Have you ever wondered how exactly braces help your teeth move? Every 6-8 weeks or so, you come into the office to get your braces tightened. What you usually notice is that you have a thicker wire, but how does that help with your treatment?
The goal of having braces is to encourage the movement of your teeth into proper alignment. At every appointment, Dr. Wang and Dr. Lee examine your teeth to determine how to move your teeth along in the most effective way. They understand how teeth move, and use that knowledge to decide how to make the magic happen.
With braces, pain, and discomfort are common because your teeth are dragged and pushed into a new position. Your teeth are under physical pressure with braces. As a result, your teeth release these biochemicals that cause inflammation.
Now, this inflammation is natural and a normal part of the process. The purpose of inflammation is to remodel the bone surrounding each tooth to create space to allow for tooth movement. So yes, the inflammation does more than just give you pain!
Normally people take drugs such as ibuprofen, which relieves pain because it is an anti-inflammatory drug. This means that ibuprofen works to reduce the inflammation your body is experiencing.
However, with braces, since we want the teeth to move and inflammation is needed for that movement, ibuprofen reduces the teeth’s ability to move! Of course, your teeth will still move even if you take ibuprofen, but the movement will slow down.
So now you’re probably thinking – what am I supposed to do about the pain I get from braces in Vancouver?
What alternative is there to taking ibuprofen?
The answer: Lower Level Laser Therapy (LLLT). We use LLLT to stimulate your gums and bones to allow your teeth to move, but also calms the nerve and reduces the release of pain. It’s a win-win of a speedier process with less pain!
Hello, I’m Dr. Kevin Lee, an experienced orthodontist, and I proudly welcome you to Pacific West Dental. With a passion for creating beautiful, confident smiles, I have dedicated my career to providing top-tier orthodontic care.
Established with a commitment to personalized treatment and patient comfort, Pacific West Dental is your trusted destination for achieving the smile you’ve always dreamed of.
Services we provide:
– Invisalign
– Braces
– Lingual Braces
– TMJ
– iTero
– Laser Therapy
– Sleep Apnea
– Dysport Cosmetic Injectables
– Lightforce Braces
