(A) - Brackets Brackets are the small metal squares that are glued individually to each tooth. Metal brackets are generally made of stainless steel, while clear braces are made of a mixture of plastic and porcelain. Together with the arch wires, the brackets move the teeth to the desired position. (B) - Archwire The archwire is the wire t...

 You've finished your braces treatment - hooray! And now, you must wear retainers. What? Yes, retainers! Retainers are there to keep the results of your orthodontist's (with your co-operation) hard work in getting your teeth perfect. When you finish your orthodontic treatment, you will be provided with one set of clear retainers and one set of...

If your child needs orthodontic treatment but he she suffers from ADHD/ anxiety issues, you, the parent, will have to decide whether your child is suitable to undergo treatment. For treatment to be successful, patient co-operation is very important. Please assess whether your child will be able to do the following things:- 1) ABILITY TO SIT FOR LON...

 What are impacted teeth? An impacted tooth is a tooth that for some reason, has been blocked from breaking through the gum. Sometimes a tooth may be only partially impacted, meaning it has started to break through, and sometimes a tooth is fully impacted (meaning, it is stuck under the gums). How do I know if I have an impacted tooth? Oftenti...

We mostly want the perfect straight smile like we see on the television. But if you take a close look at your near ones, you will see that people have crooked teeth than the perfect straight. A correct treatment in time can help you overcome these crooked teeth. What exactly are crooked teeth and its types? Crooked teeth are those which are simply ...

Even if you brush and floss your pearly whites twice or thrice a day, you cannot think of going cavity-free. This is because the bacteria residing on the tongue are not being addressed. Cleaning your tongue is recommended as it is beneficial in fighting bad breath as well as maintaining good dental hygiene. The tongue is a very important struc...

Topping the list of many people's priorities is weight loss. We are currently living in the era of egotism and excess where over-consumption of food has nurtured an increasing obesity epidemic and an equally but opposite repercussion as people attempt to drop the resultant weight. Fad Diets may not be Fab for your Teeth Every day is seemingly greet...

 The Difference in Dental Health between Men and Women There is a common saying that men are from Mars and women from Venus! This is because men and women are quite different from each other in their personality and behavior, apart from the obvious physical characteristics. Dental health and its maintenance is different in men and women. Liste...

Medicines help us recover from various ailments. But they also have some adverse effects on our health in general and our oral health as well. It is important for you to mention all the medicines that you are having when you visit your dentist as few oral problems can occur as a response to these medicines. Here is a brief list of the most common w...

Not only do straight teeth make your smile beautiful and stunning, they bring your lips, face, and teeth in correct proportion with each other. So is that all? Apart from the cosmetic advantages, what's so great about having straight teeth? Straight teeth have a great contribution to our overall health. Here are few of the benefits of straight teet...

Your saliva might be the last thing you may be concerned about in your busy schedule. For some, saliva may look gross but there are immense benefits that this liquid offers to our mouth. Saliva is a liquid that is formed by the salivary glands of our body. It is predominantly water and has a combination of mucous, enzymes, minerals and proteins.&nb...

It is quite known how smoking can destroy your lungs. As a matter of fact, smoking can be extremely detrimental for your overall health as well. The blood vessels harden due to smoke products causing heart diseases and high blood pressure. Your oral health is also compromised due to smoking. Impact of smoking on oral health - The ill-effects of smo...

It's December and Santa is all geared up to bring you the season's choicest blessings and gifts! Christmas is the festival of joy and happiness and a time to party with friends and family. Hence, you indulge yourself in your favorite delicacies. In this pursuit of satisfying your taste buds, we make some unhealthy dietary choices keeping our oral a...

Brushing and flossing are essential oral hygiene measures that cleanse your teeth and stimulate your gums. To achieve good oral health, maintenance of oral hygiene is very important. Apart from that, diet plays a very important role in achieving good oral health. Nowadays, we tend to eat more of those things that satisfy our taste buds than those t...

Getting braces is not an easy task as your mouth needs to get adjusted to few pieces of metal fastened onto your teeth. These braces need to stay within your mouth intact for about eight to twelve months to achieve the desired results. In your pursuit for a beautiful smile what can be frustrating than a falling bracket! Well, it is important to und...

Lingual braces, also known as hidden braces or inside braces were first introduced in the 1970's. They are referred to as lingual braces because although the braces are like the traditional systems, there is one big difference.Instead of being fastened to the outside or front of the teeth, they are bonded to the inside or behind. Lingua is actually...

Do you feel that when you smile you show a lot of gum? A gummy smile can actually make you feel self-conscious. A gummy smile does not have a set of definition and it is mostly based on perception. As such, it varies from person to person. However, it has been shown that a smile will generally be seen as gummy when a gum tissue measuring about thre...

Is there a relationship between the emergence of wisdom teeth and the teeth getting misaligned after braces? If so, what is this relationship, you may ask? Well, just because the lower front teeth apparently start getting crooked around the same time wisdom teeth start erupting, the latter have always been thought to be a 'spoilers'. Although it is...

Why do orthodontists use elastics with braces? Rubber bands or orthodontic elastics are used for orthodontic treatment and have a very important role in bringing about optimum teeth movement.  Types of elastics There are two types of elastics primarily- 1.Ligatures- Braces are composed of brackets (that are stuck on the teeth) and archwires (t...

Do I Need Extractions with my Orthodontic Treatment? Orthodontic treatment or braces is the treatment of choice for misalignment and malocclusion. Ideally, treatments will involve the mere pushing, pulling, tipping, tilting and rotation of the teeth. Different forces are placed on them to bring them to the proper position. And sometimes, there is a...