Do You Know How To Clean Your Invisalign Aligners?

So you just started Invisalign treatment at Beisiegel Orthodontics, and it seems like a pretty easy task compared to metal braces. You’re brushing and flossing regularly, wearing your aligners as advised, and keeping them safe when eating. This seems like the perfect routine, but we must inform you that you are missing one very important task when being treated with Invisalign…you need to clean your aligners!

To get that picture perfect smile, you need to remember 2 things: good oral hygiene, and clean aligners. Cleaning your trays and keeping them invisible is essential to getting the results you want and keeping the look you want during treatment. So many are of you may be thinking, “How do I clean my aligners?” Beisiegel Orthodontics has got your back (and your teeth) and has all the info you need right here.

Check out these 2 methods of cleaning your Invisalign aligners:

Invisalign Cleaning System (http://www.invisalignstore.com)
The cleaning kit comes with a tub and pack of 50 cleaning crystals and costs $75, with refill packs running at $50. To use, you combine a crystal with water and soak your aligners for 15 minutes.

Antibacterial liquid soap
Brushing your aligners with antibacterial soap is an easy way to get rid of the bacteria that accumulates on your trays. Just make sure to give them a really good rinse before you put them back in your mouth.

For more information on Invisalign, or to schedule a consultation, please contact us Beisiegel Orthodontics.

How To Cure Your Pizza Burn

According to Gallop Poll, approximately 3 billion pizzas are sold in the US every year, and we consume about 251,777,000 pounds of pizza per year. If you’ve done your fair share of eating some of the 3 billion pizzas sold nationwide, then chances are you’ve also had your time of suffering from pizza burn. Pizza burn can happen in that micro second it takes to indulge in your first bite of that hot, cheesy, saucy pizza that you just could not wait to bite into. Though burns may be a little out of the orthodontists’ league, we wanted to take a second anyway and give you some helpful tips to get you through the pizza burn pain. When it comes to your mouth, Beisiegel Orthodontics has you covered.

So whether it is a pizza burn, or another hot food you should have waited on before biting into, chances are you’ve burned your mouth before. There are several symptoms that can occur with this unfortunate mishap, from tears in the roof of your mouth to blisters.

Check out these important steps to take to soothe your mouth next time you have this accident, and help it heal correctly.

• Applying or sucking on ice can relieve the stinging. Gargling cold water or eating ice cream are other options.
• An over-the-counter pain reliever can help, if the pain is really distracting.
• Squeezing Vitamin E from a capsule over the wound can speed up healing. It will regenerate new tissue and heal the wound.
• Resist touching the burned area. This may be difficult, but by touching the affected area, the lesion may become irritated further.
• Drinking milk can coat the scorched area.
• Avoid acidic, crunchy, and other hot foods, or even very salty and spicy dressings. This will stop the burn from getting irritated further.
• Maintain good oral hygiene while your mouth is burnt, keeping it as clean as possible to promote healing and prevent further infection.

Make sure you allow your burn to heal; it usually takes about a week for soreness and blistering to pass. Also, let us know if you have any home remedies that we didn’t list, or any interesting stories about a time you burned your mouth. Leave a comment or post it on our Facebook wall!

Happy Thanksgiving

There is always something to be thankful for, and at Beisiegel Orthodontics we are thankful for you! Thank you to our wonderful patients for letting us work on those gorgeous smiles!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Insurance Info

If your insurance covers orthodontic treatment, you will receive the benefit of reduced personal costs. Many insurance policies have a lifetime orthodontic benefit that is distinct from regular dental insurance. Remember that insurance policies vary, and we will review your insurance to determine the appropriate course of action. Once treatment has started, we will file your claims.

To help us with your insurance filing, please complete the insurance questions on our questionnaire.

Please remember that orthodontic insurance is a benefit for you or your child. If, during the course of treatment, your benefits change, the financially responsible party is accountable for all charges.

The Bigger The Bite...

A new trend in the fast food industry is to advertise foods with the motto “the bigger the better.” We’re sure you have heard of the McDonald’s “Big Mac”or the Wendy’s “Dave’s Hot ‘N Juicy ¾ pound Triple”; both of these burgers include massive patties along with a host of other condiments. Believe us, they all look incredibly delicious (just writing this blog is making our mouths water), but should we really be trying to cram food that’s the size of a Mini Cooper into our mouths?

Although these larger than life foods may appeal to your taste buds, taking bites that are too big to chew could be bad for your jaw and teeth, says the Academy of General Dentistry. The bones attached to your teeth get quite the workout when you chew and over working your teeth to chew larger bites can put extra strain on them. The key area of the mouth that can be affected by super-sized meals is the jaw. Taking big bites causes you to open your jaw wider than usual. This can strain the jaw bone and surrounding muscles. This strain can cause Temporomandibular Disorder (TMD).

Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD) occur as a result of problems with the jaw, jaw joint and surrounding muscles that control chewing and moving the jaw. TMD causes pain or tenderness of your jaw in the area in front of your ear, an occasional feeling of the jaw being stuck open or closed, facial muscle spasms that make it difficult to open your mouth, headaches that start in front of the ear and spread to the rest of the head or neck and clicking, popping or cracking sounds in the jaw when you open or close your mouth.

According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, between 5% and 15% of people in the United States experience pain associated with TMD. The effect of harming your jaw may result in needing appliance therapy. Typically, TMD splints are worn to reduce jaw stress. However, depending on the severity of jaw stress, treatments for TMD range from simple self-care practices and conservative treatments to injections and surgery.

Now…can you imagine having to tell your friends you had to undergo jaw surgery because you ate too many “Double Doubles”? That doesn’t sound awesome at all. So remember, as delicious as these super-sized foods look, they are not worth the strain they can cause on your jaw.

Do you want to take 10 years off your appearance?

Your teeth are probably the only thing on your face that don’t get wrinkles…but your teeth certainly do show signs of aging. So if you want to look younger and healthier, your teeth are a great place to start!

“Just as white, straight teeth convey youth, a smile with crooked, discolored, worn, or missing teeth is associated with an aged look,” says Edmond Hewlett, DDS, professor of restorative dentistry at UCLA's School of Dentistry. “The adage ‘long in the tooth,’ used to describe older persons, reflects the fact that gum disease causes gums to recede and teeth to appear longer as a result."

Take 10 years off your appearance…no plastic surgery needed!

Step 1 - Teeth naturally darken as we age. One reason is that your teeth absorb color from food and drinks. Even if you take fantastic care of your teeth, they will eventually yellow over time. Whitening your teeth with custom whitening trays is the best way to achieve a deep and thorough color change that can take years off your appearance.

Step 2 - Even if you start out with perfectly straight teeth, something called mesial drift will cause them to shift over time. Crowded teeth are an instant giveaway of age and straightening your teeth can often take 10 to 15 years off your appearance. Crowded teeth also increase the risk of tooth decay, premature tooth loss, and gum recession, all of which guarantee looking old.

Step 3 - Old-looking teeth have wear and tear. While we sleep, we gnash and grind our teeth. A night guard can protect your teeth from this damage and keep your teeth looking more youthful. A night guard also prevents crowding by keeping the teeth in place while you wear it.

Beautifully straight, symmetrical glowing white teeth cannot only make you look younger, but they can dramatically improve your confidence. Contact Beisiegel Orthodontics for more information.

New Pumpkin Inspired Recipe

To help you start this positive orthodontic experience Beisiegel Orthodontics found a new recipe that is braces friendly and taste buds approved! Check it out below.

INGREDIENTS:
1 (15 oz) can Pumpkin
1 Egg yolk, large
2 Eggs, large

Baking & Spices
1 3/4 cups All purpose flour
1 tsp Baking soda
1/2 cup Brown sugar, packed
1 1/4 cup Granulated sugar
1 tbsp Pumpkin spice
1/2 tsp Salt
1 2/3 tbsp Vanilla

Oils & Vinegars
1/2 cup Vegetable oil

Dairy
8 oz Cream cheese

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Place paper baking cups into muffin pan. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk flour, pumpkin spice, baking soda and salt until well combined. Set aside.
• In large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, sugar and brown sugar.
• Beat in eggs, vegetable oil and vanilla extract. Slowly whisk in the flour mixture, until there are no lumps. Fill muffin tins 3/4 full.
• In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add in sugar, egg yolk and vanilla extract and beat until well combined.
• Top each muffin with about 1 tablespoon of cream cheese mixture and use a toothpick to swirl it into the batter. This will not look smooth, but it will bake up much prettier. (You can see exactly how I did this in the video at the top of the page.)
• Bake muffins for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.