Adding the Finishing Touches after Braces

Posted on: June 5th, 2014 by freshadmin No Comments

After spending months getting their teeth straightened with braces, many people like to go that one step further and see if they can make their new smile even better with teeth whitening or cosmetic bonding.

It makes sense, after putting in all that effort, to ensure your teeth are as perfect as you want them to be. There are a number of ways to do this, especially if your teeth have suffered damage such as staining or chipping that your braces couldn’t ‘cure’.

Tooth Whitening

Professional bleaching is the popular way to get rid of discolouration on the teeth and our dentists at the Straight Teeth Suite in Nottingham will be able to advise if this is the best method for you. It’s a simple, pain free way of getting whiter teeth and removing those stains that have gathered over time.

The most common process is called dentist supervised home whitening where you have specially fitted trays produced that are placed in your mouth like gum shields. You will be able to take these home where a whitening gel is used to bleach the surface of the teeth. The shields can be worn overnight and gradually lighten the colour of your teeth to make your smile brighter.

Another option is chair-side whitening which is undertaken at the dentists. Your dentist will put a rubber shield or a gel over your gums to protect them and then apply a whitening product to your teeth, again using a specially made tray. The whitening product has either hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide, which both work by allowing oxygen to get into the enamel and dentine of the teeth. Application of this process causes the tooth colour to become lighter.

Whitening can last up to three years but it often depends on your personal habits. If you smoke, or drink products that stain your teeth (like red wine, tea and coffee), the effect may not last as long.

Dental Bonding

Another option is to use cosmetic bonding to complete that perfect smile after braces.

Bonding is often used to correct the shape of the teeth, improving jagged, pointy, worn or chipped edges. Over time our teeth can be damaged from chewing nails, eating the wrong food or just from acid corrosion as a result of having fruit or carbonated drinks. The older you get the more likely your teeth are to have signs of wear and tear.

Bonding uses a specially made resin that is applied to the surface of your tooth and can be shaped by an expert dentist to restore it to its original glory. This process can also be used to close the gaps between teeth or make them appear slightly longer.

Under the eye of a qualified cosmetic dentist it’s possible to add the finishing touches to your teeth once those braces come off and at the Straight Teeth Suite in Nottingham Leicester and Loughborough there are a variety of choices.

Whether you decide on dental bonding or teeth whitening, or both, we’ll be able to give you the best advice and ensure that you leave with a perfect smile.

Why is oral hygiene so important when you wear braces?

Posted on: March 25th, 2014 by freshadmin No Comments

Even though keeping good oral hygiene is important at all times it becomes even more of an issue when you are wearing braces. Bracket braces in particular can be difficult to keep clean and your teeth can suffer dramatically as a result if don’t look after them.

Keeping up a high standard of oral hygiene is recommended regardless of what type of braces you have (even Invisalign braces) and this means brushing and flossing throughout the day. Even after snacks you should brush your teeth to ensure that all particles of food have been removed as they can become caught in the tiny spaces of the braces themselves.

Indeed, not looking after your oral hygiene when wearing braces can cause major dental problems including tooth decay, staining and or even prolonging the time that you need to wear braces for. If you repeatedly fail to brush your teeth, floss and look after your braces then your orthodontist may actually have to remove them, wait for your gums to heal or fix a tooth decay problem and then reapply the braces again. Orthodontic work that should take 6 months could be extended to a year or even longer in some cases depending on the severity of the problem.

Please find below some tips on how to brush your teeth with the different types of braces.

Brushing with bracket braces

Brushing your teeth the same way as you would normally and cover the outside of your teeth, insides and chewing surfaces.

Spend extra time brushing your teeth if you have bracket braces to ensure that they are completely clean.

Floss regularly by threading the floss behind the arch wire.

Replace your toothbrush often as brushing the braces can wear it down sooner.

Use an antiseptic rinse after every meal to ensure that your teeth and gums are kept healthy.

Oral hygiene with invisalign

Invisalign and Inman aligners (removable braces) require a different care than the bracket braces.  We recommend you to take off your aligner each time you eat, and rinse and brush it before you put it back on. It will allow the bacteria to be killed and prevent tooth decay and gum disease as well as make sure your appliance remains invisible and doesn’t stain.

Retainer care

Finally if you have moved onto using a retainer and had your braces taken off then you should follow the same process as with the removable braces.

While cleaning your teeth is much easier as you can take a retainer out and you don’t need to worry about damaging the braces or missing trapped food you need to remember to clean your retainer too. Soak it in the solution that you have been recommended to use (don’t use hot water) and brush it as well to remove bacteria and keep your mouth healthy.

We also recommend you to book regular dental hygienist appointments at the while having braces on so that you can get professional teeth cleaning to make sure you have optimal oral hygiene and the straightening process is not delayed.