Orthodontics in plain words
From braces care to the smile arc, from aligners to retention, I explain the topics patients ask about most in plain words. Every article is based on peer-reviewed scientific sources.
Daily braces care guide
Brushing, cleaning aids, food, elastics and unexpected situations: five basic rules, a daily routine and a bite check quiz for children.
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Braces or aligners: which to choose?
Strengths and weaknesses of both methods, what comparative research shows, when I recommend which and the role of daily life in the choice.
When should a child first see an orthodontist?
Why age 6, what we look at during the check, when early treatment really helps and how habits affect the bite.
Types of braces: metal, ceramic and self-ligating
What materials and systems braces come in, what research says about self-ligating brackets and what matters more in the choice.
Can you have lip fillers before orthodontic treatment?
How the position of the teeth changes the shape of the lips, what research says and why I recommend deciding on lip aesthetics after the orthodontic plan.
The smile arc: straight teeth are not everything
How the edges of the upper teeth follow the lower lip, which smile people chose in research and what this changes in treatment.
Dark spaces at the sides of the smile: buccal corridors
What the dark spaces at the corners of the mouth are, which smile people choose in research and how orthodontic treatment can change them.
What is the Pitts philosophy and what does it mean for patients?
Dr. Tom Pitts’s treatment approach, its aesthetic principles, its scientific basis and how it looks in practice in a treatment plan.
Gummy smile: what causes it?
Four causes of showing too much gum when smiling, which of them an orthodontist can treat, the role of mini-screws and when another specialist is needed.
Can orthodontics change your face?
What braces and aligners can and cannot change in the face, the difference between children and adults and what research says.
When a child’s lower jaw sticks out: when to worry
What it means when the lower teeth bite in front of the upper teeth, the causes, the possibilities of early treatment and what the Cochrane review says.
How long does orthodontic treatment take?
The average duration in research, the factors that lengthen and shorten it, the role of visits and what the patient can change.
Crossbite: when the back teeth bite the wrong way
What a crossbite is, why it develops, why waiting is not an option in children, how expansion appliances work and what the Cochrane review says.
Open bite: when the front teeth do not meet
Types of open bite, the role of habits, the tongue and breathing, treatment options in children and adults and what the scientific evidence says.
Can you order aligners online?
What aligners do well, where they struggle, how they compare with braces and why an orthodontist, not the aligner, should lead treatment.
Thumb sucking and dummies: when do they harm the teeth
Up to what age it is normal, which bite problems it causes, how to stop the habit gently and which methods the Cochrane review supports.
Mouth breathing and the bite: what to watch for in children
How habitual mouth breathing affects the development of the face and jaws, its causes, which doctors work together and what a meta-analysis says.
What is a mini-screw and why is it needed?
What stable anchorage means, when mini-screws are used, what science says about them and how placement and care go.
When a baby tooth is lost early: why the space matters
How space for the permanent tooth narrows after early loss of a baby tooth, when a space maintainer is needed and what a meta-analysis of split-mouth studies says.
White spots after braces: how to prevent them
Why white spots form around brackets, how common they are, the role of fluoride and daily rules to prevent them.
After braces come off: why retention matters
Why teeth move back, types of retainers, when each is chosen, what science says and what to remember to protect the result.
Do braces hurt? What to expect in the first week
What you feel after braces are fitted and adjusted, how long the discomfort lasts, which painkillers help according to the Cochrane review and what you can do at home.
Wisdom teeth and braces: do they need to be removed?
Do wisdom teeth cause crowding of the front teeth, do they need to be removed before or after braces and what two systematic reviews say.
Orthodontics and root resorption: how worried should you be
What root shortening is, how common it is, what increases the risk, the role of gentle forces and how we monitor it during treatment.
Orthodontics and the jaw joint: do braces cause pain?
What jaw joint problems are, whether orthodontic treatment causes or cures them, what a meta-analysis says and when another specialist is needed.
Can orthodontic treatment be sped up?
What two Cochrane reviews say about vibration, lasers, corticotomy and other "fast orthodontics" methods, and what really shortens treatment.
Orthodontics for adults: is it too late?
How orthodontic treatment works in adults, how it differs from children, the role of gums and bone, multidisciplinary planning and the scientific evidence.
Is an electric toothbrush better with braces?
Electric versus manual brushes with braces, the results of two meta-analyses, correct technique and what to watch with either brush.