Are Braces Painful?

Orthodontic braces are often a long process, and while they transform teeth and smiles, there is some pain and discomfort along the way.  Patients will typically feel some discomfort with a brand new set of braces and directly after a tightening.  These are both normal occurrences and you can ease the pain while getting to your perfect smile!   

With a new set of braces, the insides of cheeks and lips will rub against the brackets and wires.  The soft tissue will toughen as your mouth gets accustomed to the braces, but at first it can create sore spots.  Dental wax is a great defense against this.  Just a small piece can cover the edge of a bracket and relieve any chafing.  After a set of braces is tightened a patient will also feel some pain and soreness.  Eating soft foods right after a tightening can ease discomfort and if the pain continues, over-the-counter pain relievers like Advil and Motrin are helpful.  Small periods of discomfort after a tightening are normal, but if you experience any extreme or long-lasting discomfort you should contact us.

To learn more about orthodontic care 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.

Bruxism and Orthodontics

Grinding your teeth may seem like it isn’t an issue, but it just might be. Also known as bruxism, teeth clenching and grinding can lead to broken teeth, damaged tooth enamel, and frequent headaches. It’s common that those who are suffering from bruxism may not even be aware of it. If you have bruxism and haven’t received orthodontic treatment, braces may help treat the problem. Dr. Gregory Ross, DDS has plenty of options for patients to choose from.

If you’ve caught yourself in the act of grinding your teeth, consider discussing orthodontic options with Dr. Gregory Ross, DDS. Invisalign not only straightens teeth, but the clear aligners can help protect teeth from becoming worn down during use. If you already have braces and still find yourself experiencing jaw discomfort due to clenching, talk to us so we can help you find relief.

If you experience facial pain or other symptoms of bruxism, please give us a call to discuss treatment options. To learn about services we provide at the practice, 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.

Consequences of Thumb Sucking

At Ross Orthodontics, we often see children whose parents and primary dentist are concerned about how their teeth are coming in. One of the most frequent problems is an open bite, in which the incisors are pushed outward. This problem can be genetic but is usually caused by thumb sucking.

Many parents may be alarmed to hear this since thumb sucking is such a common behavior. Before the age of five, there is not much to worry about. Very young children’s facial bones have not completely solidified and can bounce back from suction. But once the permanent teeth start coming in, thumb sucking (or sucking on anything else) can permanently push the teeth forward.

Efforts to break the habit work best when the child feels included in solving the problem. However, thumb sucking is sometimes done as a way of relieving chronic stress. In these cases, even if the child does abandon thumb sucking, they may take to thrusting their tongue against their incisors instead, which has the same result. It may be necessary to consult with a child psychologist about fixing this problem. In the meantime, there are orthodontic devices which can discourage pushing the tongue forward.

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

 

How Long Will I Have to Wear a Retainer?

Treatment at Ross Orthodontics is meant to ensure a lifetime of healthy teeth for our patients, but teeth require constant maintenance. Once a patient’s teeth have been guided into place, they will probably need to wear a retainer.

Exactly how long or often a retainer is needed varies a lot by individual. Typically, gap teeth require the longest use of retainers, but almost everybody needs to wear a retainer for nearly twenty-four hours a day during the first few weeks after their braces are removed. Most people need to wear them for twenty-four hours a day for a year (except when eating or playing sports), and people often need to wear them in their sleep for a period as long as they were undergoing orthodontics. Ultimately, while few people need to wear a retainer for the rest of their lives, everyone who has undergone orthodontics should have a well-fitted retainer which they wear sometimes. Retainers should be snug, but if you are unsure whether yours is a good fit, bring it to us.

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

 

Handling an Orthodontic Emergency

With traditional braces, there is always a risk of experiencing some sort of oral emergency. Accidents happen and sometimes brackets can become loose and wires can break. When this happens, it can cause discomfort to the patient.  It’s usually not an emergency but it can be problematic and cause a delay in your orthodontic treatment. If you experience dental trauma, Dr. Gregory Ross, DDS encourages you to call the office immediately, in the meantime, take these precautions when handling an orthodontic crisis.

• If a bracket ligature band comes off – the ligature is the tiny rubber band that wraps around the bracket. If the rubber ligature comes off, you can attempt to put it back in place with sterile tweezers. If it continues to break, wait until your appointment to have it fixed.

• If a bracket becomes loose – brackets hold the wires in place. Though they are bonded to the teeth with adhesive, eating crunchy or sticky foods may cause the bracket to break. If you can’t get to our office right away, leave it be, but be as careful as possible when eating and brushing as to not cause further damage.

• If a wire becomes loose – The best way to alleviate discomfort is to push the wire back down. If this doesn’t work, cover it with relief wax to block the area of your mouth that is irritated.

If you experience a dental emergency please give us a call immediately. 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.

Impacted Canines

One of the most common problems Dr. Gregory Ross treats in his Forest Lake and Hudson offices is impacted canines. The canines (also called cuspids or eye-teeth) of the upper jaw have a tendency to get stuck and advanced orthodontic work is needed to guide them into place.

The canines occupy the part of the jaw arch with the greatest change in rate of curvature. As such, they are important for stabilizing the other teeth, in addition to their function piercing food. As children undergo x-rays at their bi-annual check-ups, one of the things their dentists will look for is whether the canines will have room to erupt fully.

If a canine does not have enough surface area for a bracket to be attached to, more may need to be exposed by cutting away gum tissue. Once a bracket is attached, it may be connected to the other brackets with a loop-shaped wire called a ballista spring or with a short chain. This is so that pressure can be exerted on the canine without disproportionately affecting the other teeth. While there are many orthodontic procedures that benefit adults, only children have maxillary bones that are soft enough to be adaptable to guided canine eruption.

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

 

Why Malocclusions are Common

So many people have undergone orthodontic treatment that it’s reasonable to wonder why everybody seems to need it. While some orthodontic work is cosmetic, most people have such bad malocclusions that their ability to clean their teeth and their long-term health would be jeopardized without significant correction. But rather than being an accident of nature, this is a trade-off of civilization.

Anthropologists have found that people who live traditional lifestyles and ancient people had much better dental health and rarely had badly misaligned teeth. However, as people adopted agriculture, the size of their jaws shrank, while their teeth remained the same size. Scientists found that this pattern held throughout the world. It seems that children who grow up eating soft cereal products, such as bread and rice, never develop the large jaws necessary to hold all thirty-two adult-sized teeth. The stress of chewing tough root vegetables and large strips of meat is necessary to build up bone, as well as muscle mass. As a result, modern people need not only often need orthodontic correction, but wisdom tooth removal and sleep apnea treatments, as well.

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