New Year's Resolution

The beginning of a new year is often a time to reflect on the year that was, and to set personal goals for the upcoming year. Do you have ideas on how you plan to improve your health and happiness in 2015? It's never too late to think about New Year's resolutions, and we recommend making a commitment that benefits your oral health!

It's important that New Year's resolutions are reasonable and attainable, and that they improve your overall quality of life. For example, did you know that flossing every day is the very best way to prevent gum disease during your orthodontic treatment? Using a straw when drinking sugary beverages can also help prevent cavities while you are wearing braces. There are many small steps that you can take to prevent cavities, oral infections and bad breath.

If your resolution is to attain a great looking smile, Sondhi-Biggs-Hansen Orthodontics would love to help! Please feel free to contact any of our team members to schedule your appointment. Happy Holidays!

1st Annual SBH Winter Contest

We have decided that since the Pumpkin Contest is loved so much we are going to have our 1st annual winter contest! This year, each staff member will be building their own Snowman! Stay tuned to vote on Facebook or at your next visit. The competition is hot enough to melt a Snowman!!

Retainer Cleaning

After your treatment is completed and your braces are removed, you will be fitted for a retainer to keep your teeth in their corrected positions. There are several different types of retainers, and they all have one thing in common -- they need to be kept clean. Along with brushing and flossing, wearing your retainer is an important step in maintaining your new smile. Be sure to clean your retainer and your teeth, to help to prevent any tartar build-up on both.

Here are a few helpful hints for keeping your retainer clean:

• Always rinse your retainer in water after you have removed it, as drying saliva can cause tartar build-up.
• Remember to clean your retainer case periodically.
• Brush your retainer with a toothbrush and toothpaste every night.
• Wash your hands before and after handling the retainer.
• Never use hot water to rinse or clean your retainer, as it will distort the retainer.

While most people are aware of good brushing and flossing habits, the care of removable appliances is often overlooked. Make it a priority to keep your retainer clean as a part of your daily routine. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact any of our Sondhi-Biggs-Hansen Orthodontics staff members.

Tips from Sondhi-Biggs-Hansen Orthodontics

After getting braces, it is important to know how to take care of your teeth in order for your braces stay intact and do their job.  This helps to ensure that your teeth are in top-notch condition after completing orthodontic treatment. Our team at Sondhi-Biggs-Hansen Orthodontics recommends the following tips to ensure successful cleaning of your braces.

Flossing
Flossing every day can help clean areas between the teeth where your toothbrush cannot reach. We recommend using a floss threader, which is used to help navigate the floss under the wire and between your teeth. It is vital to floss every day to help decrease the chances of tooth decay and gum disease.

Brushing
Teeth and appliances should be brushed after every meal and before bedtime. If you need a reminder on how to angle the toothbrush around your braces, feel free to check out the video on our Sondhi-Biggs-Hansen Orthodontics YouTube channel.

Elastics
This phase of orthodontic treatment requires cooperation and consistency on your part. If Dr. Sondhi, Dr. Biggs and Dr. Hansen have recommended that you wear elastics, compliance with their specific instructions is crucial to completing your treatment on time. In fact, if elastics are not worn as instructed, often the desired outcome cannot be reached, and a compromise will have to be accepted.

GRISP
While in treatment with braces, remember the GRISP guidelines of foods to avoid or be careful with. Granola bars that are sticky and chewy; Raw fruits and vegetables, unless sliced into small pieces; Ice, rock candy; Sticky foods, gum, caramel, taffy; Popcorn, Peanuts and Pencils. Failure to follow the GRISP guidelines could add time to your treatment plan due to broken or damaged appliances, which disrupts the movement of your teeth into their desired positions.

We hope all this helps! If you have any questions, please feel free call any of our Sondhi-Biggs-Hansen Orthodontics team members.

Permanent or Removable?

When it is time to remove your braces you are sure to be very excited! Once the braces are removed it's time for retainers. It is important to know your new smile must be held in place, because the teeth naturally want to move back to their original position. The doctors will discuss and recommend the retainers that will work best for your situation.

Removable retainers offer the advantage of easy use. These are worn full time when the appliances are first removed. However, you will be able to enjoy some time with no appliances in your mouth. A removable retainer must be worn responsibly, as instructed, to prevent relapse. Another major benefit to a removable retainer, is the ability to remove it to clean your teeth.

Permanent retainers work well for individuals who desire less maintenance. Once the permanent retainer is placed there is no need to worry about daily retainer schedules. Because teeth tend to shift as we age, a permanent retainer is typically a better long-term solution. One draw back for some patients is the extra effort of cleaning around a permanent retainer, which can sometimes become a "food trap" and does take a little more time to keep clean.

Some offices use a combination of the two; for example a removable retainer on the top, and a permanent one for the lower teeth. The lower teeth have a higher rate of relapse, so it is important that they be held in place at all times. The most important thing to remember is that wearing your retainer as directed, is extremely important. Again, our doctors will recommend the retainers that are best for your situation. If you have any questions about retainers or the options that may be available to you, please contact anyone of our Sondhi-Biggs Orthodontics team members.

FSA and HSA deadlines are approaching!

 

In the next few weeks, some families will need information for their 2015 Health Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) and Health Savings Accounts (HSA). New legislation limits the amount to $2,500.00 - $2,600.00 per year. Please feel free to contact our office at (317) 846-1455, if you need assistance with planning for you or your family for 2015.

Calling on the Tooth Fairy?!?!

Parents often want to know when their child's baby teeth should be falling out. Are they delayed? Is there something wrong? Should we be doing something about it? These are just a few of the hundreds of things we worry about as parents. Here is some general information to help determine if your child is on track:

Every child develops at a different rate. Although we have general age guidelines when baby teeth should be lost and replaced by an adult tooth (eruption), there is a broad spectrum of when this will actually occur. Generally, the first baby tooth falls out around the age of 6 years old. Some children may have the majority of their adult teeth by the age of 10 and others it may be the age of 15. This is one reason the American Association of Orthodontist recommend a child be screened by an Orthodontist around the age of 7.  It is the job of a dental professional to determine if your child is delayed in their dental development, and if so, is there a reason for it. Orthodontists are specifically trained to be aware of such problems. Aside from delayed development there are other reasons baby teeth do not fall out as expected. Some reasons for delayed eruption of adult teeth include extra teeth that may get in the way, inadequate space for the adult tooth to come in, or it may be that an adult tooth is missing. Some children would benefit from interceptive treatment to help create space to guide adult teeth into the proper path to enter the mouth.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact any one of our Sondhi-Biggs-Hansen Orthodontic team members!