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Patients at Gold Coast Orthodontics often wonder if lingual braces require the same amount of care as regular braces. The only real difference between lingual braces and traditional braces is the location of the brackets: lingual brackets are mounted on the back of your teeth. This mounting technique means that your braces completely hidden! However, you need to take special care of your lingual braces to prevent damage to the brackets and wires.

General care

Wearing lingual braces requires more caution when you eat hard or crunchy foods, which should be avoided whenever necessary. Applying excess pressure when you chew can cause brackets to break loose. This is more likely to happen if your upper front teeth overhang your lower teeth. You should also avoid foods that become caught in the brackets.

Brushing and flossing

Flossing can be done with a combination of regular dental floss and an inter-dental or wire brush. Floss threaders can also be used to get floss under the wires of your braces; ask our team for one at your next appointment with Dr. Iwei Huang. You should always brush and floss after every meal, because there is a greater chance of food particles becoming stuck in your braces. You can also use a mouthwash to reduce bacteria and fight plaque. As always, keep your regular dental hygiene appointments at our convenient Chicago office to make sure that no problems develop while you’re undergoing orthodontic treatment.

Many individuals have a natural habit of rubbing their tongue along the inside of their teeth, especially when a change has occurred in their mouth. This can cause soreness or small abrasions on your tongue. While they should subside within a few weeks, the use of dental wax can be helpful.

Please ask Dr. Iwei Huang and our team any questions you may have about your new braces and how to care for them and your teeth. The better care you take of your teeth and braces now, the better your outcome will be when your orthodontic work is complete!

Patients who want corrective braces but don’t like the look of traditional braces with the metal showing on the front have an alternative in lingual braces. As opposed to metal braces visible across the front of the teeth, lingual braces are placed on the rear of the teeth. Most of the metal in lingual braces is not visible to other people, unless you have widely-spaced teeth. For those who make good candidates for lingual braces, Dr. Iwei Huang and our team at Gold Coast Orthodontics will tell you it is a great alternative with a significant cosmetic benefit.

Benefits of Lingual Braces

The primary benefit of lingual braces is that the metal is on the back of the teeth, which is very rarely seen by anyone. Patients can comfortably talk and smile, without the added worry of someone noticing the metal braces on their teeth. Another advantage of lingual braces is that they are just as effective as traditional braces and are worn for the same amount of time. They are also helpful for people who play contact sports or play wind instruments because lingual braces don’t get in the way. Finally, lingual braces are a great option for patients who have are sensitive to plastic and can’t wear other types of clear or invisible braces.

Who can get lingual braces?

While many patients qualify for lingual braces, not everyone who needs corrective orthodontic treatment will be a good candidate. The best candidates are teenagers and adults with normal-sized teeth. Children who get braces often have smaller teeth, so lingual braces may not be suitable. A patient’s bite also makes a difference, because a deep vertical overbite makes lingual braces difficult to place.

Talk to Dr. Iwei Huang the possibility of lingual braces if you’re thinking about correcting your smile but don’t like the idea of metal braces worn on the front. Lingual braces have the same basic benefits of straightening teeth, correcting misalignments, and fixing overbites and underbites that regular braces offer, but are a great aesthetic alternative.

For more information about lingual braces, or to schedule an initial consultation with Dr. Iwei Huang, please give us a call at our convenient Chicago office!

Self-ligating braces have actually been around since the 1930’s, but recent improvements in technology have made them more popular than ever before. What makes them different? Let’s compare with traditional braces.

Technology

Traditional braces make use of bands around the brackets to hold the adjusting wire in place. “Self-ligating” means “self-binding” or “self-tying.” These braces also use brackets, but with a very different design. Self-ligating brackets have mechanisms such as “doors” or clips, which hold the wire to the bracket without the need for rubber bands or metal ligatures.

Effectiveness

All braces types will straighten your teeth. Some orthodontic conditions, such as moderate crowding of the teeth, appear to respond more quickly to self-ligating braces. Talk to Dr. Iwei Huang about the difference in treatment time that you might expect with different types of braces.

Comfort

Some users find self-ligating braces more comfortable because they reduce friction and pressure on the teeth.

Oral Hygiene

Self-ligating brackets are easier to clean than brackets with bands. Bands hold on to food particles and can be difficult to clean completely, leaving bacteria and plaque on the teeth even after brushing.

Appearance

What most people notice first about braces are the colored bands or metal ligatures holding the wires in place. Without these ligatures, brackets are smaller and less noticeable. There are even clear brackets available for an almost invisible look. It you don’t want your braces to make a colorful statement, these might be the choice for you!

If you are interested in self-ligating braces as an option in your orthodontic care, give us a call at our Chicago office! We will be happy to explain the technology in greater detail, and to provide you with the best and most complete information you’ll need to make your choice of braces the right choice for you.

Not everyone is born with a million-dollar smile, not even some celebrities. The following stars have all had their moments as a “brace face,” either as a child, teenager, or adult. You might be surprised to learn about stars who had braces (including Gwen Stefani, who got braces just because she could!).

Take a look at some famous faces who sported braces!

Emma Watson: Emma admits to going through a rather awkward stage that included “terrible skin,” fluctuating weight, and braces. But look at the swan that emerged!

Tom Cruise: Who would have thought that one of the world’s most famous smiles could use an overhaul? Well, Mr. Cruise pulled it off … and most people didn’t even know. He wore “invisible” braces that had ceramic brackets for a few months just after his 40th birthday. And the results were pretty WOW!

Dakota Fanning: This lovely young actress had some troublesome teeth when she was younger. However, braces and dental work gave her that stunning star-quality smile we see now. Props to her, though, for staying real. She sported her headgear during an appearance on The Tonight Show and didn’t bat an eye.

Gwyneth Paltrow: The stunning Ms. Paltrow, who, in 2013 was named the Most Beautiful Woman by People Magazine, wore braces in high school. And she probably carried it off with the poise and grace for which she is so famous today.

Niall Horan: This member of One Direction, the boy band that’s currently tearing it up (and breaking some hearts along the way) wore his braces for several months. He got them removed in April 2013.

Other notable celebs who have had braces include Faye Dunaway, who got hers at the age of 61! Ryan Seacrest, Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber, and Drew Barrymore also belonged to the metal mouth club at one time or another.

What is comes down to is this: It isn’t whether you wear braces that are fully hidden, ceramic brackets, or have the traditional metal train tracks running across your teeth. Nope, it’s all about how you work it!