Life with Braces

We want you to be informed about you or your child’s orthodontic and dental needs. That is why we offer a completely complimentary consultation so we can address all of your orthodontic concerns. During your orthodontic treatment, there’s a few things you should know. Read below on how to take care of your orthodontic appliances during treatment.

Eating with Braces

It’s not going to be easy at first, and in the beginning foods you can eat will be limited. You’ll want to stick to foods that are soft, fluffy and easily mashed up. Pancakes, oatmeal, bananas, soups, cooked vegetables, applesauce, mashed potatoes, mac & cheese, and soft ice cream – just to suggest a few. Stay away from foods that are hard, crunchy, sticky or tough.

There are a few tricks around some problem foods. You can cook your vegetables to make them softer, cut your corn off the cob, and slice apples and sandwiches into small, bite sized pieces.

If you’re in doubt about a particular food, ask the doctor.

Emergency Care

For situations requiring immediate medical attention, you should contact your doctor or local emergency medical services.

For orthodontic-related emergencies, our office is here to help. Most emergency situations can be temporarily taken care of at home! Usually loose brackets and wires that are causing some discomfort or poking can be covered in wax or pushed back into place. Loose and poking wires can be manipulated using tweezers or a pencil eraser, or can be clipped with nail clippers. It’s still important to call the office and set up an appointment to have the issue corrected.

In the event of a more severe issue (an appliance breaks, a wire slips loose, or is preventing the mouth from opening or closing), call our office to schedule an appointment and have the problem taken care of right away.

Keep in mind that there may be some discomfort for a few weeks after getting your braces on and for several days after an adjustment. In these situations, rinsing with salt water or taking an over-the-counter pain reliever may alleviate the pain.

Bite Bumps – Speed-up Treatment

When upper and lower braces are placed, in many instances, the top teeth bite down and contact the lower braces. This may cause the upper teeth to ‘bite off’ the lower braces, and as a result, will cause many extra visits to the office. To prevent this and allow placement of upper and lower braces at the same time, we use small temporary build-ups called “Bite Turbos” on the back side of the front teeth, or “Bite Props” on the biting surface of the rear teeth.

Because your bite is being propped open, your back teeth may not fully touch. This is normal and expected. Start with softer foods that are easier to chew and work your way up to more solid foods.

If the Bite Bumps come off, please call to schedule a repair.

Although Bite Bumps may be slightly annoying at first, the treatment time saved is well worth it in the end.

Elastics

What are they?

When Dr. Mathrani uses the word ‘Elastics’, she is referring to rubber bands. These tiny rubber bands apply pressures to the teeth in certain directions that braces alone can not. These elastics are connected to tiny hooks on your braces or Invisalign trays. The elastics can be taken in and out, and Dr. Mathrani will instruct you on how often to wear them, and what configuration they should be worn in. Elastics should only be worn as prescribed by an orthodontist.

What if your elastics break?

If your elastics break, simply replace them with a new one. If you run out of elastics, call our office and we will gladly ship you a new pack. Although it is not common for elastics to break, sometimes opening too wide or too much stretch of the elastic will cause it to tear. If your elastics repeatedly break, contact our office, and we will fit you to a more appropriate elastic size.

Good Brushing

Using a soft bristled toothbrush, begin by brushing the outside of your teeth and braces, holding the brush tilted at a 45 degree angle. Brush along the top and bottom of the braces using light to moderate pressure, making sure you cover every surface very carefully. Don’t forget to brush the teeth all the way in the back and behind your back molars! It’s a good practice to brush for three minutes at least twice a day. Using a timer or singing along to a song will help you keep track of your time.

Retainers

Our Essix Retainers are made in-house using our state of the art SprintRay 3-D Printer. We use the iTero digital scanner to get an accurate image of each patient’s arch. Spring Orthodontics prints each of the models to make durable, and reliable retainers. Removable retainers are provided with every Phase 1 and Comprehensive treatment. We recommend brushing your retainers after you take them out. Retainers can be cleaned with your toothbrush, simple hand soap, or even denture cleaners for a good, thorough clean! Do not allow your retainers to sit in hot water or put in the dishwasher as this will deform your retainers. Always keep your retainers in a case when not in your mouth. Never keep them in a napkin! (This is the most common reason retainers are accidentally thrown away.) If you lose or break a retainer, please contact the office as soon as possible. A lapse in retainer wear is an opportunity for teeth to shift out of place

"Wonderful experience at Spring Orthodontics, and so impressed with Dr. Mathrani and Debbie, the treatment coordinator. From the personalized welcome message, to the full tour of their great space and technology, to their friendly and approachable demeanor, my child was completely at ease. As a mom, I appreciated that Dr. Mathrani provided a thoughtful and customized assessment — not a recommendation that was about profits. If you are looking for an orthodontic consultation, don’t hesitate, go to Spring!"

- Laura S.

"We have had exceptional experience with Spring Orthodontics. You will find a welcoming staff that is calm, caring and professional. Their office is very clean and modern. In addition to a fantastic location, scheduling is a breeze!"

- Elizabeth E.

"I just started wearing Invisalign, and I could not ask for a better orthodontist than Dr. Mathrani. I had a ton of questions and concerns about the whole process, and she patiently answered all of my questions and gave me a lot of information to help me. Dr. Mathrani is very professional, and also has such a warm and inviting personality that makes the whole experience much more enjoyable."

- Sean K.

"I have nothing but great things to say about this office. As someone, in my 30s, who was very nervous going into invisalign treatment, I can honestly say I wish I found Dr. Mathrani sooner. From consult, my initial scan (Yay! no gross molds), IPR , to receiving my trays , I can't be any more pleased with my experience."

- Melanie B.

"Our experience at Spring Orthodontics has been amazing! My 6 year old daughter had a severe overbite due to thumb sucking and I was referred to Dr Ro by our dentist. Dr Ro placed a device in my daughters mouth that had her overbite significantly reduced and broke the thumb sucking habit within 8 weeks! I am truly amazed by the results! Dr Ro was so great with my daughter and every visit has been a great experience- my daughter actually looks forward to going to the orthodontist! This place is a gem in Western..."

- Renee R.

"Our family could not be happier with Dr. Ro and her practice! From the moment we walked in for our first consult, we knew we made the right choice! Dr. Ro is the best - very knowledgeable, super kind and so great with our girls! They truly love going in to see her for their visits! We highly recommend Dr. Ro (and Debbie too!) "