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!

Why Kids Should Learn to Play with Robots

As orthodontists, we’re no strangers to technology: Whether it’s making molds, scanning technology, or working with new orthodontic treatments like 3M Unitek Braces, orthodontics are constantly evolving and becoming more modern.

Part of our rapidly-changing world is the rise of robots, and believe it or not, you don’t need to be an engineer at the CMU Robotics Institute to work with them. Actually, more and more kids these days are being exposed to robots at an early age -- in fact, Shaler Area High School’s robotics team, “Fish’s Minions,” won the Best Robotics Design award at the VEX Robotics Competition back in March. Many other schools in the North Hills area feature robotics programs as well, including North Hills High School.

Working with robots offers many developmental advantages to kids as their brains grow and they prepare for a workforce that increasingly depends on technological skills. Here are some benefits:

Confidence & Positivity

Kids who start working with robotics early on can get a crucial confidence boost and can develop better attitudes towards doing things that challenge them. Often times, students who have trouble in science class will actually do a good job working with robots. Robotics can also hone students’ abilities to follow instructions, improve problem solving skills, and more. Educational robotics kits can be a great resource for students struggling with confidence!

Patience & Persistence

Let’s face it -- working with tools and machines can be hard. Especially with educational robotics kits, the parts and components must fit together perfectly for the robot to function. This takes practice and doesn’t always go smoothly the first time around. Robots can be a great way to teach children patience, persistence, and dedication. Failure is a step closer to success.

Science!

Learning about robots usually helps kids learn about other scientific concepts as well. Obviously, robotics can be a great tool for teaching kids about physics and engineering. But putting together a solar-powered model vehicle can also teach kids about solar panels and how light gets converted into energy. Or an all-terrain robotic vehicle can be used as a way of teaching kids about geological formations.

Even if your child doesn’t have a robotics program at his or her school, you can purchase robotics kits online for use at home! Here are some recommendations:

The Hummingbird Robotics kit, designed by Carnegie Mellon’s CREATE Lab

Edmund Scientifics

Maker Shed

RobotShop

And of course, on Amazon

Did you know we have a brand new office in the North Hills? Call us today for a consultation at 412.369.0600.

Volunteer Opportunities in the North Hills

With the school year here in Pittsburgh ending in a few months, parents might be looking for ways for their children -- or themselves -- to keep busy during the summer. Fortunately, there are lots of opportunities to volunteer in the vicinity of our offices in the North Hills.

Volunteering can be an extremely gratifying experience, especially for kids and teens who might not be able to have consistent commitments throughout the summer due to family vacations and other events. Here are some options that you can share with your family -- even if you just volunteer once, it makes a difference!

North Hills Community Outreach

North Hills Community Outreach is an extremely organized, efficient organization benefiting North Hills residents young and old who are facing crisis, hardship and poverty.Their full list of volunteer opportunities can be found here. Their offer a wide selection of programs that you can volunteer in, from their garden, to their Open Your Heart to a Senior Program, to financial coaching, to career mentoring.

Crisis Center North

Crisis Center North assists victims of domestic violence in the North hills community through a variety of resources and confidential services. They provides free empowerment counseling and advocacy to adult, teen, and child victims of domestic violence in the northern and western communities of Allegheny County. Crisis Center North also provides educational programming to community and school programs.

You can learn more about their volunteer opportunities here, which include:

• Hotline Counseling
• Legal Advocacy
• Speakers Bureau/Prevention Education
• Fundraising
• Clerical Tasks
• Board Membership/Committee Volunteer

Shaler/Ross Meals on Wheels

Run through the Lutheran Service Society, Ross/Shaler meals on wheels needs volunteers! Individuals are needed to help in the kitchen to prepare meals and to go on deliveries to clients’ homes. This is a great way to meet people in the North Hills community -- help is needed most during the week in the morning and you can choose to volunteer daily, weekly, monthly, or even seasonally. You can learn more about this volunteer opportunity here.

Shaler Garden Club

The Shaler Garden Club was founded in 1921, and is still working to beautify the community.  Learn about gardening, plant civic gardens, conserve and protect our natural environment, inspire others with the love of gardening, all while building lasting friendships.  The Club hosts a perennial plant sale at Kiwanis Park in May and serves the community in so many ways.

Smile-Friendly Movie Snacks for Summer

With summer approaching, it’s prime season to settle into a cozy seat at the movies and enjoy one of the season’s many blockbuster movies.

Of course, a true movie experience wouldn’t be complete without some classic movie snacks. However, as you well know, when you have braces, you have to make some compromises on what you eat. Don’t worry though -- there are a bunch of snacks you can get at the movies that are completely compatible with your braces.

Hot dogs and pizzaMost movie theaters sell these snacks, which are a better to eat than sticky gummies and Milk Duds that will get stuck in between your brackets and arch wires. 

Soft pretzelsYou should try to stick to soft foods, and soft pretzels are a good snack to eat. Try it with cinnamon or salted with cheese. 

Ice cream and frozen yogurtIce cream and yogurt bars with varieties of toppings are becoming popular in theaters. Milkshakes also are safe to eat and a tasty, cool summer treat. 

Soft, fresh-baked cookiesSome movie theaters sell fresh-baked cookies. Chocolate chip cookies should be a safe option for moviegoers. 

Chocolate candyTry to stay away from candy bars with nuts and caramel, but there are plenty of options to choose from including Hershey’s bars, M&Ms, Reese’s Pieces and Kit Kat bars. 

Sodas and slushiesThese sugary drinks aren’t good for your teeth, but they won’t damage your brackets and wires. Just make sure you brush your teeth after the movie to make sure there isn’t any sugary residue left on your teeth. If you can sip water between swigs of the sugary drinks, that can help wash the Gummy candiessugars off your teeth.
Some snacks to stay away from are popcorn, gummy worms, bubble gum, nachos, and candy bars with caramel. These snacks can be your worst enemy at the movie theater because you will be left picking at your braces instead of enjoying the movie. If you do decide to eat these risky treats, make sure to bring a toothbrush, floss and a Proxabrush to go between braces and teeth to remove food and plaque.

Looking for an excuse to sport a great smile this summer? Talk to Reed Orthodontics about your options for a straighter smile!

April is National Stress Awareness Month

Sponsored by The Health Resource Network (HRN), a non-profit health education organization, Stress Awareness Month is a national effort to inform people about the dangers of stress, successful coping strategies, and harmful misconceptions about stress that are prevalent in our society.During April, health care professionals across the country will join forces to increase public awareness about both the causes and cures for our modern stress epidemic.As an orthodontist, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the mental health benefits of smiling. In fact, a study from the University of Kansas department of psychology suggest that smiling can reduce stress and make us feel better:

“Age old adages, such as ‘grin and bear it,’ have suggested smiling to be not only an important nonverbal indicator of happiness but also wishfully promotes smiling as a panacea for life’s stressful events,” said researcher Tara Kraft. “We wanted to examine whether these adages had scientific merit; whether smiling could have real health-relevant benefits.”

To investigate the claim, the researchers recruited 169 willing college students for a hands-on experiment. But they had to engage in a bit of deception. Actually telling the participants that they were testing whether smiling would make them happier would have distorted the results, so the students were told that the experiment was about multi-tasking.

Next, the students were put in “multi-tasking situations” that were intentionally designed to be stressful. In the first one, they were asked to trace a star shape with their non-dominant hand while looking only at a mirror image of it, and were misled about the average person’s accuracy in completing the task. While attempting to execute the maneuver with as few errors as possible to win a reward (a chocolate), they were continually reminded to hold the chopsticks in their mouths to maintain the intended facial expression. Afterward, they were instructed to do the same as their hands were submerged in ice water.

The experiment’s findings were startling. As a whole, the smilers had lower heart rates while recovering from the stressful tasks than those who had assumed neutral expressions, and those with Duchenne smiles had lower heart rates yet. Even those who were smiling only due to their instructed chopstick position—without explicitly being told to smile—showed the same effect. Since heart rate is an indicator of the body’s stress response, it seems as though the act of smiling actually reduced the participants’ overall stress level.

Click here to jumpstart your smile and contact Reed Orthodontics today!