How To: Ease New Aligner Discomfort

Although it may not seem like it, soreness and pressure are good news; it means your Invisalign aligners are working to straighten your teeth and align your bite! Of course, it may not seem like it in the moment, especially if you’re trying to concentrate at work or get a good night’s sleep. Fortunately, there are several ways you can ease new aligner discomfort.

Braces are often considered a rite of passage for many young children and teens, and if your child is finally undergoing orthodontic treatment, you might be looking for ways you can ensure a smooth process. However, if they play a musical instrument, such as a woodwind or brass instrument, you might be feeling pretty stumped. Luckily, they don’t have to give up their instrument or even decrease their practicing hours – but they may benefit from making a couple of lifestyle adjustments. Here’s what you need to know.

Braces are a tried-and-true orthodontic treatment that has assisted countless generations of patients with crooked teeth, misaligned bites, and other types of related issues. However, some patients who need braces might feel reluctant to commit to them due to what they’ve heard through the grapevine – mainly, that they’ll be stuck with metal in their mouth for a long, long time. However, braces can straighten teeth at a faster rate than you may have realized! Here’s what you need to know.

Do you love starting your morning with a warm cup of coffee? Maybe you reach for an iced latte in the afternoon for a little burst of energy. Whatever the case may be, you might be wondering if you will need to give up this caffeinated beverage during your teeth-straightening journey with Invisalign. Read on to find out the answer!

World Smile Day first became a recognized holiday in 1999 by commercial artist Harvey Ball. While many are familiar with the iconic yellow smiley face that is a symbol of the holiday, they aren’t necessarily familiar with the history of the day and how they can celebrate. Read on to learn more about World Smile Day and how you can participate with your friends and family by getting out in the community.

Braces are considered a rite of passage for many children, and as the parent of a child with braces, there are many things you’ll need to consider to make sure their orthodontic journey doesn’t encounter any hiccups or snags. Things like wearing their retainer or elastics, keeping up with scheduled checkups, and at-home oral hygiene probably come to mind first. But what about their diet? It’s important to know what your child should and shouldn’t be eating at school (or even at home) while they have braces; here’s a brief overview and some helpful suggestions.  

For quite some time, traditional metal braces have been one of the most recognizable and tried-and-true methods of straightening teeth and addressing all sorts of orthodontic issues. Many of us have worn braces at some point during our lives, or at the very least, we know someone who has. But if you yourself have just started your orthodontic journey, you might be a little alarmed to notice that your braces have made your teeth feel a little loose. Don’t worry, though – this means that your braces are doing their job! Here’s what you need to know.

From pool parties with friends to BBQs with neighbors, lots of summer activities revolve around food. Since traditional orthodontics come with dietary restrictions, you might initially think that means you have to pass on all of the delicious seasonal treats. Fortunately, that’s not the case! Here are seven summer foods that you can eat with braces (as well as a few that you should avoid).

Whether you’ve been wearing aligners for 6 months or 24 months, you might be wondering what the next step is. More specifically, you might be wondering how long you need to wear your retainer after Invisalign. You can find the answer to this question (as well as why wearing this orthodontic appliance consistently is so important) right here!

There are very few things in life as exciting as approaching the finish line of your orthodontic journey; after years of living with the metal brackets and wires, the day has finally come to have them removed! However, as thrilling as this appointment is, you might not have a clue about what to expect while undergoing this final step of the braces process. Here’s some useful information from your trusted orthodontist about what braces removal looks like as you head forward in life with a straightened, beautiful set of pearly whites!