Bernstein Dental Care: Blog

At Bernstein Dental Care we’ve seen many smiles transformed with braces.  We also know braces are a long process and that there is some pain and discomfort along the way.  Patients with braces often feel a little discomfort after their wires have been tightened, and patients with new braces usually experience some uncomfortable chafing as their mouth gets used to braces.  These are both normal occurrences and there are simple ways you can ease the pain while getting to your perfect smile. With a new set of braces, the insides of cheeks and lips will rub against the brackets and wires.  The soft tissue will toughen as your mouth gets accustomed to the braces, but at first it can create sore spots.  Dental wax is a great defense against this.  Just a small piece can cover the edge of a bracket and relieve any chafing.  After a set of braces is tightened a patient will also feel some pain and soreness.  The patient should eat soft foods right after a tightening if they are experiencing di...

Dr. Paul Bernstein of Bernstein Dental Care offers Invisalign, the clear aligner system that straightens teeth without the metallic look of braces. Invisalign clear aligners require less maintenance than traditional braces and won’t prevent you from eating certain foods, but there are still guidelines you should follow to wear and care for your aligners! You should remove Invisalign each time you eat, but if you do eat anything while wearing the aligners make sure to clean them thoroughly afterwards. It is also best to brush and floss your teeth before putting the aligners back in.  Ideally when wearing clear aligners, you would only drink water. Colorful drinks can stain the aligners and too many hot drinks can eventually warp the plastic.  If you do drink anything other than water while wearing the aligners you should rinse them with warm water afterwards.    Cleaning the clear aligners regularly is important for your teeth and straightening treatment.  Clear aligners can become disc...