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If you recently completed treatment at Kildonan Orthodontics, we’d like to congratulate you! Now that your braces have been removed, Dr. Nickolaychuk will provide—or has provided you—with retainers. After braces are removed, teeth can shift out of position if they are not stabilized. Retainers provide that stabilization. They are designed to hold teeth in their corrected, ideal positions until the bones and gums adapt to the treatment changes. Wearing retainers exactly as instructed by Dr. Nickolaychuk is the best insurance that the treatment improvements last for a lifetime. Here are some things to remember when you receive your retainers:

* Wear your retainers full time, until the doctor instructs otherwise. Wearing your retainers at night ensures that your pearly whites won’t relapse.
* Take your retainers out when eating...and always put retainers in their case! (Most appliances are lost in school lunch rooms or restaurants.)
* Clean retainers thoroughly once a day with a toothbrush and only a small amount of toothpaste. Use warm but not hot water.
* When retainers are not in your mouth they should ALWAYS be in a retainer case.
* Retainers are breakable, so treat them with care. If retainers are lost or broken, give us a call immediately.
* Remove retainers when swimming or during any sporting activity in which the retainers could fall out and get broken or lost (cheerleading, basketball, etc.) or when you should be wearing a mouth guard (football, soccer, etc.).

We hope this helps! You can always contact our team if you have any questions!

Dr. Nickolaychuk will tell you that keeping your teeth clean is more important than ever when you have braces. Food bits have more spots than usual to hide in your mouth, so you must be diligent in order to avoid bad breath, swollen gums, discolored teeth and cavities. If you remove plaque regularly during treatment, you'll experience better results and could possibly reduce your treatment time.

Here is a very concise video explaining the proper way to floss your teeth with braces. Give Kildonan Orthodontics a call if you have more questions about flossing. Enjoy!

Visiting Kildonan Orthodontics and your general dentist regularly will not only help keep your teeth and mouth healthy, but will also help keep the rest of your body healthy. According to the Canadian Dental Association, every year, approximately 3,200 Canadians are diagnosed with oral cancer, resulting in 1,050 deaths. Oral cancer is one of the few cancers whose survival rate has not improved because it is often diagnosed very late. April is National Oral Health Month, Dr. Nickolaychuk would like to take this opportunity to remind all of our patients about the importance of maintaining good oral hygiene and visiting your dentist for regular checkups.

Your general dentist can check for problems that might not be seen or felt, detect cavities and early signs of decay, treat oral health problems early and show you how to properly brush and floss your teeth.

During an oral exam your dentist can check the health of your mouth, teeth, gums, cheeks and tongue. Checkups will also include a thorough teeth cleaning and polishing. If you have not been to the dentist in the last six months, let us know during your next visit and we will provide a few great references in the Winnipeg area!

Dr. Nickolaychuk and team understand not everyone enjoys visiting their orthodontist. But we strive to bring you the best and most comforting experience at each visit. We’d like to know: What is it about Kildonan Orthodontics that makes you comfortable or puts you at ease? Is it something about our pleasant office environment? Our friendly staff or Dr. Nickolaychuk?

We would love to hear your story here, or on our Facebook page! Have a great weekend everyone.