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Getting braces, or any orthodontic appliance is a daunting life change. At the end of your appointment or evaluation, your orthodontists, such as the experienced team at Greater Houston Orthodontics, including Dr. Amir Davoody, Dr. Rana Mehr, Dr. Thomais Ioannou, and Dr. Panagiotis Kyteas, will ask you if you have any questions, and as a new patient, it’s sometimes hard to know what exactly you should be asking or what you’ll need to know as you navigate your new braces. Here are five questions you’ll need to know the answers to for a smooth orthodontic experience.

Five Essential Questions for Your Orthodontist:

1. Can you describe my treatment plan?
2. What are my options for treatment?
3. What is this appliance doing? This adjustment?
4. How should I care for my new appliance?
5. Do I need to make any lifestyle changes now that I have this appliance?

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If you’re a reader of our blog, you know that orthodontic treatment benefits our patients in many ways that may not be immediately obvious. Most people who seek orthodontic treatment focus on a crooked bite, crowded teeth, or a smile they are generally unhappy with. While we certainly love giving every one of our patients a smile they can’t wait to show off, there are other benefits to treating any issues with the bite. 

One of those benefits is helping to solve issues a patient may have with their speech. Speech impairment is relatively common among children, and we see it frequently. Luckily, some simple orthodontic treatments can alter the anatomy and positioning of the tongue within the mouth, and these simple tweaks can make speech much easier and improve impaired speech. To learn more about how orthodontics can effectively address speech impediments, keep reading and find out how Dr. Amir Davoody, Dr. Rana Mehr, Dr. Thomais Ioannou, and Dr. Panagiotis Kyteas at Greater Houston Orthodontics can help.

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For those of us who haven’t gone to school for dentistry or orthodontics, some of the terms your provider may use can be a bit confusing. As a patient it’s important to understand how different parts of the mouth work together to create healthy teeth. From the jaw up to the tooth, each part inside the mouth is important to a healthy smile! It’s always beneficial for a patient or a parent of a patient to know a bit more about what’s going on behind the scenes during treatment. Dr. Amir Davoody, Dr. Rana Mehr, Dr. Thomais Ioannou, and Dr. Panagiotis Kyteas at Greater Houston Orthodontics share important topics to know before heading into a consult. 

The Tooth

Many people don’t know this, but teeth are joints too! The space where the tooth connects to the jaw and gums is a joint called a gomphosis. The tooth is the only example of this variety of joints in the human body. A gomphosis joint is similar to a peg in a hole and is a stationary joint, which means it is not capable of movement on its own. The part of the jawbone that the teeth connect to is the alveolar bone, and is part of the tooth joint system. Essentially, it moves your teeth when you chew, swallow, or talk. 

The tooth itself is composed of four layers of tissue. Three of these layers are hard tissue, which means they are calcified. The enamel, dentin, and cementum make up the hard parts of the tooth, while the pulp, a soft tissue, houses the nerves present on the inside of the tooth. The pulp is the only layer of soft tissue within the tooth. The cementum covers the root of the tooth below the gum line.

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One of the most common questions orthodontists get during braces treatment is whether white spots on the teeth are to be expected when treatment is done. Even if you aren’t in braces, tooth whitening is something dental professionals get asked about frequently. Luckily here are a few options for whitening your teeth and keeping them shiny and color-free from Dr. Amir Davoody, Dr. Rana Mehr, Dr. Thomais Ioannou, and Dr. Panagiotis Kyteas at Greater Houston Orthodontics.

In This Post, We’ll Cover

• White Spots with Braces
• Professional Whitening
• At-Home Whitening Solutions

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Invisalign is awesome; it gives you an amazing smile without anyone ever noticing it doing its hard work. Mild soreness after switching your Invisalign trays is completely normal but uncomfortable. To help you manage any Invisalign pain, here are a few tips from Dr. Amir Davoody, Dr. Rana Mehr, Dr. Thomais Ioannou, and Dr. Panagiotis Kyteas at Greater Houston Orthodontics! 

• Switch Your Aligners Before Bed: Switching to your next set of Invisalign aligners is what typically triggers any pain or soreness. Putting your new set of trays in right before you go to sleep means the tightness and pain associated with the tooth movement can be avoided for at least the night. And, by the time you wake up the worst of it will be over!
• Stick to Soft Foods: As always with a new orthodontic appliance or a change in your mouth, soreness can be helped with a soft-food-only diet, at least for a couple of days! We recommend stocking up on some soft braces-friendly food before you know any pain will set in. Here are some ideas: 

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Walking down aisles at the grocery can be overwhelming, and sometimes it’s hard to know which foods are healthy. It always pays off to check labels for high sugar content, high levels of acid, or ingredients you’ve never heard of, but here are some of our tips about foods to watch out for. Remember: it always pays to be mindful of what you take into your body! Whether a solid food, candy, soda, or sports drink, take the necessary steps to prevent unwanted conditions in any form that can damage your teeth. Keep reading to learn more from Dr. Amir Davoody, Dr. Rana Mehr, Dr. Thomais Ioannou, and Dr. Panagiotis Kyteas at Greater Houston Orthodontics about which foods pose a threat to your dental health.

What to Avoid

• Enemies of Enamel
• Surprisingly Sugary
• Bad for Breath

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So, you’ve finally gotten your braces off, finished your Invisalign, and you’re done with the orthodontist. Not so fast – after treatment, you’ll be fitted with a retainer to keep that smile perfect for years to come. Here we’ll address some common questions about getting a retainer and keeping your smile healthy long after braces from Orthodontists Dr. Amir Davoody, Dr. Rana Mehr, Dr. Thomais Ioannou, and Dr. Panagiotis Kyteas at Greater Houston Orthodontics. 

In This Post, We’ll Cover:

• What are Retainers For?
• Are there Different Types of Retainers?
• How Long do you Have to Wear Your Retainer?
• How to Care for a Retainer
• What if My Retainer Doesn’t Fit Anymore?

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We’ve all heard horror stories of sports injuries, even worse witnessed one ourselves. After getting braces, you may be wondering ‘Can I play sports with braces?’ The best way to protect your mouth from a painful fate is to invest in a mouthguard before taking to the court. Mouthguards protect not only your teeth but the soft tissue of your mouth from injury as you play.  Getting braces doesn’t mean giving up the sports you love! Luckily, braces will not keep you from any sport or physical activity. However, the price you pay for a beautiful smile is taking a little extra care of your mouth while in treatment. Keep reading to uncover the significant role that mouthguards play in protecting your oral health and overall well-being from Orthodontists Dr. Amir Davoody, Dr. Rana Mehr, Dr. Thomais Ioannou, and Dr. Panagiotis Kyteas at Greater Houston Orthodontics.

In This Post, We’ll Cover:

• Why should I wear a mouthguard?
• Do Braces put you at risk for a sports injury?
• What type of mouth guard should I buy?

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