If you’ve been told that you need braces in West Palm Beach, you might have a lot of questions about what to expect. This popular orthodontic treatment accounts for over four million people receiving straighter teeth– about one million of those individuals being over the age of 18.
Braces can not only improve the look of your smile, but they can benefit the overall health of your teeth and gums. After this orthodontic treatment, you should be able to clean your teeth better, speak more clearly, and reduce your risk of getting oral diseases. Below, we’ve answered some of the most commonly asked questions about braces.
Am I Too Old to Get Braces?
Nope! Lots of adults are getting braces to correct their misaligned teeth. Treatment might take a bit longer since their jaws are already in place and won’t shift as easily as a child’s would. There are also other options besides traditional metal braces for adults. Most of them choose to use clear aligners for more discreet and convenient orthodontic care.
How Do I Know I Need Braces?
Having misaligned teeth is a telltale sign you should undergo an orthodontic treatment, but other factors will determine whether or not you need braces. Below are some of the common signs you might require braces.
- If you’ve lost baby teeth too early or too late
- If your jaw and teeth are disproportionate with the rest of your face
- You frequently bite your cheek when you chew
- It’s difficult to brush or floss properly
What Issues Do Braces Fix?
Braces can fix alignment issues of the teeth and jaw. They work by applying pressure to your teeth to slowly adjust them in their proper position. You will need to get your braces tightened regularly to ensure a quicker and more effective solution. If you have any of the following alignment issues, getting braces will help to correct them.
Overbites and Underbites
An overbite occurs when your upper teeth overlap your lower teeth, causing them to protrude. Underbites happen when your lower teeth stick out farther than your upper teeth. Minor overbites don’t require braces, but ones that stick out farther than 3 millimeters do. Both of these concerns can result in jaw pain, speech impediments, and difficulty chewing.
Gapped or Spaced Teeth
Extra gaps or spaces in your teeth occur when there’s a difference between the size of your jaw and the size of your teeth. Often, those with gaps have teeth that are too small for their jaw bone, which causes them to grow with extra spaces. People often choose to fix gapped teeth for cosmetic reasons, as they don’t pose any real threat to your oral health.
Open Bite
When you close your mouth and your upper and lower teeth don’t touch, you have what’s known as an open bite. They’re caused by a problem with the tooth, jaw, or a combination of both. Childhood habits such as thumb sucking and tongue thrusting can also lead to an open bite.
Crowded Teeth
Crowded teeth occur when your teeth grow in a way that causes them to overlap over one another or come in twisted. Some teeth will sit higher than others, and some are pushed behind others. When your teeth are larger than the available space in your jaw bone, it will cause them to grow in crowded. Sometimes, losing primary teeth too early or too late can cause crowded teeth.
How Do I Take Care of Braces?
There’s a special way you need to take care of braces to ensure they stay clean and work properly.
Use the Right Oral Care Products
You won’t be able to use the same toothbrush, mouthwash, and toothpaste you did before getting braces. Your orthodontist will let you know the best kinds of oral care products you should be using to take care of your teeth and braces. You’ll want to avoid using toothpaste with abrasive ingredients or mouthwash with bright colored dyes, as these can damage and discolor the metal material. When looking for dental floss, you need to choose a kind that fits between your teeth and the wires of the brackets.
Regularly Visit Your Orthodontist and Dentist
You don’t want to skip out on your appointments with the orthodontist. They will help adjust your braces so your teeth can get straighter, and they’ll address any concerns you may have. You still want to keep up with your regular dental cleaning to avoid gum disease or cavities.
Follow Your Orthodontist’s Diet Restrictions
This is the part everyone dreads about getting braces – the food restrictions! When you have braces, there is a long list of foods you must avoid at all costs. Otherwise, you could end up damaging your braces and prolonging your orthodontic treatment. Stay away from anything hard, chewy, crunchy, and sticky. There are also some foods you want to include more of in your diet for healthy teeth and gums, such as anything with calcium.
Look Closely for Stuck Food
You’ll have to put in a little extra effort to ensure your braces are clean. Sometimes, there are stubborn food pieces that get stuck in your braces even after you brush. Make sure to look closely in the mirror and find anything that got left behind. Food that becomes stuck in your braces can wind up damaging them.
What Happens After My Braces are Removed?
Did you know that your teeth can shift back to where they used to be after getting your braces removed? To prevent that from happening, your orthodontist will give you a retainer for you to wear. This is perhaps the most important part of your orthodontic treatment, as you don’t want all that time wearing braces to go to waste. Typically, patients will need to wear their retainers for at least 12 hours a day for the next year or two. After that, you’ll need to wear it at night indefinitely.
Below are some other things you may notice once your braces have been removed.
- Your teeth will be sensitive
- Your smile will be straighter
- The inside of your lips will have callouses (which will go away)
- Your teeth may be slightly discolored
Do You Need Braces in West Palm Beach?
Is it time for you to get an orthodontic treatment? Shapiro Family Dentistry offers braces for patients who are ready to have straighter teeth and less pain. For more information about this service, please contact our team!
