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If you have braces, then you know they are working hard to straighten your smile. Sometimes those hard-working braces are also preventing you from easily cleaning your teeth. It is essential that you put some extra attention into preventing white spots and tooth decay while wearing braces. When your braces are finally removed by Dr. Cox or Dr. Pridemore, you want a perfect, white smile, not decayed or stained teeth. So here are the best ways to ensure you have the smile you’ve always dreamed of once your braces are gone.

#1 - Use an electric toothbrush!

A regular toothbrush does not always cut it when you have braces, so use the Oral B 5000 series electric toothbrush that was provided By Dr. Cox and Dr. Pridemore when you started braces. Also, the orthodontic brush heads provided in your new patient work much better than the regular square shaped heads at getting around and under your braces and wires.

#2 - Brush after every meal!

Braces and the wires with braces tend to trap food from naturally escaping from your teeth after meals. The less time food has to sit on your teeth, the less of a chance you have of developing white spots or decay.

#3 - Floss and/or use a water pik!

Although braces make it harder to floss, it is still very important to floss during orthodontic treatment. It is very hard for the bristles of a toothbrush to remove the trapped food from between your teeth. Try using the floss threaders that were provided at your first appointment, and if you forget how to floss look up "Flossing with braces" on YouTube! Don't forget the mouth rinse!

#4 - Avoid sugary sweets!

Sticky, sugary, and sweet candy or foods can adhere more readily to your teeth and are very hard to remove when cleaning. Therefore, make your best effort to avoid them while in braces! You can do it!

#5 - Attend your regular scheduled dental cleanings!

Although we see our patients on a regular basis, we are not able to perform a thorough cleaning like your dental hygienist. These appointments at your dentist are very important for your overall dental health. Our office recommends cleanings every three to six months!

Our entire team at Pridemore and Cox Orthodontics is here to make sure your teeth are as beautifully straight as they are healthy! Feel free to ask any questions about your oral health at your next visit!

Not everyone has their own family dentist and many people forget about mentioning orthodontic work during their regular dentist appointments. The good news about coming to Pridemore and Cox Orthodontics is that you don't need to have any type of referral in order to book an appointment or to learn more.

Although there are some patients that come into our orthodontic office directly from a dentist referral a great deal of the people that we see in our offices are referred by other orthodontic patients and simply from finding our website online or through our advertising. If you are ever curious or concerned about your oral health it's important to set up an orthodontics consultation directly by calling our office.

You might feel a bit intimidated by the concept of price for orthodontic treatment but it is important to note that many health plans will cover the cost of orthodontic treatment, you’re financing in treatment options available and in all cases we will offer up the initial consultation for orthodontic treatment completely free of charge.

This means that you can have all of your questions answered, a recommendation for orthodontic treatment and an assessment of your oral health all at no risk to you and completely free of charge. To book a free consultation contact our office today. Regardless of whether you have a family dentist or dental referral Pridemore and Cox orthodontics is available to help you!

When beginning orthodontic treatment, most patients ask Dr. Cox and Pridemore and our team a lot of questions about what to expect, while others choose to just “go with the flow” and leave it to us to build for them a beautiful smile. And for our team at Pridemore and Cox Orthodontics, that’s understandable.

But for those who do ask questions, two of the ones we frequently hear are “Will my braces hurt?” and “How long will these be on?”

We explain to our patients that despite what they’ve heard, braces do not hurt when they’re initially put on. Yes, you will experience soreness after your braces are placed and when your teeth start to move. Too often, our patients hear horror stories about how much it hurts to get the braces on, so they tend to over-worry. The truth is, after their braces are on, almost all patients say “that’s it?” because it’s actually easy and painless!

At Pridemore and Cox Orthodontics, we answer most of your other questions during your initial exam. When a patient visits our office for the first time, we give him or her a time estimate of how long it will take to achieve their ideal smile. All other questions are answered at the bonding appointment when the braces are placed. We cover all the topics, everything from eating to brushing with braces, but we also know that after your initial appointment, it’s natural for you to have questions about your or your child’s treatment. And we are always here for you; we are thorough and always try to answer any questions or concerns you may have. As a patient, that’s one thing you never have to worry about. You will always know what’s going on throughout your orthodontic experience.