The main point of going to a checkup is to assess your progress to straight teeth. Here are examples of the many different methods your orthodontist may use to do this:
1. X-ray:
Before you get an x-ray, your orthodontist will ask you to take off any outside metal (e.g. earrings, headbands etc.). Then you will put on a jacket-like lead bib and stand next to a machine. Then you will bite onto these two plastic pieces, one for your upper jaw one for your lower. Next x-ray machine will spin around your head and make a ringing noise, while taking an x-ray of your jaws. Then you are done!
2. Pictures:
Another method is to take pictures every few checkups. Unlike the picture taking we spoke of in "The Classic Checkup", here your orthodontist will have you pull your cheeks open with plastic stretchers. Then he/she will take pictures from the front and sides, while opening your mouth and biting your back teeth. If your orthodontist needs to show you and your parents something they may pull up these pictures on the computer or print them and show them to you. They are used to show what your orthodontist is talking about.
3. Jaw mold:
Before you get anything that is going to fit in your mouth(bite-plane, retainers and such) your orthodontist will make a mold of your teeth. Your orthodontist will put some colored goop in your mouth then push it against your teeth and then pull it out. Then later on they will make a white mold that is a exact replica of your mouth from the inside using that mold. This they use to make your retainers and such so that they fit your mouth perfectly.
These are some examples of how you will get to see your progress. Hopefully now you won't be confused if your orthodontist starts doing these things!
-Amanda and Erik
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
The Secret to Sleepovers
One trouble we ran into is keeping up your orthodontic materials when going to a sleepover. We recommend not skipping out just because you go to a friend’s house.
Here are some tips for dealing with it:
Head Gear:
1. Wear it during the day if possible so that when you have a sleepover you can snack and eat later in the evening without having to worry about getting in your 12 (or whatever) hours.
2. If that isn’t possible decide on a time that you will put it on so that way you can eat before then
3. You can also put it on right before you and your friend(s) go to bed so they don’t ask about it if you are embarrassed.
4. If you think that it will just be a pain and get in the way you can also just skip that one night but we’d say only do that if it’s really going to be hard to wear it.
Braces:
1. If for some reason your friends don’t plan on brushing their teeth, just excuse yourself and brush your teeth. Since you have braces and as we have mentioned in post “Cleaning Techniques” and “The Health in Hygiene”, it is extra important to brush your teeth if you have braces.
2. You can probably skip flossing on the night of your sleepover since it is so time consuming.
Bands:
1. You can just wear these when you normally do since they are inconspicuous.
2. Bring extra just in case your bands break.
Retainers:
1. Bring your retainers with in you in a hard plastic case of some sort. That way when you are going to eat you can slip your retainers into it so they don’t get broken accidentally.
2. And remember to put your retainer in after you eat preferably after brushing but it doesn’t really matter as long as you brush your teeth at some point.
One point we cant stress enough is bring your orthodontic materials home. And in one piece! And as our orthodontist once said “The safest place for your materials is in your mouth or at home” So if you think that there is any chance of losing or breaking any of these it would be better to just leave them home. But don’t use it as an excuse to take a break. The more you wear all your bands and gears now the less time you will have to later! So don’t let your mouth get in the way of having fun at your sleepovers!
-Amanda and Erik
Here are some tips for dealing with it:
Head Gear:
1. Wear it during the day if possible so that when you have a sleepover you can snack and eat later in the evening without having to worry about getting in your 12 (or whatever) hours.
2. If that isn’t possible decide on a time that you will put it on so that way you can eat before then
3. You can also put it on right before you and your friend(s) go to bed so they don’t ask about it if you are embarrassed.
4. If you think that it will just be a pain and get in the way you can also just skip that one night but we’d say only do that if it’s really going to be hard to wear it.
Braces:
1. If for some reason your friends don’t plan on brushing their teeth, just excuse yourself and brush your teeth. Since you have braces and as we have mentioned in post “Cleaning Techniques” and “The Health in Hygiene”, it is extra important to brush your teeth if you have braces.
2. You can probably skip flossing on the night of your sleepover since it is so time consuming.
Bands:
1. You can just wear these when you normally do since they are inconspicuous.
2. Bring extra just in case your bands break.
Retainers:
1. Bring your retainers with in you in a hard plastic case of some sort. That way when you are going to eat you can slip your retainers into it so they don’t get broken accidentally.
2. And remember to put your retainer in after you eat preferably after brushing but it doesn’t really matter as long as you brush your teeth at some point.
One point we cant stress enough is bring your orthodontic materials home. And in one piece! And as our orthodontist once said “The safest place for your materials is in your mouth or at home” So if you think that there is any chance of losing or breaking any of these it would be better to just leave them home. But don’t use it as an excuse to take a break. The more you wear all your bands and gears now the less time you will have to later! So don’t let your mouth get in the way of having fun at your sleepovers!
-Amanda and Erik
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Loose Bracket
Sometimes you will have a bracket fall off or get knocked off your tooth from eating or something. When the bracket isn’t attached it will not pull or tighten that tooth so its important to fix it as soon as possible.
Usually you can schedule an appointment so we would recommend doing that soon. Usually your orthodontist will go through the whole procedure of glueing your bracket back on, so its nothing you haven’t done before.
Here are some tips for the time period before your appointment:
1. Try not to play with it because you can dislodge other brackets and ruin the wire.
2. Try not to eat on the part of your mouth where your loose bracket is that way you won’t damage it more.
So if you feel in your mouth one day that something is loose or you hear a crack after you bite into that hard piece of bread, don’t be alarmed! It happens to everyone at one point and is very simple to fix. Just remember to schedule that appointment!
-Amanda and Erik
Usually you can schedule an appointment so we would recommend doing that soon. Usually your orthodontist will go through the whole procedure of glueing your bracket back on, so its nothing you haven’t done before.
Here are some tips for the time period before your appointment:
1. Try not to play with it because you can dislodge other brackets and ruin the wire.
2. Try not to eat on the part of your mouth where your loose bracket is that way you won’t damage it more.
So if you feel in your mouth one day that something is loose or you hear a crack after you bite into that hard piece of bread, don’t be alarmed! It happens to everyone at one point and is very simple to fix. Just remember to schedule that appointment!
-Amanda and Erik
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Getting Food Unstuck
Although your orthodontist has probably told you not to eat certain foods, and although we do not necessarily condone it, most of us eat the “forbidden foods” anyway. These were discussed in our post, Damaging Delectables.
We know that a lot of these foods get stuck in your braces really easily, so here are some tips for dislodging the toughest pieces:
1. If it is a piece of chewy candy, you can swish-and-spit some hot/warm water. The water will help to dissolve the sugar in the candy, thus making it easier to remove.
2. Short of trying to push out the food with your tongue, sometimes your orthodontist will give you a little tool that is a pipe-cleaner with a little plastic handle that can be used to push out the snagged pieces (this device was discussed in the post Cleaning Techniques). Another option would be to use a toothpick!
3. You can brush your teeth or floss. It may seem obvious, but sometimes it is easier to just brush your teeth than it is to spend time trying to push out the food by hand.
One problem is that if you are out in public and you get some food stuck in your braces you can’t pick at it with your fingers because that would be rude, and you will most likely not be able to brush your teeth, so the simple solution is to not get food stuck in the first place! Here are two tips to do this:
1. Try to in general steer clear of the foods that get stuck easily, like corn, lettuce, pineapple, etc. If you just don’t eat these foods, then you will not have to even worry about getting gobs of food stuck!
2. If you are going to eat the foods that get caught, try chewing it slowly and carefully. When you chew really quickly and heavily, you jam the food up in your braces, so try chewing a bit more carefully.
-Erik and Amanda
We know that a lot of these foods get stuck in your braces really easily, so here are some tips for dislodging the toughest pieces:
1. If it is a piece of chewy candy, you can swish-and-spit some hot/warm water. The water will help to dissolve the sugar in the candy, thus making it easier to remove.
2. Short of trying to push out the food with your tongue, sometimes your orthodontist will give you a little tool that is a pipe-cleaner with a little plastic handle that can be used to push out the snagged pieces (this device was discussed in the post Cleaning Techniques). Another option would be to use a toothpick!
3. You can brush your teeth or floss. It may seem obvious, but sometimes it is easier to just brush your teeth than it is to spend time trying to push out the food by hand.
One problem is that if you are out in public and you get some food stuck in your braces you can’t pick at it with your fingers because that would be rude, and you will most likely not be able to brush your teeth, so the simple solution is to not get food stuck in the first place! Here are two tips to do this:
1. Try to in general steer clear of the foods that get stuck easily, like corn, lettuce, pineapple, etc. If you just don’t eat these foods, then you will not have to even worry about getting gobs of food stuck!
2. If you are going to eat the foods that get caught, try chewing it slowly and carefully. When you chew really quickly and heavily, you jam the food up in your braces, so try chewing a bit more carefully.
-Erik and Amanda
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