How to Care for Your Invisalign® Aligners

Is it possible to straighten the teeth without braces? Yes, it is. Welcome to the world of Invisalign aligners. Invisalign aligners are made from a clear, thermoplastic material that is custom made to fit your teeth. Unlike conventional braces, Invisalign aligners are removable. More importantly, the clear thermoplastic material makes the aligners invisible, which is ideal if the thought of metal braces and elastics make you self-conscious. For the best results, proper handling and care of your Invisalign aligners is important. Follow these steps to take care of your aligners:

1. Do not eat or drink hot beverages while wearing aligners. It’s a good idea to get in the practice of removing the aligners before eating and drinking. Because the aligners are made of plastic resin, heat can distort and damage them. Also, eating while wearing the aligners will cause sugar and other food particles to stay on your teeth, which contributes to plaque and tooth decay.

2. Clean the aligner trays regularly. Invisalign aligners are exposed to the same bacteria and plaque that your mouth is, so you need to clean them as regularly as you clean your teeth. However, avoid cleaning the aligners with harsh chemicals. We recommend using a cleaning kit or some other type of specific solution. When it comes to cleaning Invisalign aligners, carefully follow the instructions given by Dr. Sheldon Salins.

3. Store aligners in a cool, dry, safe place. When you’re not wearing the aligners, store them in the case provided by our office. If you don’t use the case, they can easily be lost. Keeping them out of reach of small children and pets is also a good idea. The last thing you want is for Fido to think your Invisalign aligners are chew toys.

4. Don’t chew gum while wearing aligners. There’s one thing that conventional braces and Invisalign aligners have in common: chewing gum damages both of them.

5. Don’t soak aligners in mouthwash. Many popular mouthwashes contain a color pigment. It’s possible that soaking Invisalign aligners in mouthwash will tint or stain them.

For more tips and tricks for a successful Invisalign experience, contact our South San Francisco & Union City, CA offices!

What is expected of me during my orthodontic treatment?

We hear this question a lot at the office of Dr. Sheldon Salins and we don’t mind when patients who are eager to complete their orthodontic treatment ask us. After all, we know there is no better feeling than getting your braces off!

During your initial consultation with Dr. Sheldon Salins, we will map out a specific treatment for you and will try our hardest to give you a timeline of when we expect you to wrap up treatment.

Having said that, we know every patient is different. People have different biological responses to orthodontic treatment and some people’s teeth may move faster than others.

Luckily, there are things you can do to ensure your treatment wraps up in a timely manner. By following these suggestions, you can avoid any setbacks during your treatment.

• Make sure to keep your adjustment appointments. Postponing or cancelling will delay treatment!
• Be sure to show up on time to your appointments. This will give Dr. Sheldon Salins and our team time to do everything we planned during your adjustment visit.
• When prescribed, make sure you are diligent about wearing rubber bands or other appliances.
• Avoid damage to your braces and teeth by wearing a mouth guard during sports activities.
• Make sure to brush and floss regularly! Gum disease or other dental work can delay orthodontic treatment.

If you remember to follow these guidelines, you’ll be on your way to having the dazzling, healthy smile you’ve always wanted. As for us, our team at the office of Dr. Sheldon Salins will do our part to move your orthodontic treatment along efficiently. If you have any questions about your treatment time, please give us a call at our Union City & South San Francisc, CA office or ask us during your next visit!

Easter and Candy – What to Avoid!

For those who celebrate Easter, you know that your children are probably expecting baskets full of that brightly packaged, sugar covered candy. For months I have seen entire aisles of grocery stores become completely devoted to the Easter candy that so many of our country’s youth love. The pastel candy shells, those hollow chocolate bunnies, and the stickiness of those caramel eggs. They may taste great, but the damage it can do to your teeth or braces can land you a visit to your local orthodontist!
 

What Not to Eat

Most of us love candy, but when you have your braces put on for the first time, your orthodontist typically informs you of the foods you should be avoiding. This Easter, if you absolutely must eat candy, avoid biting down on hard candy. They can easily bend wires and break the metal brackets clean off of your tooth. This will land you back in the orthodontist where the bracket will be reapplied and can even lengthen the amount of time you will need to wear your braces.

Caramels and other sticky candy can also break brackets. Even more so, it can easy get between the brackets and wires which can eventually lead to cavities. Have a cavity filled while you are wearingbraces is no fun.

Immediately after you eat any candy, I encourage you to brush your teeth and floss. This minimizes the risk of cavities and keeps your orthodontist happy. Also when you eat candy, it is better to eat a certain amount at once rather than eating it in small quantities throughout the day. This way, when you brush your teeth you are flushing out all of the sugar rather than leaving traces of it behind. That is, unless you want to brush your teeth every time you eat a single piece of candy.

After the Easter holiday, stop by Salins Ortho for a checkup so you can avoid any complications from those sweet treats!

Smiles of the Rich and Famous

I saw this article online at www.zeel.com and thought it really hit home for adults considering orthodontics, 

 Posted on: June 21, 2011

By: StacyAtZeel

http://www.zeel.com/g/smiles-of-the-rich-famous-celebrity-braces/2011/06/21

Longing for a Hollywood smile? Eva Longoria did too. In the July issue of InStyle magazine, the Cristiada leading lady reveals that she is currently sporting, yes, braces to realign her bottom teeth.

Let’s get one thing straight. The 36-year-old actress isn’t the only celebrity to seek an improved smile through orthodontics. For many adults, the only thing more embarrassing than a dreaded tin grin is a mouthful of crooked teeth, so it’s no wonder that one in every five orthodontic patients has long since graduated from wearing a training bra.

The beauty of present day orthodontics is that there are many ways to straighten your smile. Crowded, gapped and overlapping teeth can be perfected with traditional metal braces or with less noticeable clear brackets. For adults who prefer a more concealed style, lingual braces can be fastened to the backs of the teeth. And for those who want to avoid tooth attachments altogether, Invisalign—removable bite trays that shift the teeth into place—can be a practical solution.

Which treatment is right for you? Take a cue from these beaming celebrities who turned to adult orthodontia to enhance their headshots.

Tom Cruise, Age 39

While taking his kids to the orthodontist, silver screen icon Tom Cruise decided to fix his already dashing smile after discovering that his front teeth were not perfectly centered. Cruise opted for invisible braces, though he removed the orthodontia while filming.

Zeel Expert and New York City orthodontist Elisa Mello appeared on Inside Edition to discuss the actor’s dental treatment (you can watch the video here). Mello estimated that Cruise would need to wear the studs for 12 to 18 months.

Katherine Heigl, Age 28

Katherine Heigl never really wanted to fix her “wonky” teeth, that is, until she got engaged. “I want my teeth straight for my wedding photos,” the blonde beauty said in an interview with E! Online. Heigl chose to wear an Invisalign retainer, which she dubbed “Netflix for your teeth.”

Gwen Stefani, Age 30

Fashion icon and former rock-star Gwen Stefani donned full-blown metal braces on both her top and bottom rows of teeth. No doubt, they were as quirky an accessory as her magenta locks and too-short bangs. Still, she managed to nab herself a husband at the time.

Holly Willoughby, Age 30

A growing baby bump isn’t the only physical change this British anchorwoman and model is publicizing these days. “Brace yourselves, I’ve got braces…eek!” Willoughby tweeted earlier this month. The This Morningtelevision presenter chose barely-there clear brackets connected with a thin white wire.

Cher, Age 30s

Ok, so it was a long time ago. But music legend Cher did in fact wear braces as an adult. Cher observed her teeth shifting while at the dentist for a routine cleaning, and had the braces applied soon after. (Too bad Invisalign wasn’t invented yet.)

Are you wearing a mouthguard?

Wouldn’t you believe it, it’s amost springtime! The spring months, however, bring an increase in outdoor activities and a greater chance of kids damaging their precious mouths and pearly whites. If you play sports, it’s important that you consult Dr. Salins for special precautions, such as wearing a mouth guard. A protective mouth guard is advised for playing spring sports such as baseball, soccer, lacrosse and others. Be sure, however, to avoid mouth guards that custom form to your teeth as these will resist any tooth movements we are trying to achieve.

In case of any accident involving the face, check your mouth and the appliances immediately. If teeth are loosened or the appliances damaged, please schedule an appointment with Dr. Salins. And don’t forget to ask us—  Dr. Salins will provide a mouth guard for any patient in active treatment.

Only by using a mouth guard and other forms of facial protection can kids with and without braces avoid serious sports injuries. Please give us a call if you have any questions about mouth guards or your treatment with  Dr. Salins.

Adjusting to life with braces, from Dr. Salins

When you get braces at Salins Orthodontics there are a few things you’ll have to adjust to get optimal results in the shortest amount of time. If you have any questions about the “do’s and don’ts” of living with braces, feel free to ask Dr. Sheldon Salins or any member of our staff during your next adjustment!

Eating
When you have braces, there are a few types of food that can damage your brackets and bend your wires, leading to more appointments and longer treatment times. By simply avoiding sticky, chewy, crunchy, and hard foods, as well as foods that require biting into like corn on the cob, your orthodontic experience will be much easier.

Cleaning
You’ll never believe the amount of food that can get stuck between your braces when you eat. In addition to causing bad breath and tooth decay, it looks pretty gross, too. It’s so important to brush your teeth after every meal and floss every day, and even though it’s kind of a hassle, it’ll all be worth it in the end.

Sports
Protecting your smile if you play sports is essential when you have braces. Mouth guards help protect your teeth and gums from injury. Dr. Salins can provide a mouth guard for you if you plan on participating in any kind of contact sport!

Smile wider, live longer, from Salins Orthodontics

Folks with big smiles may actually live longer than those who don’t, according to a March 2010 study at Michigan’s Wayne State University. Our team has known for quite some time that positive emotion has been linked to both physical and mental health, but researchers at the university did something quite interesting: they looked at photos of 230 ball-players who began their careers in baseball prior to 1950 and studied their smile intensity (ranging from big smile, no smile or partial smile). The players’ smile ratings were compared with data from deaths that occurred from 2006 through 2009. The researchers then took into account other factors that impact life longevity, including body mass index, career length and even college attendance.

The results? Researchers found that players who weren’t smiling in the photos died at the average age of 72.9 years. Players with partial smiles lived to be 75. Those with big smiles, however, lived on average to be 79.9 years old.

The take-away from the new study? Smile now, smile often and you might just live longer! Have you been perfecting your smile with Salins Orthodontics? If not, give us a call!

Salins Orthodontics Reminding You To Smile This June! National Smile Month

It’s June already! Where does the time go? We know our patients have plenty to smile about, with graduations, and summer just around the corner, but we are excited to tell you June marks National Smile Month! This is a great time to remind our patients to brush, floss, practice good nutrition at home (and over the summer) to avoid cavities and gum disease, among other dental health issues.

After all, there’s more and more evidence that suggests folks with gum disease are more at risk for serious health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and strokes.

Here are a few easy steps you can improve your oral health at home:

* Brush at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste.
* Floss everyday to clean between your teeth and braces
* Reduce your intake of sugary foods and drinks during orthodontic treatment.
* Visit your general dentist regularly (usually every six months apart).

If you have questions about any of the tips here, we encourage you to give us a call! Congratulations to all the recent grads!

Celebs get braces, too! From Salins Orthodontics

Yep, it's true. Back in 2002, Hollywood megastar Tom Cruise had braces, and during this time he was 40 years old! During this time, Cruise filmed the films Minority Report, Austin Powers in Goldmember and the Last Samurai. Check out Cruise's smile in Jerry Maguire, The Firm or Rain Man and compare to the post-braces Tom Cruise in Valkyrie or Tropic Thunder. The fact is, movie stars need to look their best for the silver screen, and it wouldn't be possible without help from orthodotnists

In fact, lots of Hollywood stars have had orthodontic treatment. Check out this list of famous names, courtesy of ABC News. If you’ve thought about getting the perfect smile you’ve always wanted, please call Salins Orthodontics. We're waiting to have you LIVE LIFE SMILING!