Braces Pittsboro IN

Choosing to get braces can be a weighty decision. Dr. Mark Vaughn at Chapman Orthodontics is an expert in braces near Pittsboro IN. We understand that there are a myriad of factors that can impact a person’s decision to straighten their teeth with braces.

Braces Pittsboro IN

There are many things to consider when choosing to pursue braces as dental treatment. Some things to consider are:

Cost – braces are an investment. Dr. Vaughn and the team at Indy Orthodontist do their best to make orthodontic treatment affordable.
Time – braces (depending upon the type) can take between 9 months and two years to correct your bite.
Convenience – Each type of braces offer advantages and disadvantages depending upon your lifestyle. For instance, Invisalign is made from clear aligners that are removable for brushing and eating. This could be a massive benefit for some.

Braces for Adults

Braces are not just for teenagers, anymore! Almost 25% of orthodontic patients who receive braces near Pittsboro IN are adults. If you have been using your age as an excuse, reconsider! As we age, our teeth continue to shift, regardless of whether or not a person has had braces, in the past.

A straight smile can have a major impact on a person’s confidence. Be sure to contact us, today, to begin the journey to your most beautiful smile!

Dr. Mark Vaughn and the team at Indy Orthodontist are experts in braces. If you have any questions pertaining to braces, clear braces, Invisalign, or Invisalign Teen in Pittsboro IN, Brownsburg, IN, Plainfield, IN, Avon, IN, Speedway, IN, or the 46167 area, or would like to schedule a complimentary consultation contact Indy Orthodontist at: 317 – 852 – 5566.

How To Brush and Floss Teeth with Braces

Dr. Chapman and the team at Chapman Orthodontics in Brownsburg, IN are orthodontics experts and can help explain to you why you should always maintain good oral health by brushing and flossing your teeth while wearing braces.

We’ve all been taught about the importance of brushing and flossing our teeth, typically in the morning when you wake up and at night before you go to sleep. But the one thing that you should never forget to do is clean your teeth properly, especially if you wear braces. While wearing braces, whether you’re a teenager or an adult, maintaining good oral health care Chapman Orthodontics helps ensure a successful treatment outcome.

Brushing and Flossing When Wearing Braces

With braces, food often gets caught in the brackets and wires, and then lingers on your teeth, creating plaque and tartar. These conditions can also cause serious and unwanted complications during your orthodontic treatment, such as:

Swollen gums
Cavities
Permanent stains on your teeth
Yellowed teeth
Bad breath

While wearing braces, not only is it important to brush your teeth multiple times a day but to brush them in the correct way. To get the best brushing results, make sure you brush your teeth and braces from every angle.

While brushing your braces on and around your top teeth, make sure to brush them with the toothbrush angled downward.

When brushing your braces on and around your bottom teeth, make sure you brush them with the toothbrush angled upward.

This helps to ensure that each tooth and every part of the tooth–the front surfaces, the chewing surfaces, and the back surfaces of your teeth–get completely clean. These techniques will also improve your brushing skills and give you a better cleaning treatment each time you brush.

Dr. Chapman stresses that cleaning your mouth, teeth, and braces effectively is an important part of your orthodontic treatment. If you don’t put the effort into your cleaning regimen while you are wearing braces, you may not get the outcome that you were hoping for: a clean, healthy, straight, white smile.

Flossing

Just brushing your teeth is not enough when you’re wearing braces. Flossing is a necessary (even if it’s a bit more awkward and difficult) and important step toward optimal oral health and the best orthodontic treatment outcome.

For people who wear braces, the Name Orthodontics team recommends using a waxed floss. Some tools designed just for flossing are made with a stiff tip to reach food stuck under the wire of your braces.

To be certain you are flossing effectively, remember these tips:

Thread the floss under the wire before passing the string between the teeth.

Rub the waxed floss up and down each surface of the tooth and don’t skip cleaning each and every gap.

Weave the floss through the individual gaps between the teeth (no blood should be seen. If you see blood, you may need to floss a little more gently).

Be sure to massage the gums with your toothbrush during brushing.

Finish things off with a good and thorough mouthwash rinse.

Both brushing and flossing your teeth properly are crucial steps in your orthodontic treatment with braces. You’ve already spent a lot of money on your braces to straighten your teeth and improve your smile. So why not maintain your oral health to ensure you get a healthy, beautiful smile?

If you’ve been searching for an orthodontist in Brownsburg, IN that can help you achieve a beautiful, glowing smile, then look no further than Dr. Chapman! To make an appointment for a consultation at our office, contact Chapman Orthodontics at: 317-852-5566

What Is the Perfect Age to Begin Taking My Child to the Orthodontist?

As a child develops, one of the first things parents begin to feel concern about is their child’s oral health. Dr. Chapman of Chapman Orthodontics in Brownsburg, IN is often asked if a child may eventually need orthodontic attention, what the signs are to look for, and at what age should a child begin treatment. No two cases are the same. Dr. Chapman has the answers to a few of the most important questions that you may have.

Protecting Your Smile With Halloween Around the Corner

Halloween is around the corner and we all like to indulge a bit. Here at Chapman Orthodontics we have a few recommendations to help care for your teeth when eating sugary sweets. The danger of sweets is that it can lead to tooth decay if not treated properly. Both Dr. Peter Chapman and the American Dental Association encourage proper care of your teeth all year long, but with the abundance of candy available this time of year, it’s time to be extra vigilant.

Sour and Fruity Candies: The downside of sour candies is the large amount of acid contained in them. Starburst and Skittles are the worst for your child’s teeth since these candies have a low pH value, which is known to ruin enamel. It’s the low pH, or acid, that makes you pucker and it’s also what wears down the enamel on your teeth! Without the enamel coating, your teeth can get brittle and nerves can be exposed. Chapman Orthodontics recommends that you brush, or at a minimum, rinse your teeth after indulging in these candies.

Hard Candies: If hard candies are your favorite, keep this in mind. Hard candies take longer to dissolve so it’s like bathing your teeth in sugar and acid. The sugar stays in your mouth longer and the longer the sugar is in your mouth, the more vulnerable your teeth are to cavities and tooth erosion. Sugar creates an environment perfect for cavity and bad breath causing bacteria to flourish. Again, Chapman Orthodontics encourages its patients to brush or rinse with a fluoride mouthwash.

Sticky, Chewy Candies: Love those sticky, chewy candies? Guess what, your braces and teeth are not a fan. Candies that include taffy, caramels, peanuts or nuts leave a sticky residue on your teeth and gums. This acts like an adhesive for bacteria which leads to tooth decay. These ingredients can also cause damage to your orthodontia, breaking your wires and brackets.

To protect your braces, avoid the following Halloween treats, or recipes with these ingredients: All hard candies, All chewy candies,Caramel, Nuts, Licorice, Taffy, Jelly beans, Hard pretzels, Bubble gum, Popcorn (including unpopped kernels), Ice.

Some Halloween goodies that are brace friendly include treats such as plain chocolate candies, milkshakes, pudding, cakes, and thinly sliced apples dipped in creamy chocolate sauce. For more information, a consultation, or quote, contact Dr. Peter Chapman and his team. Call Chapman Orthodontics at (317) 852-5566 or visit our office in Pittsboro, IN today!

While trick or treating this Halloween, Chapman Orthodontics wants to remind you to be safe and wear light colored or reflective costumes and bring a flashlight. After an adult checks over your candy, we recommend limiting your sweet intake and, most importantly, brush your teeth after indulging. We wish all of our patients a fun and safe Halloween!

Learn the Lingo of an Orthodontist

How many orthodontic terms do you know? Like any medical specialists, orthodontists have their own terminology they use to describe dental issues that can be treated with braces and the latest orthodontic technology, like Invisalign. Dr. Peter Chapman, a top orthodontist near Danville, Indiana, said understanding the terms doctors use can help alleviate the anxiety some patients have before a consultation.

Dr. Chapman tells future patients in Danville, Indiana, to learn 8 common terms before visiting an orthodontist:

1. Open-bite is when the upper and lower teeth do not touch because they thrust forward. Dr. Chapman attributes the condition to thumb-sucking, thrusting your tongue against your teeth when you swallow or sleep, underdeveloped teeth or an abnormal jaw structure.

2. Cross-bite, commonly called under-bite, is when the lower teeth overlap the upper teeth. Dr. Chapman said the issue often causes gum loss and uneven wear on teeth in some patients in Danville, Indiana.

3. Over-bite is when the upper teeth overlap the bottom teeth, which is fairly common. But a deep-bite, where the lower teeth are completely covered by the uppers, can be quite unhealthy, according to Dr. Chapman. Deep-bite often leads to gum loss and will create excessive wear on the top front teeth.

4. Spacing is a significant gap between teeth, which is caused by teeth that are missing or small or when the dental arch is very wide. Dr. Chapman has observed the condition leading to uneven wear on teeth in patients in Danville, Indiana.

5. Crowding, a common dental misalignment, is caused by a dental arch that is too small or when the teeth are too large. The teeth bunch together, forming a crooked smile. Dr. Chapman said the issue is more than unsightly. Crowding may cause gums to recede and weaken and lead to impacted teeth. Impacted teeth grow beneath the gum line but never push through the surface, according to the American Association of Orthodontists.

6. Appliance describes anything orthodontists like Dr. Peter Chapman attach to teeth that helps reposition the teeth or changes the shape of the jaw.

7. Retainers are appliances patients wear after braces are removed. Orthodontists attach the retainer to a patient’s teeth to hold them in place. Some retainers are removable, and others are bonded to the tongue side of several teeth.

8. Invisalign is a popular alternative to braces in Danville, Indiana. The relatively new technology straightens teeth with a series of clear, custom-molded aligners. The removable aligners, which are nearly invisible, are worn throughout the day but can be removed to eat and clean the teeth, according to Dr. Chapman.

Questions to Ask Your Orthodontist During a Consultation near Danville

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR ORTHODONTIST DURING YOUR CONSULTATION

An orthodontist can help you straighten your teeth and improve your overall dental health. Orthodontists like Dr. Peter Chapman near Danville, Indiana, are specialists who complete four years of dental school and then study the practice of orthodontics for an additional two to three years.

Here are some questions you should ask an orthodontist when you schedule an appointment for an initial consultation:

What are my treatment options?

Dr. Peter Chapman, a top orthodontist in the Danville area, works with patients to help them match orthodontics to their lifestyles. People now have a variety of treatment options, including traditional metal braces and clear braces. Invisalign retainers, which are virtually invisible, have become a popular choice for adults because they are removable and easy to clean.

How much pain can I expect?

Orthodontics work is relatively painless. Some patients do experience discomfort through the process, especially if braces rub against the inside of the mouth. Options like Invisalign, which doesn’t contain wire or brackets, may be more comfortable for some clients.

How many visits will it take?

Treatment plans for Invisalign and other braces are individualized. Orthodontics is a long-term commitment that can take anywhere from 12 months to 2 1/2 year of active treatment. During that period, Dr. Chapman schedules regular visits for adjustments and check ups. An additional 1 to 2 years of retention follow-up might be required.

Will I have to change the way I brush my teeth?

People with metal and clear braces need to brush by tilting the toothbrush bristles at an angle to get up under the wires of the braces and reach the tooth surface. Improper brushing causes tooth decay and gum disease and also leads to decalcification, or white spots, on the enamel of teeth when the braces are removed.

How much will braces cost?

Talk with your orthodontist about the total cost of your care, whether you choose traditional braces or Invisalign, and inquire about any possible hidden fees or charges for replacement parts. Most dental insurance programs include orthodontic care. Dr. Chapman and his staff work closely with patients to help them understand their total out-of-pocket expenses and to find affordable budgeting options, including financing.

Will I have to limit physical activities or diet?

Active people will still be able to play sports, although Dr. Chapman suggests they wear a mouth guard for activities like football, soccer, basketball and wrestling. The consumption of hard, sticky and sugary foods should be kept to a minimum, and sugary drinks, like soda or punch, should be limited.