Welcome to the orthodontic page of my website. Here, you can quickly shop my top recommended products to use while in braces, as well as after braces… you can also scroll down to read more information including how these products should each be used and then at the bottom of the page, I have shared my very own orthodontic story. Feel free to read if you care to know what I went through and why I am so passionate about teaching others how to properly care for their braces! (HINT: It’s because my teeth got stained and also that I see so many people struggling to care for their mouths while in braces)

Shop my top ortho products here:

More information about the products listed above…

Floss picks while in braces:

I recommend these to all patients in braces! Keep in mind, they may not fit in every single contact (between 2 teeth) but it’s better than nothing at all. So many of my ortho patients report to not flossing at all. Which can lead to cavities and very inflamed gums and bleeding.

To clean around the brackets and in between open spaces: Proxabrushes

These are reusable and come with a lid. Keep these in your purse, backpack or even your pocket. Use these to push food out from between your teeth and around your brackets.

Trust me- you do not want to get your braces off just to realize that your beautiful new smile has several stains…. THIS HAPPENED TO ME!

Waterpik Water Flosser: great for ortho and after ortho!

The waterpik is easily my most recommended product to my patients. They are great for people in ortho, people with crowns, food traps and more… But even the average person, with good hygiene can benefit from this! Almost every single patient LOVES this product. For the ones that don’t LOVE it, it’s usually because they haven’t gotten used to using it.

To thread under the wire and floss between the teeth:

Now, I know not everyone is going to be on board to use these bad boys! They aren’t the easiest option, but if you know how to use them and are willing to use them- they really are great tools.

They can properly clean between the gums and the tooth and significantly reduce the inflammation and bleeding.

These are also great tools for cleaning the permanent retainer that many people choose to get on their lower front teeth.

Single Use Softpicks: to clean between spaces and around brackets:

Similar to the proxabrushes mentioned above, but are designed to be used once and then thrown away. Use there to push food and debris out from in between any gaps in your teeth or use it to scrub around your brackets.

A smaller bristled toothbrush that helps to reach tight areas and can help gently scrub around the brackets:

Now, before I say anything else about these, I want to inform you that these bristles are more firm than the recommended toothbrushes we recommend to brush the rest of your mouth with. I do not recommend using this for your entire mouth. But this is a great tool to reach very far into the back of your mouth, behind your last teeth and to help gently scrub around your brackets to be sure no food debris and plaque are gathering around the brackets.

My Personal Ortho Story:   

…and that was my third time doing orthodontics in my life!

SUMMARY OF THE ORTHO TREATMENT I HAVE GONE THROUGH:

I started with phase I of braces(which is when you get braces before all of your baby teeth are gone. Then, once you get your adult teeth, you will evaluate and plan for the second phase to finish up.)

Then I had Invisalign in my mid-twenties, before I got married…

and another set of braces when I was pregnant with my second kid. (pictured on the left)

Since I am the oldest of 4 kids, when it was time for me to do phase II of ortho as a teen, my sisters needed braces and my parents could not afford to complete my treatment. So I grew up, got into the dental field and decided to fix my teeth on my own.

The first adult treatment I had was Invisalign. My problem teeth were the two upper teeth that are next to the center ones (we call them laterals). Invisalign has always been known to struggle with these teeth, but at the time, it was the only thing I was willing to try. l knew that I could not expect perfection, but any improvement was fine with me. And I got pretty good results.

Yep! That’s me! Just about 3 years ago

2017. My photo before Invisalign treatment in my twenties.

2018. Photo of my mouth after Invisalign treatment in my twenties and also after some cosmetic fixes (to correct the chippy appearance on my teeth)

However, as time went by, and I saw myself in more and more photos, that one tooth just kept bugging me. So this time, I moved onto braces. Since I was pregnant and also had a one year old, I wanted the easiest option possible with the best possible outcome. I also feared that the Invisalign trays (if I wanted to try that again) would not work well while being pregnant and nauseous. So I slapped the braces on... And I’m glad I did.

Having braces as an adult is less than fun, but as long as you know you are bettering yourself and that it is only for a short period of time, you can get through it! I also have first hand experience caring for my own teeth in braces, which really helped me to relate to my patients that are in ortho.

A sample photo of what teeth can look like after braces if not cleaned properly during braces

Sample Photo (not me) of stains you can get after braces, if teeth are not cleaned properly

The first time I had braces in Jr. High, I ended up with stains on my teeth from not cleaning around the brackets properly (see sample photo- not my teeth). I refused to make the same mistake as an adult- and also I knew exactly how to care for them this time! And now I am super passionate about helping my ortho patients not end up like me… with stains and having to do multiple orthodontic treatments in their lives.