Braces in Amherst & Bedford

Appointments are a crucial component of your progress and allow Dr. Diane to monitor the health of your teeth and gums. There are three types of appointments in our office: progress, repair and comfort.

Progress visits: In an effort to keep your treatment moving, you are typically asked to make 2-3 appointments ahead. Depending on where you are in treatment, your visits can range between 6-12 weeks apart. Since all patients are asked to schedule this way, we do our best to accomodate last minute life changes or illnesses.

Comfort Visits: We are happy to see you to take care of poking wires or loose appliances. Please call to schedule these visits so that we can be sure that your issue will be handled promptly.

Repair Visits: We encourage texting or emailing a photo of the issue so that Dr. Diane can evaluate the impact of the issue to your progress. While accidents can happen, let us know how we can help you mimimize these appointments so we can focus on progress.

For suggestions on how to keep your progress moving, please review Life in Braces.

Did you know that great oral hygiene positively impacts your progress and results? It isn't just about keeping cavities and gum disease at bay. When you get braces, you have increased the surface area for plaque to grow on. Much to everyone's surprise, everything that is placed in your mouth for treatment will grow plaque. This means inadequate and speedy routines will result in swollen gums, and unsightly permanent white marks around the braces called decalcifications. These are actually pre-cavities, so make sure to slow down and do each step with purpose.

Fortunately, you will still only need to brush 2-3 times a day, and floss once a day, but you'll want to slow down to brush all the sides of each brace. We will show you how when your braces are applied, and make sure to review this each time you come for appointments in case you need a review. Brushing the hardware is the way to get your teeth and gums clean. We will provide small brushes, called Christmas tree brushes. These brushes are required to brush the sides of the braces and the underside of the wires and power chains. Please use this brush each time you brush, even if you use an electric brush.

The only modification to flossing is to get the floss under the wire, then simply floss as you did before. Some patients find Platypus flossers or Superfloss easier to use than floss threaders - either way, find the best way to floss for you!

Simple, focused routines will build success. Keeping your gums healthy impacts your progress positively by allowing Dr. Diane to visualize your full tooth and its alignment. Swollen gums can impede adjustments, repairs and space closure. Please let us know if you need a review of techniques or need more supplies. We're here to support you!

Elastics are miniature rubber bands designed with specific force levels. Dr. Diane will guide you at each visit with the direction and size you need for your correction. When prescribed, they are intended to correct your bite and play a key role in your treatment.

Elastics should be changed frequently during the daytime since they lose their force quickly. The mouth is a harsh environment! Between mechanical breakdown from talking and eating, there is chemical breakdown from enzymes in your saliva and acid in your plaque! The best times to refresh your elastics is with snacks, meals and brushing.

Your compliance with wearing these can mean the difference between finishing on time or extending your treatment time. Improper or inconsistent elastic wear also reduces the quality and completeness of your finish.

If you have any trouble wearing them, or the anchor attachment is loose, please contact us for assistance.

Please continue to see your dental professional twice a year during your orthodontic treatment. They are trained to clean around our appliances. If you're lucky to have a dental plan that covers more cleanings, go for it!

Remember, a light film of plaque (normal mouth bacteria) starts to form in 12 hours. Proper daily home care of brushing 2-3x a day and flossing once a day will help remove the plaque and keep your enamel and gums healthy. If it is not removed adequately, the gums become inflamed, and the minerals in your saliva will harden it into tartar. If you keep up with plaque removal, you lessen the "scraping" at each dental cleaning!

In some cases, you may be referred to a gum specialist (periodontist) if your gums are thin, recessed, or you begin with compromised structures. We will advise if additional team member is needed for your care.

If you're an athlete, don't let braces stop you from playing your sport! We encourage mouth guards even if your sport does not require one. Mouth guards are a simple, yet effective tool to protect your teeth from damage and minimize risk of concussions. As a reminder, please don't chew your mouth guard, as this is harder than any food we ask you to avoid. While they are meant to protect you, chewing them can break our appliances.

If you need a braces friendly mouth guard, simply ask us! We provide orthodontic mouth guards for you during treatment.

After your active orthodontic treatment with braces (or Invisalign) is complete, you'll need to wear a retainer to keep your teeth in their newly straightened position while the jaw bone around the root firm up. Please think of your teeth as another body part. Like eyeglasses, retainers are used to maintain your correction. You wouldn't stop wearing eyeglasses or contacts! Don't forget that you also subject your teeth to high forces during eating, grinding and clenching. Your bones are also constantly changing; they aren't cement blocks. This does mean that retainers are forever.

The first set of retainers are removable and worn full time for about 6-8 weeks until your final retainers are delivered. Your final retainers are digitally created and are worn for about 8-10 hours daily. You may elect a fixed wire retainer as well if you feel that you cannot keep up with a daily routine. Please ask our team if this is a good idea for you or your teen.

To help ensure your smile lasts, we also offer a Smile Protection Program, which makes keeping your smile easy!