Happy Dental Hygiene Month!

Tips on Proper Dental Care

Dental hygiene is essential for keeping your teeth, gums, and mouth healthy, especially when you’re undergoing orthodontic treatment. October is Dental Hygiene Month, and we want to remind all our patients about the importance of proper teeth care, whether they have braces or aligners.

Take a look below at some tips on caring for your teeth, gums, braces, and aligners. In addition, learn more about maintaining a happy, healthy smile, and get in touch with our team if you have any questions about your dental hygiene! 

How to Care for Your Teeth & Braces

If you have braces, you should be flossing once a day and brushing your teeth after every meal. Remember to brush the outside, inside, and crowns of your teeth in a circular motion, paying particular attention to the brackets on your teeth. You should also brush your gums, tongue, and cheeks. When flossing, remember to use a “C” shape to get all the areas around your gums. Floss threaders can help you get around wires and brackets, and rinsing your mouth can help loosen food particles.

The kit we provided for you at the start of your treatment should help, but we always welcome the chance to discuss what tools work best for taking care of your teeth when you have braces. Feel free to reach out to our team with any additional questions you may have! 

How to Care for Your Aligners

Unlike braces, aligners can be taken off for eating, drinking, and brushing your teeth. Even though you remove your aligners for these activities, you need to care for your aligners to ensure they last and to protect the health of your teeth and gums. We recommend gently brushing your aligners using toothpaste and cool water every time you remove them. And, of course, you should be brushing and flossing your teeth as recommended above.

Adirondack Orthodontics and Your Dental Hygiene

At Adirondack Orthodontics, we want to help our patients achieve and preserve straight, healthy smiles for a lifetime. Keeping these dental care tips in mind during and after your treatment will help you reach the smile of your dreams! If you have any further questions about oral hygiene techniques, please call or text your nearest location, or request an appointment here.

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Retainers 101

How to Protect Your Smile Forever

Once you’ve achieved the smile of your dreams, you’ll want to make sure you can keep it! Brushing and flossing have always been on your daily to-do list, but after finishing your orthodontic treatment, you’ll have something to add to that list: wearing your retainer. Essential for keeping your teeth in the same position, your retainer will be customized to fit your mouth perfectly. Learn more about your options and how Adirondack Orthodontics makes smile protection easy below.

Essix Retainer

Clear and plastic, the Essix retainer resembles Invisalign and is the most common type of retainer. Typically more comfortable than other retainers, the Essix retainer lasts roughly 18 months and should be worn at night. After you finish your orthodontic treatment, we will take a scan of your teeth, and your new retainer will be ready within a few days. This is the type of retainer that we give you at the end of your orthodontic treatment and with the Smile Protection Program.

Hawley Retainer

The Hawley retainer is a classic metal retainer with a colorful bite plate. Less common than the Essix retainer, this type of retainer is issued specifically by doctor recommendation or patient choice. As with the Essix retainer, we will take a scan of your teeth after you finish treatment, and your retainer will be ready within a few days.

Lingual Retainer

A lingual retainer is a thin piece of wire which is glued to the back of the teeth to preserve alignment during the day. Often suggested for patients with crowding or spacing issues, this type of retainer should be combined with the Essix retainer at night and is the best guarantee for long-term retention. These require maintenance or replacement every three to five years.

Smile Protection Program 

Make sure you protect your investment in your smile with a retainer. Since retainers typically require replacement after 18 months, your team at Adirondack Orthodontics has a solution to help you maintain your smile: our Smile Protection Program. There are several options you can choose from to get the smile protection that works for you:

Smile Protection Plan Enrollment: $600*

After you enroll, replacement retainers will cost $35/arch and can be shipped to your home! Enhance and protect your smile with our Smile Protection Program plus a bleaching kit for $650. 

Second Set of Retainers: $200*

(Your first set is included in the treatment fee.)

Bleaching Kit: $100*

Your bleaching kit can be used with retainers. 

Sit Back & Enjoy Your New Smile

Keep the smile that you achieved with help from Adirondack Orthodontics! Whether you need our help replacing a broken retainer or you want to take part in our Smile Protection Program, we will help you protect your investment. Call us today to learn more.

*Terms: As long as patients wear their retainers as prescribed, replacements can just be shipped directly to the patient’s home, no office visit needed. If a patient has not worn retainers properly, requiring a rescan, a $100 rescan fee will be charged. Retainer lifetime: Approximately 18 months.

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