Look at yearbook or prom pictures from the 1950s or ’60s and you’ll see many smiles framed with heavy metal braces. It’s a sight that’s less common in high schools today. Why the change? Children today tend to get braces at a much earlier age. Some patients with special problems begin orthodontic treatment at age 7 or younger.
“The American Association of Orthodontics (AAO) recommends that all children receive an orthodontic screening by age 7,” says Thomas Cangialosi, D.D.S. “Permanent teeth generally begin to come in at age 6 or 7. It is at this point that orthodontic problems become apparent.
“Because bones are still growing, it’s an ideal time to evaluate a child,” Dr. Cangialosi says. “Then we can determine what orthodontic treatment, if any, may be needed either now or in the future.”
Dr. Cangialosi is chairman and professor of Orthodontics at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.
Making Braces Hip
To make braces more acceptable and fun for young people, manufacturers have made brightly colored elastics. These are the tiny rubber bands that hold the wires to the braces. Children can choose elastics with their school colors or a holiday color scheme, such as orange and black for Halloween.
Choosing the color of the elastics allows patients “to feel that they are more involved in their treatment,” Dr. Cangialosi says.
Read more
How To Get Your Braces Off Sooner
/in All About BracesThings You Can Do To Get Your Braces Off Quicker
Braces can help realign your teeth and make for a nice smile, but even so many people want to get them off as soon as possible. There are several things you can do to help keep your mouth clean and help let your braces do the work they need to. Some things you can do to help your get your braces off as soon as possible include:
Read more
How to Clean Braces
/in All About BracesBraces Do A Lot
Braces do a lot more than improve your smile. They also play an active role in correcting overcrowded and misaligned teeth. This is important because an abnormal bite (also known as “malocclusion”) may cause other problems, such as impaired plaque removal around misaligned teeth, which can lead to gum inflammation and cavities.
Taking good care of braces can help prevent damage to the braces themselves and the teeth underneath as well as make the braces more comfortable to wear. Learning the basics of orthodontic care will help you follow your dental professional’s recommendations to keep your teeth and gums healthy during the time you’re wearing braces.
The Basics: Brushing And Flossing
Careful cleaning is required with braces, because plaque bacteria are easily trapped inside and around them. The following procedure will make daily brushing and flossing both simple and effective.
Read more
Facts About Tooth Decay
/in Oral HealthArticle Featured on ncohf.org
Did you know that pediatric dental disease, also referred to as childhood tooth decay, is the #1 chronic childhood illness? When left untreated, childhood tooth decay can have devastasting consequences that extend beyond the dental chair. Rampant decay can negatively impact a child’s overall quality of life, inhibit their cognitive and social development and compromise their growth, function and self esteem.
THE GOOD NEWS? TOOTH DECAY IS PREVENTABLE!
Read more
Early Orthodontics May Mean Less Treatment Later
/in About OrthodonticsLook at yearbook or prom pictures from the 1950s or ’60s and you’ll see many smiles framed with heavy metal braces. It’s a sight that’s less common in high schools today. Why the change? Children today tend to get braces at a much earlier age. Some patients with special problems begin orthodontic treatment at age 7 or younger.
“The American Association of Orthodontics (AAO) recommends that all children receive an orthodontic screening by age 7,” says Thomas Cangialosi, D.D.S. “Permanent teeth generally begin to come in at age 6 or 7. It is at this point that orthodontic problems become apparent.
“Because bones are still growing, it’s an ideal time to evaluate a child,” Dr. Cangialosi says. “Then we can determine what orthodontic treatment, if any, may be needed either now or in the future.”
Dr. Cangialosi is chairman and professor of Orthodontics at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.
Making Braces Hip
To make braces more acceptable and fun for young people, manufacturers have made brightly colored elastics. These are the tiny rubber bands that hold the wires to the braces. Children can choose elastics with their school colors or a holiday color scheme, such as orange and black for Halloween.
Choosing the color of the elastics allows patients “to feel that they are more involved in their treatment,” Dr. Cangialosi says.
Read more
Does My Child Need Braces?
/in About Orthodontics, Do I Need Braces?It seems children today get braces or other types of orthodontic treatment earlier than their parents did. Is that the case and, if so, why?
Perhaps one can say there was a paradigm shift in the early ’80s. There is better understanding today of the underlying causes of orthodontic problems, many of which begin in early childhood. As a result, orthodontists pay greater attention to the ideal timing of treatment. We have learned that early intervention may, in many cases, lead to better outcomes.
Orthodontists do much more than just straighten crooked teeth. Orthodontists make sure the top and bottom teeth fit together properly. They are trained to guide and influence the eruption of teeth, as well as growth of the bones in the face and jaw, which can be achieved before an individual stops growing.
The older model – waiting for all the baby teeth to fall out and all the permanent teeth to come in before seeing an orthodontist for the first time – resulted in what today would be considered missed opportunities in many cases. Delaying treatment until adolescence increased the incidence of extraction of permanent teeth because, as the bones became more rigid and growth ceased, the window of opportunity for expansion or growth modification closed. Many correctable habits or skeletal mismatches were allowed to continue, while earlier intervention could have led to a more stable, and less invasive correction. In addition, as a result of increased public awareness of dental and orthodontic health, many more young children are seen by pediatric dentists than ever before. Pediatric dentists have additional training in growth and development and recognize developing dental and skeletal problems in young children. This has led to an earlier referral of their younger patients for an orthodontic evaluation.
Read more
Which is Better, Invisalign or Braces?
/in All About BracesArticle by Dr. Darren Flowers | Featured on Dentistry IQ
Orthodontic treatments that use either braces or Invisalign are just few of the many techniques used by dental professionals in straightening the teeth of their patients. They straighten teeth to give them an ideal position, improve their look, and promote proper function. Invisalign utilizes a set of clear plastic trays as a means of achieving the position. Traditional braces, on the other hand, usually make use of metal wires with an aim of getting the most ideal movement or position for the teeth.
The good thing about orthodontic dental treatments that use braces or Invisalign is that they do more than just straighten the teeth. These are also valuable in correcting bite issues that often require special diagnosis and treatment.
Read more
Do I Have a Cavity?
/in General CareArticle featured on The Schulhof Center
Do you remember the old-fashioned cartoons your dentist used to show you as a child, like the one meant to scare you into brushing by showing little men with drills pounding holes in your teeth as you slept? While that may not be the most scientific explanation for this common oral problem, the basic concept is essentially correct. Your teeth do have little enemies that can and will try to destroy them, if allowed. Some of the bacteria that live in your mouth thrive on sugars, and when they’re fed, they produce an acid that can literally eat a hole in your tooth enamel. Those pits and holes in your teeth are called cavities, and if they’re not treated, they can cause you to lose a tooth.
Your tooth enamel is the hardest substance in your body. It can withstand extreme conditions and will probably outlast you, but even it can be worn down by acid. If you have a diet that’s high in the starches and sugars that acid-producing bacteria love, you need to be especially diligent about brushing twice a day and flossing every night to deny them the chance to produce that acid.
Read more
Six Important Dental Health Facts You Should Know
/in Dental Educationby Dianne L. Sefo, RDH, BA | Featured on Colgate
Not taking care of your mouth can lead to many dental problems: bad breath, gum disease, cavities, sensitivity and even tooth loss. But the good news is these issues are preventable.
For ideal dental health, there are numerous good habits you need to adopt. Here are six dental health facts you should know.
Healthy Lifestyles Make Healthy Smiles
Research from the Journal of Periodontology suggests regular exercise and a healthy diet decreases the chances of developing gum disease. A poor diet filled with sugary foods and liquids can lead to cavities.
Good Oral Hygiene Takes Time
A white smile doesn’t happen overnight. Several small positive changes in your routine will contribute to this gradual process. Plaque, the sticky film of bacteria constantly forming at the gum line and on the surfaces of your teeth, can take time to remove. Brush your teeth two to three minutes at a time, and twice daily. Consider using a timer to help ensure you’re spending enough time at the sink, or play a song of the same length encouraging everyone in the house to do the same. Interdental tools such as floss reach many areas of the mouth that your toothbrush can’t and should be used at least once daily before bedtime. Finish your routine by rinsing with mouthwash according to label directions to help keep your teeth and gums healthy.
Read more
Can I Play Sports with Braces on My Teeth?
/in Living With Bracesby DR. JOSEPH THOMPSON | Featured on Ask an Orthodontist
A lot of people enjoy watching sports and participating in sports activities. It’s exciting when we see our team or the underdog come back and win the game. Some parents are concerned about their children playing sports while they have braces on their teeth. The question often asked is, “Are there any limitations or sports that my child can’t participate in?” During orthodontic treatment with braces, a child can play any sport. However, we have to be careful to protect our lips and teeth from injury. The best way to protect our teeth is with an orthodontic mouth guard.
Orthodontic mouth guards are different from a regular mouth guard. First the regular mouth guard is thermoplastic. Before using it, you have to heat the regular mouth guard and bite into it to create imprints of your teeth. This is a problem with orthodontic treatment. As the orthodontist moves your teeth, the regular mouth guard will try to move the teeth into an old position going against the tooth movement we want. Or eventually the teeth will move so much that the regular mouth guard will not fit any more.
Read more
Why Don’t We Treat Teeth Like the Rest of Our Bodies?
/in General CareArticle Featured on The Atlantic | Written by Olga Khazan
The cavity got worse. When she finally did get seen, the dentist told her she would need a root canal. It would cost $1,000, and her insurance would pay nothing.
“He told me to come back when I had the money,” she said. As a baker at Panera Bread, she knew it would be a while before she did. She applied for and received a loan through CareCredit, a medical financing company, but it was a few hundred dollars short. So she waited some more—and tried to ignore the pain that was now shooting through her jaw.
One recent Friday, the wait was over. Or at least, most of it was. She was sitting in the stands of the Xfinity Center at the University of Maryland and looking down on the basketball court, where rows and rows of people were tipped back in dental chairs, getting their teeth fixed as part of a large dental charity event. Adam works at night, so her husband stood in line outside the building from 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. to secure her spot. Adam drove over straight from work, taking the orange bracelet from her husband’s wrist. The bracelet meant she was in.
Read more