How to Orthodontics Work with Implants?

Dr. Cynthia Wong is proud to say her Orland Park orthodontic clinic provides treatment to adult patients. Many people find that Invisalign and other retainers greatly assist their confidence and self-esteem. But adults also tend to have more complicated dental histories than children and may wonder how orthodontics will interact with prosthetic teeth.

Artificial crowns and bridges can be removed for the purposes of realignment, but implants are titanium screwed into bone. Nothing is going to move that! On the other hand, an implant can be a very useful anchor for moving other teeth. Usually, if a patient wants an implant but doesn’t have one yet, it is best to wait until after orthodontic treatment is finished or nearly finished to place it. There may not even be room for the implant before the other teeth have been moved into place. But an exception occurs if the implant can be placed in the ideal position early in the process and then be used as an alternative anchoring point for the arch. If the implant-supported crown is not going to be one of the teeth targeted for treatment, it may not matter as much at which point it is placed, but every case is unique.

Cynthia Wong, DMD, operates at 15614 S Harlem #B, Orland Park, Illinois, 60462. To contact her office, call 708-444-8341 or visit DrCynthiaWong.com and send a message.

 

Impacted Canines

Impacted teeth are one of the most common reasons why patients need orthodontic treatment, and canines, also known as cuspids, are among the teeth most likely to be impacted. As an experienced orthodontist, Dr. Cynthia Wong works with dental surgeons to help guide canine teeth through the patients’ gum line and into place, ensuring a strong bite and arch shape.

In children, x-rays should reveal whether there will be room for the canines to erupt. If there is not, it is a good thing the problem was caught early, because impacted canines may never emerge in adults. There are a variety of strategies a dental surgeon may pursue depending on the situation, but most will involve making an incision in the gums in order to expose enough of the canine for a bracket to be attached to it.

Attaching the bracket of an impacted tooth to the arch wire may require some unusual looking hardware.  Chains are one common tool; ballista-shaped springs are another. These are both intended to pull on the impacted canine without putting pressure on the adjacent teeth. Moving an impacted canine into place is generally expected to take a year. Once completed, the canines are crucial to maintaining the straightened arch of all the other teeth.

Cynthia Wong, DMD, operates at 15614 S Harlem #B, Orland Park, Illinois, 60462. To contact her office, call 708-444-8341 or visit DrCynthiaWong.com and send a message.

 

Etiquette and Safety with Orthodontics

Dr. Cynthia Wong’s potential patients are often reluctant to get braces because they are afraid they would look and feel awkward. We offer invisible braces and Invisalign partly for this reason, but these still require retainers to be worn afterward, and when people spit out their retainers while they are dining with friends, feeling awkward is quite natural. There are a few pitfalls which you might want to know to watch out for before you get orthodontics.

While you are wearing traditional (or clear, or ceramic) braces, you will want to keep the proxabrush on you at all times. This will allow you to dislodge food from the front of your mouth any time you duck out to the bathroom. Of course, food can still get stuck in between your teeth, but if you are concerned enough about this to carry floss, you can also carry a floss threader. Braces are likely to trap much bigger food chunks than you are used to dealing with, and carrying the proxabrush will provide you with peace of mind so you aren’t tempted to push at your braces with the tip of your tongue (or thumb).

Likewise, if you wear a retainer or aligner, keep the case close at hand, even if out of sight. In terms of etiquette, the retainer is ideally removed and replaced in private, but sometimes, you will get offered food unexpectedly. Never leave the retainer in while eating; it is much better to explain the need to remove it and do so as discreetly as possible than to attempt to eat while wearing it, possibly damaging it, and creating a great deal of difficulty for yourself with every bite and swallow.

Cynthia Wong, DMD, operates at 15614 S Harlem #B, Orland Park, Illinois, 60462. To contact her office, call 708-444-8341 or visit DrCynthiaWong.com and send a message.

 

 

Cooking for Someone with Orthodontics

There are a lot of guides online for what kinds of food to make for kids with braces, but they mostly focus on how to make food as soft as possible. They neglect to mention that sticky or thick foods could break braces, as well, and foods that are too soft will get stuck and are difficult to remove. We at Dr. Cynthia Wong Orthodontics thought we’d provide a few tips of our own:

•  Steam vegetables and cut them into thin strips. Slicing corn from the cob is also a way to make it safe, though the proxabrush will be necessary to remove it.


• Long beans don’t even need to be cut


•  Eggs are a good choice in nearly any mode of preparation


• Baked fish is soft, but has enough resistance to provide the pleasure of biting into something tasty


• Slow cooked meats in general are satisfying, especially in soups


• Curries are often nutritious, and traditionally paired with long-grain, instead of sticky, rice


• Desserts with crumbled graham cracker crusts are quick to soften up inside the mouth


• Immediately after tightening, it may be best to avoid chewing at all. This is a good time for smoothies, milkshakes, oatmeal, and mashed root vegetables

Cynthia Wong, DMD, operates at 15614 S Harlem #B, Orland Park, Illinois, 60462. To contact her office, call 708-444-8341 or visit DrCynthiaWong.com and send a message.