FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT BRACES

YES!!! IF YOU FIND IT TOO DIFFIULT AND CANNOT ADJUST ACCORDINGLY, SEVERAL COMPANIES MAKE MOUTHGUARDS & LIP PROTECTORS. (ASK DR TIPTON OR STAFF FOR DETAILS)

DEPENDING ON THE SPORT, IT IS A GOOD IDEA TO WEAR SOME SORT OF MOUTHGUARD SO THE BRACES DON'T CUT THE INSIDES OF YOUR MOUTH (AND ALSO TO PROTECT YOUR TEETH & BRACES). IF YOU ARE NOT SURE WHAT IS APPROPRIATE FOR YOU, ASK DR TIPTON OR HIS STAFF!

THIS IS AN ANNOYING & TRICKY SITUATION. IF POSSIBLE, GOB A BUNCH OF DENTAL WAX AT THE END OF THE WIRE TO KEEP IT FROM POKING YOU. YOU CAN ALSO TRY A BIT OF COTTON. CALL OUR OFFICE AND WE WILL SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT TO CLIP THE WIRE FOR YOU-PLEASE DON'T SUFFER NEEDLESSLY WITH A POKEY WIRE! BY THE WAY- THE WIRE POKES YOU BECAUSE YOUR TEETH HAVE MOVED,ALTHOUGH THIS IS ANNOYING, IT'S A GOOD SIGN THAT YOUR TEATMENT IS PROGRESSING!!!

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE RUBBERBANDS ARE WORN AS PRESCRIBED BY DR TIPTON. NOT ENOUGH ELASTIC WEAR WILL SLOW YOUR TREATMENT DOWN BUT WEARING DOUBLE ELASTICS WILL NOT SPEED YOUR TREATMENT UP,IT COULD EVEN INHIBIT YOUR PROGRESS!!! BEING CONSISTENT IS THE KEY, NOT THE AMOUNT OF FORCE!!

GETTING YOUR BRACES PUT ON DOESN'T HURT! WE DON'T EVEN USE ANY SHOTS WHEN WE PUT YOUR BRACES ON (WHEW, ISN'T THAT A RELIEF?!) WHAT WE DO IS GLUE THE BRACES TO THE FRONT OF YOUR TEETH, PLACE A WIRE IN THE BRACKETS. THIS WIRE IS WHAT STARTS MOVING YOUR TEETH CAUSING YOUR TEETH TO BECOME SORE. EVERY PATIENT TOLERATES THE SORENESS DIFFERENTLY BUT THE ONLY MEDICATION THAT IS NEEDED FOR THE SORENESS IS IBUPROFEN/TYLENOL. THIS SORENESS IS ONLY TEMPORARY!!! (I THINK ICE CREAM IS A GREAT SORENESS TREAT!!)

NO! BUT DR TIPTON WILL WORK CLOSELY WITH YOUR GENERAL DENTIST DURING YOUR ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT. A LOT OF TIMES REFERRALS COME FROM FRIENDS AND FAMILIES OF EXISTING PATIENTS, SO SPREAD THE WORD IF YOU LOVE YOUR ORTHODONTIST!!

JUST AS THERE ARE SPECIALISTS IN MEDICINE, THERE ARE SPECIALISTS IN DENTISTRY. ORTHODONTISTS DEDICATE THEIR LIVES TO CORRECTING MISALIGNED TEETH & JAWS. TEETH, AND SOMETIMES FACES, ARE PERMANENTLY CHANGED BY ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT; THEREFORE, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE TREATMENT BE DONE BY AN EXPERT IN MOVING THE TEETH AND JAWS

THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF ORTHODONTICS RECOMMENDS AN ORTHODONTIC CHECK-UP NO LATER THAN AGE 7. WHILE YOUR CHILD'S TEETH MAY APPEAR TO BE STRAIGHT,THERE MAY BE A PROBLEM THAT ONLY AN ORTHODONTIST MAY DETECT. DON'T WORRY IF YOUR CHILD IS OLDER THAN 7 YEARS OLD, IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO GET AN ORTHODONTIC EVALUATION WITH DR TIPTON.

ABSOLUTELY!!! YOU SHOULD CONTINUE SEEING YOUR DENTIST EVERY 6 MONTHS DURING YOUR ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT FOR CLEANINGS & CHECK-UPS. YOUR DENTIST WILL CLEAN AROUND YOUR BRACES DURING THOSE VISITS.