Questions about Braces

As you would expect, we handle a lot of questions about braces from our patients. Here are some answers to common questions you may have.

Straighter teeth create a nicer smile, and a balanced smile boosts confidence and self-esteem in young adults. Especially during the formative pre-teen and adolescent years, having a positive self-image that starts with a smile can be far-reaching. For adults in professional and social settings, a smile is often the first impression, so it’s essential to put the best one forward.

Straight teeth are also easier to keep clean. Imagine trying to brush and floss between teeth that are crowded or overlapping. Teeth that are straight, follow an easy curve and have one contact point are much easier to brush and floss.

Braces and orthodontics are about more than just a pretty smile and straight teeth. A functional and harmonious bite serves as the foundation on which the teeth and jaws work together to ensure normal opening and closing for activities such as chewing and speaking. After all, this bite has to serve you your whole life.

The American Association of Orthodontists recommends the first visit to an orthodontist by age 7. By this time, most children have their permanent first molars as well as the front four teeth top and bottom. From these teeth, Dr. Menjivar can assess the bite and identify any early orthodontic problems that may be developing. If needed, she can recommend the best early treatment to avoid worsening problems, a longer treatment, or the need for adult tooth extractions later on.

Early treatment is any orthodontic treatment that begins while patients still have a mix of both primary (baby) and adult teeth. This is usually between 7-12 years of age. One of the most common appliances used in early treatment is an expander which takes advantage of being able to widen the upper jaw to treat crossbites (narrow upper jaw). Other early treatment examples include fixing underbites, treating single-tooth crossbites, protecting the front teeth from trauma, and creating sufficient room for adult teeth to erupt.

The cost for braces and orthodontics depends entirely on the recommended treatment options and length of treatment time expected. This information is typically covered in a complimentary consultation.

Because we believe that orthodontics is an investment in more than just oral health, we have created flexible payment options that suit most any budget. Interest-free in-house financing over the course of treatment in addition to multi-sibling discounts and discounts for payment-in-full are available. Convenient monthly auto-pay and payments by check or cash are also accepted

The placement of braces is painless, but as teeth begin to straighten, they will be sore and achy. Children and adolescents usually adapt quickly and become used to the braces after one week. For adults, it can take up to two weeks. During that time, we recommend taking Tylenol or Advil to relieve initial discomfort. A soft diet is also helpful in the first several days while teeth are tender to biting.

Toothbrush and floss! You will want to angle your toothbrush at a 45 degree angle above and below the braces. The most important area to keep clean is the tooth surface between the braces and the gums. If plaque is allowed to sit on the teeth, it can irritate the gums, and they can become red and puffy. If not removed, the plaque can also create permanent white areas of decalcification on the tooth surface.

To floss between the braces, we recommend using a floss threader together with regular floss or a product called Superfloss which has a stiffer straight end designed to guide the floss more easily underneath the wire between the braces. Both these and other aids for flossing with braces are available at stores like CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, and Target.

We also recommend a daily fluoridated rinse like Act or Phosflur to give that added fluoride boost to help prevent cavities.

Not at all! We have plenty of active patients in the practice who play sports, musical instruments, sing or are involved in theater. And they get to keep doing the things they love! Getting used to braces takes just a short amount of time, and then life returns to normal.

We provide complimentary mouthguards to patients who play sports that require a mouthguard. They are special for orthodontic patients because unlike the boil-and-bite mouthguards, ours allow teeth to continue moving freely. Safety first!

In general, appointments are scheduled every 4-8 weeks. In the beginning of treatment, appointments can be more widely spaced (every 8 weeks) since the wires are light and flexible and work slowly over a long period of time. In the middle of treatment, patients are usually seen every 6 weeks. And towards the end of treatment, appointments are more frequent (every 4 weeks) during which time Dr. Menjivar is working on the fine, finishing details of a case.

Routine orthodontic appointments are typically thirty minutes or less and can be accommodated in the after-school schedule so as not to interfere with the school day. Longer appointments (1-1.5 hours) such as putting braces on, removing braces, and repositioning braces are scheduled in the morning so that the short adjustments can be accommodated after school.

Modern day adhesives allow most patients to receive bonded braces that are glued onto each tooth rather than bands (metal rings) around the teeth. That being said, hard foods or excessive forces could dislodge a bracket from the tooth.

Foods best to avoid include hard foods such as granola, granola bars, hard candy, cookies or crackers, nuts, crusty French bread or pizza crust, carrots (please steam), apples (please cut into small slices) among other examples. Please no picking at your braces or chewing on pencils or ice.

The short answer is for as long as you don’t want your teeth to move! After a short period of full-time retainer wear, we switch our patients to night-time for lifetime. Teeth have a tendency to move all throughout the course of our lives, so the only way to ensure that you can enjoy your smile for a lifetime is by committing to retainers for the long-term.

Farmington Valley Orthodontics offers Complimentary Orthodontic Exams