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.

HOW MUCH WILL I HURT? IS IT PAINFUL TO WEAR BRACES?

“Not too much” and “so so” would be the 2 fast answers. Before you just renounce the idea of having straight teeth, let me try to explain this better. There are millions of people who treat their crooked teeth (many kids or teenagers), it shouldn’t be so painful. And it’s not.

I can tell you about my own experience in 2 systems: Damon (metal braces) and Invisalign. I got my metal braces 1 year ago. The entire process was scarier when reading about it, than the real thing. The braces got on my lateral teeth (we only braced these) on both arches and I was ready to go. With my dental wax too and the new life ahead of me. I was told to use Kethonal or any other painkiller if I couldn’t cope with the pain, prepare for few hard days and then it will be better. And it was.

After 2-3 hours I was already feeling some pressure on my teeth. It was something like my finger was in my mouth and I was pushing them a bit. Nothing too serious, sure, I didn’t take any medication. I ate with care and then went to sleep.

Morning came: I got up and accidentally clenched my teeth. AUCH! The pain almost made me scream. After getting some nice swearing done (that was the least I could do), I got to the kitchen to eat something. Yeah, sure. I wasn’t able to press my teeth against anything since it was painful. I didn’t hurt if they didn’t touch anything (so I just had my mouth slightly open as to have the teeth not touch). The pressure was still there, but the pain would appear ONLY when I clenched my teeth. So, I stopped doing this and didn’t take medication at all either. It really wasn’t the case.

I started eating mashed potatoes and all kinds of soft foods. For 2-3 days I was just like an old woman, even my grandma ate better (and you can imagine she didn’t miss the chance to observer how “old” I was).

In few days the pain wasn’t that big anymore and I started eating bread (not anything hard) and some foods that weren’t as soft as a newly born’s menu anymore. I was able to clench my teeth without kicking anyone and my brushing was more pleasant. I did try to keep a perfect hygene in the pain days and it was pretty nice.

After 1 week I was able to ditch the wax too (for few days I made my fill with dental wax and was certain I’d need some special deliveries, maybe a truck of wax, due to the huge need I had) and eat like a normal person. My doctor told me it would be a good idea to not try anything too hard (nuts or something like that) so that I don’t damage my braces, but God is my witness I could eat if I wanted to.

After each adjustment I’d have 1-2 days of some pain (not huge one, never took medication for this) and then it was all OK. The first days are the worse (when you get braced in), afterwards your teeth get adjusted to the braces so that you’d be able to “recover” faster from each adjustment.

Now I have Invisalign and still expect that pain. Maybe I got used to the metal braces that are a bit more “strong” or maybe I am just lucky. After getting the Invisalign trays on I got home and started eating fast (so that I can then eat soft foods again because of the possible pain). Waited for some hours, no pain. Just a slight pressure on my teeth. Next day: one incisor hurt. “Thank God, I’m normal.” Nothing else. In few hours the incisor stopped hurting while I was able to eat normally, even if I was prepared for another “old woman menu” for some days at least.

1 week into the treatment: I really doubt I’ll see pain anymore. I still feel that slight pressure on the teeth (more like a tickle) and nothing more. Looks like my life now will be pain-free. So .. the painkillers can remain untouched.

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My conclusion would be that you should expect SOME pain. There are patients who are more sensitive and need some medication, at least in those first days, while others are “dancing” through the treatment. Just don’t fear this pain that much since it doesn’t last and in some cases it might not even appear. Just schedule that meeting with your orthodontist and DO IT. I tell you I don’t regret this, even if I was in pain for weeks. My treatments were so easy that I would be crazy not to finish this or not think that it’s too bad I didn’t do this earlier.

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.