Properly caring for your braces during treatment is essential for achieving the best smile outcomes! The team at Caswell Orthodontics has you covered with our top tips for brace care.

8 tips for proper brace care

Avoid chewy, sticky candy: Your brackets can get stuck to caramel, toffee, and gum and can come dislodged from your teeth. This can result in uncomfortable breakages, and can prolong your treatment time.

Cut hard food into bite-size pieces: Avoid biting directly into hard foods like apples, carrots, pizza, and crusty sandwiches. Cut them into small pieces instead and chew with your back teeth. Avoid chewing ice cubes - but you can still enjoy shaved ice of course!

Break those bad habits: If you’re a nail biter or like to chew on the end of a pencil, these habits can cause your appliance to break. It’s best to break those habits as soon as possible!

Carry a toothbrush out with you: It’s recommended that you brush your teeth after every meal or snack during treatment. As such, it’s helpful to take a toothbrush with you to work or school.

Use fluoride mouthwash: A daily mouthwash will keep your smile clean and help prevent plaque buildup around your brackets.

Floss at least once a day: It’s especially easy for food to get trapped between your teeth during treatment with braces. Flossing will help prevent tooth decay and gum disease, which can prolong your treatment journey.

Brush gently around your brackets: Be careful not to smack your brackets with your toothbrush handle, as this could damage them. Brush in gentle circular motions around the brackets to clean them from every angle.

Contact us immediately about breakages: If you do experience a broken wire or bracket, please contact our team as soon as possible so we can schedule a repair appointment to get your treatment back on track.

With all the new terminology, starting treatment with braces can be a bit baffling. But the team at Caswell Orthodontics is here to make it easy for you. We’ve compiled a list of all the different parts of braces to help you understand how they work to shape your smile.

Archwires: Archwires are the thin metal wires that are shaped specifically to fit around the arch of your smile and slot into the brackets of your braces. This archwire will be shaped by Dr. Caswell to provide pressure that will guide the direction of tooth movement.

Brackets: Brackets are the small metal or ceramic appliances that are fixed to each of your teeth.

Elastics (ties): Elastics (also referred to as ties) are small rubber rings that secure your archwire to the brackets of your braces. These elastics can be customized in fun colors to show off your personality.

Hooks: Hooks are small attachments on the brackets used to secure your elastics.

Mouthguard: A mouthguard is a special tray that provides protection to your appliance and teeth while playing a sport.

Palatal expander: A palatal expander is used to create a wider space in your upper jaw. It is attached to the upper molars through bonding or by cemented bands.

Separator (spacer): Separators are tiny elastics that fit snugly between your teeth to help make space for bands to be placed around them later.

Wax: Dental wax will be given to you during treatment. It can be used to create a barrier when a bracket or wire causes irritation to your cheeks or lips.

We offer a range of orthodontic treatments including traditional metal braces, Clarity braces, and Invisalign® clear aligners.

Metal braces are the original orthodontic method. In fact, they are what most people think of when they picture orthodontic treatment. But braces have come a long way over the years, and our modern metal braces are smaller, more comfortable, and more efficient than ever.

Metal braces straighten your smile using a system of metal brackets affixed to your teeth, a thin metal archwire running through them, and small elastic bands to hold it all together. These elastics can be customized with fun colors, or clear for added discretion.

When you visit our practice for adjustment appointments, Dr. Caswell will create precise bends in your archwires. This will create gentle, targeted pressure that will guide your teeth into proper alignment over the course of treatment.

Clarity braces use the trusted techniques of traditional metal braces in a new, discreet package. Instead of metal, the brackets of Clarity braces are made from clear ceramic. This ceramic helps your treatment to blend in with the natural color of your smile.

Clarity braces are incredibly sturdy and reliable, so you can enjoy your favorite sports during treatment. They're also designed for comfort and discretion with smooth rounded shapes and stain-resistant materials. Best yet? Clarity braces are great for any age.

If you want a virtually invisible treatment, you’re in luck! We offer Invisalign® treatment for children, teens, and adults at our practice. Invisalign® treatment uses a series of clear plastic aligners to move teeth into position - instead of metal brackets or wires.

These aligners look a bit like thin sports mouthguards, and they are custom-made for your exact smile. Besides being discreet, Invisalign® clear aligners are incredibly convenient. You can take them out for eating, brushing, and flossing - and can progress through treatment from home!