Welcome Dr. Hansen!

In our continuing efforts to enhance the quality of care that we provide for you, your family and your friends, it gives us great pleasure to announce that Dr. Vince Hansen will be joining our practice on May 27, 2014. Dr. Hansen is originally from Indianapolis, obtained his dental degree from Temple University, and a Master's degree in Orthodontics from the Indiana University School of Dentistry. He has been practicing in Milwaukee, WI for the past 2 years, and we were fortunate in recruiting him to join our practice.

Dr. Hansen will be working with us within the existing structure of the practice, and there are no planned changes in the way the office or the practice function. Neither of us is contemplating retirement, and no change in our work schedules is planned. The three of us will continue to practice together on a full time basis.
 

We would certainly be happy to answer any questions that you may have about the integration of Dr. Hansen's integration into Sondhi-Biggs Orthodontics, and are confident that you will enjoy getting to know him as well.

SCAM ALERT!!

As you are probably aware, Sondhi-Biggs Orthodontics offers the convenience of text and email reminders for appointments. It has recently come to our attention that some individuals with Google Calendars have received text messages indicating that their appointment in our office has been cancelled.  Please be aware that these messages are NOT from our office.  These are created and sent by a third party that has hacked into "Google Accounts".


If you receive a text message from #483-68, please call our office to verify your appointment and delete the text.  Responding to the text can allow the hackers to dive into the personal information stored in your cell phone. 


If you have any questions, please feel free to contact any one of our Sondhi-Biggs Orthodontics team members.

Happy Mother's Day!

 

Sondhi-Biggs Orthodontics would like to wish all the wonderful Mother's a great day! From our office to you, we appreciate all that you do, not only today, but everyday, for everyone. Happy Mother's Day!

Where Did The Colors Go?

 

You may have noticed that there is a change in the way braces look these days.  That is because, with the previous technology that was available, colored elastics were placed on the brackets to hold the wires in place.  Increasingly, you will notice that the colors are not being used any more.  That is for a very good reason.  The newer technology with braces allows us to move teeth more efficiently by eliminating the colored ties.  As much fun as it was to select the colors, the fact is that those elastic ties also retained a lot of plaque, and were difficult to keep clean.  The move from colors to clear braces is good for a lot of clinical reasons, and makes the treatment time much shorter.  Considering that the braces would have to stay on longer if we still used the previous technology with elastic ties, who wants the colors anyway? If you have any questions, please feel free to contact any one of our Sondhi-Biggs Orthodontics team members.

Do I Still Need Regular Dental Cleaning Appointments?

Some patients wonder whether they should continue having routine oral hygiene visits with their general dentist, while they are seeing Dr. Sondhi and Dr. Biggs every 8-10 weeks during their orthodontic treatment. The answer is YES!  It is very important to continue your regularly scheduled dental cleanings.  While an orthodontist assists in the movement of teeth into proper alignment, a general dentist provides treatment regarding the overall health of the teeth.

Today, we would like to review a few of the important reasons for continuing with your regular dental visits, in conjunction with your visits at Sondhi-Biggs Orthodontics.

The best reason to visit your general dentist during orthodontic treatment is to remove any debris and/or tartar that may build up around your orthodontic appliances.  Braces and other orthodontic appliances provide additional nooks and crannies in which food particles and bacteria can hide. Eventually, this can cause plaque and tartar to form around your brackets, bands or other appliances, which can lead to cavities. Having your teeth cleaned routinely by your dental professional can help ensure that most, if not all of this build up, is removed. Even if you are undergoing treatment with clear aligners, dental check ups and cleanings are equally important.

Another good reason to visit your general dentist is to help protect your teeth from decalcification. This is a potentially serious condition, which results in white spots on the surfaces of your teeth.  Decalcification is irreversible, and if left untreated, can lead to cavities. Decalcification is preventable!  Avoiding sugary sweets and acidic foods as much as possible, practicing good oral hygiene, and visiting your general dentist regularly can help prevent decalcification.

One last reason we recommend visiting your dentist while wearing braces is because developing cavities can prolong orthodontic treatment. Teeth do not move as efficiently as they should when they are in poor health.  If you are interested in completing orthodontic treatment on time, and without any delays, visiting your dentist every six months, or as recommended, can go a long way toward making that a realistic goal. Your dentist can provide fluoride treatments or recommend other treatments that strengthen your teeth and protect them from cavities. Making sure to visit your dentist will help ensure your teeth look their best once your braces are removed.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask any of our Sondhi-Biggs Orthodontics team members.

Invisalign Tips

Patients often ask, "Are there any tips to help movement as I am wearing my aligners"?  The answer is, that while everyone's teeth and dental needs are different, there are certain things you can do to make wearing Invisalign aligners a more rewarding experience.

Here are a few tips we give each patient when they initiate their Invisalign treatment:

• Always follow the instructions that you are given by Dr. Sondhi and Dr. Biggs.
• Continue flossing every day. You should be flossing on a regular basis. It is sometimes assumed that Invisalign will protect the teeth from bacteria, which is completely false. Bacteria can live behind the aligners and affect the health of your teeth and gums, which is why it is very important to continue with regular flossing.
• Follow the 48 hour rule. When you insert a new set of aligners, leave them in as much as possible during the first 48 hours. Your teeth will move more during this time, which means this is when the aligners are most active.
• Research studies suggest tooth movement is more predictable if aligners are worn more than 22 hours a day.
• Wearing aligners may sometimes cause slight discomfort, and regular over-the-counter pain relievers help alleviate this type of discomfort.  

As always, please feel free to contact any one of our Sondhi-Biggs Orthodontics team members with any questions or concerns regarding your treatment.

What's a Water Pik?

Dr. Sondhi, Dr. Biggs and the entire Sondhi-Biggs Orthodontics team understand that flossing is a time consuming and tiresome task at times. We recommend a Water Pik for just that reason.

A Water Pik helps to flush away the food and other bacteria that gets stuck around the brackets and on your teeth. The Water Pik is able to reach areas that you are not able to reach with floss, such as behind the wires engaged in your brackets. People who suffer from gum disease also find Water Piks quite effective because of their ability to flush out bacteria from inside any deep pockets between the teeth and gum tissue.

A Water Pik is braces friendly, and is also very gentle for the gum tissue. The use of a Water Pik is less aggressive, and doesn't cause bleeding that traditional flossing can cause in some patients. But, please remember that using a Water Pik is not a substitute for flossing.  It is simply a tool designed to "help" with flossing and cleaning in difficult to reach areas.

If you have questions about the Water Pik, flossing or any other part of your orthodontic treatment, please feel free to contact any one of our Sondhi-Biggs Orthodontics team members.