Stan R. Heiner, DDS, Inc.

Eating with Braces

What can you eat? Let's talk about what you shouldn't eat! For the first day or so, stick to soft foods. Avoid tough meats, hard breads, and raw vegetables. Before long, you'll be able to bite a cucumber again. But you'll need to protect your orthodontic appliances when you eat for as long as you're wearing them.

Avoid

Chewy foods: bagels, hard rolls, licorice, beef jerky
Crunchy foods: popcorn, ice, tortilla chips
Sticky foods: caramels, taffy, now & laters, starbursts
Hard foods: nuts, hard candy, uncooked vegetables, hard pretzels
Foods you have to bite into: corn on the cob, apples, ribs
Chewing on hard things such as pens, pencils or fingernails can also cause damage. Broken appliances will prolong overall treatment time.

Care of Appliances

To successfully complete the treatment plan, the patient must work together with the orthodontist. The teeth and jaws can only move toward their corrected positions if the patient consistently wears the rubber bands, headgear or other appliances as prescribed. Damaged appliances lengthen treatment time.

Brushing

It is more important than ever to brush and floss regularly with braces. Patients who do not keep their teeth clean may require frequent trips to their dentist for professional cleaning. If plaque accumulates around the braces, tooth enamel may weaken, causing unaesthetic white spot lesions. Adults with a history of gum disease should see their dentist or periodontist more often, and will require clearance before beginning treatment. We encourage all our patients to maintain their six-month check-up visits with their general dentist.

General Soreness

When you get your braces on, you may feel general soreness in your mouth and teeth may be tender to biting pressures for three to five days. This can be relieved by chewing sugarless gum provided you no longer have separators in your mouth. If the tenderness is severe, take aspirin, Advil, Motrin or anything with Ibuprofen. Tylenol does not work on dental pain. The lips, cheeks and tongue may also become irritated for one to two weeks as they toughen and become accustomed to the surface of the braces. You can put wax on the braces to lessen this. We will show you how!

Athletics

If you play sports, it's important that you consult with us for special precautions. A protective mouthguard is advised for playing contact sports. We can provide you one upon request. In case of any accident involving the face, check your mouth and the appliances immediately. If teeth are loosened or the appliances damaged, phone at once for an appointment.

Loose Wire

Don't be alarmed if a wire or band comes loose. This happens occasionally. If a wire protrudes and is irritating, use a blunt instrument (eraser end of pencil) and carefully, gently push the irritating wire under the archwire. Simply get it out of the way. If irritation to the lips or mouth continues, place wax on the area to reduce the annoyance. If necessary, call our office for an appointment to make you comfortable. If the wire comes out completely, please bring it with you on your next appointment.

Broken Brackets and Loose Bands


In the event that a bracket or band comes loose from a tooth, it is important for you to call our office immediately. Do not wait until your next appointment to see if we can fix it then. More time is necessary to repair breakages and we need to schedule accordingly. It is possible your appointment will be rescheduled to include additional time for repairs. We realize this may inconvenience your schedule and therefore we ask to be notified in advance….even if the breakage occurs earlier in the day of your appointment. Brackets and bands are expensive to replace. To help control orthodontic costs and save chair time, if the band comes off, please bring it to your repair appointment. Often it can be cleaned and replaced. It is our office policy to repair several breakages at no cost to you. If breakage becomes excessive, there could be a charge for future repairs. Remember, when braces are broken, treatment completion is often delayed. Help us give you the smile you want-on time!
	Properly Seated Band

	Loose Band

	Broken Brakcet

Loosening of Teeth

This is to be expected throughout treatment. Don't worry! It's normal. Teeth must loosen first before they can be moved. The teeth will again become firm in their newly corrected positions.

Getting Started

Your First Visit

Please allow approximately one hour for your first visit to our office. Digital photos of your face and teeth will be taken prior to your exam. Dr. Heiner will do a complimentary examination of your teeth, jaws and bite. Dr. Heiner will discuss with you all aspects of treatment and assess your Orthodontic needs. Our goal is to help you understand all areas of your Orthodontic treatment and we welcome any questions you might have. If treatment is indicated, records can be taken during your initial exam and appointments can be scheduled to begin treatment. When indicated, a separate consultation appointment may be arranged.

Records

Diagnostic records are made to determine the best course of treatment. Completed diagnostic records typically include plaster models of the teeth, digital photos of the face and teeth, and digital x-rays. This information is used to create a custom treatment plan for each patient.

Appointments

Braces or other appliances are placed at the initial banding appointment. This appointment is usually scheduled in the morning or early afternoon, and will take about 1-2 hours. After the appliances are in place, regular adjustment appointments will be scheduled every 6-9 weeks. Most adjustment appointments will be 20 to 30 minutes long. Longer appointments are scheduled during school hours to allow us to see the maximum amount of shorter appointments after school. Patients are seen by appointment only. We value your time, and make every effort to be on time. If you cannot keep an appointment please notify us as soon as possible so someone else can use this valuable appointment time. Please cancel only if absolutely necessary. It is difficult to reschedule most appointments because we schedule 6 to 9 weeks in advance. The office is open for appointments Monday through Thursday from 8:30 to 5:00.

Patient Participation and Cooperation

Orthodontic treatment can only be successful if the patient is a willing and cooperative participant. We strive to educate and encourage each patient, we reward great progress and we celebrate great results. All the clinical assistants consistently report to parents on progress and recruit their help when their children have problems. We use contests, phone calls and encouragement cards as incentives.

Cost of Treatment and Financial Arrangements

The cost of treatment depends on the severity of the patient's problem. You will be able to discuss fees and payment options before treatment begins. We have payment plans to suit different budgets, including a no-down-payment option. If you have insurance, we will help you determine the amount of coverage available. We accept assignment from most insurance plans, and we will file the necessary claims to the insurance company. We offer a discount if payment in full is made at the onset of treatment. For your convenience, we accept VISA and MASTERCARD for payment. We work hard to make orthodontics affordable.

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