Your entire orthodontics treatment relies on various appliances and techniques that will help correctly align teeth and provide that healthy beautiful smile you’re after. Still, when so many things are involved in this, sometimes, it can go wrong.

From wires poking your teeth to brackets becoming loose, you’re likely to face small “accidents” in your orthodontics treatment.

First of all let’s see what could go wrong and of course, what you can do in these situations:

Broken – loose brackets – as we know, the brackets are those nifty “jewels” that are glued onto your teeth. They allow the archwire to get “caught” into them and thus aligning and rotating teeth. How can it happen? Well, simple, if you’d like to know: you just bite something that’s tougher or chew something hard and the brackets can either break or, way often, just become loose.

They “stuck” to the teeth with a special composite resin, that’s similar to the one you’re having in your fillings. Well, while the “cement” is pretty strong, sometimes it can break. Your bracket will no longer “stick” to the tooth and it might poke your cheek a bit, depending on its placement.

Horror! What do I do now?

Well, just relax. I’m sure your ortho already told you it can happen (mine said it’s possible to have my “appliances” get broken), so there’s no need to panic. Try to minimize the problem and solve it. If your bracket fell off (I had one at the back of my arch, the first one, so I actually spat it out), try not to swallow it. If it’s poking your cheek, use that wonderful discovery called orthodontic wax, you should have this on you and it’s great. Call your orthodontist to let him/her know about the “accident” and schedule an appointment.

Yes, it’s that simple.

Protruding wires are the worst, since they poke you in the mouth and can cause various sores. Try to “stick’ them back with an eraser end or anything that’s NOT YOUR FINGER. Do not push it with your bare hands, it’s actually pretty sharp. DO NOT CUT IT either. Your orthodontist has a special utensil to cut these small wires, it’s keeping that small end from poking your mouth. So, don’t use ‘regular’ clippers, you’ll do a lot more harm.

Again, time to call your orthodontist and share your new event. Schedule a meeting and you’ll be safe.

Anything else that’s coming off or gets broken can also be solved, even if you lost your Invisalign trays.

Do not panic, that’s the first thing. Call your orthodontist to talk about the “accident” and see what can be done. Don’t swallow anything, don’t go guerrilla on them and cut wires or similar things. These small mishaps are NORMAL. Yes, some patients might be lucky to not come to this, but it can happen and most likely it will. These will not affect your treatment in the long run, so there’s no need to panic. Do have your small wax box with you, it can really solve a lot of issues.

Your treatment means wearing some sort of an orthodontics device for as long as needed, plus many other bits and pieces that will come and go as your teeth get into the desired position. From now on you need to make sure you don’t make your orthodontics treatment even harder than it already is.

1. Clean that mouth!

If you weren’t too crazy about your oral hygiene, it’s time to change your attitude. All the stuff that’s in your mouth makes it now super-easy for cavities to appear. You’ve got braces and god knows what other stuff on your teeth. Clean them and make sure you still floss and keep your teeth as clean as possible. Being serious about this can make the difference between healthy teeth at the end of the treatment and teeth that are almost destroyed by cavities. It’s true you cannot have crystal clear teeth with all that junk on it, but, if you don’t brush and floss, you’d be shocked to see what can happen.

2. It won’t kill you to stay away from some food that would damage your orthodontics devices.

I know you like your chewing gum. If you’re an American, chewing this is almost a national sport. And you like your nuts and pistachios maybe. Or some good ole’ pop-corn. Well, if it can damage your braces, just don’t eat it. I love green apples. Well, I don’t bite into them as I’d normally do, but cut them to small pieces or just bite carefully. During my entire treatment I stayed away from almonds or anything that’s too tough to chew.

3. If it breaks, go to the orthodontist

If you’re brackets come loose or something is not OK, call your orthodontist and see if you can get an appointment. Don’t panic, most of the time brackets would come loose because they didn’t stick to the tooth correctly, and it’s something your doctor knows how to fix and expects all the time. Just make the call, see when you can meet and have it solved. It won’t be the first time or the last time something breaks, so don’t worry.

4. Don’t miss your appointments

If your orthodontist told you to come once a month or twice a month, don’t get smart and miss appointments. He’s the one to know how much attention your braces need and how frequent they need to be checked. While you’d love seeing your orthodontist once per treatment, when he takes off your braces, do follow the appointments calendar and make sure you’re not missing them.

5. If you have to wear it for 22 hours, then make sure you do

I’ve had people ask me “how much do I need to wear my Invisalign”, trying to see how much they can keep it off their teeth and still not mess the treatment. Well, you know, if it says “as much as possible, then wear it as much as possible. If you need to wear a device 10 hours/day, wear it 12, if you need to wear something over 20 hours, make sure it doesn’t get off unless you’re eating and brushing. It’s needed for your treatment, don’t mess it up just because you’re not feeling like wearing that.

You have to understand that everything is FOR YOUR GOOD and your orthodontics treatment can be a success and a failure and you’ve got a lot to decide on this. Do your part. Clean your teeth, wear your devices, don’t mess up your own treatment. Because it’s you who’s got to suffer.

1. The treatment for a kid/teenager is easier than for an adult.

Let’s say that, after 7 years of age, I can start seeing if there’s something wrong with my kid. If his orthodontist can get his “hands” on the situation, while the teeth are still erupting and my kid’s jaw bone is not “final”, the entire treatment shouldn’t be as complex as mine for instance (I had braces, Herbst to bring my lower jaw in front, 4 extractions to make room for my huge teeth etc.)

2. Less complex treatment means less expenses

For a long and complex treatment such as mine is, the price tag is pretty big. If the treatment started early, with less complications and things to solve, it would also mean less interventions and of course less money.

3. From a social point of view, kids have it easier.

Let’s say that it’s normal to see teenagers with braces. Some consider that age as the “age for braces”, since most parents work on their kids teeth in that period. When half your classmates have braces, for a teenager that’s not a huge problem anymore. Of course they are so sensitive about their looks, but, once so many kids their age “sport” their metal teeth, it’s less traumatic for them. Not to mention their treatment is shorter than mine, an an adult, and the results show faster.

When they’re getting ready to have their hearts broken, they’re teeth are perfect. Having braces as an adult can take a toll on your social life, since some people are not attracted by someone who’s got “something” on their teeth. I’d personally stay far from such people, but, hey, it’s love and love doesn’t choose.

4. Professionally, having braces can be not so good.

As a kin, no one cares about my slight lisp or “metal smile”. As a professional, having braces wasn’t a pleasure. I was close to 30, working at a radio station. My treatment had to be tailored specially for me, since I couldn’t afford having a lisp. It would actually mean losing my job. Not to mention that, as a web designer with my own business, meeting with the clients and having braces, didn’t always go well. Some people are not educated and some were actually pretty disgusted. I know such clients are not gonna be the love of my life, but losing jobs because of my braces wouldn’t have been pretty. In the end, it’s all about the money.

5. Not solving the issues, won’t make them disappear.

The fact my folks couldn’t afford the orthodontic treatment or didn’t care, I was beautiful for them anyway, didn’t make the problem go away. In fact, my teeth were pretty bad because of all the crowding. Not having a healthy bite meant jaw pains from time to time and even getting my jaws “locked” couple of times.

So, if your kid doesn’t have good teeth, don’t wait. Go see an orthodontist and start making changes as soon as possible. He/she’d grow with good healthy teeth, a beautiful smile and all the confidence that comes from this.

Photos, X-rays and molds

When you get ready for your orthodontics treatment, your doctor will have to asses your overall dental situation. For these you’ll have photos taken of your face (from the front and also profile) and also photos of your teeth and arches.

X-Rays help your orthodontist spot any problems with your teeth and also see how your orthodontic problems look like.

The final step in this moment is having a mold taken. This will provide all the details about your malocclusion and how crooked your teeth actually are.

If you haven’t seen your dentist before going to the orthodontist, all this data will be important for your teeth cleaning and repairing. You shouldn’t have braces put on unless you have ALL your teeth healthy and cavity filled and also your teeth professionally cleaned.

The orthodontist will create your individual treatment plan

Armed with all the data and having your teeth sparkling clean and healthy, it’s time for your doctor to start planning your treatment.

Each patient is unique and has different problems to solve. Even if in some cases your orthodontist uses the same devices (braces, power-chains etc.), this doesn’t make your treatment similar to mine for instance.

This is the moment your orthodontist needs to show his true knowledge and experience, to offer a solution to your dental problems in the best way that suits your needs and solves those problems.

If you prefer a type of treatment (for me having braces wasn’t OK, since I was working as a radio DJ and couldn’t afford a lisp, so we used Invisalign), you need to tell your doctor this and also see if it can work on you and how it would function.

After your orthodontist has decided on the treatment plan, you’ll both meet to discuss it. Don’t be shy, ask ANYTHING. It’s your time to get as much information as possible, share your opinion and see how you both construct the treatment.

As you can imagine, when my orthodontics treatment started, I was very busy reading about various devices and treatments, how it should feel, how it all works etc. I’ve joined some top orthodontics forums, read tens of articles about my future treatment. My orthodontist usually jokes that, if I wanted to get a diploma, it shouldn’t be too hard and that I kinda know more than many students that study this in college.

Why is it important to know about Orthodontics?

1. What you know, cannot kill you.

Well, I’m kidding, but still, knowing about this treatment, how to find a good orthodontist etc. are important aspects to having a successful treatment. There are many AMAZING doctors out there, but lousy ones too. Such a treatment is VERY costly for a patient, not too much from a doctor’s perspective. A good chuck of the price covers their “handiwork” and of course specialization, so the investment is not that big, while the profit is pretty nice. This leads many people to become orthodontists, even if some are not that well prepared for this.

By knowing how to see a fake from a real one, what to expect in your treatment, you won’t be scared or easy to fool. More power to the informed consumer.

2. Knowing your steps, makes the treatment easier

I knew IN DETAIL what my doctor is gonna do to me, what’s that paste he’s placing over my teeth, how my brackets will be attached etc. I was VERY RELAXED and fascinated in the end about everything happening to me. My orthodontist would add more information to what I already had read, since he knew I love knowing about this. The entire process has been a very nice one, with small discomfort, but nothing serious. I’ve had a super-positive attitude all along and it’s helped me tremendously. I can say my man is more “disturbed” for me wearing all kinds of devices, than I was.

Even now, as I am still under treatment, I have my initial pictures on the PC, I know where I’ve started, what worked and what’s slower to get results. Though I am not an orthodontist, I’ve surely done my homework.

3. It’s YOUR BODY, you gotta know about this stuff.

I cannot understand people who get sick and know nothing about their disease. I’ve had friends with various illnesses (fortunately nothing serious) and I knew more about their problems than they did. How can someone live in such a state of total ignorance? Not knowing about your illness DOESN’T MAKE IT GO AWAY. It never does. But having some ideas about it, surely helps.

As an example, one year and a half I discovered some breast lumps. Before even getting to the doctor to see what’s there, I already knew how my scans should look for it to be breast cancer or not, what my treatment options were in any of the stages, even how my biopsy fluid should look if it was just a hormonal imbalance. Well, fortunately for me it’s just something hormone based, but I had my homework done like a pro. When I’d have my biopsy done, the moment my doctor started filling the syringe with the fluid, I KNEW it wasn’t cancer. The biopsy came clean the following day.

Knowing all my options and everything a non-doctor can about this, has surely helped me a lot. Even if I’ve done my share of crying, having a mastectomy at 30 is not really something to be happy about, I wasn’t that shocked as others would have been in a similar situation.

Going into the orthodontics treatment, I loved reading all I could about this. It’s my teeth we’re talking here, I wanted to know what good can come off it, if it’s worth it, how other people handle this problem etc. All this information helped me through the treatment and establishing an amazing relationship with my orthodontist too. He always talks to me as if I was a fellow doctor and this helped me gain even more information.

Even if this “uniqueness” made me a bit proud, I kinda knew what to expect: a lot of discomfort, a lot of hardware in my mouth, some good and some very bad days. But I was up to this, as I am now, after 1 year with 15 months of treatment still ahead of me.

With all the work done so far and all the huge changes in my life, I was ready for it all and had a very positive attitude that REALLY helped me. A lot of other patients were shocked to see how much this changes their life and how many days are not that good, but I knew from the beginning this is not an easy ride and went ahead with all my strength.

The weird thing is that this attitude made my treatment more than bearable, I went through 7 months of Damon braces and almost 3 months of Invisalign now, countless powerchains tied on my teeth, now a mini-implant (a small screw “stuck” in my jaw bone, under the teeth) and all the jazz without too much suffering. My doctor was pleased to see my attitude and told me this also helped a lot.

They have a lot of patients who don’t take it well. They are shocked to see how many things they have to change in their lives, that sometimes it does hurt a bit, there are plasting things, ceramics or metal in their mouth, they look weird, they feel weird and those teeth seem to take forever to move.

Here are some of the things/ideas that helped me “fly” through 1 year of treatment and be ready for 16 more months.

1. I CHOSE this, it’s not enforced on me.

I think this was the thing that really helped me. In case you get sick, you have to go to the hospital and undergo treatment because you are “forced” by the illness and the doctors who are there to save your life.

In this case the orthodontics treatment was MY choice. I didn’t get sick, I didn’t have a terminal disease (God forbid). I chose to go through all this because I wanted a better healthier bite or (to be honest) to have some good looking teeth. I was the one to go to the doctor and ask for a fix. I asked for it and now I got it

2. What you know can’t hurt you

When I was a teenager I used to read Shogun. Had a thing for Japanese culture, so it was just logical to “eat” up the book. Some of the ideas stuck in my head for years and one was “Ignorance is death”. Sure, not knowing what the orthodontics treatment is about won’t mean you’re gonna get killed, but it helps A LOT knowing what to expect there.

When I was certain I’d go through all this, I was already well informed. Read all I could about this and shocked my doctors with the knowledge I had. It’s something that will affect my life, it’s normal to care about this as much as to read some articles. This blog was “born” from my need to also share some of my information.

Read all you can and ask your orthodontist ALL kinds of questions. Don’t be shy, it’s your right to be as informed as possible. The moment you have all the facts you won’t be scared anymore, you’ll know what’s happening to you and why.

3. In the end there’s nothing a painkiller can’t fix.

We are scared by the pain. This is one of the things ANYONE fears when entering such a treatment. There will be pain, don’t expect your teeth to rotate and move without any discomfort, because you’ll be in for a big surprise.

Still this pain is not like giving birth or having a dislocated shoulder (I tried the latter option and it wasn’t pleasant at all). Don’t expect huge pains, don’t expect Morphine. Still there will be some pain when they place spacers (some patients require these), when you’re getting your brackets placed on your teeth (first days), when putting a new Invisalign aligner.

I recall using a light painkiller twice in my entire treatment. Once after having the 3rd extraction in 8 days time (1 pill) and one after the second adjustment (when wearing Damon). In 13 months of treatment I required 2 pills. The pain was most of the time light and wound’t require medication. You can take painkillers with no problems if you feel like it.

For some people the discomfort is bigger, for others it’s almost nothing. You can take medication to ease it when you just want to be relaxed.

4. I have a good doctor and trust him completely.

The advantage of chosing a TOP orthodontist is clear. My doctor had hundreds of cases so far, is one of the best in Romania and also Germany. He’s got a lot of experience and knows what to do. I trust him completely and wasn’t wrong to do so. 13 months in the treatment and all looks excellent, the teeth are aligning little by little and I am very positive about this all.

These would be the things you should also have in mind. Don’t be scared, or at least don’t let these feelings make you dread the treatment. Just think about the outcome and be ready for the result. The road to this goal is a tad scary, unpleasant sometimes, but the result makes it worth it. THINK ABOUT THAT!

If we were to think about the causes we can mention the plaque built up on the trays (as it builds up on the teeth), eating/drinking with the trays on, improper teeth brushing and tray cleaning.

The phenomenon can be kept under control with a STRICT hygiene routine. Invisalign requires a lot of discipline (here, I said it again) so do expect to have a proper cleaning schedule. Here are some of my tricks to minimize the Invisalign aligners small to almost zero smell. My trays, after I clean them and brush my teeth are sparkling clean and my mouth keeps a fresh “taste” for a lot of time:

• I NEVER EAT ANYTHING with the trays on. If I want to snack, I remove the Invisalign, eat at ease and then BRUSH teeth, CLEAN trays and I am set again.
• I don’t drink ANYTHING but mineral water with the trays on. If I want soda or coke, I remove them and maybe also snack a bit, since I made the “move” with them again
• I never wear the trays on dirty teeth. I have the toothpaste/toothbrush set with me all the time. I have more sets (at home, at my BF’s, in the bag, the laptop case). If I want to eat and don’t have the “set”, I purchase it and then eat/brush. If I don’t feel like brushing I don’t eat. Just drink some water and wait till I get somewhere I can eat and clean my teeth afterwards
• my Invisalign cleaning is pretty simple: I brush the trays with my toothbrush and rinse with clear water. Some use a lot of solutions, I found out that plain water is just OK as long as I clean them after each removal or better, before putting the trays on again.

With a good brushing schedule my trays are clean, they stay on clean teeth and there is no smell. In the first weeks I used mouth wash as a cleaning solution. The minty smell remained on the trays and made them smell pretty “funky”. For the second set I started using ONLY water with great care when it comes to brushing the aligners. It seemed to work perfectly. They are always clean and the smell is not there anymore.

How do you handle this?

Does this sound familiar? I am sure it does for any patient who’s into orthodontic treatment. For 1 year already I am the “freak” and to be honest I don’t care since I know what I am doing and love the changes I see in my teeth alignment.

After we go through all these the only thing that makes it bearable is the thought we’d once smile like the most successful star in Hollywood, we’ll no longer have bite problems, we’ll have perfect teeth. And still there are people who don’t have that wonderful result. They are few indeed, but still this happens. Let’s see how we can be successful. How can we make the treatment WORK!

1. CHOOSE THE BEST ORTHODONTIST YOU CAN

Don’t be cheap, don’t go for less money. Less money might mean crooked teeth forever, even after the treatment. Do your best to find out about the best orthodontist in your area and go there. Don’t let money decide your treatment. An excellent orthodontist doesn’t work for pennies and at the same time you can’t afford letting a beginner test his skills on you. My doctor has over 1000 cases in treatment or finished. He’s the best I could get in my city and I got him. He’s got the experience needed to really make it worth it.

2. DON’T MESS AROUND.

If you have to wear elastics or headgear or aligners or anything. Don’t take it easy. Don’t “fool” the treatment, don’t do anything but obey your doctor. If he/she is certain you need to wear that thing, then he/she might know better. In the end these guys treat you and have some more schooling into orthodontics than us. Don’t sabotage your treatment.

3. GO TO ANY APPOINTMENTS AND LET THEM KNOW IF SOMETHING BREAKS.

Yeah, brackets can fall, arch-wires poke your cheeks, aligners might get lost (do take care though) retainers might break too. Don’t just sit there telling yourself it doesn’t matter. ANYTHING matters. From such a “small” incident you’ll just make your treatment longer or even put it on hold. These guys are there to help you. Don’t go nuts if such incident happens (let’s not get mental), but do solve the issues as soon as possible. Or discuss with your doctor to have the best solution available. Don’t miss appointments and try to do your part of the job the best you can.

4. YOUR TEETH ARE SENSITIVE. DON’T MAKE IT EVEN HARDER FOR THEM.

You have to understand that your teeth are under a lot of “stress”. It’s not easy being a tooth, having those metal things on you, being pushed and pulled around. Your denture needs care and protection. Even if you can eat hard foods, don’t do it. I love nuts too, but this doesn’t mean I’d eat them with the braces on, or now when I have Invisalign. Even if my teeth don’t hurt me now and they seem to be pretty strong, I do realize they are moving to their decided position and can’t chew hard things. I don’t eat soft food only, but I don’t push my teeth too much. In the end I’d love having them still after the treatment is ending.

5. BRUSH, BRUSH AND THEN BRUSH SOME MORE.

People think we are weirdos carrying tooth paste and brushes all day long with us and brushing a lot. Since I started the treatment, I also started caring more for my oral hygiene. I wore braces and they’d catch anything possible. It was normal to brush and floss. I don’t like having all kinds of “stuff” on my teeth. Now I wear Invisalign and brush after each meal. I don’t eat anything with the aligners on, I take them out, eat and then brush again. Yes, 5-6 times a day. So that I don’t have tarter on my teeth and not develop cavities. This would be bad since it would might put your treatment on hold for few days till you have the cavities filled. Not to mention your teeth are again VULNERABLE and it would get complicated. Why make it harder?

6. READ ABOUT THIS AS MUCH AS YOU CAN AND ASK AROUND.

I can’t understand how some people can be so careless. I read hundreds of articles before getting braces, most people confuse me with the doctor since I can give them so many answers. It’s something that changed my life, it’s something I have to adjust to, so many things are happening to me. How not know about them? I asked my orthodontist all kinds of questions and he was more than happy to clue me in.

7. IMAGINE YOUR SMILE AFTERWARDS.

The easiest way for me to go through 2-3 years of treatment (as I have been predicted) was to see my smile after the treatment. I watch TV commercials with those perfect smiles and tell my folks “this is how my teeth will look like”. I never see myself as I am now, still with crooked teeth (better than before, but still not perfect), I see myself as I WILL BE. This gave me strength to go through the metal braces months and now I am prepared for 13/18 months in Invisalign. And I’ll make it, because I decided I need to succeed.

8. WEAR THAT RETAINER

Many people who had their teeth get crooked again didn’t wear the retainer properly. It’s unpleasant to have to care for this too after so many months being braced. But this retainer is the secret to KEEP your smile. Some wear it for few months, some for some years or even a lifetime.

Well, I am ready. I want to wear it the time I have to and even some weeks more. So that I know my pain wasn’t in vain. So that I know I made it. After months of treatment, after tens of meetings with my orthodontist, after having arch-wires in my mouth, power chains, brackets, mini-molds, trays, retainer, way too many cleanings, pain sometimes, a lot of brushing, lots of money paid and gasoline for my car on my way to the doctor and back. After all these I will have a perfect smile. And I will keep it.

My treatment will succeed because I KNOW how to make it succeed. I have a good doctor and the determination to make all this work!

The “nerd” or “geek” who has eyeglasses and those braces that make talking and smiling so difficult. What most movies fail to show us is how that “geek” will look in just months after the treatment is over. Metal braces and any kind of orthodontic devices in the end do look funny and might be uncomfortable, but the results are always stunning. In 1-2 years (maybe a little more for some very complex orthodontic cases) that metal mouth will sport an amazing smile, just great to use to advertise a new brand of toot-paste or any other product that requires a lot of smiling.

Even if most orthodontic patients fear braces, we do advise you to use them and do the treatment. After some months you won’t recognize your teeth, you’ll have a perfect smile and a new face to show.

We used that “time machine” analogy since today things are different in orthodontics. Now we have more than just metal braces. We can use ceramics, lingual braces, even invisible plastic ones that really don’t show. Did you think that you don’t have what to chose from? Think again.

And now, to the goal of our article: HOW DO I CHOSE THE ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT?

• the severity of your orthodontic case. If your teeth are too crooked you might not qualify for the Invisible braces (Invisalign). In this case your orthodontist can advise you to use another system: Damon or Lingual (Incognito)
• the need for extractions (or not). Some braces types (Damon comes to mind) might not require extractions, others might do
• what your orthodontist can provide. Not can provide you with Incognito, Invisalign or Damon. Most of them have just “regular” metal braces (with ligatures), while others are licensed to use all systems.
• price. Some orthodotic treatments are more expensive while others cost less. Not to mention some are not covered by your health insurance.
• the need to wear other devices: headgear for example.
• treatment time: some systems work faster, some slower
• diction: in some cases the lisp the patient faces (at least in the first days) is more noticeable. For a radio DJ for instance or a public speaker, this can become a problem
• looks. Some might not love the “metal mouth” look (for a 30-40 year old this might be harder), while others don’t care about aspect too much and can settle for anything.
• allergies. Some people might develop allergic reactions to Nickel.

So, here you have some things to consider when chosing an orthodontic treatment. It’s not that simple anymore and thank God we have some excellent systems to chose from. There are good solutions or even combinations so that we can straighten our teeth the way we want.