Confidence
Life with Braces in Eugene, OR
Braces help to set your teeth up for a lifetime of health. Aligning the teeth makes them easier to clean and easier for your dentist and hygienist to care for them. Establishing an ideal bite relationship between the upper and lower teeth allows them to function correctly during eating and speaking, which leads to less wear and tear to the teeth over time. Our team at Thornton Orthodontics is excited to accompany you on your journey to a new, amazing smile!
What You Need to Know
What Can't You Eat With Braces?
Maintaining orthodontic appliances requires cautious eating; opt for foods that won’t cause damage. Steer clear of hard, chewy, and sticky items, especially sugary ones, to prevent breaking braces and extending treatment time. Sugar-rich foods and drinks might also cause decay and stains. Avoid chewing on pens, pencils, or biting fingernails to protect your braces from harm.
How Do You Brush and Floss With Braces?
Brushing with braces is challenging due to extra hiding spots for plaque; it requires a modified technique to clean around braces effectively. Special attention should be paid to areas with limited space, such as between gums and braces on lower front teeth. Using a Sonicare™ toothbrush and a platypus flosser, recommended for their effectiveness, simplifies cleaning. We provide these tools and demonstrate optimal brushing and flossing methods to our patients upon starting treatment.
Do Braces Hurt, and How Long Does It Last?
Adjusting to new braces can cause initial discomfort, with achy teeth and mild irritation to lips and cheeks, which diminishes as your body adapts. Teeth may feel sore for a week after braces are fitted and post-adjustments, a sign they’re working. Ibuprofen, as directed, can alleviate the discomfort.
What Should I Do If a Bracket or Wire Breaks?
If a bracket, wire, or band breaks without causing pain, it can usually wait until your next appointment for repair; still, please inform our office ahead of time. For painful breakages, contact us to schedule an urgent appointment. For after-hours emergencies, our voicemail provides an emergency contact number for immediate assistance.
Your First Week With Braces in Eugene
The first few days after placement are the biggest adjustment, and knowing what to expect makes them much easier. Your teeth will feel tender for roughly three to five days as they begin to move — this is normal and a sign treatment is working. Over-the-counter ibuprofen, taken as directed, handles the soreness for most patients.
Soft foods that work well in week one: yogurt, smoothies, scrambled eggs, oatmeal, soup, mashed potatoes, soft pasta, steamed vegetables, bananas, and soft cheeses.
Foods to skip entirely, in week one and throughout treatment: ice, nuts, popcorn, hard candy, caramel, taffy, gum, and anything you’d bite directly into — cut apples, carrots, and corn off the cob into pieces first.
For lip and cheek irritation: press orthodontic wax over any bracket that’s rubbing, and rinse with warm salt water (1 tsp salt to 8 oz warm water) two or three times a day. Your mouth develops tolerance within one to two weeks.
Keep on hand: orthodontic wax, dental floss and a floss threader, an interproximal brush, and a topical anesthetic.
Every Thornton Orthodontics patient leaves their placement appoint with all of the tools necessary to keep their teeth clean with braces. We even offer Sonicare toothbrushes at cost at cost at our office. If anything feels wrong during your first week, call us at 541 686-1732.
Patient Care Videos
Brushing
Flossing
Orthodontic Flosser
Rapid Palatal Expander
Decalcification
Proxy Brush
Foods to Avoid
Wax Placement
Types of Braces
Traditional Metal Braces
WildSmiles Braces
WildSmiles braces are patented designs that are just as easy as traditional braces to place and remove. The low-profile brackets can be used with traditional and self-ligating braces systems to help you achieve the smile you’ve always wanted while having fun and feeling confident! WildSmiles braces also work the same as traditional braces and are aesthetic, comfortable, and safe for patients of all ages.
From footballs to stars, you can choose the bracket shape that fits your personality best and makes your smile feel unique and special to you!
Having trouble deciding your favorite shape? No worries! Mix and match to customize your smile!!
Clarity™ Ceramic Braces
Invisalign®
Invisalign® clear aligners are a series of invisible, removable, and comfortable acrylic trays that straighten your teeth like braces. 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 less of a hassle. The aligners are comfortable and have no metal to cause mouth abrasions during treatment. The fact that they are removable also makes brushing and flossing much easier.
Types of Appliances
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- Elastic (Rubber Bands): Elastics are attached to braces in the upper and lower arches to change the fit of the upper and lower teeth. They are worn as directed and are removed during eating.
- Forsus™Springs: Springs that are attached to your braces to achieve the same goal as elastics: to change the relationship between the upper and lower teeth.
- Schwartz Expanders: commonly used for jaw expansion in young kids: applies gentle pressure on teeth and bone, widening dental arches.
- Mara (Mandibular Anterior Repositioning Appliance): a bonded appliance for lower jaw growth, worn 9-12 months, combines with braces for bite correction and teeth straightening. MARA is an aesthetic alternative to headgear.
- Herbst® Appliance: Similar to the MARA, this corrects overbites by advancing the lower jaw and retracting upper molars, suitable for adolescents, typically worn for 9-12 months.
- Palatal Expander: widens the upper jaw with gentle molar pressure, requiring periodic adjustments until the desired width is reached, then worn to prevent regression. Usually worn for first half of treatment plan.
- Retainers: can be removable or fixed, holding teeth in their new positions after straightening. Proper use and care are crucial to prevent relapse.
- Separators or Spacers: small rubber doughnuts that create space between teeth for orthodontic bands
Retainer Instructions
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- After orthodontic treatment, it is important to stabilize your teeth by wearing your retainer all of the time, except while eating or brushing your teeth, for 6 weeks.
- Wear your retainer at all times until the doctor instructs otherwise.
- Take your retainer out when eating, and always put it back in its case!
- Clean the retainer thoroughly once a day with a toothbrush and antibacterial hand soap. Use warm but not hot water. Brushing retainers removes plaque and eliminates odors. Efferdent® or other orthodontic appliance cleaners can be used once a week but do not replace brushing.
- Initially, you may find it difficult to speak. Practice speaking, reading, or singing out loud to get used to it faster.
- Retainers are breakable, so treat yours with care. If your retainer gets lost or broken, call us immediately.
- If you have any questions or concerns about your retainer, or you believe it needs adjusting, call us. Do not try to adjust it yourself.
- Always bring your retainer to your retainer check appointments.
- Retainer replacements are expensive, but with proper care, they will last for years!
- Remove your retainer when you go swimming.
Your path to a brighter smile starts here. Reach out to us
at 541-686-1732 to request your consultation.
Thornton Orthodontics
Business Hours
Monday – Thursday: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Eugene Office