Orthodontics & Braces 
There Are Forces Constantly Trying to Move Your Teeth(0)
Did you know that while you are reading this, there are many different forces acting on your teeth? I’m guessing that right now your tongue is probably slightly resting on the the back of your lower front teeth and the inside of your lips are resting against your front teeth. If you took a magic [...]
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Can a Dentist Who’s Not An Orthodontist Offer Braces?
I frequently get emails from people asking me if a general dentist is allowed to provide orthodontic treatment to their patients, or if this can only be done by orthodontists. The short answer is yes. General dentists CAN offer their patients braces. If a general dentist wants to provide orthodontics in his or her practice, [...]
Is a Labial Frenectomy Necessary After Braces?
A couple of months ago, my sister called to ask my opinion about a frenectomy that the orthodontist had suggested for my nephew. After discussing it with the orthodontist, my sister decided to postpone the frenectomy for the time being. Since then, it seems that I’ve had more than a few questions about the necessity [...]
Why Braces Might Have Two Colored Rubber Bands Around Them
A few weeks ago, Emily asked the following question: For some reason I just noticed that one of brackets has two elastic bands on it. One one One side of the bracket and the other on the other side of the bracket. Not one just going around the whole bracket like the rest. Is this [...]
Do Braces Hurt?
Recently, I’ve gotten quite a few questions about whether or not braces hurt. A lot of the questions are from young people who will be getting braces very soon and are getting kind of nervous about whether or not the braces will hurt when they get them put on. To answer the question of whether [...]
Power Chains: Why Some Colored Braces are Connected
If you take a look at the young woman to the left, you’ll notice that she has blue colored rubber bands that attach the orthodontic wire to her braces. You may also notice that it is one long, continuous band. This is known as a power chain. Most braces currently used require a rubber band, [...]
Colored Braces: What Colors of Braces Can You Get?
Not too long ago, I spent a week of my dental school career in the orthodontics department, helping the future orthodontists to straighten people’s teeth. A lot of the teenagers’ favorite part of their appointment was at the very end when they got to choose what color their braces would be for the few weeks [...]
Why You Have to Have Rubber Bands On Each Tooth With Braces
Louise, a reader from Pennsylvania recently wrote in to ask why you need to have rubber bands on each individual tooth with a bracket on it. Here’s what she asked: Why do some people have rubber bands around each individual piece of metal on each tooth when they have braces? I thought that rubber bands [...]
Hi, I'm Tom. I'm currently a 4th year dental student in the USA. I started this blog to help people take better care of their teeth. You can