Patient Information – Orthodontics On Bloor

First Visit

The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) recommends that all children have a check-up with an orthodontic specialist no later than age 7. Occasionally, your dentist may recommend consultation for children under the age of 7 if they notice specific problems.

Early examination allows the orthodontist to determine the optimal time for treatment to begin. In some cases, satisfactory results are unattainable once the face and jaws have finished growing.

During your initial consultation, Dr. Brankovan will conduct thorough interview and examination to assess your specific concerns and treatment needs. Several treatment options will be discussed, their respective costs, advantages and disadvantages, as well as careful analysis of benefits vs. risks.

Here are some suggestions for your first visit:

Come prepared and bring any notes, letters or x-rays that your dentist had provided
Write down your specific concerns and questions (it is easy to become overwhelmed with information and forget)
Please respect our time. The initial consultation typically takes 30 minutes of doctor’s time so we would appreciate if you could come on time or give us at least 48 hours notice if you decide to cancel or reschedule your appointment

For additional information please visit:

American Association of Orthodontists

Canadian Association of Orthodontists

Treatment Options

Orthodontic treatment options have greatly expanded as a result of introduction of 3D scanning and printing technology, space-age orthodontic wires and greater demand for more esthetically acceptable treatment options. The more commonly used orthodontic devices include retainers, clear aligners, ceramic braces, lingual braces, colorful braces, elastics and sometimes popsicle sticks (with daily dose of popsicle included).

Oral Hygiene

Braces and retainers trap food very easily which promotes plaque formation. Plaque can lead to cavities and gum problems. Proper and effective oral hygiene reduces plaque build-up and keeps your mouth healthy.

Ideally you should brush after every meal. If this is not possible you should at least rinse your mouth with water after eating. This will help to remove trapped food particles.

We will supply you with all tools necessary to clean your mouth and maintain good oral hygiene during your orthodontic treatment. Our staff will instruct you in proper oral hygiene protocols and we trust that you will adhere to them.

For more information, visit: Canadian Association of Orthodontists’ Guide to Oral Hygiene

Foods To Avoid

Your teeth will feel sore for a few days after your braces/retainers have been placed or after your adjustments. Be kind to yourself and eat soft food until the discomfort subsides. Soups, soft pasta, mashed potatoes, smoothes, and even ice cream could be your comfort food for a few days.

Your teeth will eventually stop hurting; however, there are still some types of food you should avoid to reduce risk of damaging or breaking your braces or retainers.

Simply put: hard or sticky food should be of your menu!

Hard foods to avoid: nuts, hard candy, ice, frozen chocolate, and items that are not normally considered as food (such as pens, pencils, nails, hair-clips, etc).

Avoid sticky foods such as: caramel, toffee, gummy bears, fuzzy peaches and similar candy varieties, chewing gums, sticky chocolate bars, sesame snaps, some granola bars, etc.

Lastly, avoid excessive consumption of sugary and or carbonated drinks.

Emergencies

Most orthodontic emergencies could be prevented by adhering to your instructions regarding braces or retainers care, following diet recommendations and wearing mouth guard or helmet if involved in contact sport.

However, we understand that even with the best prevention emergencies occur.

Here are some more commonly occurring orthodontic emergencies and what you can do to prevent them and make yourself comfortable until you come to see us.

Tooth pain after the braces have been adjusted

eat soft, non-sticky food
take Advil or Tylenol to relieve pain
it will pass within a day or two

Irritation of lips and cheeks

braces and retainers are foreign to your mouth and it takes some time to get used to them
use orthodontic wax to cover areas that feel sharp or irritating to your lips, tongue or cheeks
use warm salty rinses (1/2 teaspoon of salt dissolved in 200 ml or 6 oz of lukewarm water) to help sore areas heal faster

Ligatures come off the brace while eating sticky foods

if you have pair of tweezers and you have caught your loose elastic try to put it back in place
if you have trouble come to our office as soon as you can; loose elastics = wild teeth; they go wherever they feel like to

Brace is knocked during sport or while eating a hard food

prevention is worth a pound of medicine
wear your mouth guard if you play contact sport
do not eat hard or sticky food
if your wire is not deformed try to reposition loose brackets to their original positions
if your wire is deformed and you feel sudden pain and pressure on your teeth see dentist or orthodontist immediately; deformed wire will move your teeth out of alignment so you must have wire removed and replaced with new wire.

Protruding Wire

use wax to cover protruding segment
if your wire had slid over to one side try to reposition it in place; use tweezers or pliers to gently slide it back
nail clippers may help to cut protruding segment

Sharp edges on your plastic or clear retainers/aligners

use nail file to sand down sharp edges

More information with colorful illustrations could be found here.

Retainers

Orthodontic treatment is complete, the retention phase begins.

Before you start your orthodontic treatment, it is important to understand that after your treatment is completed you are expected to wear retainers to hold your teeth in corrected positions.

Our teeth have tendency to move back to their original, crooked positions because of the fibres in our gums. Furthermore, your teeth would want to shift during your entire life. As we all age, the entire body undergoes change, and so are bones, muscles and fibres that hold teeth in place. Retainers are designed to prevent teeth from shifting and should be worn as instructed by orthodontist. Otherwise, another round of orthodontic treatment may be necessary.

Retainer Types

There are many different retainer designs but they could all be simply divided into two types: fixed and removable. Removable retainers can be taken off to eat or brush your teeth. Fixed retainers are permanently glued to your teeth and should only be removed by orthodontist.

Dr. Brankovan will discuss different retainer types and needs for your teeth. You will be wearing your retainers for a very long time so you should feel comfortable to discuss different retainer options with your orthodontist.

Here are some links that have more information about different retainer types, their advantages and disadvantages. As always feel free to ask us any question you may have.

Treatment Types

Retainers

Plastic devices that look similar to retainers could be used to hold teeth or do minor tooth movements. Typically, they are the most economical treatment option for simple orthodontic treatment.

Clear aligners

Clear aligners are thin, translucent plastic trays that are molded to fit over your teeth and gradually move your teeth into corrected positions. A series of such aligners is designed and patients are expected to wear them as close to full-time as possible except when eating or brushing teeth.

Braces

Nowadays braces come in many varieties:

Metal braces come in many different designs, slim profiles, with or without colored elastics or with smart clips to hold wires without elastics.

Porcelain/ceramic braces are tooth colored or translucent making them almost invisible as they blend in with your teeth. They are more esthetic alternative to traditional metal braces.

Lingual braces are high tech, computer designed and 100% customized orthodontic device. They are placed on the inside of patients teeth and thus are completely unnoticeable.

If you would like to get more information about different orthodontic devices please visit the following pages:
American Association of Orthodontists
Canadian Association of Orthodontists