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We’re not talking about caring for major appliances here—the refrigerators, dishwashers, and washing machines which make our lives easier. We’re talking about some much smaller appliances which produce major personal results—the dental appliances which help create healthy, attractive smiles.

A dental appliance is simply any device which helps promote dental health. And while that definition is awfully broad, you still might be surprised at the many types of dental work which qualify! Today, we look at “fixed” appliances. These devices and restorations stay in the mouth, unlike removeable appliances like aligners and retainers. How do they work for us, and how do we give them the care they need to work most effectively?

Space Maintainers

If you’ve lost a baby tooth prematurely, your orthodontist or dentist might recommend a space maintainer. A space maintainer holds the space open for your adult tooth to arrive in its proper spot by preventing the surrounding teeth from shifting out of position. Space maintainers can protect tooth alignment and reduce the need for later orthodontic treatment.

Traditional Braces

Traditional braces make use of brackets, arch wires, bands, and ligatures in a wide variety of materials and styles to align teeth properly and help correct malocclusions. Braces normally stay in place for 18-24 months, with more time as needed for more complex malocclusions.

Functional Appliances

Functional appliances like the palatal expander and the Herbst® appliance are used to guide jaw development during the treatment of malocclusions, helping patients achieve their best smiles while the jaw and facial bones are still growing. Because these appliances stay in the mouth until this stage of treatment is complete, caring for them can present some day-to-day challenges.

Fillings and Crowns

It might seem odd, but fillings and crowns are also considered dental appliances because they protect tooth structure. It’s especially important to take care of your teeth while you’re in orthodontic treatment, because interrupting your treatment to repair a damaged filling or crown might delay your regular orthodontic schedule.

So many appliances, helping us protect and improve our dental health in so many ways! Here are some steps you can take to make sure these appliances perform at their best:

• Clean carefully—and more often

You might need to brush and floss after every meal and snack to prevent plaque buildup and to keep food particles from sticking to braces and functional appliances. Dr. Thomas Shipley can recommend your optimal cleaning schedule.

• Explore new tools

Interproximal brushes, flosses designed for braces, and water flossers can make cleaning teeth and appliances easier and more effective. Talk to your orthodontic and dental teams to learn the best tools and techniques for your specific needs.

• Eat with your appliances in mind

Sticky, chewy, hard, and crunchy foods are not on the menu when you have a fixed appliance! Sticky and chewy foods like caramels can damage appliances and are difficult to clean from appliances and enamel. Hard foods require biting pressure which can damage appliances—and your fillings and teeth! Crunchy foods can leave irritating little particles stuck in and under appliances. Dr. Thomas Shipley has all the details on choosing foods which are good for your teeth and your orthodontics.

• Stick to your orthodontic routine

Wearing appliances as recommended is the only way to make sure you finish your treatment on schedule. Keeping up with your appointments and adjustments keeps you on track and allows the team at Shipley Orthodontics to discover any problems with your appliances.

• Watch out for destructive habits

Habits which aren’t good for your teeth and gums are also not good for your appliances. Nail biting, chewing on pencils or other objects, using teeth as tools to open bags or bottle caps, crunching on ice, and other behaviors which can damage tooth enamel can also damage fillings, crowns, braces, and other appliances.

• Don’t ignore potential problems

Call your orthodontic team in Peoria, AZ at once if your appliance is causing you pain or shows any signs of damage. See your dentist if a filling or crown is uncomfortable, loose, or damaged.

It doesn’t take a lot of daily care and effort to make sure your appliances are working their best—and the reward is a future of beautiful, healthy smiles!

Psst—here’s some time sensitive information just for you. If your teeth are sensitive to heat, cold, sweets, acidic foods, wind and/or air, it could mean it’s time to see your dentist!

Normally, we don’t notice how external conditions affect our teeth at all. Tooth enamel—the hardest substance in the body—protects the inner tooth from outside stimuli. So, why do strong, solid teeth suddenly feel sensitive? The answer’s found in tooth anatomy.

The crown of the tooth, the part we can see above the gum line, has three distinct layers.

• Enamel, a strong mineral-rich coating, surrounds the outside of each tooth and protects the dentin and pulp inside.
• Dentin is the softer, porous middle layer of the tooth. Dentin contains thousands of tiny, fluid-filled tubules which extend to the pulp.
• In the center of each tooth is the pulp chamber, filled with nerves, blood vessels and connective tissue which keep the tooth alive and healthy.

The roots below the gumline have a similar structure, with one important exception.

• Cementum, which is not as hard and strong as enamel, covers the root surface instead of enamel.

Healthy, undamaged teeth allow you to enjoy an icy beverage, a hot latte, a sweet treat, or a brisk walk without any dental discomfort.

When the tooth’s protective enamel covering is worn or damaged, the dentin below the enamel is exposed to external conditions. Temperature changes, air, wind, sweets and acids—all the stimuli which normally have no effect on our teeth are now transmitted through the dentin’s tubules to the nerves inside the pulp.

The pulp’s nerves respond to these sensations by sending out pain signals. The uncomfortable tooth sensitivity which results is often described as an annoying twinge, a sharp, brief stabbing pain, or a shocking sensation.

The first step in treating dentin exposure is to see your dentist to discover the cause. Tooth sensitivity could be the result of:

Aggressive Brushing

Brushing is great! Over-aggressive brushing? Not so much. Heavy-handed brushing and brushing with anything other than a soft-bristled brush can wear down mineral-rich tooth enamel to expose the dentin underneath, and is even more damaging to less-mineral-rich cementum.

Diet

An acidic or sugary oral environment harms enamel. Consuming acidic foods and beverages erodes the minerals which make enamel so strong. Sugars give plaque bacteria the perfect fuel they need to produce enamel-eroding acids.

Cavities

The bacteria in plaque create acids which strip minerals from tooth enamel. Over time, a hole in the enamel develops, uncovering the sensitive dentin below.

Injuries

A crack or fracture can expose dentin, or, in severe cases, tooth pulp, to foods, heat, cold, and air.

Tooth Grinding

Bruxism, or tooth grinding, often takes place during sleep, and can apply over a hundred pounds of pressure to the teeth and jaws. Continuous grinding and clenching wears away tooth enamel, exposing dentin. Bruxism can also cause chipped and cracked teeth, as well as jaw damage and even tooth loss.

Malocclusion

Occlusion refers to the way our teeth and jaws fit together. In a healthy occlusion, the forces of biting and chewing are evenly distributed. A malocclusion, or bad bite, can cause excessive or uneven pressure on teeth and jaws, leading to worn enamel, cracked teeth, and more serious bite problems.

Just as there are many causes for tooth sensitivity, your dental team in Peoria, AZ has many solutions to restore your comfortable, healthy smile.

Choose the Right Products to Protect Your Smile

• If you’re not using a soft-bristled brush, trade in your old model ASAP, or try an electric toothbrush. Bonus: Electric toothbrushes and water flossers can be especially helpful for cleaning around your braces!
• There are special toothpastes which are formulated to reduce sensitivity.
• Fluoride treatments can help strengthen tooth enamel.
• Talk to your orthodontist, dentist, or hygienist to learn the best ways to brush and the best products to use to protect your dental health and your tooth enamel.

Eat a Dental-Healthy Diet

• Cut down on acidic and sugary foods and drinks to protect your tooth enamel. And, of course, stick with your braces-healthy diet by removing sticky, crunchy, hard, and chewy items from the menu.
• Check ingredients. The amount of acids and sugars in foods like sodas and sports drinks could surprise you!
• If you do eat something acidic, don’t brush right away—rinse with water and wait an hour to give your enamel time to restrengthen and remineralize.

See Your Dentist Regularly

• Regular exams will discover any cavities before they become deeper and more damaging. Proactive care will also help keep your orthodontic treatment plan on track.
• Gum disease can cause gum recession, exposing those sensitive, cementum-covered roots. Your dentist will look out for any signs of early gum disease and offer tips for gum health.
• If you suspect you have an injured tooth, call Dr. Thomas Shipley immediately to prevent more serious damage or infection.

Protect Your Smile from Trauma

• A custom-fitted nightguard can prevent enamel erosion and other damage caused by bruxism.
• Wear a mouthguard when playing contact sports or activities to protect your teeth from injuries.
• If you’re wearing traditional braces, your dentist can customize a nightguard or mouthguard which will work with your braces.

Create a Healthier Smile with Orthodontic Treatment

• If you suspect a bite problem is causing wear on your teeth, it’s time for an orthodontic consultation with Shipley Orthodontics! Orthodontic treatment aligns the teeth and jaws properly, which means that your teeth will fit together without causing any extra wear on your enamel or exposing the sensitive dentin underneath.
• Preventing worn enamel is, of course, only one benefit of orthodontic treatment. Properly aligned teeth reduce the risk of cavities. Treatment can prevent dental injuries caused by excess pressure and stress. And there’s no underestimating the value of a confident, healthy smile!

If you’re feeling sensitive, especially if discomfort persists or worsens, see your dentist to discover the cause of the problem. Tooth sensitivity is time sensitive. Take care of small problems before they become serious ones, and you’ll help make sure your smile is something you’re not the least bit sensitive about!

Orthodontic treatment traditionally begins somewhere between the ages of 10 and 14—but there’s no need to stand on tradition where your family’s dental health is concerned! An orthodontic evaluation will let you know each family member’s best options for healthier, more confident smiles even before the tween years and even after reaching adulthood.

First Visit—By Age 7

Dentists recommend that you schedule a first orthodontic evaluation for your child by age seven (or earlier if any bite problems or jaw asymmetry are apparent). By this age, most children have a mix of both adult and baby teeth, and orthodontists can determine whether the position and development of the teeth and jaws are on track.

During this visit, Dr. Thomas Shipley will also carefully assess how your child’s teeth and jaws fit together when biting down. Healthy occlusion, or bite, means that the teeth and jaws are aligned and work together comfortably. A malocclusion, or bad bite, means that there is a problem with this alignment.

Dr. Thomas Shipley might discover:

• No issues for concern.
• A possibility for future orthodontic problems. In this case, follow-up appointments might be scheduled to determine whether and when treatment should occur.
• Orthodontic problems which are already evident, with a recommendation for early intervention.

Early Orthodontic Intervention—Ages 6-9

Some children can benefit from “interceptive orthodontics,” first stage orthodontic treatment begun around the ages of six to nine.

Early intervention can help prevent crowded teeth, protect protruding teeth, and correct jaw alignment problems.

• If a child has a small upper dental arch, palatal expanders can gently enlarge the arch to make room for the adult teeth to arrive without crowding.
• When a baby tooth is lost too soon, space maintainers save room for the adult tooth beneath it to erupt in just the right spot.
• Protruding front teeth have a higher risk of injury from falls or collisions, and treatment will help protect them.
• Treatment for malocclusions like overbites, underbites, and open bites helps create a more comfortable, symmetrical, and healthy bite while young bones are growing, and may prevent the necessity for more complicated treatment in the teen years.

Tween and Teen Years—Ages 10-14

It’s common to treat malocclusions during the tween/teen years. During this stage of development, it’s easier for teeth to move to their ideal positions, because most of the adult teeth have arrived and the jawbones haven’t completed their growth.

Today’s orthodontics offers teens a number of treatment options:

• Braces are smaller and more comfortable, and brackets come in a variety of colors and materials to blend in or stand out.
• Clear aligners are almost invisible, and can treat many types of mild to moderate malocclusions.
• Functional appliances like the Herbst® appliance, the Forsus™ device, the twin-block appliance, and headgear work with braces or aligners to help correct more complex malocclusions.

And there’s more—modern orthodontic options are more effective, taking less time to create a beautiful, healthy smile.

Older Patients of Any Age

As you’ve grown older, you may have noticed that your once-straight teeth are becoming a bit crowded. You may be suffering dental pain and injured teeth because of a long-term bite problem. You may have always wanted a more attractive, comfortable smile, but weren’t able to access treatment when you were younger.

Good news! As long as your teeth and gums are healthy, orthodontic treatment can be a great way to keep them healthy. And today’s orthodontics offer a much wider and less noticeable variety of treatment options than the larger metal braces you might remember from decades ago. Depending on your needs, the team at Shipley Orthodontics could recommend:

• Traditional braces—brackets are smaller than ever and come in a choice of several materials and colors, including ceramic, tooth-colored, and clear brackets.
• Clear aligners—an almost invisible way to straighten teeth, and removeable when necessary (as long as they’re worn 20-22 hours each day).
• Lingual braces—the least visible treatment, because brackets and wires are attached behind the teeth.

Crowded teeth and malocclusions often lead to lifelong problems, including worn or cracked enamel, headaches, jaw problems, increased risk of tooth decay and periodontal disease, and decreased self-confidence. Whether you’re graduating high school or getting ready for your golden reunion, it’s not too late for an orthodontic assessment.

If you’re concerned about your own or your child’s orthodontic health, problems with alignment and bite are best treated as early as possible to prevent dental damage, improve self-confidence, and avoid more complicated treatment in the future. So, when’s the best time to schedule an orthodontic assessment in Peoria, AZ? There’s no better time than today!

Your retainer is an essential tool in keeping your teeth and bite beautifully aligned after orthodontic treatment. But sometimes, that hardworking tool needs some TLC of its own. Read on to learn how to keep your retainer its sparkling, healthy best!

Retainer buildup

You might notice after a few months of use that your retainer is stained with white spots or a discolored film. Or that there are gritty patches on its smooth surface. Or you might suddenly notice an unpleasant odor.

If you’re wondering what’s happened to your once-gleaming retainer, let’s break down the sources of these stains, deposits, and odors.

• Plaque is a mix of food particles, bacteria, and saliva which sticks to tooth enamel. If it’s not removed, plaque can harden into tartar. And, just like plaque and tartar stick to your enamel, plaque and tartar can transfer from the teeth and stick to your retainer, leaving white spots or a discolored film.
• Mineral deposits are another source of white spots and gritty buildup. Calcium and phosphate are two of the minerals found in saliva. They replace the calcium and phosphate minerals which have been stripped from tooth enamel by acidic foods or the acids created by plaque bacteria. And while these minerals are vital for enamel health, they’re not doing your retainer any favors! As saliva dries on your retainer, it leaves behind a residue of these white gritty minerals.
• When food particles and plaque build up on teeth, they cause bad breath. When food particles and plaque build up on retainers, they cause an unpleasant odor.

Removing Retainer Buildup

How do we break down this buildup? There are some simple ways to reduce or remove plaque, tartar, and mineral accumulation when you’re taking care of your retainer:

• Rinse your retainer off as soon as you remove it from your mouth.
• Clean your retainer every day with a soft-bristled toothbrush. Because even non-abrasive toothpastes can be hard on a retainer, ask the team at Shipley Orthodontics which toothpaste—if any—is safe for use.
• Regular deeper cleaning helps reduce the chance of buildup. Dr. Thomas Shipley can suggest effective ways to get your retainer its cleanest, with recommendations like a white vinegar/water soak or an over-the-counter cleaning product made for retainers. Deep clean weekly or monthly as needed.
• Use cool or lukewarm water when you brush or soak your appliance, because hot water can warp retainers.
• Don’t forget to clean your case regularly, as it can also harbor plaque, minerals, germs, and food particles.
• If stubborn stains persist, bring your retainer into our office in Peoria, AZ for evaluation. Sometimes professional cleaning is necessary.

Prevention is best!

Of course, the very best way to reduce retainer buildup is to prevent it from accumulating in the first place.

• Keep your teeth clean. When your brushing and flossing is on point, you’ll really reduce the amount of food particles and bacteria which transfer to your retainer.
• If you can’t brush right away, rinsing with water after eating or drinking helps remove food particles and acids from the teeth. Water is also safe to drink with your retainer in place. Which leads us to . . .
• Retainers aren’t meant for meals and snacks. Eating solid foods can damage your retainer. Food particles stick to retainers. Clear plastic retainers which fit over the teeth can stain. And, because they fit closely over the teeth, clear retainers can trap foods and beverages next to your teeth, exposing your enamel to sugars and acids over a longer period. Place your retainer in its case, enjoy your meal, and brush and floss as directed before your replace the retainer in your mouth.

A clean retainer is a healthy retainer! Keep your retainer—and your teeth and gums—in the best of health with simple, daily TLC.