Rubberbands are the elastics used while a patient is in braces to train the jaw to correct the alignment of your bite, close an openbite, and reduce overbite/underbite. They are typically worn from top brackets to bottom brackets and are removed and replaced by the patient.
While brackets, archwires and ligatures are all keys for moving teeth, rubber bands pull the jaw forward or backward in order to line up your top and bottom rows of teeth making sure they fit together comfortably when you bite down and to help improve your smile altogether. Although rubberbands are mostly for aligning your jaw, they can also speed up the process of moving or straightening a tooth or teeth. Wearing your rubberbands as instructed by your orthodontist, can speed up the treatment time, and not wearing the rubber bands can prolong the treatment time. Unless instructed otherwise, wear the rubberbands as much as possible (up to 22 hours a day) and only take them out when eating, flossing or brushing. This is the best way to a beautiful smile and shorter orthodontic treatment time!
Here are a few more tips for faster and better results:
Please keep your appointments and arrive on time.
Be sure to keep your teeth and braces clean.
Avoid foods and behaviors that will damage your braces.
Wear your rubberbands as instructed. Carry fresh rubberbands with you and change them often.
Following these instructions will help ensure successful treatment, a functional bite, and a beautiful smile! The best results are a product of good patient cooperation!
Please call our office if you have a problem with your rubberbands, run low or lose your rubberbands.
Congratulations on your new, beautiful smile! Your orthodontic treatment has been a huge success, but you’re not completely finished. Wearing your retainer is a very important part of keeping your new smile straight for many years to come. Please follow our instructions for your best results!
1-6 Months:
Wear both retainers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Remove only for eating and cleaning
7-24 Months:
Wear both retainers every night
24 Months+:
Wear both retainers at least 4 nights a week
Additional requirements and information include:
Call the office immediately if you break or lose a retainer. The sooner it is replaced, the less likely your teeth are to shift given the amount of time the retainers have not been worn.
Store your retainers in the case provided to avoid damage or loss when not being worn.
Keep away from heat.
Do not wrap in a paper towel.
Keep away from animals and small children.
Brush your retainers at least twice daily using a toothbrush, clear liquid soap, and cold water. Do not use toothpaste to clean retainers!
If you are unable to brush your retainers, rinse thoroughly with cold water.
If your retainers begin to smell “fishy”, soak in solution using one part bleach and four parts cold water for 1 hour, then brush thoroughly as usual.
Do not soak retainers in any colored mouthwash.
Your orthodontic treatment doesn’t stop after your braces are off your teeth. Keep your healthy smile in the best shape by following our best results above!
Keeping your braces on is the best way to make sure your teeth are straightened and beautiful. If your braces are not attached to your teeth, your teeth will not move into the proper place. Here are our tips and tricks for keeping your braces intact and functioning properly:
Do not chem gum! Not even gum that “doesn’t stick to dental work”. Gum sticks to braces, pulls braces off, & bends wires.
Do not bite into anything with your front teeth. Cut everything into small pieces & chew on your back teeth. Cut fruit into small pieces (applesauce is a good alternative). Pull meat off the bone (wings, chicken, ribs), cut corn off the cob, cut sandwiches & burgers into halves/quarters & chew on your back teeth.
Avoid hard & crunchy foods. Do not eat popcorn, bagged pretzels, hard chips (Doritos, Tostitos, Fritos, Cheetos).
Do not eat ice.
Avoid hard & sticky candy. Do not eat/chew tootsie rolls, now-or-later candy, jolly ranchers, suckers/lollipops, starburst, skittles, etc.
Do not chew pens, pencils, fingernails.
Stay on a soft diet for the first week while getting used to your braces. Foods such as soup, chicken pot pie, creamed corn, macaroni & cheese, & mashed potatoes are good options. If your teeth get sore DO NOT BE ALARMED, this means they’re moving & that’s what we want! You may take Ibuprofen, Advil or Motrin for relief. If you experience an emergency not listed on our website, or feel that it is medically necessary, call our office for further instructions.
KEEP YOUR TEETH & BRACES CLEAN! Oral hygiene is very important. If not kept clean, the bacteria that you leave behind can cause discoloration/chalky spots, cavities, swollen & bleeding gums. Brush teeth thoroughly after every meal & floss every night.
Keep your appointments & take care of your braces to ensure the shortest treatment time!
Below are some of the issues and solutions in the event that an orthodontic emergency arises.
If your bracket is loose:
It is common for brackets to come loose during treatment. If the loose bracket is not causing discomfort, it is okay to leave alone. Dr. Marc S. Wright and his staff will treat it at your next appointment. If it is causing discomfort, cover it with orthodontic wax and contact the office.
If your wire is poking you:
Sometimes archwires move or slide during treatment. For wires that poke, cover the wire with wax. Swish with warm salt water to stimulate healing of any cheek or gum that has been irritated by poking wires. Contact the office to get the wire clipped.
If your teeth are loose:
Teeth become mobile during orthodontic treatment so that they can be moved. This is normal and you should not be alarmed.
If your teeth hurt:
Taking an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory pain relief medicine will relieve the soreness caused by moving teeth during orthodontics. Soreness comes and goes during treatment. What is uncomfortable today, will likely improve within a few days.
If you are having an emergency that you cannot treat yourself with the above instructions, please contact the office for additional assistance. Dr. Marc S. Wright and his staff are happy to help you with any questions or concerns about possible orthodontic emergencies.
Decalcification is the loss of calcium in the enamel of teeth resulting in white, chalky marks. This happens quite frequently to patients that wear braces. However, it is not caused by the braces themselves.
Poor oral hygiene is the major cause of decalcification. When food is not removed from around the braces, it mixes with saliva and becomes acidic bacteria. If the bacteria are not removed, it will destroy the nutrients that protect the enamel leaving the teeth susceptible to decalcification and decay. Minor decalcification is reversible by a dentist; however, major decalcification requires dental bonding to correct.
The best prevention of decalcification is good oral hygiene. Brushing thoroughly at least 3 times a day is critical to remove food and bacteria before it can damage the teeth. Rinsing after drinking sugary drinks also helps remove damaging sugars from the mouth and around braces. Flossing daily removes bacteria around the gum line to prevent swelling of the gums which can trap bacteria underneath.
When brushing with braces, it is necessary to tilt the toothbrush so that you can brush between the bracket and the gum while getting underneath the wires. You also want to brush the front of the bracket and the edges or biting surfaces of the teeth. All food and white, fuzzy bacteria must be removed when brushing. If you are unsure that you have removed everything, ask your orthodontist for disclosing tablets. Disclosing tablets will show you the bacteria you left behind after brushing.
Wright Orthodontics instructs each patient how to brush and floss effectively when braces are applied. If you have any questions or concerns about caring or cleaning for your braces ask an assistant or Dr. Marc S. Wright for additional instructions so that you can have a beautiful smile when your braces are completed!
“I saw the orthodontist and could not believe the cost of braces! I could buy a car for the cost of my treatment! I was shocked!”
Orthodontics is a specialized service that requires a team of educated and trained professionals. The service is provided by a business, so there are day-to-day costs involved to keep the practice running. The overall cost of braces will include professional costs, materials and laboratory costs, and other operating expenses. Professional costs may be the most valuable to you because they include the specialty care, technical skill, and accurate judgment of your doctor and his qualified staff. Orthodontic treatment is very personal and very labor intensive. Materials and laboratory costs cover your care during every appointment. Since tooth movement is slow, treatment times are usually about two years for children and adults.
The cost of orthodontic treatment is a concern that Wright Orthodontics addresses every day. Wright Orthodontics keeps the overall costs as low as possible while still providing you with the highest quality of care. Your case fee includes pre-treatment records, application of your orthodontic appliances, all visits (emergencies included), progress x-rays, post-treatment records, and one set of clear retainers with one year of monitoring your retention after braces are removed. We use high-quality brackets and archwires, utilize low radiation digital x-rays, and hire dental assistants that have additional training in the specialty of orthodontics. We use quality disposable products and maintain federally required sterilization protocols for instruments and handpieces. Dr. Marc S. Wright received a total of 12 years of college education (top of his class, by the way) to become a board-certified dentist specializing in orthodontics. At Wright Orthodontics, you will see Dr. Marc S. Wright for all your adjustment appointments and you can rest assured that you are receiving the best orthodontic care possible.
How to handle the cost of orthodontics
There are several interest-free ways to finance orthodontics. The following are the most popular financing options offered: 1. In-office financing: Wright Orthodontics offers easy, in-office, interest-free payment plans to ease the cost of orthodontics. After your initial 10% payment to start treatment, the remaining balance is broken into payments based on the number of months your treatment is estimated to take. 2. CareCredit®: Wright Orthodontics accepts CareCredit®, which is a line of credit through Synchrony Bank. CareCredit® offers short-term interest-free loans and long-term interest loans. CareCredit® offers loan terms up to five years to pay back your loan. You can apply for a CareCredit® loan through their website www.carecredit.com. 3. Wright Orthodontics offers discounts for treatment paid in full at the onset of treatment.
Wright Orthodontics accepts all major credit/debit cards including Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express. For your convenience, Wright Orthodontics accepts online payments with no transaction fees through our website www.drwrightortho.com. We also offer patients the option to enroll in auto-payments to make monthly payments. A simple auto-payment authorization form is required. Wright Orthodontics accepts flex-spending accounts (FSA) with a Visa or MasterCard logo.
How to keep treatment costs to a minimum
All orthodontic payments are due on the 1st day of every month (not every visit). Unpaid accounts will incur a late fee on the 6th day of every month. Making payments on time will prevent additional costs from late fees. If you cannot keep your scheduled appointment, calling in advance to reschedule will allow you to avoid additional costs from late cancelation fees. Following instructions given at the beginning of treatment and avoiding breaking orthodontic appliances, brackets, or wires will prevent additional costs in missing work/school and unnecessary visits for repairs. Participating in the Wright Orthodontics referral program can save you money. Referring friends/family/acquaintances can save you $100.00 per referral. Please ask an office staff member for more information.
Call Wright Orthodontics today to schedule a free consultation and see how we can provide you with the finest, most economical treatment possible.
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