Flossing with Braces 101, with Dr. Pobanz

Dr. John Pobanz 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 Pobanz Orthodontics a call if you have more questions about flossing. Enjoy!

Top ten tips for keeping your BRACES Sparklin’ Clean

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 shorter treatment time. Keep plaque at bay with these top ten tips:

1. One tooth at a time. When you brush, take time with each individual tooth – at least 10 seconds each – and pay careful attention to the spots where your teeth touch your braces.

2. It’s all about the angles. Brush the tops of your teeth and braces with your brush angled down toward where they meet. Brush the bottoms of your teeth and braces with your brush angled up.

3. The tooth, the whole tooth, nothing but the tooth. While the front surface of your teeth may seem like the most logical to clean, it’s equally important to clean the inner surface of your teeth (tongue side) as well as the chewing surface. And be sure to clean along your gum line – a key spot for plaque buildup.

4. Step 1: eat, step 2: clean. While you’re in treatment, it’s important to brush after every meal. Bits of food can easily get caught between braces and teeth, and these food bits interact with bacteria in your mouth to cause decay. The longer food is in contact with your teeth, the greater opportunity for plaque to form. If you are eating somewhere that you can’t brush, thoroughly rinse your mouth with water.

5. Like a Boy Scout, always be prepared. The easiest way to be sure you can brush after every meal is to get in the habit of taking a toothbrush, toothpaste and floss with you wherever you go. Designate a special container just for your teeth-cleaning tools and keep it in your purse, backpack, or laptop case.

6. Remove the moving parts. If you have elastic bands or headgear, remove these parts before you brush or floss.

7. Fluoride is your friend. Fluoride helps prevent cavities. Be sure to brush with fluoride toothpaste, and rinse with fluoride mouthwash.

8. Pointy brushes reach tiny places. Interproximal brushes (sometimes called proxa brushes or interdental brushes) are cone-shaped and come in very handy for reaching spots around your braces that standard brushes can’t.

9. Find the floss for you. Regular floss works for some patients, but others find it easier to work with a floss threader, which helps you get the floss into tight places. Other patients like an all-in-one product called Superfloss, which comes with a stiff end for easy threading, a spongy section for cleaning wide spaces, and regular floss for narrow spaces.

10. Make time for the pros. It’s your job to take care of the everyday cleaning. But make sure to visit your dentist regularly while in treatment, to get the deep, thorough cleaning that only a professional can provide. If you need help finding the right Dentist for you, feel free to contact our office - we’d love to help!

Hope this helps!

Dr. Pobanz and Team

Why Is It So Important to Have Straight Teeth?

Some people wonder why we work so hard to give our patients straight teeth. Of course it’s nice to have a smile full of evenly aligned teeth, but did you know that straightening your teeth can keep them healthier? Straight teeth lead to better oral hygiene, increasing your chances of keeping your own natural teeth for a lifetime.

Straight teeth are less prone to decay, because they collect less plaque – the sticky colorless substance that forms on our teeth and leads to tooth decay; and they are easier to keep clean!

If you’re wondering whether your teeth might cause problems because they are out of alignment, give us a call at 801-452-7155 to set up a consultation. Dr. Pobanz can help you decide whether or not you will benefit from orthodontic treatment.

What’s so Special About an Orthodontist?

We often find our patients wondering about the difference between an orthodontist and a dentist. Dr. John Pobanz started out in dental school and got a DDS (dental) degree, just like your dentist. But after dental school, Dr. John Pobanz decided he/she wanted to learn more about orthodontics, which is one of nine specialties in the dental field. So he/she stayed in a school for a few more years to become an expert in orthodontics, which focuses on tooth and jaw alignment and bite problems such as overbites and underbites.

Other dental specialties you may have heard of include endodontics (focusing on the soft tissue inside your teeth), periodontics (focusing on the gums and other tissues surrounding your teeth) and prosthodontics (focusing on restoring and replacing damaged teeth).

Isn’t it nice to know there’s a dental expert to help you through any type of treatment your teeth, jaw and gums might need?To schedule your complimentary exam, please call our office at
801-452-7155 or email us at: dr.john@webracem.com

Who Am I - Your Ogden and Pleasant View, UT Orthodontist

Because this is my first post, I thought I'd give my readers a full run down of who I am:




Professional Information:

• Completed DDS degree at University of Nebraska
  Medical Center in 1996
• Completed MS degree at the University of Nebraska
  Medical Center in 1998
• Completed Masters Degree in Oral Biology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center
• Was awarded Diplomate Status by the American Board of Orthodontics in 2006

Currently a member of the following orthodontic groups/organizations/study clubs:

• Utah Damon Study Club
• College of the Diplomates of the American Board of Orthodontists
• American Dental Association
• Utah Dental Association
• American Association of Orthodontists
• Ogden Academy of Dentistry Study Club

Are you an Invisalign Provider?

Yes, I have treated over 150 cases

Have been in practice since 1998

Specialize in: Invisalign, Self-Ligation therapy

Have been published in the following orthodontic journals, etc.

• Journal of Clinical Orthodontics
• American Journal of Periodontal Research

Do you lecture regularly in the orthodontic field? If so, explain:
Dr. Pobanz enjoys public speaking about the different technologies he offers in his practice. He has been invited to speak at various local venues including schools, study clubs and the local dental hygiene program.

Do you have a practice philosophy?
We base our treatment on facial and smile esthetics by avoiding the removal of permanent teeth 90% of the time.

Share what you enjoy about the practice of orthodontics:
I absolutely love the end result of unveiling the finished smile! Through this we make a lasting contribution to the quality of people’s lives and establish great friendships.

Native of Ogden, UT:
Has lived in Ogden with the exception while at dental and orthodontic school in Nebraska

List Family Members:
Cori Pobanz- Wife- age 36
Joel Pobanz- Son- age 11
Jane Pobanz- Daughter- age 7
Beth Pobanz- Daughter- age 6

Non-work Activities include:
Church service
Skiing, fishing, golfing

Currently involved in the following community organizations:
Boy Scouts of America (currently a scoutmaster)
Coaches Wasatch Front Football League
Coaches Utah Junior Jazz Basketball