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Orthodontics is often thought of as a way to improve the alignment and appearance of your teeth, but did you know that it can also benefit your respiratory health? Your orthodontist is specially trained to identify and treat a range of issues beyond just your teeth, including respiratory disorders like asthma and sleep apnea. In this post, Dr. Laurie McNamara McClatchey and Dr. James A. McNamara at McNamara Orthodontics provide valuable insights on how orthodontics fits into the treatment of respiratory disorders.

Asthma is a common condition that affects millions of people worldwide. It can have negative effects on your oral health, including decreased saliva production and an increased risk of tooth decay and cavities. Your orthodontist can help by adjusting your treatment plan to accommodate your asthma symptoms. By doing so, they can ensure that your orthodontic treatment doesn’t exacerbate your respiratory issues.

Sleep apnea is another disorder that can benefit from orthodontic treatment. In fact, orthodontists are often the first to identify signs of sleep apnea in patients during a routine exam. If you are diagnosed with sleep apnea, your orthodontist can work with other specialists to create a treatment plan that addresses your breathing issues.

In addition to treating respiratory disorders, orthodontic treatment can also improve your overall facial appearance and breathing. By adjusting the position of your teeth and jaw, your orthodontist can create a more balanced facial profile that improves your breathing and speech.

Orthodontics is a valuable tool for addressing a wide range of issues beyond just the appearance of your teeth. If you suffer from asthma, sleep apnea, or other respiratory issues, consider speaking with your orthodontist to see how they can help improve your breathing and overall health.

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. Laurie McNamara McClatchey and Dr. James A. McNamara at McNamara 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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Having a pearly white smile is often a top concern our patients bring to our office. One of the most common questions we get as orthodontists during braces treatment is whether white spots on the teeth are to be expected. Even our patients who don’t have braces are concerned about maintaining a clean white smile. Luckily Dr. Laurie McNamara McClatchey and Dr. James A. McNamara at McNamara Orthodontics have some tips and tricks for you in this post about white spots from braces, professional whitening services, and at-home whitening methods that are safe for your teeth. 

White Spots 

The white spots that appear because of orthodontic treatment are called white spot lesions (WSLs. Typically patients with WSLs see them under brackets or in hard to reach places between teeth and close to the gums.  Orthodontists are frequently asked about the possibility of white spots after braces, but what determines if WSLs will be present after treatment is your brushing habits, and they are avoidable. 

Preventing WSLs is easy, you just have to keep your teeth clean and practice the best oral health routine you can. This involves brushing twice a day, flossing, and using fluoride. You could even upgrade to an electric toothbrush to better reach spaces blocked by your braces. 

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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. Laurie McNamara McClatchey and Dr. James A. McNamara at McNamara 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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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 McNamara Orthodontics, including Dr. Laurie McNamara McClatchey and Dr. James A. McNamara, 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 read health blogs or follow a fitness influencer, you know vitamins and minerals are an essential part of your health. But vitamins are good for more than keeping your energy up or gut health, they are hugely important to good oral health as well. Vitamins are preventative measures for common oral health issues. Improving your mouth’s health every day with vitamins is a proactive way to ensure a pain-free healthy dental experience. Dr. Laurie McNamara McClatchey and Dr. James A. McNamara at McNamara Orthodontics recommend these five for tooth health and strengthening your enamel and promoting jaw health. 

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