ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT – WHAT ARE THE … Information Leaflet No: 2 ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT – WHAT ARE THE RISKS? If you are thinking of having orthodontic treatment, you will need

PatientInformationLeafletNo:2

ORTHODONTICTREATMENT–WHATARETHERISKS?

Ifyouarethinkingofhavingorthodontictreatment,youwillneedtoknowaboutthebenefitsandrisks.Youmaywanttoasksomequestionsbeforeyoudecidewhethertogoahead.What is orthodontic treatment? Orthodontic treatment usually involves wearing braces. Orthodontictreatmentmay involve theextractionof teeth,butonlywhennecessary. Yourorthodontistwill advise youduringtreatmentplanning.What are thepossiblebenefits of orthodontic treatment? There aremanybenefits of havingorthodontictreatmentsuchas:

• Improveappearanceoftheteethandface• Improvedhealthofteethandgums• Improvedbite,makingiteasiertoeat

Whatarethepossiblerisksoforthodontictreatment?Patientsshouldfinishtheirorthodontictreatmentwithhealthyteethandgums.Unfortunately,somepatientsdoexperienceproblemsduringorthodontictreatment.Your orthodontist will talk to you about the common risks of treatment and about those that mightparticularlyaffectyou.

MOSTPROBLEMSAREPREVENTABLEIFYOUTAKECAREOFYOURTEETHANDGUMSWill I end upwithmarks onmy teeth? Your teeth will be damaged unless you keep them clean and aresensibleaboutwhatyoueatanddrink.

MAKESURETHISDOESN’THAPPENTOYOURTEETH!

Itisimportanttobrushyourteethwellaminimumoftwiceaday,withfluoridetoothpaste.Ifyoudonotkeepyour teeth andbraces clean, you risk endingupwithpermanentwhiteor brownmarkson your teeth.Thepictureaboveshowsthis.Rinsingwithfluoridemouth-washatbedtimeaftertoothbrushing,willalsohelptokeepyourteethhealthy. Ifyouhavetoomanysweets,sugaryfoods,fruitdrinksorfizzydrinksyoualsoriskendingupwithmarksonyourteeth.Themoreoftenyouhavesugaryfoodsordrinks,themorelikelyyouaretodamageyourteeth,soavoidsweetthingsbetweenmeals.Willmygumsbedamaged?Mostpatientsexperiencealittlerednessandswellingofthegumswhilstwearingabrace.Theproblemusuallydisappearsoncethebraceisremoved.However,ifyoudonotbrushyourteethandbraceproperly,yourgumsmaybecomeveryswollenduringtreatment,causinglastingdamage.

| Email: mail@belurorthodontics.co.uk | Website: http://belurorthodontics.co.uk

Does itmatter if I have injuredmy teeth in the past?Please tell your orthodontist if you have previouslyknockedordamagedafronttooth.Ifthishashappenedtoyou,thenthereisariskthatyourtoothmayneedfurthertreatmentwhileyouarewearingabrace.Onesignofthis isthatthetoothmaybecomedarkerovertime.Ifanytreatmentisneeded,thiswillusuallybecarriedoutbyyourregulardentist.

Willtherootsofmyteethbedamaged?Allbraceworkcausesminorchangestotherootsoftheteeth.Thisisnotusuallyaproblem. Occasionally,changestotherootscanbemoreserious. It isoftenpossibletotell ifsomeoneisatrisk,butnotalways.Ifyouareatparticularriskyourorthodontistwilltalktoyouaboutthis.

Willmyteethbepainful?Yourteetharelikelytobesoreforabout3-5daysafterthebraceisfittedandeachtime it isadjusted. Ifnecessary,painkillers suchas theonesyouwouldnormally take foraheadachemayhelp. Pleasefollowtheinstructionsonthepacket. Ifyourbracerubsyourlipsorcheek,youcanbegivenaproducttohelpwiththis. Ifyouareexperiencingextremepainpleasecall01189775121togetadvicefromyourorthodontist.

Isthereachancethatmytreatmentwon’tbesuccessful?Yourorthodontictreatmentshouldbesuccessfulifyou are committed to your treatment, look after your teeth and braces well, followyour orthodontist’sinstructionsandensurethatyouattendedyourregularappointmentstohavethebraceadjusted.

Willmyteethmoveaftertreatment?Youwillbeaskedtowearretainersafteractivetreatment. Retainersaredesignedtoholdtheteethintheirnewstraightposition.Itisveryimportantthatyouwearyourretainersas instructed. How long you will need to wear them depends on how your teeth originally looked. Yourorthodontistwilldiscussthiswithyouattheendofactivetreatment.

Youcanexpectyourteethtomovealittleonceyoustopwearingretainers. Changesinthepositionofyourteethcancontinuethroughoutlifeandareapartofthenormalageingprocess.Tomaintaintheteethinthepositiontheywereinwhenyourbraceswereremoved,itisadvisedthatyouwearyourretainersonceaweekonalongtermbasis.

Arethereanyotherrisks? Therearesomerareriskswhichonlyaffectafewpeople. Ifthereisaparticularriskinvolvedinyourtreatment,yourorthodontistwilltalktoyouaboutthis.

If you have any more questions that you would like to ask, please write them down and talk to yourorthodontistatyournextappointment.Itisimportantthatyoufullyunderstandwhatisinvolvedinhavingtreatmentbeforeyoudecidetogoahead.