Christoph Kocsis, Fachzahnarzt für Kieferorthopädie

The duration of treatment is different for each patient, but each orthodontic treatment is divided into different phases: Initial consultation and treatment planning, Active orthodontic therapy, In rare cases for adult patients: surgical measures by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, Orthodontic fine-tuning, Stabilisation phase. The stabilisation phase is the most important part because it guarantees that your teeth stay straight for the rest of your life. For this, we use a retainer so that your teeth cannot shift back into the original position of the malocclusion.

The right time for the first visit to the orthodontist depends on the individual development of your child’s teeth. Keep an eye on the development of your child’s teeth right from the start. If you notice the following anomalies, a visit to the orthodontist is advisable: The front teeth are standing out far in front, The front teeth of the upper and lower jaw do not touch each other (so-called frontal open bite), The lower front teeth are in front of the upper front teeth (so-called frontal crossbite), The side teeth of the lower jaw are outside the side teeth of the upper jaw (so-called lateral crossbite), The permanent teeth are erupting from the wrong place (e.g. the palate). Generally, the first appointment with an orthodontist is recommended from the age of 4.

If you do not have a special tariff with your insurance company, the costs of an orthodontic treatment in Germany are only covered with a diagnosis of severe malposition.

To avoid possible waiting times, you can fill out your medical history form (only available in German) online. Also, you can find the declaration of consent for the collection/transmission patient data on our website and fill it out before your appointment (instructions for editing PDF forms under Apple iOS). Furthermore, if you have X-rays, models or similar documents, you can just let us know by phone and bring them with you to the consultation appointment.

Your braces are made of little pieces, so-called brackets, that are connected to each other by a wire. These brackets apply just the right amount of pressure to move the teeth into the correct position. If a bracket comes loose, the pressure is no longer effective. But don’t panic, this does not mean that your braces are broken. Now it is important that you make an appointment in our practice as soon as possible. Until then, you should avoid particularly hard or sticky food. Of course, you can brush your teeth and the spaces between the brackets as usual. You can carefully move the loose bracket along the wire to gently clean the area underneath. Additionally, you can cover the bracket with the help of dental wax to avoid sores.

If parts of your braces are not only coming loose but are even breaking off, you have to act immediately. Make an appointment at our orthodontic practice in Aachen within a week to have the braces repaired. Avoid eating any sticky or particularly hard food and pay attention to your dental hygiene. Continue brushing your teeth regularly and thoroughly, but be sure to gently brush the space between the braces.

It can be very painful if the wire on your braces is sticking out and poking into your mouth. Most likely this can happen after your fixed braces have been fitted. At this point, the wire arch is still very thin and can easily slip out of the metal tube on the bracket. If the wire on your braces is loose, immediately make an appointment at out orthodontic practice in Aachen so we can fix this problem. Until then, we recommend that you try to push the loose wire back into the bracket. If this doesn’t work, cover the end of the wire with dental wax or sugar-free chewing gum. That should stop the pain for now. Please do not cut the wire with scissors! For your safety, even if the wire is successfully pushed back, we recommend that you cover the respective bracket with dental wax to prevent the wire from slipping out again.

You can recognise a broken retainer when you can move it with your tongue, it no longer sticks properly, or it even sticks out and hurts you inside the mouth. Make an appointment immediately and describe exactly what is broken about your retainer. There are big differences between a loose wire and a broken retainer. Until your appointment, you can fix the retainer with dental wax or sugar-free chewing gum.

We recommend that you clean your loose braces twice a day. In addition, the braces should be rinsed off with warm water every time you take them out. Never use boiling water for this! This can cause the loose braces to bend. Afterward, clean your braces with a toothbrush and toothpaste. We recommend a moderately firm toothbrush for this. After wearing the braces, place them in a container to prevent them from getting dirty or damaged (clean the container regularly). You can also use a cleaning tablet to clean your loose braces. Please read the instructions on the packaging before you use it.

Yes, even as an adult, it is worth considering braces! Because you can’t put a price on how valuable it is to go through life confident and healthy. Both fixed and loose braces can be used on adults without any problems. Especially at an advanced age, the almost invisible loose braces from Invisalign are particularly suitable to correct the teeth.