to brush your teeth after every meal and snack. Pack a travel toothbrush and toothpaste in your purse or backpack so you have it with you at all times. 

Floss Regularly

As your teeth shift into their proper position, new crevices and spaces may develop that can become breeding grounds for decay-causing bacteria. Regular flossing can aid in removing food particles and plaque from the gum line and between teeth.

Avoid Items That Could Cause Stains

Drinks like coffee or tea, as well as beauty products that may come into contact with your aligners, such as lipstick or gloss, should be avoided during your South Houston Invisalign treatment. Should these items stain your aligners or get between the aligner and your tooth’s surface, it could result in a permanent stain on either surface.

Will Our Houston Dentist Recommend Invisalign, Braces, or Something Else?

Our South Houston dentist takes many factors into consideration before recommending Invisalign, Houston braces, or other possible interventions for a malocclusion. Metal Houston braces have long been the standard for severe alignment issues, but Invisalign is more effective than most think, even for those with significant bite problems. There are times in which certain teeth need to be removed in order to make room for the remaining teeth to shift into their proper position. If you’re wondering which treatment is best for you, our South Houston family dentist can provide you with the answers you need. 

Our Houston Family Dentist Knows The Best Treatment for You 

If you or your teen is ready to correct existing alignment issues, Centra Dental is proud to help you on your way to a brighter, more confident smile. We offer cutting-edge treatment in a clean environment designed to keep your family safe and healthy. Call us today to schedule an appointment! 

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.

In Houston, braces are quickly becoming a necessity for many reasons. The standard metal dental braces for kids are no longer the only way the consumer views braces. Style and timeline for utilization has changed with the times. At Centra Dental we value quality in the treatment planning, attachment of actual braces, and the process of creating your most beautiful and functional smile. Dr. Nguyen and Dr. Perschke are innovative and thoughtful practitioners that put patients so they can have the perfect smile. In this article, our South Houston dentists will explain the different types of affordable Houston braces we offer.

Metal Dental Braces Are What's Hot in the Houston Dental Braces Game

Just like candy, there are many styles of available braces for our clients. At Centra dental we are as skilled at attaching metal dental braces on as well as Invisalign, and Ceramic dental braces. The Snickers of the Houston dental braces world is metal dental braces. In the past you might be called a “brace-face", but now a patient is lucky enough to accessorize colors with rubber bands to be in the height of schoolyard fashion. This is the traditional view of dental braces that shows up in your mind, but we assure you, times have changed.

It’s Never Too Late to Use Houston Invisalign Braces to Build Confidence

Invisalign is more of the sour patch kid of the bunch, they are newer compared to metal bracket braces, but they are great for a responsible adult who wants to mold their professional image without advertising their braces. At Centra Dental, we use state-of-the-art technology to make perfectly fitting digital imprints to help mold your smile for beauty, and maybe a touch of confidence that might be all you need to take the next step professionally. Invisalign braces utilize adjustments just like metal bracket braces but do allow for some provided relief since the braces are removable. Just like sour patch kids don’t melt in your hands, Invisalign dental braces offer convenience to the client that other braces systems can’t.

Ceramic Dental Braces Are Less Noticeable And Can’t Be Lost

Ceramic dental braces are less noticeable than metal braces. They are the M&Ms of the Houston brace’s world the melt in your mouth and not in your hands. They offer a less noticeable style then metal braces. That is the convenience, but they are attached. You get a more subtle process and look than metal braces but can’t lose them like Invisalign braces. Houston dental braces can be gotten in this fashion or the metal braces and Invisalign styles at Centra Dental.

Brace Yourself And Get Housto Braces At Centra Dental

If you're ready to embrace your smile and give it the care it deserves, then please book an appointment with us to start the path to a prettier smile. Centra Dental has willing team members ready to get you started!

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!