How do I clean my retainers?

Cleaning traditional retainers is very easy. When you are brushing your teeth, take your tooth brush and brush your retainer. For a more “deep” clean you may use a denture cleaner or Retainer Brite. This allows bubbles to clean particles away from your retainer. Follow the instructions on the box. If you have metal wires on your retainer, don’t leave your retainer in the cleaner for extended times because this can weaken the wires.

Cleaning Essix retainers or Invisalign type retainers can be very easy also. Clean your aligner prior to each insertion. First use a liquid soap to make a lather in your hand and place the aligner in hand. Then scrub aligner with hands. For a more accurate clean you may use a cue tip. We ask you to use a mild liquid soap. This liquid soap may be anti-bacterial if you wish. Some patients prefer liquid soaps that are scented. Do NOT use mouth wash. The coloring can stain your aligners and make them more visible. Toothpaste can be abrasive to the plastic in your aligners. The scratches can collect bacteria causing discoloration and an odor.

“Oops I dropped my retainer in the trash!”

Going into the trash can be the worst scenario for a retainer. Even if the retainer is found, many patients don’t want to put the retainer back in their mouth. The best way to really clean your retainer is to brush it with an old toothbrush and get rid of any particles. Then you can dip the retainer in peroxide or rubbing alcohol. If you want, you may bring it into us, and we will clean it for you. REMEMBER: if you lose your retainer or break it there is a charge.

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Embrace the Winter Vibes at Century Orthodontics!

Winter is in full swing at Century Orthodontics, and we've got some frosty fun lined up for our amazing patients! Our current highlight is the "Guess the Snowballs" contest. Take a peek at Frosty's head and make your best guess on how many snowballs are hidden within. It's a snowball showdown, and the excitement is building! Guess the "Snowballs" But that's not all—we're adding a splash of color to the season with our Ugly Sweater Coloring Contest. Unleash your creativity and decorate the ugliest sweater you can imagine. The competition is fierce, and we can't wait to see the masterpiece you create. It's a chance to showcase your artistic skills and maybe even win a cool prize! "Ugliest" Sweater Contest As the temperature drops, things are getting "Chill-y" at Century Orthodontics, but fear not! Dr. Cavanaugh is here to warm things up with our special promotion. Get ready to straighten those Grill-y's because Dr....

Surprising Facts about the Origins of Orthodontics

1. Straighter teeth s tarted in Egypt. 2. Traditional braces have been around for almost 300 years. 3. Braces used to have a whole lot more metal. They were custom to each person and wrapped around the entire tooth. They were then cemented in the mouth. Before the 1970’s, orthodontists hand anchor brackets to teeth by winding wires tightly around each individual tooth 4. The first book about dentistry was written in 1840. Chapin A. Harris published his first book; “The Dental Art”. It describes practices about soldering knobs on bands to assist tooth rotation as well as applying gold caps to molars to open the dental bite.

Molar Monday

On Mondays we like to educate. Did you know that not all wisdom teeth need to be pulled? Wisdom teeth typically start erupting when you are 18-24 years old. Dentists and Orthodontists check on the amount of room needed for the wisdom teeth to come in and usually tend to refer to an oral surgeon if there is not enough room for them to fully erupt or if the don't have an opposing tooth to bite on. Normally people get a new molar tooth every 3-6 years until they reach maturity. The most common missing teeth are wisdom teeth and are also most likely to be pulled. If you still have all of your teeth including wisdom teeth you need to make sure you are keeping them clean and healthy and see your dentist every 6 months for a cleaning.

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