Creating Beautiful Smiles in Washington DC

As an orthodontist in Washington, D.C., I work hard to build beautiful smiles. But how does that treatment workout when patients leave my office and go about their normal routines? Well, that all depends on the food they eat.

Having braces doesn’t mean you have to stop eating your favorite foods. For most situations, common sense will tell you what to avoid. Hard foods can break or damage wires and brackets. Sticky foods can get caught between brackets and wires. Minimize sugary foods; they cause tooth decay and related problems. Nail biting, pencil and pen chewing and chewing on foreign objects should be avoided.

If you feel like braces might conflict with your eating habits, you might want to consider Invisalign. Invisalign aligners are not only clear and virtually invisible, but they can be removed while you eat! For more information about invisalign, you may want to check out my orthodontic website.

Life with Braces in Washington DC

Eating with Braces

What can you eat? Let's talk about what you shouldn't eat! If you've been wanting to drop a few pounds, the first week wearing braces is just your chance! For the first day or so, stick to soft foods. Avoid tough meats, hard breads, and raw vegetables. Before long, you'll be able to bite a cucumber again. But you'll need to protect your orthodontic appliances when you eat for as long as you're wearing braces.

Foods to Avoid

• Chewy foods: bagels, hard rolls, licorice
• Crunchy foods: popcorn, ice, chips
• Sticky foods: caramels, gum
• Hard foods: nuts, candy
• Foods you have to bite into: corn on the cob, apples, carrots
• Chewing on hard things (for example, pens, pencils or fingernails) can damage the braces. Damaged braces will cause treatment to take longer.

General Soreness

When you get your braces on, you may feel general soreness in your mouth and teeth may be tender to biting pressures for three to five days. This can be relieved by rinsing your mouth with a warm salt water mouthwash. Dissolve one teaspoonful of salt in 8 ounces of warm water, and rinse your mouth vigorously. If the tenderness is severe, take aspirin or whatever you normally take for headache or similar pain. The lips, cheeks and tongue may also become irritated for one to two weeks as they toughen and become accustomed to the surface of the braces. You can put wax on the braces to lessen this. We'll show you how!

Loosening of Teeth

This is to be expected throughout treatment. Don't worry! It's normal. Teeth must loosen first so they can be moved. The teeth will again become rigidly fixed in their new - corrected - positions.

Care of Appliances

To successfully complete the treatment plan, the patient must work together with the orthodontist. The teeth and jaws can only move toward their corrected positions if the patient consistently wears the rubber bands, headgear or other appliances as prescribed. Damaged appliances lengthen the treatment time.

Brushing

It's more important than ever to brush and floss regularly when you have braces, so the teeth and gums are healthy after orthodontic treatment. Patients who do not keep their teeth clean may require more frequent visits to the dentist for a professional cleaning. Adults who have a history of gum disease should also see a periodontist during orthodontic treatment.

Retainer Instructions

• Wear your retainers full time, until the doctor instructs otherwise.
• Take your retainers out when eating... and always put retainers in their case! (Most appliances are lost in school lunch rooms or restaurants.)
• Clean retainers thoroughly once a day with a toothbrush and toothpaste. Use warm but not hot water. Brushing retainers removes the plaque, and eliminates odors. Efferdent or other orthodontic appliance cleaners can be used, but do not take the place of brushing.
• When retainers are not in your mouth they should ALWAYS be in a retainer case. Pets love to chew on them!
• Initially, you may find it difficult to speak. Practice speaking, reading, or singing out loud to get used to them faster.
• Retainers are breakable, so treat them with care. If retainers are lost or broken call us immediately.
• If you have any questions or concerns about your retainers, or your retainers need adjusting, call us. Do not try to adjust them yourself.
• Always bring your retainers to your appointments.
• Retainer replacement is expensive... with proper care they will last for years!
• Remove retainers when swimming.
• Keep retainers away from hot water, hot car dashboards, pockets, the washing machine, and napkins.

Athletics

If you play sports, it's important that you consult us for special precautions. A protective mouthguard is advised for playing contact sports. In case of any accident involving the face, check your mouth and the appliances immediately. If teeth are loosened or the appliances damaged, phone at once for an appointment. In the meantime, treat your discomfort as you would treat any general soreness.

Loose Wire or Band

Don't be alarmed if a wire or band comes loose. This happens occasionally. If wire protrudes and is irritating, use a blunt instrument (back of spoon or the eraser end of a pencil) and carefully, gently push the irritating wire under the archwire. Simply get it out of the way. If irritation to the lips or mouth continues, place wax or wet cotton on the wire to reduce the annoyance. Call our office as soon as possible for an appointment to check and repair the appliances.

Getting Invisalign (invisible braces) in Washington, DC - Serving Chevy Chase, Bethesda, Washington, and Surrounding

We serve the entire District of Columbia (DC) mid-Atlantic region including Washington, Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Rockville, and more with TOP Invsialign Treatment. Please use this blog and our orthodontic practice site to learn more about Invisalign in Washington DC.

Dr. Jeremy Orchin & Dr. Andrew Orchin are Certified Invisalign Providers

Consider Invisalign to get the beautiful straight teeth you've always wanted – without braces. A consultation with Orchin Orthodontics can determine if Invisalign is right for you.

What is it?

Invisalign uses a series of invisible, removable, and comfortable aligners that no one can tell you're wearing. So you can smile more during treatment as well as after. Invisalign is made with 3-D computer imaging technology, and has been proven effective. More than 70% of orthodontists in the US and Canada are certified to treat with Invisalign.

Why would I want it?

Not only are the aligners invisible, they are removable, so you can eat and drink what you want while in treatment, plus brushing and flossing are no problem. They are also comfortable, with no metal to cause mouth abrasions during treatment. And no metal and wires usually means you spend less time in your doctor's office getting adjustments. Invisalign also allows you to view your own virtual treatment plan when you start, so you can see how your straight teeth will look when your treatment is complete.

How does it work?

You wear each set of aligners for about 2 weeks, removing them only to eat, drink, brush, and floss. As you replace each aligner with the next in the series, your teeth will move – little by little, week by week – until they have straightened to the final position Orchin Orthodontics has prescribed. You'll visit Orchin Orthodontics about once every 6 weeks to ensure that your treatment is progressing as planned. Total treatment time averages 9-15 months and the average number of aligners worn during treatment is between 18 and 30, but both will vary from case to case.

Getting Braces in Washington D.C.

As orthodontists in Washington D.C., we understand the importance of a healthy smile. At Orchin Orthodontics, we offer state-of-the-art treatment in a kind, comfortable, and caring environment, with a focus on orthodontics and braces for children and adults. With our convenient location, getting that healthy smile in Washington D.C. has never been easier. Let us show you the benefits of braces and ask us about Invisalign as well!

Why Braces?

Your dentist may have discussed with you the benefits of having healthy teeth and proper jaw alignment. Crooked and crowded teeth are hard to clean and maintain. This can result in tooth decay, worsen gum disease and lead to tooth loss. Other orthodontic problems can contribute to abnormal wear of tooth surfaces, inefficient chewing function, excessive stress on gum tissue and the bone that supports the teeth, or misalignment of the jaw joints. These can lead to chronic headaches and face or neck pain. Treatment by an orthodontist can be less costly than the additional care required to treat dental problems arising as a result of orthodontic problems. For most people, a beautiful smile is the most obvious benefit of Orthodontics. After your braces come off, you'll feel more self-confident.

Braces for All Ages

Adults

Orthodontic treatment can be successful at any age, and adults especially appreciate the benefits of a beautiful smile. One of every five patients in orthodontic treatment is over 21. Jaw surgery is more often required for adult orthodontic patients because their jaws are not growing. Adults also may have experienced some breakdown or loss of their teeth and bone that supports the teeth and may require periodontal treatment before, during and/or after orthodontic treatment. Bone loss can also limit the amount and direction of tooth movement that is advisable.

Kids

It's best for the orthodontist to see children by age 7 to advise if orthodontic treatment is required and the best time for that patient to be treated. The first permanent molars and incisors have usually come in by that time and crossbites, crowding and other problems can be evaluated. When treatment is begun early, the orthodontist can guide the growth of the jaw and guide incoming permanent teeth. Early treatment can also regulate the width of the upper and lower dental arches, gain space for permanent teeth, avoid the need for permanent tooth extractions, reduce likelihood of impacted permanent teeth, correct thumb-sucking, and eliminate abnormal swallowing or speech problems. In other words, early treatment can simplify later treatment.

How Orthodontic Treatment Works

By placing a constant, gentle force in a carefully controlled direction, braces slowly move teeth to a corrected position. This is a great time to wear braces! Gone are the days when a metal band with a bracket was placed around each tooth. At Orchin Orthodontics we use Speed braces, which are about one third the size of regular braces, are much easier to clean, and don't require elastic ties to hold the wires in place, thus making them much easier to clean while moving the teeth much faster and with less discomfort than traditional braces. Wires are also less noticeable than they used to be and the latest materials move teeth faster with less discomfort to patients.

Duration of Treatment

Treatment time typically ranges from one to three years, depending on the growth of the patient's mouth and face and the severity of the problem. Patients grow at different rates and will respond variously to orthodontic treatment, so the time to case completion may differ from the original estimate. The patient's diligent use of any prescribed rubber bands is an important factor in achieving the most efficient treatment. Interceptive, or early treatment procedures, may take as few as six months.

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Dr. Jeremy D. Orchin received his B.S. and D.D.S. degrees from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Following two years as a captain in the Army Dental Corps, he completed his two year post-graduate program in Orthodontics at Columbia University in New York.

Since then, he has been practicing orthodontics, exclusively, in Washington, DC. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics and is on the Senior Attending Staff of Washington Hospital Center.


Dr. Jeremy Orchin is active in many professional organizations, including the American Association of Orthodontists, the Angle Society of Orthodontists, and the American Dental Association and DC Dental Society. He has lectured nationally and internationally, and has been influential in the use of state of the art SPEED braces and computer and digital technology.

His daughter, Laura, is an attorney and works for The Nature Conservancy as State Director for Idaho. Jonathan, his youngest son, is a graphic designer, plays competitive golf and is an accomplished artist. Dr. Orchin and his wife, Susan, enjoy golf, yoga, exercising, movies and travel.



Dr. Andrew M. Orchin graduated from American University with a B.A. in Communications. He received his D.D.S. degree from Howard University College of Dentistry, and then spent two years as a post-graduate resident in Orthodontics at the Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. At Children's Hospital he was a member of the Craniofacial Team, treating many patients with cleft lips and cleft palates. He also worked with leading experts in diagnosing and treating TMJ disorders.

Dr. Andrew Orchin is a Board Certified Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics, and is on the faculty of The Washington Hospital Center Orthodontic Residency Program. He is a member of many local and national organizations, including the American Association of Orthodontists and the American Dental Association. He also serves as the Chairman of the Membership Committee for the DC Dental Society and as the Chairman of the Government Affairs Committee for the Middle Atlantic Society of Orthodontists.

He and his wife, Janine, have two sons named Max and Leo. Their family enjoys traveling together, playing with their Goldendoodle dog Milo, swimming, cooking, movies and being together.