Preventing Decay While Wearing Braces

Having braces can present some new challenges when it comes to oral hygiene. Preventing tooth decay can be a big challenge simply because of the tendency for braces to trap food under the wires and between the teeth and the brackets. Here are a few tips to keep your teeth healthy while wearing your braces:

1. Eat Braces-Safe Foods
Keeping your teeth from decay starts with a proper diet. Foods that are high in sugar or starch can cause more plaque which is difficult to remove during your brushing. There are certain foods that should be avoided while wearing your braces. First, sticky foods like caramel or gum can get stuck in your braces and be difficult to remove during brushing. Next, hard foods such as nuts and candy could bend wires or even break a bracket. Foods that are firm or hard to bite into like apples, carrots, or corn on the cob should be avoided. As much as we like to snack on them, those crunchy treats can harm your braces. Things like chips, ice, popcorn can also bend or break your braces. On the other hand, bananas, mangoes, milk, water, poultry, and pasta all tend to be low in enamel-busting acids.

2. Proper Brushing
You want to place your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle against the gums in order to clean the whole tooth, and brush gently in the area between the wiring and the teeth. Use a softer toothbrush with fluoride paste for best results. Rinsing every day will help, too. Rinsing is important regardless, but especially important when you have braces as you need to disinfect the entire mouth, including those spots under the braces where your brush can't always reach.

3. Ask About Special Cleaning Tools
There are also special brushes, or other tools, to get under and clean your braces. You can also find many of these items at your local pharmacy.

4. Regular Teeth Cleaning
It's important to keep your routine appointments with your dentist and dental hygienist for a thorough cleaning twice a year or as directed. The exact frequency of these visits will be up to your dentist as some types of braces are more demanding of a regular cleaning than others.
As long as you practice good oral hygiene and follow these basic tips, you should have no problem keeping your teeth from decaying while you wear braces.

Making Your Life Better with Orthodontics

The number one goal of orthodontic treatment is to give you or your child a good bite, meaning straight teeth that work well with the teeth in the opposite jaw. A good bite makes it easier for you to eat, chew and speak. It can enhance your dental health and your overall health, and may well improve your self-esteem. As a part of your comprehensive dental health care plan, orthodontic treatment can help you retain your teeth—and your smile—for a lifetime.

Let your smile express yourself! Nothing can show the world how happy you are quite like a beautiful smile. In fact, it’s one of the first things others notice about you, too. With orthodontics, you can be proud to flash your smile, because you’ll know that your smile truly represents your positive attitude.

Make your mouth healthy! Straight teeth aren’t just pretty, they’re healthy as well. Teeth that are properly aligned are easier to clean, reducing the amount of plaque buildup and risk for gingivitis. The cleaner you keep your teeth, the longer they’ll last!

Feel free to live your life! Orthodontics is easier today than ever before, with treatment options that fit your lifestyle and schedule. We can personalize your treatment to suit all of your needs!

Dreaming of a dazzling smile? We can help!

The fact is, most of us aren’t born with a red carpet smile. And that’s where Dr. Cottingham and our team can help. Of course, orthodontic treatment help make your teeth stay strong, healthy and become perfectly-aligned. But did you know you can get the beautiful straight teeth you've always wanted — without braces?

Our team at Cottingham Orthodontics are proud to offer an adult-friendly option for straightening teeth called Invisalign, which uses a series of invisible, removable and comfortable aligners that no one can tell you're wearing. So, you can smile more during treatment as well as after. Not only are the aligners invisible, they are removable, so you can eat and drink what you want while in treatment. Plus, brushing and flossing are no problem. They are also comfortable, with no metal to cause mouth abrasions during treatment. And no metal and wires usually means you spend less time at our office getting adjustments. Invisalign also allows you to view your own virtual treatment plan when you start so you can see how your straight teeth will look when your treatment is complete.

If you’ve been thinking about getting that perfect smile, we would love to have you in for a visit. Please give us a call to set one up! A complimentary consultation with Dr. Cottingham can determine if Invisalign is right for you. See you soon!

Invisalign Tips from Dr. Cottingham

Many people know that Invisalign is a great solution to braces if you don’t want to experience the look and feel of traditional metal braces.

What few people know, however, is that just like traditional braces, Invisalign requires proper care to work effectively. Dr. Karen Cottingham will always tell you good oral hygiene is highly important, even when you are wearing something in your mouth that you can take out to eat with. It’s still likely that your aligners can build up plaque if not treated properly. When wearing your Invisalign aligners, Dr. Cottingham and team want you to ask yourself the following questions:

1.) Am I eating with my aligners on? – These aligners are removable and should be taken out when you eat.

2.) Am I drinking anything other than water with my aligners on? – Though it’s not a necessity for you to take out your aligners while you drink, think about how sticky a soda is. If you take out your aligners when drinking a soda, you have a better chance of keeping your aligners clean.

3.) Am I brushing before putting the trays on? – The aligners have both an inside and outside. Keeping the outside clean is easy. Keeping the inside clean is also easy: just make sure you’ve brushed your teeth before putting the trays on.

These are all very simple steps, and ultimately, they help to keep you building good oral habits. If you have any questions about the benefits of Invisalign, we invite you to give us a call. Or, you may ask Dr. Cottingham on Facebook!

Ask Dr. Cottingham: What can Invisalign® do for my oral health?

We’ve discussed the power of Invisalign treatment in a previous post, and today thought we’d share the oral health benefits of wearing Invisalign’s clear aligners.

When considering treatment options, patients often ask us about the advantages of Invisalign treatment. Just like traditional braces, there are more reasons to smile about Invisalign than you may know. Invisalign, a series of removable aligners that are nearly invisible, not only help straighten your teeth, but, just like traditional braces, they can also improve your oral health. Here’s how:

Healthy gums: Regardless of treatment methods, straight teeth and a proper bite allow a close fit for gums. This lessens the gum stress that is caused by crowded or widely spaced teeth, thus also reducing red and swollen gums.

Easy cleaning: Invisalign is removable, therefore, brushing and flossing are somewhat easier than conventional braces. This can improve your ability to maintain a healthy mouth during treatment. These habits are vital to avoiding tooth decay, plaque and even gum disease.

Improved speech and chewing: Properly-aligned teeth don’t have the discomfort or compound speech impediments that can be caused by crowded teeth or a deteriorating jawbone.

Dr. Cottingham is a certified Invisalign provider here in Indianapolis, Avon and surrounding communities. If you have any questions about Invisalign, please give us a call at (317) 202-1873 to schedule your initial complimentary consultation. We also invite you to post your question on our interactive Facebook page!

Happy Thursday!

Ask Dr. Cottingham: Is Invisalign® for me?

Our staff at Cottingham Orthodontics will tell you that part of what makes Invisalign clear aligners "work" is that the treatment is customizable for pretty much anyone's teeth. To find out if you are the right candidate for Invisalign treatment, the first thing Dr. Karen Cottingham does is take an impression of your teeth as they are now and digitize it. Using special software, Dr. Cottingham and our team look at the current positioning of your teeth and compare it to the way your teeth should look.

Next we use special software to map out the exact path your teeth will take from the beginning of your treatment to the end. Based on the results, a set of custom aligners are created just for your teeth. Throughout the course of treatment, you will be required to wear these clear, removable aligners one at a time; each one moving your teeth closer and closer to their final, perfectly aligned position. And since the aligners are virtually invisible, nobody around you will even know you are wearing braces!

Dr. Cottingham is a certified Invisalign provider in Indianapolis and Avon. If you have questions about Invisalign, or would like to find out if you are a candidate for Invisalign treatment at Cottingham Orthodontics, please give us a call!