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orthodontic treatment | Wayne Family Orthodontics

Wearing an Orthodontic Retainer

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When the time comes to remove braces, many patients are eager to show their new smiles. However, there is a second phase of orthodontic treatment after braces, and this is wearing a retainer. Orthodontic retainers are used to prevent the tension that lingers in the periodontal ligaments and teeth from causing your tooth alignment to shift. We invite you to learn more about wearing an orthodontic retainer and how it can improve your new smile.

Retainers are appliances typically made of plastic that attach to a wire that corrals the teeth in their new positions. You can receive either a removable retainer or a fixed retainer. The removable retainer has a wire worn in front of the teeth, while a fixed retainer has a wire behind the teeth and cements to your mouth.

While braces typically are removed after a few years, some patients need to wear a retainer for a lifetime to maintain treatment results. Dr. Muhammad Abey can offer instructions on using your retainer to prevent your teeth from resorting to their old alignment.

Clean your removable retainer by brushing it daily with a special toothpaste and toothbrush with soft bristles. You can also place it in a soaking solution overnight if you don’t wear it at bedtime. A fixed retainer should be brushed twice a day just like your natural teeth, and you may find that a floss threader makes it easy to clean your appliance daily.

We invite you to contact Wayne Family Orthodontics at 973-341-3180 today if you would like to speak with our orthodontist about further care instructions for your orthodontic retainer in Wayne, New Jersey.

Brushing Your Teeth Can Improve Your Orthodontic Results

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If you are receiving orthodontic treatment from Dr. Muhammad Abey and our team, it’s important that you continue to brush your teeth on a daily basis. Routine tooth brushing can make or break your orthodontic treatment, which is why you should clean your teeth following every meal and snack during your time with braces. We review the importance of brushing your teeth while wearing braces and how it can impact the success of your treatment.

Your dental hygiene largely depends on how well you are brushing your teeth every day, even if you don’t have braces. The food particles and plaque that accumulate in your smile have lots of bacteria and can put your teeth at risk of tooth decay and gum disease. Brushing your teeth removes these harmful substances from your smile before they have the chance to cause problems.

If plaque is allowed to remain on your teeth for a long time, it can cause the color of your teeth to darken where the braces aren’t covering tooth enamel, causing your smile to have yellow spots when your braces are gone. By brushing your teeth every day, you can have a healthy and beautiful smile with and after braces.

Brushing your teeth helps to keep your orthodontic appliance clean, helping your treatment to remain on track. Braces are made to care for your smile, but they also require care in order to remain effective. As long as your braces are in good shape, you have a great chance of having successful orthodontic treatment.

We invite you to contact Wayne Family Orthodontics at 973-341-3180 today and schedule a consultation if you need to speak with our orthodontist about how to brush teeth with braces in Wayne, New Jersey.

Learn More About Your Orthodontic Choices

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Many patients undergo orthodontic treatment to improve the look and health of crooked teeth, as well and correct a bad bite. Over the years, orthodontic care such as braces has become very popular. If you are considering braces, there are many different types that could help you achieve a stunning smile.

Modern orthodontics offer a variety of benefits to address a wide range of alignment conditions for children and adults. The following options for braces may be ideal to enhance your tooth alignment:

Traditional Metal Braces
The most common type of braces, metal braces can benefit children, teens and adults due to their durability and permanent nature. Traditional braces can improve several kinds of bite problems, more so than other types of braces, making them the most ideal for severe conditions.

Ceramic Braces
Though similar to metal braces in look and function, ceramic braces are clear or tooth-colored to blend with your teeth and offer discreet treatment. They can be recommended for older teens or adults since they are more brittle than metal braces and can stain if not cared for.

Invisalign® Clear Aligners
These removable plastic trays fully cover the teeth to gradually adjust the bite, and while they are not as fast acting and powerful as metal braces, their convenient nature and discreet appearance make them very popular for adults.

Contact Wayne Family Orthodontics at 973-341-3180 today if you would like to learn more about the types of braces in Wayne, New Jersey, and see our orthodontist, Dr. Muhammad Abey, for a consultation.

Proper Dental Hygiene With Braces

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If you have crooked or crowded teeth, Dr. Muhammad Abey may recommend braces in Wayne, New Jersey. Getting braces requires dedication on your part. Caring for your teeth while wearing braces will take a little more time, but the results are well worth the effort.

Brushing Your Teeth With Braces
Brush your teeth with a soft-bristled toothbrush using a gentle, circular motion. Brush down from the top of the teeth and then up from the bottom. Tilt your toothbrush 45 degrees to brush the tops and bottoms of your brackets. Then brush between your brackets using a proxabrush, which is shaped like a miniature Christmas tree. Insert the brush between the arch wire and the teeth and brush with upward and downward strokes. Repeat until you have cleaned between all of your brackets.

Floss Your Teeth With Braces
Dental hygiene is a little more involved while wearing braces. To floss, work the short end of your floss through the space between the upper part of the tooth and the arch wire. Then use a sawing motion to gently work the floss between the teeth. Be very careful around the arch wires.

Avoid These Foods While Wearing Braces
For those wearing braces, most foods can be eaten as long as they are cut into small pieces that can be easily chewed. However, some foods can damage braces and should be avoided, including:

– Hard foods that are hard to bite
– Chewy foods
– Corn on the cob
– Popcorn, nuts, carrots, and hard pretzels

Do not chew ice or bubble gum with braces.

We invite you to contact Wayne Family Orthodontics at 973-341-3180 today to learn more about braces and to schedule your next visit with our orthodontist.

The Best Ways to Care for Your Retainer

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Your retainer is made of sturdy and reliable materials. However, that doesn’t mean it can withstand anything. In fact, it’s very important to take good care of your retainer each and every day so it can do its job of keeping your smile straight and healthy. To help you keep your retainer in tip-top shape, Dr. Muhammad Abey and our orthodontic team have some recommendations for you.

Step No. 1: Store your retainer properly – If you keep your retainer in a safe and secure place, there is a small chance you’ll lose or damage it. So, to help you properly store your appliance, we recommend placing it in its case right after you take it out of your mouth. After doing this, put the case in a safe place, like your backpack, purse, pocket, or bathroom drawer. No matter what, do not keep the retainer in a hot environment. The hot temperature can warp and reshape it.

Step No. 2: Clean your appliance regularly – Make it a habit to clean your retainer each time you brush your teeth. To properly clean it, you can soak it in denture cleaner. All you need to do is put the cleanser pod into a warm cup of water, put the retainer in the cup, and let it soak for the time that is recommended on the cleaner label. When the time has passed, rinse the retainer with water before putting it back over your teeth.

If you follow these steps, there is a high chance you’ll maintain a strong retainer as well as a straight and top-notch smile. To learn more about how to take good care of a retainer in Wayne, New Jersey, please feel free to call Wayne Family Orthodontics at 973-341-3180 at your earliest convenience. Our orthodontic team will be happy to help you in any way we can!

How to Care for Teeth with Braces

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Orthodontics is used to straighten the teeth and correct the bite. This can improve not only the appearance of your smile, but the health as well. Now that you are undergoing orthodontic treatment, there are some things you should know about caring for your teeth and braces.

Dental Hygiene with Braces
Dental hygiene is a little more complex while wearing braces. When flossing, work the short end of your floss through the space between the upper part of the tooth and the arch wire. Then use a sawing motion to gently work the floss between the teeth.

When brushing, use a soft-bristled brush. Brush both up from the bottom and down from the top of each tooth. After this, brush with a proxabrush, which is designed to clean between the brackets. Insert the brush both from the bottom up and from the top down between each bracket.

Avoid These Foods
While wearing braces, there are certain foods that you should avoid, as they can break or loosen the brackets. These include:

– Tough-to-bite or hard foods
– Chewy food
– Hard pretzels, carrots, nuts, and popcorn
– Corn on the cob

If you have any questions for Dr. Muhammad Abey and our team or if you would like to set up an appointment, feel free to contact Wayne Family Orthodontics at 973-341-3180 today. Our orthodontist and team in Wayne, New Jersey, are excited to get to know you.

FAQs About Orthodontics

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If you want the best orthodontic treatment possible, then it’s best to know everything you can about braces in Wayne, New Jersey. However, we know braces and orthodontics can be confusing and overwhelming. So, to help you, our Wayne Family Orthodontics team has provided the answers to the following frequently asked questions:

Why is good oral hygiene with braces important?
Oral hygiene is vital if you want a successful treatment and pristine smile results. Oral hygiene is important because food particles and plaque tend to get stuck in your smile and appliance. When this happens, the food and plaque begin to develop tooth stains, tooth discoloration, tooth decay, and gum disease.

How should I clean my teeth and braces?
It’s best to clean your teeth and braces with a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste. We recommend brushing your teeth after each meal and snack and flossing your smile at least once a day. Doing these things will help you stay on track with your orthodontic treatment.

How do braces feel?
Unfortunately, there are times when your braces will make your teeth sore and tender. At these times, it’s best to stick to a soft-foods diet and take pain reliever when needed. Also, your braces might poke or bother you on occasion. When this happens, feel free to cover the trouble area with orthodontic wax.

How long do I have to wear braces?
Your treatment time will depend on how misaligned and uneven your smile and bite are. If you have severely misaligned teeth, you will need to wear your braces longer. Generally, patients wear braces for about 18 to 30 months.

What foods should I avoid eating?
For the best orthodontic experience possible, you will need to avoid eating sugary, sticky, chewy, and starchy foods. We also recommend that you avoid drinking soda.

If you would like to know more about orthodontics and braces, please remember that you can always call our office at 973-341-3180 and talk to a member of our orthodontic team. We also encourage you to schedule an appointment with your orthodontist, Dr. Muhammad Abey, if you are concerned about your smile or appliance. We are happy to help you!

Braces Glossary: Helping You Better Understand Orthodontics

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Braces are great appliances that can successfully shift and transform your smile, but sometimes they can also be a bit confusing. The best way to clear up the confusion is by learning more about the appliance. So, to help you do so, we have provided the definitions to the following orthodontic terms:

Band – A band is a metal ring that is wrapped tightly around your back molars. It is meant to support your large teeth and to keep them in tip-top shape. We don’t want them to ever crack or break. A band can also assist with headgear and bite correctors.

Bracket – A bracket is a small, square piece of your appliance that is glued to the front surface of every tooth in your smile. The piece is made of metal and it holds the orthodontic wire in place. It also applies pressure to your teeth and shifts and moves them into the positions they need to be in.

Retainer – A retainer is a removable or permanent appliance that keeps your teeth in position after your braces have moved them. A permanent retainer is typically a metal wire that is glued to the back surfaces of your teeth. A removable retainer is a small appliance that can fit over your smile. You generally wear the appliance at night while you sleep. A retainer can also be used for minimal tooth movement.

Adjustment – An adjustment is an appointment that allows your orthodontist to tighten the wires on your appliance to continue shifting your teeth. Your teeth may be a bit sore for a few days after the adjustment, but that just means that your appliance is doing its job by moving your chompers into place.

Orthodontist – An orthodontist is a dentist that specializes in orthodontics. In order to specialize, the orthodontist needs to attend and receive 2-3 additional years of schooling and training. After they complete the program, they are certified orthodontists.

Now that you know more about braces and orthodontics, you are set! If you have any additional questions, please remember that you can always call Wayne Family Orthodontics at 973-341-3180 and talk to our team. You can also talk to Dr. Muhammad Abey at any of your appointments. We are happy to help you!