Orthodontic treatment traditionally begins somewhere between the ages of 10 and 14, but there’s no need to stand on tradition where your child’s dental health is concerned! If you have concerns about your child’s orthodontic development, even before the tween years, an orthodontic evaluation will let you know your child’s best options for a healthy, confident smile.

First Visit—By Age 7

The team at Convivial Dental recommends 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, your orthodontist 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.

Your orthodontist 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 less noticeable, more effective, and take less time to achieve a beautiful, healthy smile.

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. If you or Drs. Cartsos and Zavras are concerned about your child’s orthodontic health, an orthodontic evaluation is the best way to decide how to proceed.

So, when’s the best time to schedule an orthodontic assessment in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts? 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 Convivial Dental which toothpaste—if any—is safe for use.
• Regular deeper cleaning helps reduce the chance of buildup. Drs. Cartsos and Zavras 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 Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 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.

You pay attention to what you eat. After all, your oral health depends on it. Without the necessary proteins, vitamins, and minerals in your diet, your teeth and gums will suffer. But did you know it’s a two-way street? Without healthy teeth and a healthy bite, your digestive system can suffer as well.

Because digestion doesn’t start in your stomach—it starts in your mouth! Let’s take a quick look at how the digestive system operates.

• Teeth

The first step in digesting is breaking down foods so your body can extract their nutrients more easily. Healthy teeth are essential here. Incisors and canines tear food into smaller pieces while molars grind these pieces into an easy-to-swallow, paste-like consistency. While we chew, the surface area of the food increases, allowing the digestive enzymes in saliva, the stomach, and the small intestine to work more efficiently.

• Salivary Glands

Saliva production increases when we eat. Digestive enzymes in saliva begin breaking down carbs into sugars, and separating fat molecules. Saliva also contains antimicrobial peptides which are important for oral and gut health.  

• Esophagus

This muscular tube connects the back of the throat to the stomach. As we swallow, muscles in the esophagus contract and relax, an involuntary movement called peristalsis. These contractions push food down into the stomach. Peristalsis also occurs in the stomach and intestines, efficiently moving food through the rest of the digestive system. 

• Stomach

Inside the stomach are gastric acids and enzymes which break food down further to help the small intestine make use of these nutrients in the next stage of digestion.

• Small Intestine

This organ works to reap the benefits of our healthy diets. The small intestine absorbs about 95% of the nutrients from our digested food—carbohydrates, proteins, fat, vitamins, and minerals—and transfers these nutrients to the circulatory system to be used throughout the body. Any remaining food particles travel to the colon, or large intestine.

• Large Intestine

Bacteria in the large intestine help process soluble fiber, which we can’t digest on our own. The large intestine is also where insoluble fiber and anything else undigested are converted to solid waste. 

Now, let’s look at how a malocclusion, or bad bite, can disrupt the digestive process.

In some cases, malocclusions are mild, and require little or no treatment. A more serious malocclusion, though, can impact the way the jaws fit together, making it difficult or impossible for the jaws and teeth to align correctly for efficient and comfortable chewing. What are some possible consequences?

• Uneven bite pressure

With a healthy bite, your teeth and jaws fit together properly to let you get the most out of your meal. When teeth and jaws don’t meet properly, it’s hard to chew food into the paste-like consistency necessary for rest of our system to process it smoothly.

• Reduction in digestive enzymes and peptides

Difficulty chewing means less chewing. Less chewing means less saliva, and your system won’t benefit from the digestive prep work and gut protection which saliva typically provides. 

• Uncomfortable swallowing

Insufficiently chewed food makes peristalsis in the throat and other digestive organs more difficult. Larger pieces of food can become stuck in the esophagus, causing painful swallowing or even choking.

• Higher risk of stomach problems

When food isn’t chewed thoroughly, the stomach has to work harder, and the risk of gastroesophageal reflux increases. Highly acidic gastric juices can back up into the esophagus and mouth, causing heartburn, chest pain, sore throat, and vomiting. 

• Bowel irritation

When food particles are too large, the small intestine must work harder to break them down and to absorb their nutrients. Insufficiently digested food can also upset the bacterial balance in the large intestine. These problems can cause indigestion, constipation, gas, and bloating.

• Changes in nutrition 

Orthodontic problems can also lead to nutritional imbalances even before we start to digest. Soft foods and liquids are often chosen over proteins, fruits, and vegetables when chewing pain is a regular occurrence. While a soft diet is fine for a few days if your mouth is a bit sore following an orthodontic or dental treatment, it can be difficult to get the all the nutrients your body needs when you only eat soft foods.

Orthodontic treatment has many well-known benefits. Straighter teeth. A comfortable, functional bite. Increased self-confidence. Let’s add one more benefit to that list—making sure your digestive system gets off to a great start!

The team at Convivial Dental in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts recommends an orthodontic evaluation for children around the age of seven, because finding malocclusions early makes it easier to correct them. But if you’re an adult, don’t settle for painful chewing and an increased risk of digestive problems. Talk to Drs. Cartsos and Zavras to learn how orthodontic treatment can give you an attractive, functional smile. Your healthy smile—and your healthy body—will thank you!

Are you thinking about getting braces or aligners? Are you already in orthodontic treatment? If so, you already know that braces and aligners help straighten teeth and create a confident, beautiful smile. And those visible benefits are amazing! But orthodontic treatment has an even more important purpose than creating a beautiful smile—and that’s protecting and improving your oral health. 

What else can orthodontic treatment from Drs. Cartsos and Zavras do for you?

Protect Your Tooth and Gum Health

• Lower Your Risk of Cavities

When teeth are crooked or overlap each other, it’s easier for cavity-causing plaque to get trapped between them, and harder to remove it. Straighter teeth let you remove plaque more easily and effectively.

• Keep Your Gums Healthy

When plaque and tartar build up around the gums, gum tissue becomes irritated and red, which is how gum disease begins. When teeth are straight and evenly spaced, brushing and flossing are easier and more effective, helping your gums stay their healthiest.

Create a Better, More Comfortable Bite

When the teeth and jaws don’t fit together the way they should when you close your mouth, it’s called a malocclusion, or bad bite. There are different types of bite problems, from barely noticeable to more serious, and they affect us in different ways. When your orthodontist corrects your bite, you’ll get benefits which don’t show up in the mirror!

• Stronger Teeth and Healthier Gums

Teeth and jaws which don’t fit together properly put extra pressure on your teeth and gums, which can cause worn enamel, cracked teeth, and shrinking gums. A well-aligned bite helps protect your teeth and gums.

• A Pain-Free Bite

Left untreated, malocclusions can cause problems like temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD), headaches, face and neck pain, earaches, limited jaw movement, and painful chewing. Correcting your bite will help relieve the discomfort and pain caused by a malocclusion. 

Other Possible Benefits

For people with more serious malocclusions, orthodontic treatment might improve daily life in unexpected ways:

• Improved Speech

It takes a lot of coordination to produce different sounds. The lips, the tongue, the alveolar ridge (the part of the jawbone which holds our teeth), the hard and soft palates, parts of the throat, and, yes, the teeth all play a part in creating speech. Some kinds of malocclusions contribute to speech disorders such as lisps, which orthodontic treatment can help correct.

• Improved Digestion

Digestion starts in the mouth, not the stomach! As we chew, we break down our food into small particles which are easier for the stomach to digest. If you can’t chew properly because your teeth are misaligned or a bad bite makes it too painful to chew food as thoroughly as you should, you won’t be getting the full nutritional benefits of your healthy diet. Orthodontic treatment helps you bite down painlessly and break down foods easily for better digestion.

• Improved Sleep

Bite problems can sometimes lead to sleepless nights. More serious malocclusions may cause mouth breathing, which, in turn, can affect the quality of your sleep. If you’re having trouble sleeping, your doctor can help you discover the source of your problems. If you can’t sleep because of tooth or jaw misalignment, orthodontic treatment might be the solution!

Talk to Drs. Cartsos and Zavras to learn about all the options available to align your teeth and jaws for a healthy, attractive smile. Braces or aligners might be all you need to correct a mild malocclusion. Appliances and headgear can guide the growth and position of the jaw if needed. In some cases, surgery, together with braces, can be used to treat a more serious malocclusion.

If you want a more confident smile, stronger teeth and gums, and a comfortable, healthy bite, talk to the dental team at Convivial Dental in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts to discover how orthodontic treatment can help you achieve all of your smile goals!