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What
can I do to play down braces?
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If you use makeup,
use it to draw attention away
from your mouth. Go wild using
eye shadow and keep the lips simple
with beige or nothing at all.
Stay away from lip gloss that
makes the metal parts of braces
more reflective. |
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What
are self-ligating braces? |
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Conventional
braces on the left are tied in
with elastics, which cause friction
and pressure, making treatment
slower and less comfortable. Damon
braces use a slide mechanism to
hold the wire, which allows teeth
to move more freely, quickly and
comfortably.
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Will
braces correct TMD or jaw joint
problems? |
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Braces may or
may not improve jaw joint problems.
More conservative approaches should
be tried first. |
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Can
you be too old for braces or Invisalign?
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No. If the bone
and gum tissue around the teeth
are healthy, age is not a factor.
About 20% of orthodontic patients
are adults who in the pursuit
of a healthier, younger, appearance
include straightening their smile
as part of their total body improvement
plan. |
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Will
orthodontics change my lifestyle?
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You'll have
to give up extremely hard, sticky,
and high sugar foods. These foods
can get caught on the braces,
bend wires, loosen cement and
pull the braces off and/or cause
cavities and permanent white marks.
Soft foods or foods cut into small
pieces are much better. You'll
have to spend a few extra minutes
cleaning your braces after meals.
But, for the most part, you'll
find braces don't cramp your style.
You'll still have fun. You'll
still be able to sing, play your
musical instrument, smile, play
sports and of course, kiss. You
can even make a fashion statement
by having your orthodontist add
color to your braces. Your friends
will be accustomed to you in braces
more quickly than you think.
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How
long do you have to wear braces?
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That depends
a lot on you and how bad your
bite is to begin with. Complex/severe
bad bites take longer. The national
average is 27 months. The better
you are following your orthodontist's
instructions and taking care of
your braces, the sooner your teeth
will improve. Remember that no
one else can wear your braces
for you! |
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If my child has early treatment
often called Phase One, will additional
treatment be necessary? |
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In most cases,
yes. After the permanent teeth
have grown in, treatment is usually
necessary to complete the work
that was started in the earlier
phase. This completion of the
earlier phase using full braces
is often called Phase Two. |
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