Brace Yourself Blog

Even if you accept having teeth that are not well aligned, you should treat yourself to a thin protective appliance. We all grind our teeth while sleeping and we do an enormous amount of damage to our fragile enamel and restorations. A thin, Invisalign-like night appliance is all that is needed to prevent future crowding and to protect you from tooth wear and dental restorations The process is simple – we either take an impression or use our digital scanner to create a model of your teeth. From there, we create your protective night guard for as low as $115. And you can sleep soundly not worrying about tooth wear or failed restorations which can cost thousands to repair.

Phos-Flur® Rinse is specially formulated for orthodontic patients to keep the teeth healthy and help prevent white spots! The first evidence of tooth decay is known as a white spot lesion in which the tooth’s enamel takes on an opaquee color in the area where a cavity is beginning to form.  Sodium Fluoride, the active ingredient in Phos-Flur® Rinse, is a mineral that works by making the teeth stronger and more resistant to cavities caused by acid and bacteria.  Safe, great-tasting and easy to use, Phos-Flur® Rinse provides clinically proven fluoride protection.  Adults and children 6 years of age and older should rinse once a day after brushing teeth with toothpaste. Vigorously swish 2 teaspoonfuls of rinse between the teeth for one minute and then spit it out.  No eating or drinking for 30 minutes after rinsing!  If your family dentist has prescribed you or your child a different fluoride product, please be sure to…

Computerization has caused an enormous amount of change in our lives and in the health care industry. Treatment records are now paperless as well as diagnostic records (images that a patient needs to determine treatment). It’s hard to believe that it’s been 17 years since we went paperless in 1999! We now have digital intra-oral scanners in both offices, which help us to upgrade our treatment results from our “impression era” care. Patients enjoy not being “gagged”  during their digital image capturing. Align technology has lead the charge with appliances that are 3-D printed from images captured by their digital scanners. Scan times are as short as 5 minutes, delivering appliances that are extremely precise. Our doctors deliver treatment instructions to computer technicians who dial in tooth movements that are exactly what we order. In many cases, our Invisalign treatments are superior to what we could achieve with braces. The…

Normal, well-developed airways allow normal breathing through the nose, with the mouth closed. Nasal breathing is important because it is now known to be vital to good health. Research has shown that air breathed through the nose is quite different to the body than air breathed through the mouth.  The benefits of nasal breathing begin within hours of birth when nasal nitric oxide gas can first be detected.  Nitric oxide is a potent gas and a key component of human health.  Nitric oxide is produced in the nasal sinuses, secreted into the nasal passages and inhaled through the nose. It is well known to prevent bacterial growth, and in the lungs, nitric oxide improves the ability to absorb oxygen.  Nitric oxide is a strong vasodilator and brain transmitter. Furthermore, nitric oxide increases oxygen transport throughout the body and is vital to all body organs. A good airway and normal nasal…

In today’s world, it is easy to be uniformed or even misinformed. It is easy to become Invisalign certified, and not become an expert in treatment with Invisalign. Invisalign is a treatment tool in orthodontics, just like braces, retainers and expanders. To become an expert with any of the above treatment tools, it requires excellent diagnostic skills, innovation and good problem solving abilities. Additionally, clinical experience that is voluminous helps  lead to expertise. Dentists who are Invisalign certified are trained to handle simple cases that do not require bite correction. Orthodontists who dabble with Invisalign likewise are not prepared to take on difficult treatments that require significant bite correction. All Invisalign doctors need to gain expertise through experience, beginning with simple cases and gradually improving their skills. So a great question for any practice who offers Invisalign is “How many Invisalign cases have you done?” Personally, I believe that I…