Choose Your Braces Colors Wisely!

What are the toughest choices you’ve ever made? Was it choosing an elective class? Choosing which sport you want to play? Deciding what to put on your Christmas list?

Nope! We’d argue that choosing the color of your braces is one of the hardest decisions in life! This is an opportunity to express yourself through your appearance, match your outfits with your braces, display school spirit, and generally make wearing braces a little more fun!

But what do different braces colors say about you as a person? Here are our ideas.

Blue

You’re relaxed and you keep your composure when under pressure. You are also reliable and trustworthy. You always think before you speak and act and take the time to process your thoughts before making any decisions.

Red

You are extroverted, optimistic, brave, and confident. You don’t mind being the center of attention and you find a sense of excitement in everyday situations. You have a passion and enthusiasm for life and are not afraid to pursue your dreams and goals.

Green

You’re the type of person who’s always on the move. You also have a keen sense of kindness and generosity. Green also represents Mother Earth, so you may be inclined to have an eco-friendly vibe about you. Green is also the color of good luck! When you outfit yourself with green braces, you are telling the world that you’re a practical, down-to-earth person with a love of nature.

Orange

Orange bands on your braces mean you have a bit of a fun (and sometimes wild!) side. It can also indicate an artistic sensibility. You also are independent and don’t care much about what people think about you. Finally, orange also communicates energy!

Purple

You like to march to the beat of your own drum. You also might have a mysterious side to you. Purple is also the color of royalty! Wearing purple bands on your braces might also tell people that you are sensitive, compassionate and supportive -- and you always put others before yourself.

Of course, you shouldn’t necessarily limit yourself to one braces color. You can get combinations, too! Black and yellow is a Pittsburgh classic, or choose your school colors to show your pride.

You can learn more about Reed Orthodontics at tinareedorthodontics.com. Call us today at 412.369.0600 to make an appointment.

Support Run Around the Square! (And a Special Invisalign Deal!)

If you know us at all, there are two things we’re really passionate about: health and the community. That’s why we’re super proud to be a sponsor of this year’s Run Around the Square charity run in Regent Square.

Run Around the Square is an annual event that raises money to improve the Regent Square community. All proceeds for the race will support the Wilkins School Community Center, the Frick Environmental Center, Regent Square Civic Association, and the Environmental Charter School.

You can register for one of the three race options here -- whether you want to do the full 5K, the 1.5-mile run/walk, or even the 1.5-mile run/walk with your family dog, you know you’ll be supporting a good cause. The race will meet at 8:15 am on Saturday, August 22 at the Environmental Charter School (7604 Charleston Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA US 15218). If you plan on going, make sure you share the Facebook event with your friends as well! In addition to the race experience, participating humans will get t-shirts and participating dogs will get free scarves! And of course, if for any reason you can’t participate in the run, you can also contribute by volunteering (you’ll get a t-shirt for that as well!).

As a sponsor of Run Around the Square, we’re also offering a special deal for participants! When you register, you can access to the event’s Virtual Bag, which features lots of great deals from local businesses. We’ll be offering event participants a $400 discount off of Invisalign or Invisalign Teen treatment!

You’ve probably heard of Invisalign -- they’re those “invisible” braces made up of custom-molded aligners that gently move your teeth into place, with absolutely no metal! You can learn more about Invisalign on our blog.

So if you’re up for a run and available in the morning of August 22, we’d love to see you there! Have a great run, everybody!

You can learn more about Reed Orthodontics at tinareedorthodontics.com.

Eliminating Crowded Teeth with an Expander

If you have overcrowded teeth or a crossbite, which are common issues in teens and adolescents, an orthodontist might recommend a palatal expander. Often times, once a patient finds out what an expander is, they get a little scared. These appliances require the patient or a parent to turn the expander themselves, which can feel a little daunting at first.

When someone has a crossbite or overcrowded teeth, it’s necessary to expand the arch of the mouth. The expander is attached to the upper arch of the mouth using rubber bands that are placed around the teeth or bonded to them with plastic. (Although removable expanders do exist, the fixed ones tend to be more effective -- and much more difficult to lose!)

It’s Not So Bad!

Although any orthodontic treatment will have some initial discomfort (and expanders are no exception), the expansion of the upper arch is usually quite painless. You may experience some pressure in the roof of your mouth, behind the nose, or between your eyes while your expander activates. However, in a few minutes, you’ll feel back to normal!

For the first few days wearing your expander, you also might speak differently or “slurp” a bit due to some extra saliva that might be produced. You might also notice a space opening between your upper central incisors -- this is exactly what we want! When your treatment is over and the expander is removed, this space might close again on its own -- this is fine. As long as the underlying bone remains expanded, you’ll be fine. Finally, after treatment, you may experience a “loose” or “sore” sensation in your front teeth -- again, this is completely safe and normal.

Adjusting to...Well, Adjusting

When you first get an expander, taking some key preparation steps can go a long way. When you go grocery shopping, find some foods that don’t need to be chewed much: yogurt, pudding, mashed potatoes, and ice cream are all great options. After two or three days after installation of the expander, a normal diet should be fine. However, particularly hard or sticky foods should still probably be avoided -- they tend to get stuck in the expansion screw.

Finally, we’d also like to mention that each patient’s expansion treatment will be slightly different. Some palates need to be over-expanded -- that’s why the initial appointment is so important. After treatment is complete, you’ll have to wear a retainer to stabilize the results.

Learn more about orthodontic treatment options in North Hills and Greater Pittsburgh Area!

Where to Get Ice Cream in the North Hills

As if you needed yet another reason to celebrate summer, July is National Ice Cream Month! Yes, your favorite creamy, sugary treat is, in fact, braces-friendly -- so if you have that craving this summer, feel free to indulge with some friends or family.

We thought we’d take this special month as an opportunity to round up ice cream options in the area, near our new office in the North Hills:

Sincerely Yogurt

4885 McKnight Rd

Pittsburgh, PA 15237

Okay, so maybe it’s not exactly ice cream -- but some good frozen yogurt can be just as refreshing and delicious as actual ice cream. Sincerely Yogurt on McKnight Road features a self-service frozen yogurt bar (you pay by weight), so you can mix and match toppings and flavors to your heart’s desire. Some cups even have dividers, for those who hate getting their flavors mixed. Try their original, strawberry, cinnamon roll, and peanut butter flavors!

Joezeppi’s Frozen Treats and Homemade Ice Cream

915 Mount Royal Blvd

Pittsburgh, PA 15223

This little gem on Mount Royal Blvd. features great prices and service. Come hungry, though! This family-friendly shop is also known for its pretty hefty serving sizes and a selection of other treats. Try their upside-down banana split (served in a bucket), and their large variety of toppings, fruits, and syrup flavors.

Bruster’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream & Yogurt

493 Lowries Run Rd

Pittsburgh, PA 15237

Whether it’s their delicious homemade ice cream (with real ingredients) or  their milkshakes (made with any of their flavors), Bruster’s on Lowries Run Rd. is a great choice for your summer snacking needs. Their mint chocolate chip, raspberry, chocolate, and double chocolate chunk flavors are particularly good. Ask them about their free frequent visitors’ card and their summer ice cream day camps!

Kool Cones

8130 Perry Hwy

Pittsburgh, PA 15237

With their homemade soft-serve and their divine hard flavors, Kool Cones is a surprisingly charming stop along Perry Hwy. According to our “investigators,” the red velvet cheesecake flavor is a must-have, with its large chunks of cheesecake! Other favorites include their raspberry soft-serve and peanut butter soft-serve varieties. Also, keep in mind that their portions are pretty generous, although reasonably priced.

Learn more about Reed Orthodontics today!

Can You Be an Athlete While Wearing Braces?

The benefits of getting braces to straighten your teeth are myriad: More confidence, a healthier bite, and less of a chance of needing orthodontics later in life. But of course, there are always some sacrifices we need to make -- changing our snacking habits and maintaining your braces or Invisalign trays are just a few things that we “give” to have straighter teeth.

But if you’re an athlete or enjoy summer sports in Pittsburgh, you can still enjoy your favorite activities! Although getting hit in the mouth by a ball while wearing braces (or without) is never a pleasant experience, with some attention to prevention, you can be just as active as ever. At Reed Orthodontics, we strive to give you the best treatment for your lifestyle, so we thought we’d offer up some ways that you can enjoy sports while undergoing orthodontic treatment.

Ways to Play if You Have Braces

Although running or swimming might not have much of an effect on your mouth, any sport where there’s contact can potentially affect your treatment. However, there are a few things you can do to compete safely:

• Get a mouthguard fitted: By using a mouthguard that has been custom-molded to your mouth and not bought off the shelf, you can protect your teeth, your wires and brackets, and the effectiveness of your treatment. Your dentist can help with the process, which takes about half an hour.
• Get Invisalign: Since Invisalign uses removable aligners to straighten your teeth, you can actually take them out while you play! That means that even if you play a medium- or high-contact sport, you won’t risk damaging your teeth or your appliance. It’s also recommended that if you do remove your aligners while you compete, wear a mouthguard!
• Lingual braces: We also offer lingual braces, which attach to the backs of your teeth. Not only are they essentially “invisible,” but they’re a little more protected than traditional braces when you play sports. Even if you have lingual braces, talk to your dentist about getting a mouthguard fitted anyway.

At Reed Orthodontics, we want all of our patients to enjoy their favorite activities, even when they’re getting treated. We also want you to be as healthy as possible, and staying active throughout the summer helps you stay in shape for the rest of the year.

If you have any questions about how orthodontic treatment might affect your ability to play sports, call us today at 412.421.8565 or send us a message!

Do My Wisdom Teeth Affect My Braces?

Between the ages of 17 and 25, your wisdom teeth (a third set of molars) starts coming in. People who are those ages also might need orthodontic work. It can seem daunting to have to deal with orthodontics and wisdom teeth at the same time -- after all, if new teeth are coming in, wouldn’t that impact how effective your braces are?

Here at Reed Orthodontics, we cater to patients of any age in the Pittsburgh area, including Squirrel Hill and the North Hills, who need their teeth straightened. That’s why we wanted to help clear up some possible misconceptions about how your wisdom teeth might affect your orthodontic treatment.

First, it’s important to understand how wisdom teeth work. Wisdom teeth have a habit of overcrowding the mouth, especially after molars have already grown in, fully or partially. Wisdom teeth also have a habit of growing in sideways (known as impacted wisdom teeth). However, your wisdom teeth cannot cause your front teeth to become misaligned. The pressure that they put on your molars is not strong enough to affect your front teeth.

This is one reason why some people think that their wisdom teeth can have adverse effects on their orthodontic treatment, either current or previous. Even if your wisdom teeth come in perfectly, it won’t affect your orthodontic treatment. Finally, if your wisdom teeth have already come in straight and you haven’t had braces yet, you can still get treatment!

However, if your wisdom teeth do not come in straight, regardless of your orthodontic history, your dentist may recommend they be removed before bigger problems occur. If you have impacted wisdom teeth, it can result in pain, damage to other teeth, and other issues. Even if you’re not in pain and nothing appears to be wrong, impacted wisdom teeth can be really hard to brush, which means they’re more likely to get tooth decay and gum disease.

If you’re concerned that your wisdom teeth might have some affect on your orthodontic treatment, don’t hesitate to get in touch! Reed Orthodontics can be reached at 412.369.0600 or through our Contact Us form!

What Does an Orthodontist Do that a Dentist Can't?

Nowadays, the line between an orthodontist and a dentist is more blurred than ever before. Sometimes, patients will reference that their last orthodontist also did their dental work -- turns out, that was their dentist.

Many dentists today practice orthodontics, but that doesn’t mean that they are a true, specially trained orthodontist. Trained orthodontists like Tina Reed, are licensed dentists who complete dental school and then go onto an university or medical center that is accredited by the American Dental Association for 2-3 years to get training in correcting malocclussion. (You can learn more about malocclusion and figure out if you have it here.)

It’s not easy to get into an orthodontic specialty education program -- most of us graduated at the tops of our class in dental school. During post-graduate residency, orthodontists in training devote at least 8 hours a day, five days a week for 24 to 36 months, learning all of the intricacies that go into diagnosing and treating teeth that aren’t perfectly straight. All together, orthodontists train for 4,000 to 6,000 hours after completing dental school!

After attending dental school at the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Reed moved to San Francisco to complete her advanced orthodontic residency to earn a Masters of Science degree in Oral Biology from the University of California - San Francisco. Her research thesis at UCSF was part of a long-term clinical study of the effects of female reproductive hormones on Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) disease. Today, she is a licensed orthodontist and a member of the American Association of Orthodontists, the Western Pennsylvania Society of Orthodontists, the Great Lakes Association of Orthodontists and the American Dental Association.

When deciding whether to see a dentist or an orthodontist for straightening your teeth, consider the following: Your primary care physician is legally allowed to perform brain surgery on you and give you psychiatric advice. But does that mean you’d actually go through with that?

Having a healthy smile and bite is critical to good overall health, and seeing a specialist for these issues is essential for your health -- and your peace of mind.

Click here to contact a qualified orthodontist with offices in Pittsburgh’s North Hills and Squirrel Hill today!