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After your braces come off, your orthodontist provides you with a retainer to maintain your new smile. These appliances are custom-made to fit your teeth comfortably, ensuring they stay in their proper positions. However, if your retainer starts feeling tight, you may wonder what’s going on. Read more from Dr. Vahid Babaeian at Brace Connection in Downey, CA, to learn what to do if your retainer feels tight and when to seek professional advice.

 

Why Does My Retainer Feel Tight?

A tight retainer can result from [...] Read More

Braces don’t mean you have to say goodbye to sweets! While it’s true that some candies can damage your braces and extend your treatment time, there are still plenty of delicious options you can enjoy safely. Knowing what’s safe and what’s not can help you protect your investment in a straighter, healthier smile.

In this guide, Dr. Vahid Babaeian shares the best and worst candies for braces, along with tips to keep your teeth and orthodontic appliances in great shape.

Can You Eat Candy with Braces?

Absolutely! You can still enjoy candy while wearing braces—just [...] Read More

Losing teeth is an exciting time in any child’s life. The tooth fairy starts making appearances in your household and adult teeth start to grow in. What’s exciting for your kids might raise some fears and questions for the parents. It’s common to wonder if your child is losing teeth at the right time, or too slowly, or even too quickly. These concerns are normal, and a reason why it’s good to get your child into the orthodontist starting at age seven. Orthodontist Dr. Vahid Babaeian at Brace Connection can answer all these questions and more and can start any treatment [...] Read More

Many people often confuse dentists with orthodontists, assuming they serve the same function. While both professions share similarities and collaborate closely, orthodontics is a specialized field within dentistry that focuses on specific dental concerns.

 

What Does an Orthodontist Do?

Orthodontists, like Orthodontist Dr. Vahid Babaeian at Brace Connection, are qualified dentists who have pursued an additional 2-3 years of specialized training in orthodontics. This advanced education includes extensive clinical practice through a residency program. The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) governs this elite branch of dentistry.

Orthodontists are skilled in [...] Read More

Without a doubt, “How long do I have to wear my braces?” is the most common question we’re asked by patients. More so than cleaning tips and food restrictions, people want to know how long they’ll have to live with braces. It’s understandable. Braces are hard to brush and floss around, they come with food restrictions, and they can be a source of embarrassment for teens at school or professionals in the workplace.

While most patients are always eager to start treatment, they are even more eager to get those braces off.  Even though each patient is given an [...] Read More

It’s common for young children to put anything and everything into their mouths. This curiosity is normal, and unless it develops into bad habits that carry into later childhood, is beneficial to development. Habits like nail-biting, thumb sucking, using a pacifier excessively, and tongue thrusting as you swallow all have negative long-term effects on your oral health.

Thumb Sucking and Excessive Pacifier Use

Children are born with a natural sucking reflex, which is why they tend to gravitate towards thumb sucking or get attached to a pacifier as a self-soothing tool. This impulse disappears around the four-month mark, but [...] Read More