Braces

Building Confidence With Braces

Are you ready to say ‘cheese’ with confidence? At Richmond Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, our team will help enrich your pathway to a perfect smile with braces. Over the years, we’ve continued to stay on top of cutting-edge developments in the dentistry field to make wearing them more comfortable and sleek as they work to transform your smile.

What Braces Can Tackle

These appliances are beneficial not just aesthetically but can also help with oral health and hygiene. Check out some of the most common reasons our patients invest in these orthodontic appliances:

Crowded or crooked teeth: These not only improve the appearance of your smile, but also contribute to better oral function and reduce the risk of any future dental injuries

Gapped teeth: Correcting gapped teeth can lead to increased self-esteem as your smile becomes more aligned

Misaligned teeth:Misaligned teeth can lead to uneven wear on tooth surfaces. Braces help distribute bite forces more evenly, reducing the risk of premature tooth wear

Bite problems: Correcting these issues can improve chewing function and prevent excessive wear on teeth

Proper jaw function:These appliances can correct issues with the alignment of the jaws, allowing for smoother and more efficient jaw function. This can reduce discomfort associated with jaw misalignment.

Braces Broken Down

Just like the parts on your car, braces have multiple components that work together to push and pull your teeth into the proper position. These include:

Brackets: Made of high-grade stainless steel, these brackets are small, square-shaped pieces attached to the front surface of each tooth using a special dental adhesive. Brackets serve as anchors for the wires and are designed to hold them in place.
Archwire: The archwire is a thin, metal wire that runs through the brackets and connects them. It puts pressure on the teeth, guiding them into the desired positions
Elastics: Colorful elastics are tiny rubber bands that connect different brackets and help to correct bite issues by exerting additional force on the teeth. There are various configurations and patterns for the placement of elastics depending on your specific needs

Remember that the specific configuration of these appliances may vary from patient to patient based on individual treatment needs. Our orthodontists will customize the appliance to address your specific dental issues and achieve the desired outcome.

Food Is Neat, Just Not In My Teeth!

Be attentive to what you eat while wearing braces. Certain types of foods should be avoided, as they can become lodged between the wires of your braces and in some cases even damage or pull off your brackets, yikes!

Remember to avoid the 4 Cs:

Crunchy
Chewy
Candies like caramel
Corn on the cob

Foods you can feast on:

Soft cheese
Soft breads
Grains
Sweet treats without nuts

Caring For Your Braces

Caring for your new hardware is crucial to ensure the effectiveness of orthodontic treatment and maintain good oral health. Here are some tips on how to care for them:

Oral Hygiene:

Brush your teeth after every meal and snack
Use a soft-bristled toothbrush and be thorough, making sure to clean around the brackets and wires
Use fluoride toothpaste to help prevent tooth decay

Flossing:

Floss at least once a day
Floss threaders or orthodontic floss can be helpful in getting between the wires and around the brackets

Rinse:

Rinse your mouth with water or an antiseptic mouthwash after brushing and flossing to remove any remaining particles

Wear a mouthguard:

If you play contact sports, wear a mouthguard to protect your appliances and reduce the risk of injury to your mouth

Attend Regular Appointments:

During your treatment, you will visit one of our offices on a regular basis, so we can make sure the brackets are adjusted as needed. This ensures your treatment progresses as planned

Ready, Set, Schedule

Find out if braces are the perfect fit for you! Our experienced team will help you reach all of your oral health and aesthetic goals through a plan tailored just to you. To get started, please call us at (804) 740-7281 or find one of our offices that best works for you.