Patient FAQs
How much are braces and Invisalign?
We provide high-quality orthodontic treatment that can be customized to your budget. We accept many HMO and PPO dental insurance plans, and we offer a variety of payment options to meet your needs. We also offer an interest-free, no money down in-house financing plan. We accept CareCredit, LendingClub, Cash, Checks, Visa, American Express, MasterCard, and Discover.
Treatment
Take extra care of your mouth during your treatment. Appliances are strong enough to do their jobs but not enough to stand undue abuse and neglect. Avoid chewing pencils and fingernails and eating hard and sticky foods. Outside of the office, you should keep your braces and teeth EXTRA CLEAN with special care at home. On top of that, make sure to visit your dentist every three months for professional cleanings to ensure your treatment goes swiftly and painlessly.
The length of your treatment Wiewiora & Dunn provides varies depending on a number of factors:
- The complexity of your orthodontic problem.
- Growth and tissue response to treatment.
- Level of cooperation from the patient.
- If every member of the team (the family dentist, orthodontist, and patient) cooperate well, the length of your comprehensive orthodontic treatment can range from 12 to 30 months.
General Questions
In the event of an emergency, please call our office right away so we can schedule an appointment for you. Please do not come directly to the office without calling first. Once you call, we can create a time to see you and give you the individual attention you deserve.
If your emergency occurs after business hours, please call our office. You will be directed to our on-call certified orthodontic assistant who will provide you with guidance.
The procedure for what you do after damaging your teeth or appliances varies based on what you’ve done and the severity.
Here’s a list of common issues and what you should do if you run into them:
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Trauma to Your Tooth:
Call your dentist and report your trauma.
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A Bracket is Knocked Off:
Call your orthodontist to explain how it happened. They will determine the best course of action from there.
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The Archwire is Poking Your Cheek:
Put wax over the area the wire is poking. Schedule an appointment with your orthodontist to have the wire clipped.
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Ligature Wire is Poking Your Lip or Cheek:
Use a Q-tip or pencil eraser to push the wire flat against the tooth. If the wire cannot be moved into a comfortable position, cover it with relief wax.
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Your Brackets, Wires, or Bands Have Loosened:
If the braces have come loose in any way, call our office to determine the appropriate next steps. Save any pieces of your braces that break off and bring them with you when you come in to see the orthodontist.
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Irritation of the Lip or Cheeks:
Pinch off a small amount of orthodontic wax (the size of a pea) and place it completely over the area the braces are causing irritation. If possible, dry off the area first, as that will make the wax stick better.
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Mouth Sores:
Apply a small amount of topical anesthetic (such as Orabase or OraGel).
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Discomfort:
This is normal for the first three to five days after your braces or retainer is adjusted. During this period, eat soft foods. If your mouth becomes sore, you should rinse twice a day with warm salt water. Over-the-counter pain relievers such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen (in recommended doses), may be effective.
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Lost Ligature (Rubber or Wire):
Contact your orthodontist to see if it needs to be replaced right away.
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Lip Gets Caught on a Brace:
CALL YOUR DENTIST IMMEDIATELY! Apply ice to the affected area until you have the opportunity to see your orthodontist or family dentist.
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Food Caught Between Teeth:
Remove the piece of food with floss or an interproximal brush.
The three types of foods you should avoid are:
- Hard Foods: may bend wires, loosen cement under the bands or break the attached brackets and tubes.
- Sticky Foods: may bend wires or pull cement loose.
- Foods High in Sugar Content: may wear down your wires and brackets.
Some examples of food you should avoid are popcorn, nuts, ice, lemons, corn, hard breads, taffy, caramel, gum, and pizza crusts.
When you come into Wiewiora & Dunn for your first meeting to correct your orthodontic issues, your dentist will bring up numerous common bad habits that can contribute to your oral woes:
- Thumb sucking
- Mouth breathing
- Fingernail biting
- Tongue thrusting
- Tearing things with your teeth
- Chewing on pens or pencils
If these are not corrected, your oral treatment may not be permanent.
If your teeth do not grow into their right positions, it is advised that certain baby teeth should be removed in sequence. Wiewiora & Dunn can perform this procedure, known as serial extraction. This can minimize severe crowding and rotations of the front teeth, reduce the chances of tooth decay and tissue damage, and allow for teeth to be straightened. Serial extraction itself won’t fix your problems for good, but it allows for your permanent teeth to grown into more normal positions.
In some cases, teeth will be too large for your mouth, which is known as crowding. From a young age, a dentist can diagnose how serious a problem your crowding can be. If you come into Wiewiora & Dunn for a digital scan and get diagnosed that severe crowding will result as you get older, certain permanent teeth may have to be removed. From there, the rest of your teeth will fill in to be in a normal position.
