Happy National Orthodontic Month!

This month, the Chan & Chen Orthodontic team is celebrating National Orthodontic Health Month!

Taking care of your teeth even when you are undergoing orthodontic treatment is incredibly important. We tend to see that teeth move best in a healthy environment. Maintaining excellent oral hygiene during your treatment is necessary to ensure the best results. Not to mention, you’ll want well aligned teeth because they are easier to keep clean and function without wearing your teeth down.

Additionally, your gum and bone health are just as important! That is why maintaining your oral hygiene is necessary. And in order to start orthodontic treatment at any age, you must have healthy gums and bones.

We also suggest staying away from anything sticky, chewy, and gooey as well as anything hard and crunchy. Those types of food can break off braces and interfere with treatment progress.

When it comes to treatment, we offer a few different options. However, the question we are always hearing is, “what is the difference between clear aligners and braces?” Well to begin, there are two types of braces, ceramic and metal. Then you have clear aligners. Both braces and aligners are methods to straighten your teeth. With aligners, it is the patient's responsibility to wear them at least 22 hours a day for optimal results. You can eat anything you want since you take them out to eat. With braces, they are always on the teeth.

If the aligners are worn as instructed, the time should not be different. Braces can be more predictable because they are always attached to the teeth. So, pick the option that works for you because the desired results will take time either way.

We hope you were able to learn more about orthodontic treatment and of course if you have any questions or want to discuss the next step for your smile, please contact our team!