Orthodontic Blog - Fresh Orthodontics

A maladjusted set of teeth can be harder to clean and care for, causing more cavities and possibly even greater problems if teeth are growing all over each other and scratching each other up. But other problems can also surface because of an uneven bite, and one of the most painful ones is TMJ syndrome.

Since orthodontic treatment usually entails the moving about of teeth in a healthy environment, it should be no surprise that when drugs are taken that affect the oral environment, sometimes treatment can be compromised. Bisphosphonate drugs affect the oral environment and can have negative repercussions for your orthodontic treatment as well. In this article we will explore the relationship between bisphosphonate drugs and orthodontics, and the effect they can have on each other.

Braces are made up of three things: brackets, wires and ligatures. The ligatures are the dental elastics or “rubber bands” that are used to tie the wires in place. These are becoming more and more obsolete as new types of brackets are able to fulfill this function. In today’s piece, I want to speak a little about wires, and to talk a little about what thermal wires are and how they are used in orthodontics. Hopefully this way you can decide if getting thermal orthodontic wires is a good decision for you.

The concept of self-ligation is slowly but surely catching on. Most patients have an idea that this phrase exists and it means something, but there is a considerable amount of confusion as to what exactly makes a brace self-ligating. Most people know it is something to do with the brackets, and some will even tell you that self-ligating braces make the use of rubber bands (orthodontic elastics, similar in appearance but somewhat differing in function from rubber bands) obsolete. But why? How? What makes the self-ligating orthodontic bracket different form a regular one? Here below is a little exposé about what the difference is, and why self-ligating braces are worth it.

Periodontal disease frequently accompanies orthodontic treatment. Getting periodontitis while in braces happens, but it is by no means inevitable. If it does occur, you do not need to wait until the end of orthodontic treatment to get rid of it. It is not a necessary side effect of wearing braces, and it is not something that you just need to tolerate, it is a serious dental condition which is unwanted, unsavory, and should be dealt with as soon as it rears its ugly head.