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Hugo
and Mila

Advice on your treatment

You and your appliance

Today is the big day. You are off to get your orthodontic appliance fitted – the first step in your journey to a fantastic smile. Your appliance is delicate, and you must take good care of it if you want to arrive quickly at your destination.

This brochure will explain how it all works, and if you have any questions then feel free to ask us.

Types of appliances

It must be cleaned every day using a toothbrush and toothpaste. If it becomes covered in whitish tartar deposits, soak it in white vinegar before brushing and then rinse with water.

When the retainer is not in your mouth, always put it away in its box after rinsing it.

Never:

  • put the retainer in hot water or near a heat source;
  • use any kind of chemical product on the retainer.

Removable resin appliance

This type of appliance helps to start correcting minor malpositions, make the dental arches wider and correct misalignment of the bones. As such, it is referred to as a functional device. In general, these appliances are recommended as a first step in order to make the second phase of treatment as simple as possible. The appliance must be worn as prescribed by your orthodontist, otherwise treatment will take longer. We will show you how to put it on and take it off.

Froggy mouth

These appliances are referred to as functional reeducation appliances. They improve nasal breathing, swallowing and the growth of the jaws. The Froggy Mouth appliance is worn for 15 minutes a day, for example while watching television, and the positioner is worn for 90 minutes a day and sometimes at night. In order to clean the appliance, run it under cold water and brush it with a toothbrush. It is very important not to chew on these appliances, otherwise they may become damaged.

Careful not to let your pet get hold of the appliance, as they are very fond of them! Keep your appliance in its box and out of reach.

Fixed braces

These braces consist of small brackets cemented to each tooth and connected by metal wires, which will be changed regularly over the course of your treatment.

Placement

Before cementing, the teeth should be descaled so that the surface to which the cement will be adhered is nice and clean. On the day of cementing, your teeth will be cleaned and your lips will be held apart using a separator to prevent your teeth from becoming contaminated with saliva. We then cement the brackets to your teeth with a resin that is cured using UV light. Don’t worry though, none of this is painful.

After placement

Shortly after placement, you may feel some tension and sensitivity when chewing. To begin with, try to only eat soft food and don’t hesitate to ask for pain-relief medication (paracetamol or ibuprofen) if you need it.

Intermaxillary elastics

These are used to properly align the jaws in order to achieve sufficient occlusion. The elastics are usually worn all the time. They need replacing once a day.

Food and other care tips

Not advised:

  • Food that is hard, crunchy, sticky, brittle etc.
  • Sticky sweets like toffees, nougat etc.
  • Whole raw carrots, apples, corn on the cob etc.
  • Cracking the shells of nuts, hazelnuts etc. with your teeth
  • Thick sandwiches, crusty baguettes etc.
  • Chewing on pencils, ball pens, your nails etc.

Avoiding these things will prevent the brackets from coming loose and the wires from twisting, both of which can result in a longer treatment time.

Any cavities must be remedied before orthodontic treatment commences, and check-ups with the dentist may be necessary during treatment.

Brushing

Orthodontic appliances are not directly responsible for cavities, but they do make it harder to get rid of residual food and bacterial plaque.

White decalcification stains sometimes observed after treatment are not a result of the appliance, but of the dental plaque accumulated due to a failure to brush thoroughly around the brackets.

Not brushing thoroughly enough can also cause gingivitis (inflammation of the gums) and bleeding. The more your gums bleed, the more they need brushing using a soft brush.

Strict oral hygiene is absolutely essential. At each appointment, we will check whether you have been brushing your teeth properly.

Aligners

Aligners are removable trays made of transparent polymer that gradually move the teeth.

In order to make them more effective and to allow monitoring of certain movements of the teeth, small, enamel-coloured attachments made of composite resin need to be placed on certain teeth. These tiny attachments are practically invisible.

Each of the trays is individually numbered.

They need to be worn all the time, and are only removed while eating or brushing your teeth.

Each tray in the series is designed to move the teeth from their initial position to their ideal end position by a small increment.

Each set of aligners is worn 22 hours a day for 8 to 10 consecutive days.

You will be given several sets of aligners at each of your appointments.

At your appointments, the orthodontist will monitor your progress and make sure the teeth are moving correctly.

Appointments are mandatory at certain stages in the treatment. For example, if stripping is required between certain teeth, before the next set of aligners is placed you must make an appointment with the practice.

The total duration of treatment and the number of transparent trays required depend on the severity of the problems to be solved.

Once the initially planned quantity of trays has been reached, it is necessary to reassess the quality of the result obtained. Finishing aligners may be required.

A cleaning product will be provided for cleaning the trays.

Retention

After your treatment, you will need to wear a retainer in order to maintain and stabilise the result obtained. This may be removable or fixed.

We will discuss this together at the end of your treatment.

Practical information

Now you have enough information to start your orthodontic treatment. We will always be there to encourage you and help you get as perfect a smile as possible.

Appointments

On your first visit, we endeavour to give you a personalised welcome and remain at your disposal in order to establish a trusting relationship that is open to dialogue.

The practice

Located in the Wezembeek shopping centre (near Chaussée de Malines/Mechelsesteenweg), our practice contains 6 dental treatment rooms and a 3D radiography room, and is equipped with all the necessary disinfection and sterilisation facilities, including air and surface cleaning systems, to ensure optimal protection against viruses and bacteria.