Wondering About Invisalign? - Braces Las Vegas Can Help

With the increasing popularity for clear, removable braces it’s no surprise that Invisalign is a popular choice. However, there are many adults that are skeptical to the treatment often wondering if Invisalign® is the right choice. Your Las Vegas braces orthodontists can provide help.

Cost of Invisalign®

The cost of Invisalign braces will vary from practice to practice, but generally falls aound $5,000 for a full treatment plan that will last for 12 - 18 months depending on how your teeth respond. This price falls around the same range for traditional metal braces, minus the common problems associated.

Same Price, All of the Perks

The reason Invisalign braces strike well with many people is for a couple of important perks that are not offered with metal braces:

1. They are clear (almost invisible).

2. They are a lot easier to manage.

By having braces that are clear in color, you won’t feel ashamed for having to smile in pictures. Your peers won’t even notice that you have braces in your mouth. This is important in our society, in a world where impressions matter and people are quick to judge. With traditional braces, you may feel ashamed or embarrassed to smile – which could affect your mood greatly.  

The other point refers to Invisalign’s ease of use. The ability to quickly remove your set of invisible aligners means that you can eat, drink, floss, and brush your teeth without worrying about the extreme hassle associated with metal braces.

Please visit our Invisalign frequently asked questions page for more information. As orthodontists of Las Vegas, we also offer traditional braces for those who would prefer that option. 

Halloween Candy Braces Care - Braces Las Vegas

Most of us are probably excited for Halloween right about now, but as an orthodontist in Las Vegas; I wanted to personally remind you how to have a sticky-free Halloween this year.

Some Candies are Worse than Others

First off, you or your children do not have to give up candy completely, but rather take steps in trying to minimize the amount of harm done. The fact of the matter is that there are a wide variety of candy products on the market with some being worse than others.

Icky Sticky

If you’re thinking about putting any sticky candies into your mouth, or candies that are gooey then you may want to reconsider this and evaluate the positives and negatives.

Any candies with caramel, taffy, and others always pose the possibility of breaking one of your brackets off directly from your teeth. The reason is because when the candy sticks to the teeth, it adds extra pressure to your teeth every time you open and close your mouth. If the situation is worse enough, then the pressure will eventually pull a bracket right off. Beware!

Hard Times

If it’s hard, then be careful. Every candy can be considered “hard” to a certain degree but we’re referring to actual hard candies such as jawbreakers or anything that must be sucked on for a period of time before you have any chance at biting down. Biting down too forcefully on hard candies may result in damaged braces. It’s not worth it!

Quick tip: suck on any hard candies instead of biting down, that way you still enjoy your candy! 

It's Not Just About Candy

Lastly, it’s not necessarily all about what type of candy you’re consuming, but rather how frequently you’re consuming it. At the end day, we can all agree that candy is over 50% sugar. Unfortunately, sugar causes our mouth to become an acidic environment that is perfect for initiating tooth decay.

Quick tip: it’s actually better to eat more candy at once rather than stringing it out for the whole day. When you string candy out in small pieces throughout the day, you constantly expose your mouth to an acidic environment and that isn’t good.

If you’re going to partake in the candy tradition this Halloween, then don’t forget to compensate for this by putting extra effort into brushing and flossing your teeth. Make absolutely sure to remove any candy particles that are caught between your teeth and in your braces.

Happy Halloween from your braces orthodontist in Las Vegas!

Orthodontist Offers Tips on Caring For Retainers - Braces Las Vegas

Always wear your retainer!

Retainers are a fact of life for anyone that has recently had their braces taken off. Regardless of the type of braces you chose, a retainer would always be required as a way to help you keep your teeth straight. In a basic sense, if you don’t wear a retainer, then your teeth will begin to return to their unstraightened position. Nobody wants this to happen – it would only result in a huge waste of time and money. Your braces Las Vegas orthodontist offers you tips on how to manage these awkward looking “things”.

Retainer Problems Your Orthodontist May Not Tell You

Your orthodontist may or may not tell you these few things about retainers, but honest information is good – and it’s something you can learn a thing or two from.

Retainers are Fragile

You have to be careful with your retainer, otherwise you’ll ruin it and be forced to obtain a new one, and let’s face it… nobody has time for this if it could have been prevented in the first place. To give you an idea on how fragile they can be: it’s possible to chip or break it while you sleep.

So here’s what we recommend you do. Most people find convenience in grabbing the nearest tissue and then placing their retainer on that when they do not use it. While this does work, we strongly suggest investing in a retainer case or a small Tupperware. These are usually very inexpensive and work well at keeping your retainer free from damage when you aren’t using it. You won’t believe how many times we’ve heard patients say they damaged their retainer because they were careless.

Drooling is Normal

Just like it takes to time adjust to braces; it also takes time to adjust to a retainer. Depending on your situation, your orthodontist may recommend you wear your retainer all day and night for a few weeks. Or you may only have to wear it at night.

Either way, one thing is for sure: you will drool. This typically happens at night when you’re sleeping. Patients will wake up from a good night’s sleep only to find a puddle of drool next to their mouth or smashed within the retainer. Don’t be alarmed, this is common and usually dies down within a week.

Lisp Trouble

Braces may have caused you a lisp, and there’s always a chance retainers will as well. Again, this is a normal phenomenon that dissipates over time as you become comfortable with your retainer.

Our advice: practice talking with your retainer on. To yourself, in front of a mirror, just talk. This will help you get comfortable more quickly.

Follow our advice, and your life with retainers will not be a hassle as it is for those unaware of potential problems that may arise.

If you are interested in learning more about braces and retainers, then please visit our Patient Care section where we cover a variety of different topics and questions.

Tips for Parents with Kids in Braces - Braces Las Vegas

Even though braces for adults have become a growing trend, a large majority of orthodontic patients are teenagers aged 12-16 years of age. Teenagers are notoriously known for being rebellious and ignorant of their parent’s advice. Orthodontic treatment is an investment you make for your children because you want the best for them. They may not realize or understand this, so it’s important to advise them on how to deal with the matter. Here are the tips for parents who have kids with braces:

Your children will enjoy a nice smile soon enough!

Braces Are Temporary

Many teenager kids become self-conscious about their new look with braces, especially girls. As a parent, it’s important to support them emotionally in case they begin to feel down for various reasons related to their braces. On top of this support, you should constantly remind them that it’s a temporary situation that yields great results.

Braces allows teenagers the chance to learn what patience is all about – an aspect of life everyone is forced to learn at some point or another. Remind your child to keep their eye on the prize as the braces gradually work towards producing a lasting, straightened, beautiful smile.

Be Strict on Dental Hygiene

Braces or not, you should always be strict on your children’s dental hygiene (and your own as well!). However, those with orthodontics command greater attention to oral hygiene in order to keep the process flowing. Food can become trapped far more easily with braces – something that leads to rapid tooth decay. Nag your children to brush and floss while reminding them of what can/will happen if they do not.

Plan Appropriate Meals

Those with braces often demand meals that will not cause them unnecessary pain or work. If you cook, then make sure to use ingredients that will not have the possibility of damaging your child’s orthodontics. Soft foods such as soups and pastas are great. Hard foods or anything chewy should be avoided.

Take Advantage of Our Resources

In case you ever feel lost on what to do during situations that your child will experience, then visit our patient care section where we offer many articles on everything to do with braces, including an FAQ section for quick, easy answers.

Quick Tips on Going Back to School with Braces – Braces Las Vegas

Braces are for all ages, children and teens alike!

School has just begun and if you’re new to braces, then you’re going to want to pay attention to some of the back to school braces tips we’re about to offer. If you already have braces, then you can use our handy, little guide as a nice refresher. The main goal is to make the transition from wearing braces at home to wearing braces in school as smooth as possible.

Extra Elastics

You’re going to want to bring some extra elastics in case one of them snaps or falls out for any reason. If you have a locker then consider placing a few inside of it so that you always have a few handy while you’re at school. Elastics are the driving force behind straightening your teeth. If you do not have your elastics on, then you are slowing the process down.

Orthodontic Mouth Guards

Many children sign up for sporting programs at their school – not a problem. Playing sports with braces is a concern for many parents, but there’s no harm done as long as you have a special custom-fit orthodontic mouth guard that is specifically made to protect your braces and of course, your gums and teeth as well. Check with your orthodontist for more information.

Cases

You will only need a case if you have a removable pair of orthodontics such as Invisalign braces or a retainer. By having a case handy, you are able to better track where your expensive appliances are. Believe it or not we have heard stories of patients whose children lost their retainer because they accidentally tossed it without realizing. A case helps prevent this.

Pack Appropriate Lunches

Either bring your own lunch that is great for those braces or if your school offers lunches then make an effort to select the foods that won’t require extensive maintenance later on. We recommend soft foods and vegetables. Hard, crunchy foods may damage your brackets and/or wiring.

Bring one of your special flossing tools to school just in case something get caught between your braces.

Chapstick

Those with braces have a tendency to get chapped lips so keeping chapstick handy (either on you or in a locker) is a great, easy way to take care of this problem.

Remember to brush and floss your teeth every day (and night!) for at least 2 minutes a time for an effective cleaning. If anything happens at school to your braces then be sure to schedule an appointment with your orthodontist as soon as you can.

Braces Las Vegas wishes you the best of luck during the school year!

Waterpik Water Flossing With Braces – Braces Las Vegas

Braces are notoriously known for being hard to maintain as traditional metal or ceramic braces cannot be removed like Invisalign braces are capable of. This means that simple procedures such as brushing and flossing your teeth become slightly more difficult.

Regular string flossing is still recommended!

Truth is: many people do not understand how to properly floss with orthodontic appliances in their mouth. Special flossers exist to make the process easier, but sometime we just want something that is convenient and doesn’t require any special technique.

Waterpik® Flossing With Braces

Arguably one of the best ways to floss with braces, the Waterpik® is a tool that can be used at-home for a deeper clean than what standard dental floss offers. Both work very well, but the Waterpik’s pressurized stream of water penetrates deeper as it has the ability to remove biofilm – a substance that cannot be effectively removed through regular flossing and brushing. It can also penetrate deeper into our periodontal pockets, fending off periodontal disease while keeping our gums strong.

The reason the Waterpik® is simple for those with braces is because all you have to do is fill the machine with water, turn it on, and point it in the direction that you want to apply pressurized water too. The pressure is strong enough to remove any food particles stuck in between or around the wires and brackets without hassling with string.

Most water flossing devices may take some time to adjust to as there are varying levels of pressure certain machines can operate at. Always begin at the lowest setting and tweak it as needed. The pressure should be gentle on your teeth and gums, but strong enough to cause action. There are also a variety of tips that can be used, which offer different streams of water. It may take some experimentation to figure out which tip you prefer.

Don’t be alarmed if your gums bleed the first couple of times as you are new to the device and have not been exposed to pressurized water. As your gums heal and strengthen, you will see a drastic decrease in bleeding gums.

We Still Recommend Brushing and Flossing

The Waterpik® or any similar pressurized water flossing device is not meant to be a replacement for brushing. For the most part, it can effectively replace flossing, but using string flossing is still better at removing sticky plaque in between the teeth. You should always focus on brushing your teeth at least twice a day. You can read more about brushing with braces on our website.

5 Things To Consider Avoiding With Braces – Braces Las Vegas

Braces are a great temporary addition to your mouth for a variety of reasons – the largest reason being because they improve the aesthetics of your teeth by straightening them. Studies have actually shown that having straighter teeth does matter in our society. Unfortunately, braces have a downside as well (but remember it’s only temporary!). We have compiled a list for you of 8 things you should consider avoiding with braces.

1. Certain Foods

Foods can be a tricky subject for those with braces, especially to anyone new. You can check out our post on foods to avoid with braces, but there’s one in particular: gum. If you chew gum with braces, you’ll find yourself trying to dig it out piece by piece. All it takes is one bad experience and you will probably never chew gum with braces again.

Apples also pose another problem. They aren’t sticky, but biting into an apple with braces could potentially cause damage to the brackets. If you’re going to eat an apple, then cut it into smaller pieces and chew slowly.

2. Sports

Unless you’re committed to a team, you should probably try to avoid playing sports while you straighten out your teeth. Orthodontic mouth guards do exist to help, but sports and braces generally just do not mix.

3. Red Bands

A lot of people find fun in customizing the color corrective bands they want to use with their braces. Our suggestion is to avoid the color red simply because people have reported that it makes their mouths appear as if they were bleeding – making for a highly unattractive appearance.

4. Playing With Large Dogs

A lot of us absolutely love dogs (we do!), but sometimes playing with a large dog isn’t in the best of our interests. Large dogs may get too excited and jump onto you – sometimes into your face – accidentally, causing damage to your orthodontic braces.

5. Certain Drinks

We also offer a post on drinks to avoid with braces, but the one drink you should consider dropping – both for braces and for your oral health – is soda. The chemicals in most sodas can eat away at your teeth and your orthodontic appliances. It’s really just best to avoid soda altogether.

*This post is meant for those with traditional metal braces. Those with Invisalign® braces do not experience the same problems.