‘RULE OF 5’s’ MEMORY DEVICE HELPS PATIENTS WITH BRACES CARE FOR THEIR TEETH

Oral Hygiene Tips Speed Treatment, Improve Results

(Issued Winter 2013-14) – Dr. Robert Chavez, a local Orthodontist who has been practicing in the area for nearly 40 years, has developed a clever mnemonic (memory) device to help his patients with braces remember important information about maintaining good oral hygiene.

At each visit, patients at ARCH Orthodontics who range in age from 5 to 82 are reminded what surfaces to brush, when to brush and how many times a day to brush to remove food particles and plaque from teeth and braces. But Dr. Chavez and associates at all of ARCH’s 9 offices realized there was a lot to remember.

Dr. Chavez says, “I recalled from my own experience as a student and teacher that, mnemonics (the first ‘m’ is silent), can translate information into a form that the brain can retain better than in its original form.” Mnemonic devices are used to help us remember the names of the Great Lakes (HOMES: the first letter of each), or the order of the planets (‘My very energetic mother just sold us nine pickles’).

This past year, Dr. Chavez and his son Dr. Andrew Chase, started to use a novel, easy-to-remember formula, The ‘Rule of 5’s’:

1. There are 5 places to brush: (1) where the teeth meet the gum lines, in toward the gums; (2) under the wire; (3) on top of the wire; (4) on top of the teeth; (5) in back of the teeth.
2. There are 5 times during the day to brush: after breakfast, after lunch or after school, after dinner, after snacks, and before bed.
3. At the end of the day, spend an additional 5 minutes to floss and use fluoride rinse.

Dr. Chavez says, “Sometimes it can be a challenge to convince younger patients to take special care while wearing braces for 1 – 2 years.” He says the best ages for Orthodontic treatment to begin for girls is usually 10-15 and for boys, it’s ages 11-16.

Dr. Chase, who has been practicing since 1998, says, “Braces allow us to move teeth so they will look better and work (chew) more effectively. It’s a gradual process you can’t speed up. Teeth and braces need special attention to aid treatment and improve the final result.” A list of oral hygiene habits and foods to avoid are shown on the website http://www.sesameblogs.com/archorthodontics.

ARCH Orthodontics, with convenient offices south of Boston and on Cape Cod, is the Official Orthodontist of Miss Massachusetts and offers free consultations: 1-800-28- SMILE / email smilemaker@archorthodontics.com or visit http://www.sesameblogs.com/archorthodontics.