Category: Ask Your Ortho

Adult Braces

ask-your-ortho-q My teen daughters are both getting braces. I never had them as a teen and am interested for myself now, should I consider treatment?

I have treated patients as young as 6 and as old as 76, for various reasons. As long as your gums and jaw bone are healthy, if you are interested in getting braces you should speak with your local Orthodontist.

Each year more and more adult patients seek orthodontic treatment. A recent study in the United States found a 39% increase in adults who received orthodontic treatment from 1996 to 2012. This compares to a 32% increase in teens, for the same period.

Many of my adult patients are interested in the range of treatment options now available. Orthodontists offer clear aligners (Invisalign), porcelain braces and back-of-the-teeth lingual braces. These options are less noticeable than traditional braces, but vary in price. Your Orthodontist can guide you through the pros and cons of each and how they may suit your particular case.

Some believe that orthodontic treatment helps teeth last longer — straight teeth are easier to keep clean. Regardless, once you begin braces treatment, motivation for oral hygiene increases. Patients take greater pride in their teeth and thus take greater care of teeth and gums.

The main difference between treating adults and adolescents is that the jaws of young people are still growing, which helps accelerate treatment. For adults who are finished growing, treatment can sometimes take a few months longer than for adolescents.

Brushing with Braces

ask-your-ortho-q Dr Derek, do you have any tips for brushing with braces?

Brush, brush, brush! It is important to take on the habit of good brushing and regular trips to the dentist, to keep your teeth (and braces) in their best possible condition. Studies show that people who have braces tend to brush better than those who have not, because they develop solid brushing habits while they care for their teeth with braces.

At the initial consultation, I talk with patients about their brushing routines and let them know how their brushing skills stack up. When you come in for orthodontic adjustments throughout treatment, I will help you stay on track with brushing (and am always happy to answer questions about it). Like most things you do for the first time, brushing with braces may take a little practice, but soon it will be second nature to you.

A Few Tips for Brushing with Braces

Frequency: Twice or preferably three times per day.
Technique: Brush the outer surface of your teeth and braces in a circular motion. Tilt brush at a 45 degree angle and brush above and below braces using a slow circular motion until teeth and braces are clean. Brush the insides of teeth and chewing surface.
Food Stuck in Braces: If you have food stuck in your teeth and are having trouble removing it, try using an interproximal or ‘Christmas Tree’ brush provided in your braces pack.
Electric vs. Manual Toothbrush: Either is capable of doing an excellent job. The same principles apply with both, it’s important to be diligent with brushing.

Toddler Overbite

I have a 2.5 year old who had her first dentist appt. The dentist was quite alarmed at her overbite. He mentioned speech issues, pain and even trouble eating! I had no idea it was so bad and just assumed she would still change a lot by the time she would need braces.

In your opinion, does she need to be seen and assessed or would you advise to see what happens over the next few years? She has a dummy at bedtime, could this have caused issues?

Not all parts of the body develop at the same rate. The lower jaw tends to grow after the top jaw. At this age it would be normal to have an increased overbite (horizontal distance between upper and lower teeth). Her swallowing pattern, facial muscles and speech are still developing. Given the dynamics of growth and development I would recommend to continue to monitor the situation, but it is unlikely that you need to be alarmed.

I encourage the elimination of a dummy by the age of 3 years. It can be a challenging exercise to remove a dummy, when it is often so intrinsic to a settling routine. Further, if the dummy is eliminated care must be taken not to replace it with a thumb or finger sucking habit. Various approaches exist. These include a reward calendar system. Altering the tip of the dummy by cutting can also disrupt the experience very effectively.

The good news is that usually once the habit is removed at this age, there is a tendency for teeth to spontaneously improve without treatment. It is of greater concern if these habits continue to the age when adult teeth are coming into the mouth, which usually occurs after 5 years of age.

I think it is excellent that your young child has seen a dentist. Often an early visit can introduce important preventative concepts. Both oral hygiene and dietary considerations are key concepts to introduce at this age.

Lithgow Ortho Blog

Welcome to the Lithgow Ortho blog! This area of our site is dedicated to patient questions and orthodontic news. I will respond to patient questions about all aspects of orthodontics and dental health. And we will share orthodontic and dental news for our patients to enjoy.

Please feel free to email us questions or topics that you would like us to include, via lithgowortho@gmail.com.

Dr Derek and the Team at Lithgow Ortho