• Elastics (Rubber Bands) — Wearing elastics (or rubber bands) improves the fit of your upper and lower teeth. Wear rubber bands as instructed, and remember that the rubber bands work far more efficiently if they’re worn as prescribed.
• Forsus — The Forsus Fatigue Resistant Device is an alternative to headgear which promotes growth in adolescents, helping to eliminate excessive overbites, improve the fit of teeth, and possibly prevent the need for jaw surgery.
• Headgear — Headgear is used to treat patients whose teeth are in an overbite, with the upper jaw forward of the lower jaw, or an underbite with the lower jaw forward of the upper jaw. Headgear gently “pulls” on your teeth to restrict further forward growth of your upper teeth and jaw.
• Herbst® Appliance — The Herbst® appliance reduces overbite by encouraging the lower jaw forward and the upper molars backward. This fixed appliance is used mostly for younger, growing children and is worn for about 12-15 months.
• Palatal Expander — The palatal expander “expands” (or widens) your upper jaw by putting gentle pressure on your upper molars each time an adjustment is made. Your orthodontist will instruct you about when and how to adjust your expander. When you achieve the desired expansion, you will wear the appliance for several months to solidify the expansion and to prevent regression.
• Positioners — Positioners complete the final tooth movements in your orthodontic treatment. With your full cooperation, you should only need to wear the positioner appliance for four to eight weeks.
• Retainers — Retainers may be removable or fixed. They hold your teeth in their new, correct positions after your teeth have been straightened. Your orthodontist will instruct you on how to care for your retainer and about the duration of the wear. Wearing your retainer as directed is crucial to prevent regression of your treatment.
• Separators or Spacers — Separators are little rubber doughnuts that may be placed between your teeth to push them apart so that orthodontic bands may be placed during your next appointment. The separators will be removed before we place the bands. Separators do not mix well with sticky foods, toothpicks, or floss.
• Twin Block Appliance — The twin block appliance is unique from other functional appliances, as it involves two separate appliances (one for the upper arch and one for the lower arch) working together to create an advanced lower jaw position. This patient-friendly appliance is worn full time, including while eating, though it is removable for easy hygiene. It is also more comfortable than other jaw-correcting appliances, as it is made out of smooth acrylic and utilizes fewer wires. The result of using a twin block appliance is a broad, beautiful smile, proper jaw function, improved profile, and a stable and healthy temporomandibular joint.
• MARA Appliance — MARA stands for Mandibular Anterior Repositioning Appliance. It is a non-removable appliance that encourages the growth of the lower jaw to help correct severe overbites and minimize the need for extractions or orthognathic surgery. The MARA appliance is anchored to the molars with crowns, modified crowns, or bands. The lower attachments are fixed to the molars. The upper attachments are removable to enable your orthodontist to make adjustments according to your treatment plan.

Orthodontic treatment, whether you’re using braces or Invisalign, requires a commitment to maintaining excellent oral hygiene. At Apple Valley Orthodontics, we want to make sure you get the most out of your treatment and that your smile stays bright and healthy throughout the process!

Tips For Brushing

Brush your teeth for two minutes after every meal with a soft-bristled, small-headed toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste. As an alternative, you can use a powered toothbrush to increase your brushing effectiveness. Brush the outside and inside surfaces of your teeth using small, gentle, circular motions while positioning the head of the toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to the gum line. Brush your teeth’s chewing surfaces and the inside surface of your front teeth using short, gentle, back-and-forth motions. Pay close attention to the areas around your brackets or other appliances. If you have Invisalign, be sure to remove your aligners before brushing. You’ll also need to rinse and gently brush your aligners with a soft toothbrush before putting them back in.

Tips For Flossing

Flossing after every meal will help keep your teeth and braces clean, which will also help keep your treatment time on track. To floss with braces, use a floss threader or special orthodontic floss to thread the floss behind each wire. Wrap the ends of the floss around your pointer fingers of both hands, leaving a few inches of taught floss between them. Gently slide the floss between each set of teeth using a back and forth motion. Floss the sides of each tooth beneath the gum line to remove plaque and food particles. Repeat this process until you’ve flossed all of your teeth. If you find that your floss is not removing all of the food particles between your teeth and around your braces, ask us about a water flosser! If you have Invisalign, flossing is still equally important to ensure no food particles become trapped under your aligners.