People wonder if brushing with braces in North Lauderdale is similar to brushing without them. Brushing with or without braces is obviously non-negotiable. You need to brush your teeth every day to keep them strong and healthy.
Maintaining good oral hygiene will significantly reduce your risk of developing tooth decay, cavities and gum disease and more importantly, it speeds up your orthodontic treatment. How exactly do you brush with braces, and what type of toothbrush works best?
If you are unsure, don’t hesitate to ask your orthodontist to demonstrate it. Some patients watch YouTube videos to learn how it’s done. Brushing can be challenging with braces, considering the wires and brackets that are partially blocking the way, but you will eventually get used to it with patience and practice.
You can certainly use an electric toothbrush, and no, it won’t break your braces as long as you brush with care. Just don’t hit your braces with the plastic part of your toothbrush.
Both electric and manual are great for cleaning your teeth. It’s not about the type of toothbrush you use but how efficient you are as a brusher. Some people rush their brushing so they don’t effectively remove plaque, food debris, and bacteria from the surfaces of their teeth. To get the best results, you should be thorough in brushing and ensure that you strictly follow ADA’s recommendation to brush for two minutes. Also, regardless of if it's electric or manual, make sure the bristles are soft.
You may find it a struggle during the first few days since you’re still getting used to it, but you’ll master the art of brushing with braces over time. At TLC Dental, we provide dental services and promote patient education. We teach our patients the proper way to brush and floss their teeth to maintain good oral health. Contact us today if you want to book a reservation.
Congratulations for taking the big leap and deciding to wear braces in Fort Lauderdale. Trust us when we say it’s not always easy to convince patients to wear braces, especially adults. Besides their fear of pain, they find it inconvenient and costly.
But, if you think about the treatment and understand how this can help improve your oral health, you’ll appreciate why it’s necessary. Braces come in different shapes. Knowing all your available options will help you decide which type of braces to go for.
The most widely known braces type is made of metal. These are the original braces. Metal braces consist of high-grade stainless steel wires and brackets. Each metal bracket is attached to the front of your tooth while the wires run across them. Your orthodontist will need to tighten the wires every four to six weeks for the treatment to be effective.
Ceramic braces are very similar to metal braces in terms of function and size. The main difference between the two is their appearance. While metal braces are silver in color, ceramic braces use tooth-colored brackets, making them barely visible. The brackets are also applied to the front of each tooth and must be tightened every four to six weeks.
Lingual braces share the same elements as traditional metal braces. They are also made of stainless steel. The most significant difference between the two is their location. Instead of placing them on the front, they are attached to the back of your teeth, hidden away from sight. Although they are invisible, they work best for those who have severe orthodontic problems.
If you still can’t decide, let our team help you. At TLC Dental, we are proud to offer high-quality dental care to cater to your dental needs. We use the latest systems, methods, and technology to give you a healthy and beautiful smile. Contact us today for an appointment.
When your dentist in South Florida asked you how long you brush your teeth at home, what did you say? Most people find this question ridiculous. Why would you time yourself? We’ve asked our patients how long they brush their teeth, and we were surprised by their answers. Many of them don’t even reach one full minute. The American Dental Association is very clear with its brushing guidelines. If you are going to brush your teeth, make sure you follow the proper technique and the correct duration.
Brushing is an integral part of your oral care routine. If you brush and floss your teeth daily, you are dramatically reducing your risk of developing oral health problems and complications such as tooth decay, cavity formation, gum disease, and tooth abscess. Every time you brush your teeth, you remove plaque from building up and prevent it from calcifying and hardening into tartar.
Dentists recommend you brush for two minutes to ensure that all food particles, plaque, and bacteria are removed from the surfaces of your teeth and in between them. If you leave traces of plaque in your mouth, the bacteria in plaque will release acids that will destroy the hard protective layer of your teeth, creating pits and holes called cavities. This will compromise the strength, function, and integrity of your teeth.
Plaque buildup will also lead to tartar formation. When tartar is present along your gum line, it results in gum inflammation and infection.
If you need more oral care tips from your dentist, we’re here to help. At TLC Dental, we offer superior quality dental services and patient education to restore and improve your oral health. Call us today for a reservation.
If you’re wearing braces in Fort Lauderdale, whether you had them weeks or months ago, we know you can’t wait to get them off ASAP. Although traditional metal braces can give you the smile of your dreams, the process of getting there can be challenging. You have to endure wearing bulky metal in your mouth for months and experience discomfort after every adjustment.
Nevertheless, people still get braces for cosmetic and health reasons despite these inconveniences. One of the questions that get asked a lot is if there’s a way to help expedite the treatment process. Can you speed up your treatment?
Surprise, surprise! You can hasten your orthodontic treatment if you follow your orthodontist’s food rules. However, when you’re wearing braces, you’ll have to adapt to a few food restrictions to protect your brackets and wires from breaking and bending.
But don’t worry, the change is not that drastic. You just need to remove sticky, crunchy, and hard foods from your diet. Research has shown that if you bite into these foods, they can cause your brackets to come loose and your wires to break. In addition, when your dental appliance is compromised, your treatment can get delayed.
Aside from protecting your braces, the most important rule is to protect your teeth. What good is having straight teeth if you suffer from tooth decay and cavities? Therefore, you should brush and floss every day.
Even if flossing can be a tad challenging, you have no choice but to do it because if you succumb to oral health problems, your orthodontist has to make specific changes to your treatment plan, which can delay the process.
If you’re way overdue, you should evaluate your lifestyle and the choices you’re making. Our orthodontist at TLC Dental can give you tips on how to properly care for your orthodontic device so you can get rid of your braces in no time. We also offer a wide array of dental treatments that can cater to your needs. So, call us today for an appointment.
Not everything you see online is safe. When it comes to your teeth, don’t trust the internet. Trust your dentist in Coral Springs, FL. The internet is a free digital space where virtually anyone can share their thoughts and opinions even if these aren’t based on facts. Many patients have asked why their teeth and gums were damaged. They blame the internet and all these dental hacks circulating online. Let’s find out what these are.
Would you believe people on the Internet encourage teeth filing? If you had a chip in your tooth, you could smoothen that out by using a nail file. Do not do this at home. It may seem harmless, but if you do that, you could damage your teeth permanently.
If you use a nail file, you are effectively removing parts of your enamel, which is the protective layer of your teeth. When your enamel is filed down, it will cause your teeth to look yellow by exposing the dentin, making them more vulnerable to stains and increased tooth sensitivity.
Unless you’re about to lose a baby tooth, this can be a huge disaster. Those who attempt to extract their tooth at home are putting themselves at risk of infection, pain, and suffering.
When it comes to your teeth, don’t trust anyone but your dentist. Your dentist received proper training and education to provide you with safe treatments for your oral health. At TLC Dental, we offer a wide range of honest, affordable, and customized treatment plans that our team will base on your unique needs. Call us today to request a reservation.
If your teeth are crooked, your dentist will likely refer you to an orthodontist in Hollywood. Unfortunately, crooked teeth are not uncommon. Statistics reveal that 9 out of 10 people in the US have crooked teeth.
Unfortunately, adults ignore teeth misalignment because they don’t want to wear bulky metal braces. They also don’t want to feel the discomfort that comes with braces adjustments. Unfortunately, if you don’t correct crooked teeth, it will open you up to many oral health problems and complications.
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One major misconception about crooked teeth is that it starts in childhood. But you have to understand that your jawbone and your teeth were still developing when you were younger. It is for this reason that adults tend to ignore teeth misalignment.
Adult teeth can become crooked for several reasons. For example, it could be the pressure caused by bruxism, teeth grinding, or an impacted wisdom tooth. Therefore, it’s essential to see your orthodontist know the exact cause of your misalignment.
People seek orthodontic treatment because they want to improve their smiles. While this is indeed a benefit of the treatment, people don’t realize that correcting crooked teeth is more than just a cosmetic concern.
Did you know that people with crooked teeth may develop TMD or temporomandibular joint disorder? The misalignment can create unnecessary pressure on your teeth and jaw joints, causing a shift in your bite. It can also predispose you to tooth decay and gum disease because crooked teeth are difficult to clean.
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If you are worried about your crooked teeth, be glad to know that it’s easy to fix. At TLC Dental, we offer affordable orthodontic treatments to correct teeth misalignment and bite problems. Our team has the skills and knowledge to perform all kinds of dental work to help restore your smile and oral health. Call us today for a reservation.
If you are bothered by the tiny gap in between your front teeth, you should consult with an orthodontist in Tamarac, so you’ll know your options. Any gap in your teeth is called diastema, but it’s more commonly used to refer to a specific gap between your two front teeth. There are two possible reasons why you’ve developed diastema.
One, it could be because of simple teeth misalignment, or two, your teeth are not related to the size of your jaw. Luckily, teeth gaps are easy to fix. All you need is to see an orthodontist. However, many people question if it’s necessary to fix a tooth gap. Do you need to close the gap?
If you have a large tooth gap between your two front teeth and you leave it alone, it can cause bite problems and crowded teeth in the long run. Eventually, this will lead to jaw pain and crooked teeth, and it may even increase your risk of developing gum disease and tooth decay.
You see, crowded teeth are more challenging to clean because plaque and bacteria will have more places to hide. And your toothbrush may not effectively reach these areas, making them prone to plaque formation. Therefore, when you are already experiencing jaw pain, you should have it treated as soon as possible before it gets worse.
Did you know that if your tooth gaps are getting wider and wider as time goes by, it could indicate periodontal disease? When plaque starts irritating your gums, it will result in chronic gum inflammation and infection. Furthermore, as the disease progresses, it will eventually damage the connective tissues holding your teeth in place, causing them to become loose.
Some teeth gaps cause problems while others don’t. If you’re okay with your tooth gap and it’s not causing you any issues, then you don’t need to have it fixed, but if it does, you must see an orthodontist. At TLC Dental, we offer affordable orthodontic treatments that are tailor-made to cater to your needs. Call us for an appointment.
Should you watch what you eat? According to the best dentist in North Lauderdale, if you want to keep your teeth and gums healthy, you should. It appears that your diet not only affects your weight but it also impacts your oral health. Studies show that certain foods are bad for your teeth and gums.
When you consume starchy and sugary foods, you are encouraging the growth of bacteria and plaque in your mouth. Plaque is a thin biofilm loaded with harmful bacteria. As plaque continues to multiply, they begin covering the surfaces of your teeth and areas along your gum line, causing tooth decay, cavities, and gum disease.
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As much as possible, limit your consumption of the following foods:
Try replacing notorious foods with foods that are healthy and nutritious. You’d be surprised that some of the foods you haven’t tried before taste delicious.
You only have one set of teeth, so make sure you take good care of them. At TLC Dental, we help create and restore beautiful smiles with our customized treatment plans. We base your plan according to your needs, budget, and lifestyle. Call us today for an appointment.
When some people get braces for the first time and experience the discomfort firsthand, they’ll start dreading seeing their orthodontist in Ft. Lauderdale. Sadly, this makes them do not go back. But did you know that if you want a successful orthodontic treatment, you need to visit your orthodontist regularly for the entire length of your treatment?
On average, orthodontic treatments last between 12 and 36 months. However, the treatment time varies from person to person, but if you want to expedite your treatment and stay within your timeline, you must visit your orthodontist for adjustments.
If you opted for traditional metal braces, you’d need to see your orthodontist every four to eight weeks. Traditional braces encompass metal wires and brackets. The brackets are attached to your teeth while the wires run across them.
Your first appointment will usually take around two hours. The appointments that follow are much shorter, with typically only small adjustments needed. These visits are essential to the success of your treatment as they allow your orthodontist to check your progress and adjust the wires and elastics when necessary.
Invisalign® is an ultra-modern orthodontic treatment that uses clear trays that your orthodontist will place over your teeth to correct misalignment. To acquire clear aligners, you’ll need two separate appointments.
The first appointment is when your orthodontist evaluates and scans your teeth, while the second appointment is when your aligners are ready. You’ll also receive further instructions and guidance on how to wear them. Orthodontic visits are usually every four to six weeks.
At TLC Dental, we are committed to restoring and enhancing your natural smile using conservative procedures that will give you beautiful and long-lasting smiles! Our team has the knowledge, skills, passion, and experience to provide you with the best care. So call us today for an appointment.
*Invisalign®, the Invisalign logo, and iTero®, among others, are trademarks and/ or service marks of Align Technology, Inc. or one of its subsidiaries or affiliated companies and may be registered in the U.S. and/or other countries.
During your initial consultation with your orthodontist, you’ll be asked to choose what type of braces in North Lauderdale you’d like to get. Unfortunately, some people get so overwhelmed with their options that they end up asking their orthodontist to choose for them.
Although your orthodontist knows a lot about braces, ultimately, you’ll be the one wearing the device for months or years. So, you must think long and hard about it. Before your treatment, we suggest you do your research to make it easier to decide what type of treatment is best for you.
Having plenty of options is a good thing, but many people find it difficult and confusing. Before you start exploring your options, we believe you should identify your needs. How much money are you willing to spend on braces? Are you in a rush to complete the treatment? Do you have qualms about clear braces? Your orthodontist can help narrow down your options by basing them on your unique case.
Now that you have narrowed down your list, it’s time to go in-depth with your research. Go over your list again and research each type, learning about its pros and cons.
For example, although metal braces are glaring and bulky, they can treat severe and complex cases. Meanwhile, clear aligners are less obvious, the trays are removable and super easy to maintain, but they aren’t the best choice if you have a complicated case.
If you need more information about braces, we’d be more than happy to discuss them with you. At TLC Dental & Orthodontics, we are dedicated to providing you with superior quality dental care. We also strive to educate our patients to make the best decisions for their oral health. Call us today for an appointment.
