Good Oral Hygiene and Common Problems

Good oral hygiene leads to good results upon completion of your orthodontic treatment.

It is important to see your general dentist for a professional cleaning and check-up at least every six months during your orthodontic treatment.

How Orthodontic Treatment Can Help You

• Modern orthodontic treatment offers a painless and top-notch result when it is done by Dr. Sooyeon Ahn
• Enjoy your beautiful smile with naturally aligned teeth.
• The treatment time can be reduced when your orthodontic treatment is modified with periodontal surgical procedure.
• It is a non-invasive and affordable smile design solution

Foods to Avoid

In general, patients with braces should avoid hard, sticky, chewy and crunchy foods. They should also avoid chewing on hard objects such as pens, pencils, and fingernails.

Emergency Care

There are very few situations that require immediate care during orthodontic treatment, but when they do occur, we are available to you.  Some of the more common problems that occur during orthodontic treatment are listed below, and you may be able to temporarily solve some of the problems until you schedule an appointment with us.

Please don’t wait until your regularly scheduled appointment to let us know about something loose or broken, even though it’s not an emergency.  We can adjust your appointment to make the repair as soon as possible. Allowing your appliance to remain damaged for an extended period of time may result in disruptions to your treatment plan.

Common Problems

Wire Poking

Place a pea-sized piece of wax over the area that’s poking. Some wires ends can be tucked in using the eraser end of a pencil.  Call our office if a repair is necessary.

Lost Spacer or Separator

Please call us to determine if the separator needs to be replaced.

Loose Bracket or Band

If the bracket or band is still attached to the wire and is not poking, leave it where it is and call our office to schedule an appointment for repair. If the bracket or band is removed from the wire, save it and bring to our office on your next visit.

Wire Broken

Broken wire needs to be replaced or adjusted in the office. Pull the wire out only if you can without hurting yourself.

Wire Out of the Molar Tube

Try to put the wire back into the tube using your fingers or tweezers. If discomfort continues, call us for an appointment.

Wire Shifted

Try to slide the wire back around.  If it continues to poke you, put wax over the irritating end and call our office for an appointment.

Lost Elastic Tie

This generally does not require a special visit, unless the wire is poking.

Bent Headgear, Facebow or Removable Appliance Not Fitting Well

Discontinue wearing the appliance. Call us to make an appointment to adjust the appliance.

Irritation from Bracket

The lips, cheeks and tongue may become irritated as they toughen and become accustomed to the surfaces of the braces. You can put wax on the braces to lessen the irritation.

Broken Retainer

Please call us to schedule an appointment to fix or replace the retainer.

Soreness From Treatment

You may feel general soreness after each orthodontic visit. Try rinsing with warm salt water and/or taking pain reliever to reduce discomfort.