Information for current patients
We are glad that you have decided to become our patients and we will do our best to meet your expectations in the field of orthodontic treatment. In this tab you will find information that can be useful during treatment. If you do not find the information you need in this place or other tabs (we strongly encourage you to read them), please contact us by phone. The following information may also be used by patients treated in other surgeries, but due to the use of different orthodontic appliances and treatment techniques, some information may be inadequate.
After installing the braces, bone remodelling begins, which may be associated with pain in some patients (about 20% of patients). The treatment procedure I use is to limit this number as much as possible. Discomfort usually lasts 2-4 days and then decreases to disappear in the following days. Most often this is the only time during treatment that may be accompanied by pain. During treatment, stress may occur at various stages and a feeling of "squeezing the teeth". Any pain of very high intensity or occurring during other periods of treatment should be reported to the doctor because they may indicate damage to the appliance and require the appointment to be accelerated. Interim, popular painkillers (in the amount specified on the information leaflets) may help in discomfort. Pain is a subjective feeling (sensitivity to pain) which means that what one person feels as pain for the other will be only "smarting" or "squeezing feeling". In the initial period of treatment (in people with sensitive mucous membranes also at other times) irritation of the mucous membranes of the lips or cheeks may occur. Patients are informed about methods of preventing and healing irritations after putting on the braces (the patient gets protective orthodontic wax). If you have a high tendency to aft, you should inform your doctor before commencing treatment.
With regard to dietary restrictions, they also focus mainly on the initial treatment period. Due to the very thin wires used immediately after installing the braces (in order to start bone remodelling with the least discomfort) and the high stresses usually resulting from the greatest crowding of teeth at the beginning of treatment, care should be taken to avoid very hard foods (e.g. nuts, crisp bread) , bread crust, whole raw vegetables, hard or fibrous fruit) and ductile (e.g. caramel, toffee, chewing gum). This will reduce the risk of damage in the initial period and the loss of time to report for additional appointments. Most patients usually return to their normal diet during treatment.
Summing up the above information related to pain, mucosal response and diet, it can be said that after putting on the braces, you need to give yourself time to get used to orthodontic appliances.
Oral hygiene is a very important element in all people, and when wearing permanent braces it becomes particularly important due to the increase in the number of places where food residues can accumulate and form a bacterial plaque. Dental hygiene and periodontal disease can result from hygiene neglect. In our office, we attach great importance to maintaining good condition of teeth and periodontium by our patients. In addition, the periodontal condition has a direct impact on the course of orthodontic treatment. Orthodontic forces that cause bone remodelling (although very low in the treatment biomechanics that I use) can exacerbate existing inflammation in the periodontium. Therefore, treatment cannot be initiated with the existing inflammation of the gums or periapical tissues, and in cases of extreme hygiene neglect it may be necessary to stop treatment and remove the devices. In this case, the doctor is released from liability for the consequences of abrupt cessation of treatment. We do not leave our patients alone with this problem and offer full information support in the selection of equipment and techniques for brushing teeth, and we encourage you to regularly use professional hygiene procedures in our surgery. Qualified staff (both assistants are qualified hygienists), professional equipment (ultrasonic scaler for descaling and sandblasting for airpolishing to remove deposits and smoothing tooth surfaces) as well as preferential conditions for our patients give you the opportunity to maintain good hygiene throughout the treatment. Usually, for the period of orthodontic treatment, we take care of the hygienic condition of patients due to the fact that hygienic appointments are combined with follow-up appointments, which allows, after opening the clasps and removing the wire, to clean the clasps in places usually inaccessible to other dentists. We encourage you to complete brushing your teeth by rinsing with water under high pressure (irrigation), which gives you the opportunity to reach places often inaccessible when brushing. Stationary or portable devices such as Waterpik WP-100 or Panasonic EW-DJ 40 are used for this purpose. For more information, please contact our surgery.
During treatment (mainly at its initial stage) minor failures may occur, which can sometimes significantly hinder normal functioning and affect the course of treatment. They are usually associated with the forces normally found in the mouth (biting, chewing, speech, excessive force during hygiene procedures). In such cases, please contact us by phone or text to contact number to arrange an emergency appointment.
Emergency treatment may very rarely be associated with other complications, the list of which can be found in the form "Consent to orthodontic treatment", which you sign before starting treatment.
Regular attendance at check-ups is a very important element of treatment. Depending on the type of treatment and its stage, appointments usually take place every 4-8 weeks. If it is not possible to come to the scheduled appointment, please inform us as soon as possible to change the date (last-minute notification before the appointment may result in longer waiting time for the new date). The patient is responsible for failure to come to an appointment and which may result in prolonged treatment time. Once again, I want to emphasize the importance of motivation and close cooperation during treatment on the part of the patient, without which the planned final effect may not be possible.
More information can be found in other tabs on our website.