Dr. Kevin J. Andrews D.D.S., M.S.: 2016

Thursday, March 17, 2016

How to Get Out of Braces Faster!

One of the biggest questions Dr. Kevin J Andrews hears in every consultation for orthodontic braces is “How fast can this be done?” No-one wants to sit in braces longer than they have to. Sure, we all understand that to get that gleaming Hollywood smile of our dreams, braces are often a necessity. But we certainly don’t want to have them on longer than absolutely necessary. So how do we speed this process along? The answer might surprise you. The ability to get out of braces faster is entirely in the hands of our patients.

Every appointment you’ll hear the same thing from your orthodontic team working on that potentially amazing smile; good brushing and wearing elastics. They work, we promise.

Good brushing will keep your gums clean and healthy. When your gums are swollen and a darker color, they are trying to fight against a build-up of plaque and food caught underneath the gum line. When your gums are in this state, your teeth move slower.

Wearing elastics tells your jaw how to make your teeth come together. If you have been asked to wear elastics during your treatment, then your teeth aren’t fitting together when you bite down the way that is best. When you wear elastics all the time it trains your jaw muscles to regrow in that new position. If you only wear those elastics part of the time, your muscles never hold that position long enough to learn the proper way for everything to come together.

Below are photos of one of our favorite sample cases; Holly. Holly has been in braces for only six months and has tremendous change. Holly is exceptional with her oral health care and with wearing elastics. Holly also has one more advantage in helping her get through this process faster; Acceledent. At Holly’s two month appointment we gave her the small hand held device she uses 20 minutes a day. The Accelendent sends vibrations up through her bone making it easier for the teeth to move in the direction desired. Holly was estimated to be in braces for 24 months. Her progress so far is showing a potential six month earlier finish. Way to go Holly!

So don’t forget to keep your gums clean with regular and thorough brushing, wear your elastics as recommended, and if you’re interested in learning more about the Acceledent ask us at your next appointment. And remember, it’s all worth it to get that smile of your dreams.

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Signs You May Need Braces

There’s no questioning we live in a digital era filled with selfies. Having a smile that is beautiful has obvious benefits. But, there are other considerations besides looking stunning to consider as reasons for getting orthodontic braces.

When your teeth have excess space or are over crowded, it can cause problems in how your upper and lower teeth fit together. This can affect the way you chew your foods and the way you speak. Words such as overbite, underbite, or crossbite are used to describe these problems. Essentially, all this means is that when you close your teeth together, they don’t line up. Sometimes the front teeth go behind the bottom teeth, the upper teeth can go so far in front of the lower that they completely cover the bottom teeth and damage the gums, and sometimes the upper jaw is shifted to the right or the left making your teeth not fit together. Not only does this cause discomfort in chewing and difficulty in speech, it can wear your teeth down making them shorter and have a nub like appearance. In the cases of over-crowded teeth, bacteria has more places to hide which increases your chances of periodontal disease.

Orthodontic braces can fix all of these problems while also giving you the smile of your dreams.