Well clever Henry was doing so well at letting his teeth move and keeping them clean that it was time to fit his lower braces.   He sat back, had the clean and polish, self priming etch applied and the brackets stuck in place. It was then Monique’s job to thread that first nice soft gentle wire through the brackets and we’re done. He felt the pressure immediately, and continued throughout the next few days to update me as to which teeth were feeling the pressure now…yes apparently I can add orthodontic expert to my list of mother skills as I explained ...
How do orthodontic appliances create tooth movement?
October 30th, 2010
At the orthodontic congress in Sydney earlier this year, I learned how the use of orthodontic appliances actually creates permanent tooth movement through a process of bone remodeling. The whole principle of moving teeth relies on the constant pressure of the tooth surface against the membrane that surrounds your tooth, not a lot of force is needed, just enough to feel some pressure. Not to get too technical I am going to attempt a most basic explanation. There are 2 types of cells responsible for bone remodeling. Osteoblasts and osteoclasts…the ‘clasts’ break down and the ‘blasts’ build up.  When the positioning devices ...
Another new toothbrush?
October 25th, 2010
Something that I am sure people don’t realize is that braces are the mortal enemy of the toothbrush. I go from shiny new toothbrush to shaggy dog in about 3 weeks. The problem with trying to brush with a mashed up brush head is that you lose the ability to direct the bristles into the spaces between the gum and braces effectively which means that you miss out on a really good brush into some of the areas that need the attention to ensure you don’t get plaque buildup. The other thing to be aware of is that many of the new, ...