Everything in Moderation—Including Halloween Candy!

Halloween is one of our favorite times of year here at the office, and it’s always a nice surprise when a patient comes in dressed in costume.

But one thing that will forever be connected to Halloween is candy—and believe us, we’re guilty of indulging in way too many M&Ms from time to time as well. However, if you have braces, eating too much candy can cause problems for a number of reasons. Take some time to understand why and how eating candy can potentially harm your orthodontic treatment and have an effect on your teeth and gums for years to come.

Eat Sweets in Moderation

As you well know, candy is packed with sugar—and not the good kind. It’s also a carbohydrate, which can cause bacteria and acids to form on your teeth, potentially leading to tooth decay. Even if you don’t have braces, candy can be pretty bad, causing cavities or a multitude of other problems. Eating too much candy can make it more difficult to reach around the bracket and band attachments when you brush your teeth and floss.

Candy is Candy!

Although candy can take on lots of different forms—sucking candies, chocolate, chewy candies—it’s all functionally the same when it comes to your braces. While hard candies can cause hard glucose buildup on your teeth, softer candies can seep into hard-to-reach crevices between your teeth and your orthodontic treatment.

Often times, candy can cause a bracket or band to jolt loose, bringing your journey to straight teeth back for 1 to 2 months—and, of course, you’ll have to schedule an appointment with Dr. Reed to get it fixed.

Have a Happy Halloween, Club Reed! Enjoy yourselves and have a safe, but not-too-sweet holiday!

It’s 2013: Braces Aren’t Just “Kid Stuff” Anymore

20 years ago, you might have done a double-take if you saw an adult with braces walking down the street. But today, with many more convenient, unobtrusive options for teeth straightening, more and more adults are turning to orthodontics—even those whose smiles are constantly in the spotlight.

Country singer Faith Hill wasn’t shy about showing off her braces at last November’s Country Music Association Awards, at one point Tweeting, ““Wear your braces proudly.”

Whether you have Beiber fever or not, you’ve got to appreciate that he decided to straighten his teeth at age 17, at the peak of his celebrity, with Invisalign braces:

And more, recently, across the pond, Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, decided to straighten her teeth using lingual braces. Since lingual braces bond to the back of your teeth rather than the front, she was able to enjoy a flawless smile on her wedding day:

For adults looking to straighten their teeth with minimal effect on their smiles, there are lots of solutions now, between steel braces, ceramic braces, transparent aligners, and lingual braces. According to Dr. John Buzzato, president of the American Orthodontic Association, most of these treatments take between a year and a half to two years to complete, often followed by a retainer.

Whether you’re young or old, it’s never too late to get your teeth straightened. Contact us today for a consultation, by clicking here to send us a message, or calling us at (412) 421-8565.

Invisalign – the Great Alternative to Braces!

Reed Orthodontics happily provides Invisalign as a great alternative to traditional braces.  Invisalign treatment involves a series of completely clear removable slipcovers, each designed to move your teeth closer to the final result of straight teeth and a great bite. 

During treatment, patients wear their aligners all day and night expect when eating meals and brushing/flossing.  Since the aligners are clear, no one knows that your teeth are gradually straightening! You can learn more by watching this quick video.

The first step in treatment with Invisalign is a consultation with Dr. Reed to ensure that your teeth and bite will respond well to Invisalign therapy.  

Step two is to take a set of impressions of your teeth as well as one xray and some photos.  All of this information is digitized and sent to Invisalign so that the aligners can be fabricated by their state of the art laboratory.  

Approximately two weeks later the patient returns to receive the first set of aligners.  Dr. Reed and her staff review the process of wearing the slipcovers and will have the patient return every 6 to 8 weeks for minor adjustments and to evaluate the progress.

To find out if you are a great candidate for Invisalign treatment, we invite you to call Dr. Reed’s office  to schedule your initial consultation. 

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