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Having braces must have felt like an eternity, but once you get them removed you will see just how worth it those two or three years were. However, for many years to come, you have to keep your teeth looking as beautiful as they did the day you got your braces removed. This will ensure that your investment was worth it and that you can properly enjoy your new smile. Here are ways our South Houston dentists recommend you take care of your teeth following the removal of your dental braces.

Wear Your Retainer

This is the most important thing you can–and must–do after you’ve completed your Houston braces treatment. None of our patients like to hear this, but upon completion of your treatment, you must wear another orthodontic appliance known as a dental retainer.

For adults who wore dental braces, their teeth will tend to shift back to their original position, causing their malocclusion to come back since there are no more wires or brackets to hold your teeth in place. For kids who wore braces, they still have some growing to do and so do their jaws, which means their teeth will also shift again. Retainers are designed to prevent this.

Our South Houston dentist often recommends our patients wear their retainers all day and night, except for when it’s time to eat and when it’s time to brush your teeth and floss, for about a year after they got their braces off. This extra time will ensure your teeth fully settle into the soft tissue in your mouth so they won’t shift again. Once the year is up, we may instruct you to wear your retainer at night time only.

Keep Up a Good Daily Cleaning Routine

Now that your teeth are straight, we’re certain you would like to show off your new smile more and more. To keep it looking pristine, we recommend the following:

• Brush your teeth at least twice a day with a soft-bristled toothbrush. Also make sure to replace your brush every few months, once it looks frayed.
• Floss every night to ensure nothing is stuck between your teeth. This will be even easier now that you don’t have any brackets or wires in the way.
• Use a fluoridated mouthwash to offer extra protection against cavities while also strengthening your enamel and freshening your breath.
• Clean your retainer every day before you put it on again when it’s time to go to bed. This will ensure that it is always clean and that there are no bacteria that will get stuck on or behind your teeth.

Centra Dental in South Houston Wants to Give You Your Best Smile

By wearing your retainer as directed, practicing exceptional dental hygiene every day, and coming in for your semiannual routine dental cleanings, you are on your way to a beautiful, healthy smile for life. Now that it’s a new year, please book an appointment with us so we can clean your teeth and answer any more questions you may have about dental care after Houston braces treatment.

Invisalign Clear Aligners have certainly risen in popularity for our teenaged patients, as well as our adult patients since it initially emerged in the early 2000’s. Although metal dental braces are effective on all types of malocclusions–minor or severe, that isn’t to say that clear aligners are not just as effective for a minor malocclusion, which is the technical term we use to refer to a “bad bite”. Here is what our South Houston family dentists recommend in order for our Invisalign patients to get the most out of their treatment.

Remove Your Clear Aligners When It’s Time to Eat

Invisalign is known as a more flexible orthodontic treatment, so it’s no surprise that one of the greatest perks that come with Invisalign is that the clear aligners are removable, unlike the metal Houston braces that we fuse to the teeth with a dental cement. Because clear aligners are made of plastic, you should not chew with them.

However, just because you don’t chew with them does not mean you can eat whatever you want. On the contrary, each time a patient receives a new set of clear aligners, their teeth feel more tender, so it is imperative to avoid crunchy and chewy foods. This is especially crucial within the first 48 hours of wearing new aligners.

Our South Houston Dentist Patients Need to be Responsible

Invisalign must be worn for 20-22 hours a day, which includes the time you spend sleeping overnight. This helps ensure that your teeth are constantly being shifted into the necessary position to create a straight smile. Now, if you wear them as directed and maintain exceptional dental hygiene, you may be able to wear them a little less by only skipping them on special occasions, such as a school dance or a wedding.

What is exceptional hygiene? Essentially, you need to take care to brush your teeth after every meal and snack to ensure no food gets stuck in between your teeth and held in by the aligners. Additionally, flossing nightly is crucial, and more dental cleanings may be necessary.

This all requires a lot of discipline, which is why some younger patients may instead wear metal or ceramic dental braces. In order to wear your Invisalign clear aligners as directed, you have to ensure you don’t lose them, misplace them, or become a little too comfortable to a point where you wear them less than the time our South Houston dentists recommend.

Centra’s South Houston Family Dentists Want to Ensure Your Treatment Goes as Planned

If you are planning to start Invisalign, or have recently begun treatment, please book a Houston braces appointment with us so we can examine your teeth and further explain a more detailed treatment plan. We want to ensure Invisalign gives you the straight, healthy smile you deserve.

Getting dental braces is very exciting, but it can also be daunting for some, especially with so many rumors and myths that are believed. Our South Houston dentists gathered some of the most common myths in order to offer our professional input and dispel these myths.

Myths and Facts Our South Houston Patients Should Be Aware Of

Myth #1: Your Braces Will Rust Over Time

While we understand why this might be a commonly held belief about braces since water and metal never mix, our Houston braces are made out of titanium, which is biocompatible and does not rust.

Myth #2: You Can’t Play An Instrument While Wearing Braces

This is a wide held worry amongst our teenaged patients who are in the school band or orchestra, especially if they intend on applying for scholarships to university. However, there is no need to worry. Although it may feel a bit awkward to play at first, it is still perfectly doable after adjusting and they will not inhibit your ability. 

Myth #3: After Braces, Your Teeth Will Be Straight Forever and You Don’t Have to Take Extra Precaution

It is true that braces will successfully straighten your teeth, but your teeth will only remain straight if you wear your retainer as directed by our Houston braces dentists. Not doing so will make it very easy for your teeth to shift back to their previous position.

Myth #4: Braces Won’t Work For Adults

While we do recommend children and teenagers get braces at a young age, adults also benefit from braces. Their treatment may take a bit longer, but braces are just as effective at straightening their teeth and giving them a healthy smile.

Myth #5: Playing Sports While Wearing Braces is Dangerous

Much like Myth #2, our teenaged patients who play sports and plan on applying for scholarships may worry about how dental braces will impact them. The good news is that student athletes can still play sports–they just need to make sure to wear a fitted mouthguard.

Myth #6: Rubber Bands Aren’t As Necessary as Dentists Make Them Seem

Unfortunately, many patients don’t see how rubber bands work, since they are so small and seemingly insignificant. However, they are a crucial part of your dental braces treatment, so it is imperative you wear them as directed, otherwise, your treatment will take longer.

Ready For Dental Braces? Schedule a Houston Braces Consultation

If you plan on getting dental braces soon, please book an appointment so we can conduct our initial consultation and develop a treatment plan. We look forward to further educating you and helping you achieve a beautiful, healthy smile.

Although a majority of our South Houston dental patients that undergo dental braces treatment are children, we get a fair amount of adult patients, as well. Just because getting braces earlier may be better, does not mean getting braces later is out of the question. Adults can, and should, wear braces as well if they have a malocclusion.

Malocclusions Affect People of All Ages

Different malocclusions warrant different Houston braces treatments. If you had a malocclusion (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 include headaches, tooth decay, gum disease, speech impairments, and difficulty chewing and digesting. Dental braces help correct these issues, even if the correction takes a little longer.

Centra Dental Offers Multiple Houston Braces Options for Adults

Today, dental 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.

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 a child-like appearance.

Ceramic Dental Braces

On the other hand, adults who suffer severe malocclusions may benefit 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. They work effectively on mild to moderate cases.

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 on the more 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, Confident Smile

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