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The first week with new braces can be tough. You may experience some pain and discomfort as your teeth and mouth adjust to the new hardware. It’s important to take it easy and give yourself time to adjust. We want to make your journey to a beautiful smile easy and painless, so here are a few tips from Dr.Chris Teeters, and Dr. Larry Davis at Affiliated Orthodontics, to get you through the first week with braces:

In This Post, We’ll Cover

• How Long do Braces Hurt?
• Eating with Braces
• What to Expect When Getting Braces
• Different Types of Braces

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After months or even years of braces, patients are only too happy to finally be done with treatment. To make sure the smile you leave our office with stays with you forever, you’ll need to be fitted with and wear a retainer. Retainers prevent relapse and are a way to make sure the movements your orthodontist made are permanent. Get the answers to frequently asked questions about retainers and maintaining a healthy smile after receiving orthodontic treatment from Orthodontists Dr.Chris Teeters, and Dr. Larry Davis at Affiliated Orthodontics.

In This Post, We’ll Cover:

• What is a Retainer?
• Different Types of Retainers
• Wearing Your Retainer
• What if My Retainer Doesn’t Fit Anymore?

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We’ve all heard horror stories of sports injuries, or even worse, suffered one ourselves. After getting braces, you may be even more worried about a blow to the face during practice or a big game. The best way to protect your mouth from a painful fate is to invest in a mouthguard. Mouthguards protect not only your teeth but the soft tissue of your mouth and your jaw from injury as you play. Luckily for all of our athletic patients, getting braces doesn’t mean giving up the sports you love! Braces will not keep you from any physical activity. However, the price you pay for a beautiful smile is taking a little extra care of your mouth while in treatment. Keep reading to uncover the significant role that mouthguards play in protecting your oral health and overall well-being from Orthodontists Dr.Chris Teeters and Dr. Larry Davis at Affiliated Orthodontics.

In This Post, We’ll Cover:

• Why should you wear a mouthguard?
• Do Braces put you at a risk for a sports injury?
• What types of mouthguards can I buy?

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Often when parents bring young children into our office for initial evaluation, they are missing several primary teeth. Parents are worried that starting treatment won’t be an option until all the permanent teeth have grown in, or until all baby teeth have fallen out. It’s common to wonder if your child is losing teeth at the right time, or too slowly, or even too quickly. These concerns are normal, and a reason why it’s good to get your child into the orthodontist starting at age seven. Orthodontists Dr.Chris Teeters, and Dr. Larry Davis at Affiliated Orthodontics can answer all these questions and more and can start any treatment needed early enough to prevent major issues. 

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Choosing your orthodontist, and by extension, what your options are for years of orthodontic treatment and appointments, is no small feat. One of the deciding factors in this decision is which types of tooth movement your orthodontist has available. Traditional braces, self-ligating braces, or even Invisalign are all options. With so much innovation in the orthodontic field, we have lots of options to best fit any patient’s needs. Whether traditional braces or Invisalign is best for you, our team of orthodontic specialists is here to help you!

Making a Decision: Invisalign 

• Choosing Invisalign
• Invisalign Candidacy
• What issues can Invisalign help with
• Invisalign Pain

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It’s scary to be at home, school, or sports practice and feel a part of your braces loosen or even fall completely off your tooth, but it’s a more common occurrence than you may think.. The good news is that most of these incidents are actually minor and easily fixed by your orthodontist. Here are a few general rules and tips for how to handle these situations in the moment and until you can get into the office for a visit. 

Orthodontic Emergencies

Typically, braces emergencies arise when a wire or rubber band falls out of place. These issues are minor and can be easily fixed by your orthodontist. A less common emergency is when a bracket comes loose and falls out. If you can feel a loose bracket that hasn’t fallen out, it’s best to leave it held in by the surrounding wires and call your orthodontist. But, if the bracket has fallen out already, keep it in a safe space and take it with you to the orthodontist. Schedule an appointment as soon as you can to fix this! 

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