Orthodontic Blog from Saracino Orthodontics in St. Louis

Saracino Orthodontics recommends contacting your orthodontist as soon as possible after realizing your retainer is missing. Waiting even a few days can let teeth begin shifting, especially soon after treatment, so a temporary plan and a prompt call matter more than waiting until you're back home. A lost retainer while traveling is more common than most patients expect. Between hotel rooms, restaurant napkins, and gym bags, a retainer case is easy to misplace and easy to forge

Saracino Orthodontics recommends calling your orthodontist within 24 hours if a fixed retainer wire feels loose or sharp. A loose bonded wire is not something to wait out, since the retainer can shift, irritate soft tissue, or stop holding your teeth in place the way it should. A permanent retainer is meant to sit quietly behind your teeth for years without you noticing it. Saracino Orthodontics hears from patients in exactly this situation, and knowing what's normal versus w

Saracino Orthodontics completes a professional teeth whitening treatment in a single 90 minute visit. Enamel needs 24 to 48 hours after that visit to reach full brightness. Plan your appointment with that window in mind, plus a few extra days of buffer when possible. Teeth can brighten by up to 8 shades in that one visit. That timing window is what shapes when to book around a wedding, graduation, reunion, or any other date on your calendar. Key Takeaways Enamel takes 24 to 4

Saracino Orthodontics can brighten enamel up to 8 shades in one visit. Straight teeth and white teeth are not the same thing, since orthodontic treatment moves teeth into position but does not change enamel color. Teeth whitening after braces is what actually removes the stains and yellowing behind a dull smile in photos. Scrolling through event photos or a graduation album and noticing straight teeth that still look yellow or gray is a common letdown after finishing orthodon

Quick Answer: Professional teeth whitening does not work while you have traditional braces on, since the brackets block whitening gel from reaching the tooth surface underneath them evenly. If you're wearing Invisalign or another clear aligner, whitening is a safe option because the trays come out for treatment. This is one of the most common questions patients in St. Louis Hills and the broader South St. Louis area ask once their braces are getting closer to coming off, or o

Colored braces let you turn a dental treatment into a small style statement, and a power chain is the stretchy, connected elastic your orthodontist uses to close gaps and align teeth faster. Between appointments, most teens in St. Louis Hills and the surrounding South St. Louis area end up with more questions than answers about the little rubber bands on their brackets. This guide covers how to pick a shade that actually looks good, what a power chain does and why your orthod