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Can you whiten your teeth during orthodontics treatment?

As you align your teeth you may want to make them whiter due to wanting the best looking smile. But do not go out and buy yourself a whitening kit or whitening toothpaste just yet.

Whitening during orthodontic treatment

You should NOT whiten your teeth during orthodontic treatment. If you use whitening kits or whitening toothpaste while your teeth are still crowded, you will not reach all areas of the tooth. Hence, as your teeth straighten there will be noticeable spots. 

If you have braces and attempt to whiten your teeth, when the braces are removed there will be a difference because the whitening material will not reach under the brackets. The only part of your teeth that would be whitened is the area not covered by braces.

The same thing goes for Invisalign.  If there are attachments and you whiten your teeth, the whitening product will not reach under the attachments.  Subsequently, there will be  spots when the attachment is removed. 

When you get braces or Invisalign, your teeth may become sensitive from the movement. Teeth whitening can cause more sensitivity.  This sensitivity could make it worse for someone who has just started treatment.

It is also extremely important to have very good oral hygiene before whitening teeth. When you have braces, it becomes harder to notice plaque as it can be stuck in the braces or underneath the braces which means one could have cavities and not know. The whitening product could make the patient very uncomfortable and leave spots in some areas on the tooth the whitening could not reach due to the presence of plaque.

What can you do to keep your teeth white during treatment?

• Go see your dentist every 3-6months for cleanings 
• Try to stay away from food or drinks with strong colors that could stain your brackets or attachments such as coffee, red wine, curry, fruit punch, tomato sauce etc.
• After you are done eating, brush, floss & rinse so there is no food debris sitting around the brackets

Can you whiten your teeth AFTER treatment?

 Yes. Once the teeth are perfectly aligned and cleaned, one can start using whitening products. You can ask Dr. Azizi for a whitening kit at the end of treatment or go to local store and buy whitening strips. 

You can also go visit your general dentist who could possibly do whitening treatment all in one day.

 Ready to schedule a consultation?

Our office is eager to meet you and can't wait to discuss your orthodontic options.  If you are ready to start your smile journey with Azizi Orthodontics, give us a call. We have two convenient locations: Glenside-(215) 576-6414 and Ambler-(215) 646-9514.

Keeping up with your oral hygiene while in orthodontic treatment is very important. While the braces and Invisalign are working hard to align your teeth and perhaps even correct your bite!  You still need to take care of your teeth by brushing and flossing well with braces and Invisalign.

Why is oral hygiene important during orthodontic treatment?

Plaque builds up around the brackets and in between the wires. This is why you need to take the time to floss well and make sure you brush after every meal or snack. If you have Invisalign it is just as important to keep up with your oral hygiene. You need to brush or rinse your mouth before putting the trays back in your mouth.  The trays can hold  leftover food particles that may get stuck in your teeth. This is not good.  Just rinse the trays and brush them to keep them clean. After every meal or snack it is important to clean your teeth and your braces or Invisalign trays. 

What can happen if you do not keep up with your oral hygiene?

Poor oral hygiene can cause tooth decay and/or gum disease. Due to the braces holding plaque and food particles, the acid and sugars from the foods are left on the teeth which will cause an outline of staining of the brackets. If you do not keep up with your oral hygiene during your treatment with braces, it could also cause your treatment to end prematurely.

When you start treatment at our office you will receive an orthodontic toothbrush kit which will include special tools to help make it easier to floss under the wires and get the small food particles out. 

Tips for keeping up with your oral hygiene during treatment:

• Brush after every meal and snack, using a timer set at  .
• If you cannot brush after eating, try to rinse mouth with either water or even mouthwash.
• Floss.  Ask your orthodontist for floss threader.

                      Ready to schedule a consultation?

Our office is eager to meet you and can't wait to discuss your orthodontic options!  If you are ready to start your smile journey with Azizi Orthodontics, give us a call. We have two convenient locations: Glenside-(215) 576-6414 and Ambler-(215) 646-9514.

What is Celiac Disease?

Celiac disease is an autoimmune system condition caused by the small intestine’s sensitivity to gluten. Gluten is a protein that can be found in foods containing wheat, rye and barley. People who have celiac disease can have serious issues if they come in contact with gluten. Symptoms include:  bloating, diarrhea, abdominal pain, weight loss and more. To be diagnosed with celiac disease, a physician would have to order blood work and analyze the results.  In some cases, an intestinal biopsy may be required.

How would celiac disease interfere with your oral health?

Celiac disease could affect a patient's enamel and tooth development if they were diagnosed at a young age. Due to the lack of calcium in a celiac patient's body, they tend to be more prominent to cavities. Some non-food items can also contain a wheat protein to help the elastic nature and to thicken and bind substances. You can find gluten in some cosmetic products, medications, and even some dental products. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has rules which must be met in order for a product to advertise as gluten-free.  It is up to the manufacturer to put a label on their product stating it is gluten- free. 

Some gluten-free dental products are:

Benco Dental : PRO-SYS, PRO-SYS Premium, Gibson Health Care, Chlorhexidine Rinse

Crest:  All Crest Toothpastes, Crest Whitestrips

Colgate:  All Colgate products, Optic White mouth rinse, Total mouth rinse, Periogard mouth rinse, PreviDent Mouth Rinse, Optic Whitestrips

Water Pik Technologies: Waterpik, Waterpik soft, Shine cosmetics

Henry Schein:  Acclean

At Azizi Orthodontics, we want to reassure our patients they will receive the best care in our office. Patients who may have celiac disease should know we are using safe products and will not have to worry about our products affecting their treatment.  
 

 Ready to schedule a consult?

Our office is eager to meet you and can't wait to discuss your orthodontic options!  If you are ready to start your smile journey with Azizi Orthodontics, give us a call. We have two convenient locations: Glenside-(215) 576-6414 and Ambler-(215) 646-9514.

Say goodbye to gagging and gooey impressions! Thanks to the latest technology, the Itero Scanner, Dr. Azizi is able to provide his patients with the best!

What is the Itero Scanner?

The Itero is an intra-oral scanner that  creates a 3-D model within minutes. There is a small wand that captures all the areas of the mouth and combines the images of your teeth to create the 3-D model. Dr. Azizi is able to have a patient's mouth scanned within minutes without using any gross materials. With the Itero scanner our office is able to give our patients an amazing and easy experience without gagging! The Itero creates a 3-D model of your mouth which helps Dr. Azizi  give his patients the best treatment. While being scanned Dr. Azizi is able to see all dimensions of patients teeth and their bite.  The scans are also more accurate and  better detailed.

Why is the Itero scanner better than traditional impressions?

The Itero scanner is used for patients who need any orthodontic appliances, retainers, and Invisalign. The Itero guarantees a better fit for all orthodontic appliances, retainers and Invisalign trays versus the impressions we use to take on patients. Thanks to the Itero patients appointments are much quicker because the waiting process is eliminated. After the scan is taken, Dr. Azizi is able to show the patient a simulation of their smile journey. The other amazing thing about being scanned is  each scan is saved to your own personal file. So if a you want to see your progress during  treatment, we can easily pull up your chart on the Itero and show  all the scans we have taken of your mouth during  treatment. This is a great way for patients to feel confident in their progress.

Is the Itero only for patients who want Invisalign?

No. All patients are scanned during the new patient consult, regardless of choosing braces or Invisalign. Dr. Azizi will use the scan to create the best treatment plan for his patients whether it is for braces or Invisalign.

Ready to be scanned?

Every patient receives a scan at their new patient consultation. If you are ready to start your smile journey with Azizi Orthodontics, give us a call! We have two convenient locations: Glenside-(215)576-6414 & Ambler-(215)646-9514.