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We’ve all heard horror stories of sports injuries, even worse witnessed one ourselves. After getting braces, you may be wondering ‘Can I play sports with braces?’ The best way to protect your mouth from a painful fate is to invest in a mouthguard before taking to the court. Mouthguards protect not only your teeth but the soft tissue of your mouth from injury as you play.  Getting braces doesn’t mean giving up the sports you love! Luckily, braces will not keep you from any sport or physical activity. However, the price you pay for a beautiful smile is taking a little extra care of your mouth while in treatment. Keep reading to uncover the significant role that mouthguards play in protecting your oral health and overall well-being from Dr. Dennis Flanagan at Dennis J. Flanagan DDS MS.

 

In This Post, We’ll Cover:

• Why should I wear a mouthguard?
• Do Braces put you at risk for a sports injury?
• What type of mouth guard should I buy?

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After months or even years of braces, patients are only too happy to finally be done with treatment. To make sure the smile you leave our office with stays with you forever, you’ll need to be fitted with and wear a retainer. Retainers prevent relapse and are a way to make sure the movements your orthodontist made are permanent. Get the answers to frequently asked questions about retainers and maintaining a healthy smile after receiving orthodontic treatment from Dr. Dennis Flanagan at Dennis J. Flanagan DDS MS. 

We’ll Cover:

• What is a Retainer?
• Different Types of Retainers
• Wearing Your Retainer
• What if My Retainer Doesn’t Fit Anymore?

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Choosing your orthodontist, and by extension, what your options are for years of orthodontic treatment and appointments, is no small feat. One of the deciding factors in this decision is which types of tooth movement your orthodontist has available. Traditional braces, self-ligating braces, or even Invisalign are all options. With so much innovation in the orthodontic field, we have lots of options to best fit any patient’s needs. Whether traditional braces or Invisalign is best for you, our team of orthodontic specialists is here to help you!

 

Making a Decision: Invisalign 

• Choosing Invisalign
• Invisalign Candidacy
• What issues can Invisalign help with
• Invisalign Pain

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Often when parents bring young children into our office for initial evaluation, they are missing several primary teeth. Parents are worried that starting treatment won’t be an option until all the permanent teeth have grown in, or until all baby teeth have fallen out. It’s common to wonder if your child is losing teeth at the right time, or too slowly, or even too quickly. These concerns are normal, and a reason why it’s good to get your child into the orthodontist starting at age seven. Orthodontist Dr. Dennis Flanagan at Flanagan Orthodontics can answer all these questions and more and can start any treatment needed early enough to prevent major issues. 

 

When Should Your Child Start to Lose Teeth?

Most children lose their first baby tooth, or primary tooth, around age 6. This is typically the bottom front tooth. The rest of the primary teeth usually follow suit, with the last one falling out around age 12. By age 21, all 32 of the primary teeth should have been replaced by permanent teeth.

The first permanent molars, or adult teeth, arrive around age 6 as well. The rest of the permanent teeth come in gradually over the next several years. The last of the permanent teeth, the third molars, or wisdom teeth, usually arrive around age 18.

While the process of losing primary teeth and getting permanent teeth is relatively straightforward, there can be some variation in when exactly each tooth is lost or erupted. Every child is different, so if you have any concerns about your child’s teeth, be sure to talk to your dentist.

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Without a doubt, “How long do I have to wear my braces?” is the most common question we’re asked by patients. More so than cleaning tips and food restrictions, people want to know how long they’ll have to live with braces. It’s understandable. Braces are hard to brush and floss around, they come with food restrictions, and they can be a source of embarrassment for teens at school or professionals in the workplace. 

While most patients are always eager to start treatment, they are even more eager to get those braces off.  Even though each patient is given an estimated treatment time wearing braces when they start, patients always hope we can wave our magic wands and complete the process sooner.

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It’s scary to be at home, school, or sports practice and feel a part of your braces loosen or even fall completely off your tooth, but it’s a more common occurrence than you may think.. The good news is that most of these incidents are actually minor and easily fixed by your orthodontist. Here are a few general rules and tips for how to handle these situations in the moment and until you can get into the office for a visit. 

 

Orthodontic Emergencies

Typically, braces emergencies arise when a wire or rubber band falls out of place. These issues are minor and can be easily fixed by your orthodontist. A less common emergency is when a bracket comes loose and falls out. If you can feel a loose bracket that hasn’t fallen out, it’s best to leave it held in by the surrounding wires and call your orthodontist. But, if the bracket has fallen out already, keep it in a safe space and take it with you to the orthodontist. Schedule an appointment as soon as you can to fix this! 

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