When Should a Child Start Orthodontics?

Ross Orthodontics provides treatment to patients of all ages, but parents may well wonder what age treatment should start at. To answer that question, it’s necessary to understand at what age different orthodontic treatments are most effective.

Orthodontists recommend that children first be assessed after some of their permanent teeth have come in when they’re about seven years old. This will give us a chance to catch severe problems that are already affecting the child’s oral health and quality of life, such as an underbite or narrow arch, but it’s unusual otherwise for treatment to begin at that age. If the child loses a baby tooth prematurely due to trauma, it may be necessary for them to wear a space maintainer until the permanent tooth can erupt. Major orthodontic work, including extractions and braces, is usually done between the ages of ten and fourteen, after most permanent teeth have erupted. Adults can certainly benefit from orthodontic work, especially for cosmetic problems such as gaps and slight crookedness. But young teenagers still have some flexibility in their skull bones which allows them to undergo treatment for serious structural problems such as impacted canines, while still being mature enough to maintain their hygiene.

To learn more about Ross Orthodontics, visit SmilesbyRoss.com. Offices are located in Forest Lake, Minnesota and Hudson, Wisconsin.

 

Orthodontics and Diabetes

At Ross Orthodontics, our team of specialists is prepared to care for each of our patients’ unique medical needs. One of the health conditions with the biggest impact on oral health is diabetes, and we want our patients to understand how this affects orthodontic therapy.

Braces require the wearer to increase their oral hygiene vigilance. If a person has severe periodontal disease, their braces will have to be removed for their own safety. This can be a problem for people with diabetes because they are especially prone to chronic inflammation and experience periodontal disease at higher rates. At the same time, teeth that have undergone orthodontic treatment are much easier to keep clean, so diabetic patients particularly benefit from it. One solution to this conundrum is Invisalign, the system of removable aligners. Invisalign does not create any additional hygienic challenges, so diabetic patients are at a lower risk of developing gingivitis. It also puts less pressure on the teeth, which is thought to benefit diabetic patients. If a person’s blood sugar is controlled, it may still be possible for them to undergo traditional braces. In those cases, we will carefully inspect the health of their teeth and gums during each monthly appointment.

To learn more about Ross Orthodontics, visit SmilesbyRoss.com. Offices are located in Forest Lake, Minnesota and Hudson, Wisconsin.

 

Flossing Teeth with Traditional Braces

You just received traditional braces and because your mouth is full of wire and brackets you may think you never have to floss during the whole stage of orthodontic treatment. Dr. Gregory Ross, DDS is here to tell you to think again. There are still plenty of ways to maneuver around those tools to get your teeth clean and plaque free and you can start with this technique.

• Use waxed floss, because unwaxed floss is more likely to get caught and shred in your braces.


• Use about 18 inches of floss and thread it carefully.


• Take the floss and gently thread it under the main wire of the braces before passing it between two teeth. Then remove the floss and re-thread it under the main wire to pass between the next pair of teeth.


•  Be sure not to snap the floss. Simply move the floss up and down carefully against the side of each tooth.

If you have questions regarding orthodontic oral care, please give us a call. To learn about services we provide at the practice, visit www.smilesbyross.comfor more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Gregory Ross, DDS call our Forest Lake, MN location at 651-464-6988 or our Hudson, WI location at 715-808-8379.

Brushing Teeth with Braces

After deciding that you wanted a straighter smile, you might have chosen the traditional braces route. Traditional braces include brackets and wires that can make an oral hygiene difficult routine but don’t get discouraged. Dr. Gregory Ross, DDS is here with you every step of the way on your orthodontic journey and he has a few tricks up his sleeve for brushing teeth that are accompanied by braces.  

• Prepare to brush – take off elastics, and any other removable parts of your orthodontic appliance.


• Clean your braces – use your brush at a 45-degree angle to clean around the wires and pins of your braces. Brush from the top of each wire and then from the bottom. Take time to ensure that all plaque and debris are removed.


• Brush your teeth – clean each tooth individually. First, place your brush at a 45-degree angle to the junction between the tooth and the gum, and then apply gentle pressure as you move in a circular motion. Use the same brushing action on all outer and inner tooth surfaces, tilting the brush as needed to better reach the insides of smaller front teeth.

If you have questions regarding orthodontic oral care, please give us a call. To learn about services we provide at the practice, visit www.smilesbyross.comfor more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Gregory Ross, DDS call our Forest Lake, MN location at 651-464-6988 or our Hudson, WI location at 715-808-8379.

Dry Mouth with Orthodontics

One of the most common pieces of advice for people suffering from dry mouth is to chew sugar-free gum, but that’s not an option for people with braces. At Ross Orthodontics, we’re sensitive to our patients’ difficulty with dry mouth (also known as xerostomia) and want to help them find solutions.

Dry mouth is a common side-effect of medication but can also result from braces interfering with saliva flow or saliva being used up combatting irritation. Many people also get orthodontics as a way of correcting malocclusions that contribute to dry mouth by causing breathing difficulty. All of these people can benefit from the use of throat moisturizers, some of which are available cheaply over-the-counter and the stronger of which can be prescribed. They also benefit from the use of humidifiers in the bedroom and office, or any room they have to spend a lot of time in. While it is obvious that people with dry mouth need to stay hydrated, not everybody is aware that alcoholic, sugary, and caffeinated drinks actually contribute to dryness and should be reduced if the patient is in frequent discomfort. One thing that is never advisable is chewing ice; this habit can cause chipped teeth and wreck orthodontic devices.

To learn more about Ross Orthodontics, visit SmilesbyRoss.com. Offices are located in Forest Lake, Minnesota and Hudson, Wisconsin.

 

Keeping Retainers Clean

Keeping retainers and aligners clean is another part of oral hygiene people have to adapt to while undergoing orthodontic work. At Ross Orthodontics, we want our patients to get the most benefit out of our aesthetically-pleasing Invisalign products, which is why we’re educating them on proper maintenance.

Anytime you remove your retainer is an opportunity to rinse it. It is easier to brush away plaque when a retainer is wet, and a retainer should also be rinsed before being put back in. However, retainers should only be cleaned with room-temperature or cool water—hot water can distort their shape, requiring them to be replaced. Retainers need to be brushed at least once a day. We recommend using a soft-bristled toothbrush (not the same one you use on your teeth) and brushing thoroughly, but gently; otherwise, you may scratch the plastic surface, creating a space that is easier for bacteria to colonize.

Toothpastes designed for enamel therapy may contain gritty minerals which can cause scratches since teeth have natural protective films that artificial devices lack. On the other hand, toothpastes that are made specifically for dentures work well on retainers. Remember that the protective case needs to be cleaned regularly as well and that the cleaner your mouth is before you put your retainer in, the fewer opportunities there will be for plaque to build on it.

To learn more about Ross Orthodontics, visit SmilesbyRoss.com. Offices are located in Forest Lake, Minnesota and Hudson, Wisconsin.

 

Orthodontic Retention

Every patient is excited to see their new smile when braces come off.  When you’ve worked and waited for something so long it’s easy to get caught up in the results.  It’s still important to retain the new position of the teeth.  There are a few different ways this is accomplished and will vary depending on the patient.

Fixed retainers are wires permanently bonded to the back of either the upper or lower front teeth.  This is usually done very soon after the braces have been removed, and while it isn’t needed for very long after braces treatment and can be removed, it isn’t harmful to keep it longer. Traditional removable retainers include wires that can be adjusted if the teeth require additional movement, and an acrylic base that fits into the roof of the mouth.  The newest kind of retainer available is an aligner-style retainer.  These are removable clear plastic retainers made from a mold of the newly aligned teeth and resemble invisible braces aligners like Invisalign.  Your dentist can tell you what retainer is the best for your continued treatment plan.

To learn more about retainers and all the services we provide, visit www.smilesbyross.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Gregory Ross, DDS call our Forest Lake, MN location at 651-464-6988 or our Hudson, WI location at 715-808-8379.