Clear Aligners – 5 strong reasons to choose

Clear aligners – the latest innovation in dentistry now lets you get your mal aligned teeth corrected without having to wear the metal brackets and wires.
Clear aligners are strong plastic trays designed and fabricated to fit each individual. When worn on teeth these aligners use gradual force to guide teeth onto proper position. A series of aligners (number depends on the severity of the case) bring about incremental tooth movement till the desired position is achieved.

These are the 5 strong reasons why you should opt for clear aligners
1. Invisible: This is the number one advantage as reported by patients. Many individuals especially adults find it embarrassing to wear braces and hence decide not to get their teeth corrected and manage to live with it forever. With clear aligners being transparent trays, they are completely invisible and you can now get your teeth aligned at any age without having to think about social stigma
2. Enjoy your food: With conventional braces, there is restriction on the food you consume because of the risk of breaking the brackets. With clear aligners which you actually remove while eating, this restriction does not apply and you continue relishing your food of choice
3. Easy to maintain oral hygiene: Clear aligners have to be removed while brushing. Hence there is absolutely no difficulty in maintaining your oral hygiene. Whereas with conventional braces, no matter how effectively you brush, there is always possibility of food accumulation resulting in poor oral hygiene, gum infections and sometimes even bad breadth.
4. Comfort: Clear aligners are extremely comfortable to wear and maintain. They are less likely to cause any trauma or discomfort to the cheeks or lips. Because the patients have the privilege of removing it for brief periods of time (while eating, drinking etc) they find it very comfortable during the entire period of treatment.
5. Duration of treatment: The duration of treatment with conventional braces ranges from 2-3 years on an average. But with clear aligners there is significant reduction in the duration of treatment making it the first choice of treatment especially of adults.

Orthodontic Retainers – all you need to know

Retainers are appliances that are given following active treatment with fixed orthodontic braces.
In fact retainers are considered the final phase of orthodontic treatment, which is complete only with the appropriate usage of the retainer appliance. Retainers are as important as active treatment in the success of orthodontic treatment.
Here are some of the vital information one needs to know regarding importance, usage and maintenance of retainers.
WHY RETAINERS
Once the orthodontic braces are removed following completion of the treatment, the teeth will have a tendency to shift back to their original position. Hence retainer appliances are used in order to hold the teeth in their new position. During the time the teeth are held by the retainers, the bone and the gums surrounding the roots of the teeth will remodel as per the new position and thus prevent a relapse. If a relapse occurs due to improper usage of the retainers, then the patient will have to undergo braces again to correct them.
TYPES OF RETAINERS
Retainers are basically of two types – Fixed and Removable. There are a few types of removable retainers namely the Essix and the Beggs retainer. Your orthodontist will decide and suggest the appropriate one for you.
In case of lower teeth the fixed retainers are invariably used. While for the upper, if fixed retainers are not possible (because of the bite), then a removable retainer has to be used. In certain special cases your orthodontist may suggest a combination of both the fixed and removable retainer.
DURATION
In case of fixed retainer it is most often left in place indefinitely. There is apparently no discomfort associated with it and hence no need to remove it.
In case of removable retainers, it has to be worn for a minimum period of one year. Some orthodontists suggest wearing the retainers for as long as the duration of fixed braces.
WHEN TO WEAR THEM
The removable retainers have to be worn throughout the day and night, except while eating and brushing. Probably after a period of 8-10 months based on a case to case scenario, your orthodontist might suggest using them only at night. It is however strictly advised to follow your orthodontist’s opinion.
MAINTENANCE
There is absolutely no maintenance required with the fixed retainers. The removable retainers however have to be cleaned everyday using a brush and a liquid soap or paste. Whenever they are removed, either for brushing or eating, they have to be kept in the prescribed box; otherwise there is always a chance of losing them. We have heard people mostly losing them in restaurants or in schools.
ORAL HYGIENE
Maintenance of oral hygiene is never a problem in case of retainers, especially the removable ones, as they have to be removed while brushing. With the fixed retainers little more additional care has to be taken while brushing the inner side of teeth where they are fixed.

Dos and Don’ts when you are wearing braces

Dental braces which are used to correct of teeth, involves application of force or pressure, to move teeth to the desired location, thereby improving smile and self-confidence of an individual. Here are some simple Dos and Don’ts to be followed to ensure you have a pleasant and trouble free experience with the braces.

• Use a specialised brush called orthodontic brush and brush twice a day. Make sure to brush gently without applying lot of force, and making sure to reach all the areas of teeth. Make sure to change your brush once in 3 months.
• Also consider using a Proxa brush (inter dental brush), small cleaning device to clean the not so easy to reach areas like in between the wire and the teeth, around the braces etc.
• Use a fluoridated mouthwash and gargle twice a day, especially before bed. Also rinse with plain water after you eat or drink anything.
• Maintenance of good oral hygiene is an absolute prerequisite for successful orthodontic correction.
• Never use your front teeth for chewing food. Always chew on your back teeth.
• Drop the habit of biting a full apple or a guava or anything for that matter using your front teeth. Cut them into pieces and eat with your back teeth
• Please avoid drinking colas or any carbonated drinks. You can have a lot of fruit juices rather.
• Avoid food stuff that sticks to your teeth like candies, potato chips and chewing gums. These can potentially debond (remove) the brackets from the teeth, causing potential injury and even delay in treatment.
• As much as possible stick to the schedule given by your orthodontist and do not skip any visits.
• If you find any loosening of wire or any part of the braces, or any trauma to your mucosa (soft covering of the inside of your mouth), please report to your dentist immediately.