Do You Have Malocclusion?

If you’ve ever looked at your smile in the mirror and thought “Something just doesn’t look right,” you might have malocclusion.

Malocclusion is a term that refers to the alignment of your teeth, but obviously, not everyone is born with comfortable alignment. In a perfect world, all our teeth would easily fit in our mouths without any crowding, spacing, or “twists.” The upper teeth should very slightly overlap those on the bottom, so that the grooves of your upper molars fit right into those on the bottom.

However, with so many moving parts and variables, malocclusion is extremely common. When a person tries to live with malocclusion without trying to fix it, they might not be able to perform vital functions like chewing and may also cause the cheeks and lips to be bitten—the alignment of the lower teeth is crucial in preventing the tongue from being bitten.

If you’re not sure if you have malocclusion, of course you should see a Pittsburgh orthodontist like Dr. Reed. These are some of the possible warning signs and symptoms that you have malocclusion, according to Healthline:

• the use of a pacifier after the age of three
• the prolonged use of bottle feeding in early childhood
• thumb sucking in early childhood
• injuries that result in the misalignment of the jaw
• tumors in the mouth or jaw
• abnormally shaped or impacted teeth
• poor dental care that results in improperly fitting dental fillings, crowns, or braces

         What Are the Symptoms of Malocclusion?

Depending on the classification of malocclusion, the symptoms of the disorder may be subtle or severe. Typical symptoms of malocclusion include:

• improper alignment of the teeth
• alteration in the appearance of the face
• discomfort when chewing or biting
• speech problems, including the development of a lisp
• breathing through the mouth rather than the nose 

Click here to learn more about Pittsburgh Orthodontist, Tina Reed Orthodontics!

Sundays are Kids Days at PNC Park

Spring has sprung here in Pittsburgh! Whether you or your children have braces or not, there are some things that’ll bring a smile to any Pittsburgher’s face.

Yep, that’s right! It’s Buccos season! Here at the office, we’re excited about the season so far and we can’t wait to see our patients wear their Pirates gear to the office to earn some extra Club Reed points!

But even your family can have some “team spirit” this spring, because this season, the Pirates are teaming up with WTAE for “Sundays are Kids Days at PNC Park.”

Every Sunday home game through the end of the season, the Pirates will have fun, games, a Family Fun Zone on Federal Street before the game, as well as kid-friendly giveaways at the gates for children ages 14 and under.

Remember to stick around after the game so your kids can run the bases right on the field! And, of course, share your photos on social media with #WTAEBucs (and #ClubReed for good measure!).

Here are the dates:

DATES
· April 20

· May 4

· May 25

· June 8

· June 29

· July 6

· July 20

· August 10

· August 31

· Sept 14

· Sept 21

Click here to read more about “Sundays are Kids Days at PNC Park”!

Straightening Out the Stigma Behind Braces

If you’re a parent who once had braces themselves, you might look back at those days with embarrassment. Historically, this is a common trait for people with braces. However, today’s teens are a little less judgmental about braces.

Indeed, it’s all about education—and as parents and kids alike become more familiar with the benefits of braces, they become more accepting. One New Hampshire orthodontist has seen the cultural change happen first-hand, according to a recent interview:

"I think our patients and their parents are more educated about braces now," Watterworth said. "Kids know the braces are doing good things for their teeth and mouth. It meets their goals and it snowballs since it is happening to all their friends, too. They get positive reinforcement.”

Braces indeed offer lots of positive reinforcement: They correct malocclusions, misalignment, overbites, under bites, and even more serious mouth and jaw issues. Other times, braces can be used to make room for secondary teeth.

The stigma appears to be fading not just for kids but for adults as well—high tech orthodontic treatments are making braces appealing to adults as well. There are over one million U.S adults wearing braces today, and rising, according to an L.A. Times article.

"The stigma of being 'too old' for braces has diminished for the most part," says Dr. Stephen Tracey, an orthodontist in California.

To schedule an appointment with Tina Reed Orthodontics, call us today at 412.421.8565 or click here to send our staff a message.

Get Back on the “White” Track

Seeing an orthodontist to straighten out your smile is one of the best things you can do for your confidence and your self image. But it’s important for adult and child patients alike to realize that braces and similar applications like Invisalign can’t do everything to fix your smile.

Some patients, especially our adult patients—coffee addiction is real!—may also want to whiter teeth. But recognizing some of the most contributing factors to yellow teeth and avoiding them, can be one of the best ways to get rid of the yellow and get back on the “white” track.

If you’re looking to straighten out your smile, of course you should see Dr. Reed first. But to take that extra step towards a smile that shines, take note of the following foods and lifestyle choices you might want to cut out, according to this LiveScience article:

Not surprisingly, dark-colored foods and beverages — including coffee, red wine, black tea, colas, dark sauces and various fruits, such as grapes, blueberries and pomegranates — have the greatest potential to stain teeth. These items are high in chromogens, pigment-producing substances with a penchant for sticking to tooth enamel.

Acidic foods and beverages can worsen matters by eroding tooth enamel and making it easier for chromogens to latch onto the teeth. Tannin, a bitter compound found in wine and tea, also helps chromogens attach to tooth enamel.

Additionally, smoking and chewing tobacco are well-known culprits behind extrinsic stains, as is poor dental hygiene, which allows dental plaque to accumulate on the teeth.

To schedule an appointment with Tina Reed Orthodontics, call us today at 412.421.8565 or click here to send our staff a message.

Smiling: It Does a Body Good

Reed Orthodontics patients know all too well how much of a confidence boost a straight smile can be. But proudly smiling also has numerous other health benefits, according to some recent studies.

One study, conducted at the University of Kansas, showed that the act of smiling helped the heart recover more quickly after completing a stressful task:

“The neat thing about this is that smiling during the stressful period also has positive benefits for your heart health for several minutes after you’re smiling, which is pretty cool,” said one of the researchers. “We’ve seen so much work out there showing it’s good for emotional and social health and well-being, but this really is the first study among its kind to show that smiling is beneficial to you physically.”

And another study highlighted the role that happiness and smiling play in preventing heart disease!

Over a period of ten years, Dr Davidson and her colleagues followed 1,739 healthy adults (862 men and 877 women) who were participating in the 1995 Nova Scotia Health Survey. At the start of the study, trained nurses assessed the participants' risk of heart disease and, with both self-reporting and clinical assessment, they measured symptoms of depression, hostility, anxiety and the degree of expression of positive emotions, which is known as "positive affect".

…

After taking account of age, sex, cardiovascular risk factors and negative emotions, the researchers found that, over the ten-year period, increased positive affect predicted less risk of heart disease by 22% per point on a five-point scale measuring levels of positive affect expression (ranging from "none" to "extreme").

So, there you have it, Club Reed! Smiling isn’t just for good looks—it’s for good health.

If you’re an adult and have always considered getting braces, there are lots of alternative treatments available to you, such as Invisalign and Smart Moves. Call Reed Orthodontics today for a consultation, at 412.421.8565, or click here to send us a message.

What to Expect When You’re Expecting…Braces!

When patients (and parents!) come in to our office for the first time, it’s natural for them to be a little nervous. But orthodontic treatment like traditional braces and Invisalign are a great start toward a straighter smile your child will be proud to show off for a lifetime—it can be helpful to look at your first orthodontic appointment as the beginning of a new era.

So what can you expect when you take that first step by scheduling an appointment with Reed Orthodontics?

Get to know each other! At your initial visit, our staff will get to know the patient and their family. We’ll also orient you with our office and our processes. We’ll perform a thorough exam to determine if (and what kind) of orthodontic treatment might be needed. And, of course, we’ll answer any questions you may have about our pricing and payment options.

Get into the nitty gritty. As you’re probably aware, orthodontics isn’t just about making chit-chat—as much as we love to! After your initial consultation, we’ll take photos, X-rays, and create molds of the teeth. This helps our staff design a specialized treatment plan that’ll work for you.

After the initial visit, our team will meet again with you to review our proposed treatment plan and answer any questions that you or your child may have, then finalize the paperwork.

Next, comes the initial appliance placement, which is typically a longer appointment than the others, especially if the treatment plan involves conventional braces. We’ll install the appliance and once again review instructions for caring for and cleaning it.

And here begins our active treatment phase, which may include monthly adjustment visits and progress reports to make sure everything’s going smoothly. Once our team feels your treatment is complete, we’ll remove the appliance and give you instructions for your retainer, if applicable—and of course, we’ll have regular check-ins and adjustments in that case, too.

Have a question for Reed Orthodontics or would like to make an appointment? Click here to send our staff a message or call us at 412.421.8565.

National Children’s Dental Health Month

Happy February, Club Reed! You probably know that February is Black History Month and the month of several presidential birthdays—but did you also know that it’s National Children’s Dental Health Month?

Every February, the American Dental Association (ADA) sponsors this special month to raise awareness about the importance of healthy teeth. It’s important for youngsters to develop good habits early on, and the ADA has provided lots of helpful tools to help parents, teachers, and patients get on track for a healthy lifetime of smiles.

Among their resources is a complete catalog of interactive activity sheets and puzzles for kids to complete—if you’re a teacher or a parent with a child (especially one with braces), these are a great, fun way to encourage good dental health. So grab a marker and go wild!

Fun Activity Sheets for Kids

·       2MIN 2X Coloring Sheet (English PDF) (Spanish PDF) 

·       Sets of Two Activity Sheet (English PDF) (Spanish PDF) 

·       Super Smile Story (English PDF) (Spanish PDF) 

·       Super Smile Crossword Puzzle (English PDF) (Spanish PDF) 

·       Super Smile Decoder (English PDF) (Spanish PDF) 

·       Super Smile Certificate (English PDF) (Spanish PDF)  

·       Super Smile Nutrition Match (English PDF) (Spanish PDF) 

·       Super Smile Shirt Logo  (English PDF) (Spanish PDF) 

·       Super Smile Puppet Cutout (English PDF) (Spanish PDF)

·       Super Smile Reminder (English PDF) (Spanish PDF)

·       Tooth Anatomy (English PDF) (Spanish PDF)

 

Full Sets of Activity Sheets

·       Guidelines for Usage of the 2014 NCDHM Slogan (English PDF)

·       Download the full set of 2013 Activity Sheets  (English PDF/1.2MB)   | (Spanish PDF/1.13MB) 

·       Download the full set of 2012 Activity Sheets  (English PDF/2.1MB)  | (Spanish PDF/.7MB)

·       Download the full set of 2011 Activity Sheets (English PDF/1.5MB)  | (Spanish PDF/.8MB)

Click here for more information on National Children’s Dental Health Month!