Smile CSRA

Dental Hygiene

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Oral hygiene is the practice of keeping the mouth and teeth clean to prevent dental problems, most commonly, dental cavities, gingivitis, periodontal (gum) diseases and bad breath. There are also oral pathologic conditions in which good oral hygiene is required for healing and regeneration of the oral tissues.

A dental hygienist is a licensed dental professional, registered with a dental association, or regulatory body within their country of practice.
They are a primary healthcare professional who works to provide full oral health care. They have the training and education that focus and specialize in the prevention and treatment of oral disease. Dental hygienists have a specific scope of clinical procedures they provide to their patients. They assess a patient’s condition in order to offer patient-specific preventative and educational services to promote and maintain good oral health. The use of therapeutic methods assists their patients in controlling oral disease, while providing tailored treatment plans that emphasize the importance of behavioral changes.

The major role of a dental hygienist is to perform periodontal therapy which includes things such periodontal charting, periodontal debridement, and prophylaxis for patients with periodontal disease as well as prophylaxis for patients with “healthy” mouths. In addition dental hygienists are able to perform examinations, make diagnosis, take intraoral radiographs, dental sealants, administer fluoride, and provide patient specific oral hygiene instruction. They are also able to work at an orthodontic clinic and can perform many tasks there such as selecting and sizing of orthodontic bands for dental braces, the removal of orthodontic appliances, and are able to make dental impressions for the construction of study casts and mouthguards.

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Wisdom Tooth Extraction

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What are wisdom teeth?

Wisdom teeth, or third molars, are the last teeth to develop.  They start to move into the mouth during your later teenage years.  Most people have four total, although some people may never get any.  Wisdom teeth are just another set of molars – there is really nothing special about them.

Why do I need them removed?

Not all wisdom teeth need to be removed.  If a wisdom tooth has enough space to erupt into place, and the patient can keep the teeth clean, then wisdom teeth can be kept for life.  Unfortunately, this situation doesn’t happen often.  Wisdom teeth usually don’t have the space they need, and may turn sideways or get stuck on the way out.  Improperly positioned teeth can create a variety of long-term problems for patients.  Even the best brushers have trouble cleaning wisdom teeth.  If not cleaned properly, wisdom teeth usually develop gum disease and decay (that may also affect your other molars too).

What if my wisdom teeth hurt right now?

Some discomfort can be normal, up to a certain point.  However, a partially visible wisdom tooth can develop an infection around it.  If you are running a fever or have a bad taste in your mouth, the After Orthodontics team can help you out. If you have trouble breathing, don’t wait – go to the hospital immediately.  Fortunately that is very rare!

I’ve seen recent news articles talking about how dentists take out too many wisdom teeth.  Is that true?

We’ve read these too.  It’s an important discussion to have with our patients – you need to be fully informed.  News coverage can sometimes oversimplify scientific data.  It’s hard to capture a complicated discussion in a short space – both here and in a news story.  Not all wisdom teeth need to come out, and some patients who have them removed may not have needed the procedure.  The challenge is trying to determine who is who.  Scientific studies have a tough time finding out how effective preventive procedures are, because we cannot count something that didn’t happen – we prevented it.  Your After Orthodontics™ doctors have a variety of backgrounds and a lot of collective experience.    We do our very best to assess your particular level of risk and give you the best information possible to help you decide what to do.  You are part of our After Orthodontics™ family and we want to treat you just as we would any other family member.

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source: afterorthodontics.com

HYBRID BRACES

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Introducing a new alternative in orthodontic treatment, offered EXCLUSIVELY to Carter Orthodontic patients. The treatment, called “Hybrid Braces,” uses a mixture of braces and/or clear tooth aligners (called FOREVERaligners™). Because Carter Orthodontics now has its own onsite 3D aligner lab, we can offer this service minus the lab expense of Invisalign. Carter Orthodontics created this as an alternative to full braces or Invisalign, and we are passing the savings DIRECTLY TO YOU, our patients. The treatment is offered at $4600. Our full braces and Invisalign are still excellent options and will remain at their current fees. However, we believe “Hybrid Braces” and FOREVERaligners™ are the perfect balance between cost and effective tooth aligner treatment. It’s an excellent option for adults!!!

It combines the speed & efficiency of traditional braces with the convenience of invisible tooth aligners, similar to Invisalign. Patients begin with clear or metal braces for only 6-12 months, then switch to invisible tooth aligners for the finishing stages of treatment. In most cases, overall treatment typically takes less than a year from start to finish.
Advantages of Hybrid Braces TM:
– Reduced time in standard braces
– Reduced fee ($1200 less than just braces or full Invisalign)
– Comfort and convenience of invisible, removable tooth aligners
– All aligner adjustments simply require a 5 minute 3D scan
– Scans can be done at any office, any weekday, even as a walk-in
– Better dental hygiene than standard braces
– Better patient compliance
– Reduces emergency visits for loose braces or poking wires
– Most aligners finish in 3-4 months

How to Brush and Floss with Braces

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Brushing your teeth while wearing braces isn’t that much different than brushing without them. After all, you’ll still probably use a toothbrush and floss. However, making sure you do a good job is more important than ever. When you’re wearing braces, food particles and plaque have many more places to get trapped. If you don’t brush and floss properly, your enamel may stain and your teeth may decay around the brackets or bands.

flossing with braces

First, you need to carefully brush and rinse after every meal or snack with a fluoride toothpaste and a soft-bristled toothbrush. Secondly, you definitely need to take the time to floss well between braces and under all of the wires. Finally, you need to visit the dentist regularly between orthodontic appointments to ensure that your gums and teeth remain healthy throughout the process.

If you’d still like more detailed tips, check out the simple and effective braces cleaning tips from Oral-B:

  1. Prepare to brush. Take off elastics, and any other removable parts of your orthodontic appliance.
  2. Clean your braces. Use your brush at a 45-degree angle to clean around the wires and pins of your braces. Brush from the top of each wire and then from the bottom. (Take time to ensure that all plaque and debris are removed, and that you work all the way around upper and lower teeth.)
  3. Brush your teeth. Clean each tooth individually. First, place your brush at a 45-degree angle to the junction between the tooth and the gum, then apply gentle pressure as you move in a circular motion. Do this for about 10 seconds. Use the same brushing action on all outer and inner tooth surfaces, tilting the brush as needed to better reach the insides of smaller front teeth.
  4. Floss once a day with super floss, a type of floss for cleaning around appliances such as braces. Have your dental professional show you how to use this floss, or follow the instructions on the product package.
  5. Rinse and check your teeth. Rinse thoroughly with water or mouth rinse, and examine your teeth and braces in the mirror. They should sparkle, shine and feel clean.

Remember, if you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact Dr. Carter!

 

Getting My Invisalign Attachments, Buttons, and Elastic Bands

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It’s been a few weeks of my new life with Invisalign attachments, buttons, and bands, but I can honestly say it’s been a pretty simple transition. Before I get into my experience with them, I thought it would be important to describe what each of them actually are. Before I received my attachments and buttons, I actually thought those were interchangeable terms. I feel like I’m learning a whole new language!

invisalign attachments buttons

What are Invisalign Attachments?

Attachments are small tooth-colored dots of dental bonding that are placed on certain teeth. They may be rectangular, square, circular, ellipsoidal or triangular in shape. The shape and placement of a button changes based on the purpose it serves. Attachments may promote tooth rotation, translation, intrusion or extrusion.

What are Invisalign Buttons?

Buttons are small plastic or metal brackets that serve as anchors for bands. One button may be placed on an upper eyetooth and the other on a lower molar, with an elastic band running between them.  In some cases, one of the anchor points may be the Invisalign® aligner itself. 

What are Invisalign Bands?

Bands are small elastic loops that hook onto the buttons. The thickness (or strength) of the bands varies based on need. The purpose of the buttons and bands are to correct any bite issues by encouraging proper alignment.

The longest Invisalign appointment for me, to date, has been the one where I received all of these extra bits and pieces. I was in the office for about an hour and a half while they applied each attachment and button. I’d keep that in mind when you finally schedule that appointment! I’d also recommend, if possible, to do it later in the day in case you have any irritation or soreness. The process itself didn’t hurt, but there is definitely a transition period after having them applied. It was difficult for me to eat for a day or two after I received my attachments, because they seemed sharp against my mouth as I chewed. A few days later, I barely noticed them!

The amount of attachments you receive is totally dependent on your individual Invisalign case. Some people have none, some people have a few, and some people have them on every tooth. I have attachments on every tooth but my top and bottom front teeth, two buttons on my back molars, two anchor points on my top aligner, and a band on each side of my mouth. And yet I still don’t feel annoyed by them! I’d say that is a huge success. The only things that have really continued to affect me in the slightest are my bands. I don’t open my mouth as wide to talk now, so my speech has changed a little bit. Other than that, none of my Invisalign additions are all that noticeable.

If you have any more questions, feel free to leave a comment!