Hygiene During Orthodontic Treatment

Oral hygiene is already important when it comes to a healthy mouth, but it’s even more important when the mouth is going through orthodontic treatment. There are more nooks and crannies when brackets are placed on the teeth, wherein food is trapped and turned into plaque. Suzanne Haeri DDS in Los Angeles, CA, takes pride in educating patients with braces about the importance of an at-home oral hygiene regimen. 

 

Patients with braces are at an increased risk for early stages of tooth decay and gingivitis if proper oral hygiene isn’t used. Dr. Haeri recommends brushing your teeth with a soft toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste, as well as flossing, two to three times a day. You should be brushing in and around each bracket and wire, brushing in a circular motion where the gums and teeth meet, and brushing in a back and forth motion on the tops of molars.

 

Other things to consider during orthodontic treatment:

 

-Pay attention to what you eat and drink. Sugary foods and drinks erode enamel and make the teeth more susceptible to tooth decay, especially if you aren’t brushing properly or regularly.

-Certain foods can loosen, break, or bend wires. To limit stress on your braces, avoid eating hard or sticky foods.

Do you have a question or concern? We are happy to help! Suzanne Haeri DDS practices at 1100 S La Cienega Blvd. in Los Angeles, CA 90035. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please visit suzannehaeridds.com or call 310-657-2200.

 

Flossing With Braces

Suzanne Haeri DDS is located in West Los Angeles, CA. Dr. Haeri knows all areas of dental health. This includes orthodontic care. Braces make it a bit harder to keep your teeth clean. Yet it’s even more important to floss daily with them on! Brackets and wires trap the food. That’s why we’ve created this basic guide of the different compatible flossing apparatuses. Find out which one works best for you!

 

The floss threader is the first option. These look like a dull, plastic needle. Start by threading the floss through the eye. The threader moves the floss under the wire and into place. Continue flossing from this point as normal. Regardless of whether you have braces or not, it’s necessary to floss daily. Try flossing after every meal to fully clean your teeth.

 

The second option is the floss picks. These look like a miniature prong. Floss is threaded tautly between the two tines. This is a quicker and simpler flossing method. The floss pick is thin enough to fit under the wire. Push the thread between each tooth and clean it as normal. These devices are available in grocery stores and supermarkets. They are relatively inexpensive and a great tool to have.

 

Waterpiks are similar to the tools used in our dental office. These spray a steady stream of water at the teeth. This works as a highly pressurized form of flossing. The water is so strong that it knocks out food and debris. Additional add-ons are available specifically for orthodontic cleaning.

 

Suzanne Haeri DDS is located in West Los Angeles. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Suzanne Haeri, call 310-657-2200 or visit https://www.suzannehaeridds.com/

Crooked Teeth

Crooked teeth can be a major problem if they are not treated properly. Crooked teeth can cause crowding among your teeth and begin to overlap each other. We want our patients at Dr. Suzanne Haeri, DDS to know there are ways to fix their crooked teeth and prevent crowding from occurring.

When there isn’t enough room in your mouth to fit, crowding can occur and lead to shifting. In some cases, overbites can form when your upper and lower jaws aren’t the same size, which extends your bottom teeth and jaw outward.

If you have difficulty chewing you may need a tooth extraction or braces. Braces are required to fix crowding and crooked teeth.

We advise our patients to get braces when they are young since their mouth is still growing. As your mouth continues to develop and expect your teeth will grow in straighter and more naturally.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding crooked teeth and treatment options, please give us a call. To learn more about the services we provide at our practice, visit www.suzannehaeridds.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Suzanne Haeri, DDS herself in our Los Angeles, CA office, please call 310-657-2200.

Nutrition with Braces

Dr. Suzanne Haeri, DDS advises her patients to avoid eating foods that can damage braces. Foods that are hard, sticky, and chewy should be avoided as wires, rubber bands, and the bracket itself may break. Foods like caramel and gum stick to braces while hard foods like raw veggies damage braces unless cut up. Patients who regularly bite their nails or pen chewers can also cause damage to braces much like chewing hard foods.

 It is recommended patients eat softer and healthier foods with braces like yogurt, mashed potatoes, bananas. These foods won’t cause harm to the braces and are healthy for the body and mouth.

The healthier your body is, the better the results of your orthodontic treatment will be because a proper diet provides essential nutrients to bones and tissues undergoing significant change during braces treatment.

It is important for patients who visit Dr. Suzanne Haeri, DDS that they practice good oral care and keep their braces as clean as possible to avoid any damage.

To learn about the services we provide at our practice, visit www.suzannehaeridds.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Suzanne Haeri, DDS herself in our Los Angeles, CA office, call 310-657-2200.