Cavities do happen! The majority of our patients who come into our Scottsdale or Peoria orthodontic office have had at least one cavity in their lifetime. Cavities aren’t the end of the world, but they can lead to greater issues if they aren’t addressed as soon as possible.

When we treat patients at our Scottsdale Orthodontic office, we only want to place braces (Insignia or SPEED Braces) on patients that have healthy teeth and gums! This means no cavities or decay, and all fillings need to be done before treatment starts. The reason behind this is that cavities and gum disease are active diseases, and with braces on, your teeth are more susceptible to cavities and gum disease. The one exception is a crown. If a crown is needed, that can wait till the end of treatment.

Having healthy gums means you don’t have gingivitis or periodontal disease. Everyone should see his or her dentist before seeing Dr. Bader. If that doesn’t happen before the free consultation, don’t worry! Dr. Bader and his staff will help schedule an appointment with your dentist or periodontist before placing braces.

Dr. Bader also recommends that any patients in braces still needs to see their regular dentist every 3-6 month during orthodontic treatment. Read our blog on that HERE.

Flossing is still very important with braces, and you can check out our other blog HERE, which explains how to floss when you have braces.

Don’t forget that you should be brushing, flossing, and using mouthwash EVERYDAY! It is even more important to do this properly with braces on than when you don’t have braces.