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What is a retainer?

A retainer is something you receive after your orthodontic treatment is finished to keep your teeth from shifting.  A retainer is typically worn all at times for the first 6-9 months besides when eating and brushing your teeth.  After 6-9 months,  Dr. Azizi will evaluate your teeth and see how the teeth have settled. If they look perfect Dr. Azizi will instruct you to wear the retainer at bedtime.

What are the different types of retainers?

Hawley Retainer :

A Hawley retainer is made of metal and acrylic material. Hawleys can last a lifetime if taken care of properly. The Hawley retainer is adjustable to a point if your teeth have slightly shifted. An Itero scan is taken and sent to the lab to be fabricated. To keep the retainers clean,  brush with  toothpaste and toothbrush or soak  in a warm water with a retainer cleaning tablet.

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Spring Aligner:

A spring aligner also known as a SPA retainer. This retainer is made out of metal and acrylic with a spring that goes over the bow of the retainer. This retainer can be used if there are slight changes. Dr.Azizi will be able to activate the spring in the retainer to hopefully realign your teeth but this is never guaranteed that your teeth will be perfect again. To keep spring aligners clean  brush them with  toothpaste and toothbrush or soak them in warm water with a retainer cleaning tablet.

Clear retainer:

A clear retainer is made out of a clear plastic to which is molded exactly to your teeth when you are finished treatment. The clear retainers cannot be adjusted. If your teeth shift then the retainer will not fit since they were molded to exactly how your teeth looked when you finished treatment. To keep these retainers clean,  brush with  toothpaste and toothbrush or soak  in a warm water with a retainer cleaning tablet.

 Vivera Retainer:

Vivera retainers are the Invisalign company's clear retainers. Your teeth  will be scanned with the Itero scanner and sent to invisalign to fabricate. The great thing about Vivera retainers is that you receive 4 sets of retainers. This means you have back up retainers in case you lose or break your first retainer. Same as with clear retainers, Vivera retainers are molded to the way your teeth look when  treatment is finished and cannot be adjusted if there are changes. Vivera retainers are for any patient, whether you had regular braces or invisalign. To keep these retainers clean you can brush them with  toothpaste and toothbrush or soak them in a warm water with a retainer cleaning tablet.

Permanent retainer:

A permanent retainer is a metal bar that is glued to the back of your teeth. Not all patients are candidates for permanent retainers. If you started treatment with major crowding or large spaces you will most likely need a permanent retainer. When wearing a permanent retainer,  you will not wear any other retainer unless the permanent one breaks.  If your permanent retainer does break, it is very important to call our office and schedule an appointment soon, as changes can happen quickly.

Can I wear my retainer if it is tight?

If your retainer is tight when you put it in it can still be worn. As long as it still goes over your teeth, it is safe to wear. The retainer could be feeling tight due to not wearing  every day or night and could mean your teeth may have shifted. If this happens, that is a sign to start wearing your retainer more.  Even if you are only instructed to wear at night try to wear during the day until the retainer does not feel as tight  to help your teeth shift back.

Retainer is too tight and causing discomfort?

If the retainer is just too tight and causing more pain and discomfort, call our office and make an appointment for adjustment.  Dr. Azizi may be able to adjust the retainer or we can order you a new retainer. If your teeth have had too many changes we may suggest treatment again to make your teeth perfect once again!

 Ready to schedule a consultation?

Our office is eager to meet you and can't wait to discuss your orthodontic options.  If you are ready to start your smile journey with Azizi Orthodontics, give us a call. We have two convenient locations: Glenside-(215) 576-6414 and Ambler-(215) 646-9514.

Can you whiten your teeth during orthodontics treatment?

As you align your teeth you may want to make them whiter due to wanting the best looking smile. But do not go out and buy yourself a whitening kit or whitening toothpaste just yet.

Whitening during orthodontic treatment

You should NOT whiten your teeth during orthodontic treatment. If you use whitening kits or whitening toothpaste while your teeth are still crowded, you will not reach all areas of the tooth. Hence, as your teeth straighten there will be noticeable spots. 

If you have braces and attempt to whiten your teeth, when the braces are removed there will be a difference because the whitening material will not reach under the brackets. The only part of your teeth that would be whitened is the area not covered by braces.

The same thing goes for Invisalign.  If there are attachments and you whiten your teeth, the whitening product will not reach under the attachments.  Subsequently, there will be  spots when the attachment is removed. 

When you get braces or Invisalign, your teeth may become sensitive from the movement. Teeth whitening can cause more sensitivity.  This sensitivity could make it worse for someone who has just started treatment.

It is also extremely important to have very good oral hygiene before whitening teeth. When you have braces, it becomes harder to notice plaque as it can be stuck in the braces or underneath the braces which means one could have cavities and not know. The whitening product could make the patient very uncomfortable and leave spots in some areas on the tooth the whitening could not reach due to the presence of plaque.

What can you do to keep your teeth white during treatment?

• Go see your dentist every 3-6months for cleanings 
• Try to stay away from food or drinks with strong colors that could stain your brackets or attachments such as coffee, red wine, curry, fruit punch, tomato sauce etc.
• After you are done eating, brush, floss & rinse so there is no food debris sitting around the brackets

Can you whiten your teeth AFTER treatment?

 Yes. Once the teeth are perfectly aligned and cleaned, one can start using whitening products. You can ask Dr. Azizi for a whitening kit at the end of treatment or go to local store and buy whitening strips. 

You can also go visit your general dentist who could possibly do whitening treatment all in one day.

 Ready to schedule a consultation?

Our office is eager to meet you and can't wait to discuss your orthodontic options.  If you are ready to start your smile journey with Azizi Orthodontics, give us a call. We have two convenient locations: Glenside-(215) 576-6414 and Ambler-(215) 646-9514.

Keeping up with your oral hygiene while in orthodontic treatment is very important. While the braces and Invisalign are working hard to align your teeth and perhaps even correct your bite!  You still need to take care of your teeth by brushing and flossing well with braces and Invisalign.

Why is oral hygiene important during orthodontic treatment?

Plaque builds up around the brackets and in between the wires. This is why you need to take the time to floss well and make sure you brush after every meal or snack. If you have Invisalign it is just as important to keep up with your oral hygiene. You need to brush or rinse your mouth before putting the trays back in your mouth.  The trays can hold  leftover food particles that may get stuck in your teeth. This is not good.  Just rinse the trays and brush them to keep them clean. After every meal or snack it is important to clean your teeth and your braces or Invisalign trays. 

What can happen if you do not keep up with your oral hygiene?

Poor oral hygiene can cause tooth decay and/or gum disease. Due to the braces holding plaque and food particles, the acid and sugars from the foods are left on the teeth which will cause an outline of staining of the brackets. If you do not keep up with your oral hygiene during your treatment with braces, it could also cause your treatment to end prematurely.

When you start treatment at our office you will receive an orthodontic toothbrush kit which will include special tools to help make it easier to floss under the wires and get the small food particles out. 

Tips for keeping up with your oral hygiene during treatment:

• Brush after every meal and snack, using a timer set at  .
• If you cannot brush after eating, try to rinse mouth with either water or even mouthwash.
• Floss.  Ask your orthodontist for floss threader.

                      Ready to schedule a consultation?

Our office is eager to meet you and can't wait to discuss your orthodontic options!  If you are ready to start your smile journey with Azizi Orthodontics, give us a call. We have two convenient locations: Glenside-(215) 576-6414 and Ambler-(215) 646-9514.

What is Celiac Disease?

Celiac disease is an autoimmune system condition caused by the small intestine’s sensitivity to gluten. Gluten is a protein that can be found in foods containing wheat, rye and barley. People who have celiac disease can have serious issues if they come in contact with gluten. Symptoms include:  bloating, diarrhea, abdominal pain, weight loss and more. To be diagnosed with celiac disease, a physician would have to order blood work and analyze the results.  In some cases, an intestinal biopsy may be required.

How would celiac disease interfere with your oral health?

Celiac disease could affect a patient's enamel and tooth development if they were diagnosed at a young age. Due to the lack of calcium in a celiac patient's body, they tend to be more prominent to cavities. Some non-food items can also contain a wheat protein to help the elastic nature and to thicken and bind substances. You can find gluten in some cosmetic products, medications, and even some dental products. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has rules which must be met in order for a product to advertise as gluten-free.  It is up to the manufacturer to put a label on their product stating it is gluten- free. 

Some gluten-free dental products are:

Benco Dental : PRO-SYS, PRO-SYS Premium, Gibson Health Care, Chlorhexidine Rinse

Crest:  All Crest Toothpastes, Crest Whitestrips

Colgate:  All Colgate products, Optic White mouth rinse, Total mouth rinse, Periogard mouth rinse, PreviDent Mouth Rinse, Optic Whitestrips

Water Pik Technologies: Waterpik, Waterpik soft, Shine cosmetics

Henry Schein:  Acclean

At Azizi Orthodontics, we want to reassure our patients they will receive the best care in our office. Patients who may have celiac disease should know we are using safe products and will not have to worry about our products affecting their treatment.  
 

 Ready to schedule a consult?

Our office is eager to meet you and can't wait to discuss your orthodontic options!  If you are ready to start your smile journey with Azizi Orthodontics, give us a call. We have two convenient locations: Glenside-(215) 576-6414 and Ambler-(215) 646-9514.