What Soda Does to Your Teeth

Who doesn’t love a cold, bubbly soft drink on a hot day? In fact, half of the American population drinks soda regularly. We at Dr. Cynthia Wong Orthodontics in Orland Park, IL, have seen the gruesome effects of constant soda consumption on teeth. This is why we are committed to educating our patients about cutting back on soft drinks and maintaining good oral hygiene. If soda is something you can’t give up, limiting your consumption of it can definitely make a difference. 

So how does soda actually damage your teeth? Well, there are actually two major ways: by erosion and cavities. Erosion begins when the acids in your favorite soda meet with your healthy tooth enamel. The acids reduce the hardness of the enamel, making the teeth more brittle and thus susceptible to chipping or breaking. Soda can also cause cavities since it can eat through the layer after enamel, dentin, and even damage fillings.

Help prevent the damaging effects of drinking soda by:

- Using a straw

- Getting regular dental cleanings

- Avoiding soda before bed

- Drinking in moderation

- Drinking your soft drink quickly, so as to not let it linger on your teeth

- Waiting thirty to sixty minutes before brushing your teeth after consumption

Dr. Cynthia Wong Orthodontics is located at 15614 S Harlem Ave. in Orland Park, IL 60462. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please visit drcynthiawong.com or call 708-444-8341.

 

Tips for Tongue Hygiene

So you brush and floss your teeth two to three times a day as is recommended. That’s great! But did you know that you should also be brushing your tongue? Just as your teeth and braces are covered in food and bacteria throughout the day, so is your tongue. Your tongue has its own nooks and crannies that it could be carrying just as much bacteria as your teeth. This creates the perfect environment for bad breath. We at Dr. Cynthia Wong Orthodontics in Orland Park, IL, have a couple of tips to get you on the right track to good tongue hygiene.

We know what you’re thinking, “isn’t my tongue cleaned enough with toothpaste and a good rinse?” Unfortunately, like your teeth need a good scrubbing to get them clean, so does your tongue. That buildup on your tongue is so tough to remove that even mouthwash doesn’t always do the job. If anything, mouthwash successfully removes the top layer of bacteria, but what’s underneath can still thrive. The bacteria can lead to not only bad breath but tooth damage.

Every time you brush your teeth, brush back and forth and side to side on your tongue to remove some of that buildup, then rinse with water. Be careful not to over brush though, it would be very uncomfortable if you broke the skin! Just a gentle yet thorough brushing will do the trick. Some people prefer tongue scrapers, though there is no proven evidence that tongue scrapers prevent bad breath. 

Dr. Cynthia Wong Orthodontics is located at 15614 S Harlem Ave. in Orland Park, IL 60462. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please visit drcynthiawong.com or call 708-444-8341.

 

Protect Your Braces With a Mouthguard

While preventing head trauma is the main concern during contact sports, some people rarely consider their teeth and any hardware attached to them as another vital area to protect. We at Dr. Cynthia Wong Orthodontics in Orland Park, IL, recommend athletes of any age to wear a mouthguard while participating in high impact sports. Such sports include football, hockey, lacrosse, wrestling, basketball, baseball/softball, and soccer. Mouthguards are especially beneficial for patients who are undergoing orthodontic treatment. You are given only one set of teeth, it’s up to you to take matters into your own hands and protect it!

In addition to mouthguards protecting the structural integrity of your teeth, they also protect against jaw damage and lacerations to your cheeks, tongue, and lips. Mouthguards have also been proven to decrease the risk of concussions. What’s better than another way to protect yourself from serious head trauma? While mouthguards are available in most sporting goods stores, these don’t always offer the best protection since they can be ill-fitting.

A custom made mouthguard is the best option if you want to have the highest level of comfort and protection. It is created with thin, hardened plastic specifically to fit your mouth and your mouth only. The thinness of a custom mouthguard also allows for easy breathing and communication between your teammates. To ensure optimal protection on the field, court, or rink, always choose a custom made mouthguard.

Dr. Cynthia Wong Orthodontics is located at 15614 S Harlem Ave. in Orland Park, IL 60462. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please visit drcynthiawong.com or call 708-444-8341.

 

Preserving the Tooth Extraction Site

Sometimes pulling teeth is a necessary procedure for overcrowding in the mouth or infection due to tooth decay. It isn’t a procedure to be taken lightly. Like wisdom teeth removal where they are located in the back of the mouth and sutures are used, the tooth extraction site essentially becomes an open wound, one that needs to be monitored and given time to heal. We at Dr. Cynthia Wong Orthodontics in Orland Park, IL understand that getting a tooth pulled isn’t very fun, but we are committed to making the procedure and healing process as comfortable as we can for our patients. 

If you ever think your healing process doesn’t feel normal, you should contact our office. Signs of complications include:

- Cough, shortness of breath, or chest pain

- Severe nausea or vomiting

- Redness, swelling, or excessive discharge from the extraction site

- Signs of infection, such as fever and chills

Something else to keep in mind when removing teeth is what to do with that open space once it has healed. If a tooth is removed and nothing is done to the extraction site, your jaw bone will degenerate and change shape while the site heals. This can create problems in your bite and may affect chewing and speaking. Make sure you and your orthodontist come up with a plan to fill this space.

Dr. Cynthia Wong Orthodontics is located at 15614 S Harlem Ave. in Orland Park, IL 60462. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please visit drcynthiawong.com or call 708-444-8341.

 

 

 

Sugar and Your Teeth

We know it’s not something you want to hear or maybe you’ve heard it a thousand times before. But it’s true, sugar negatively impacts your teeth in a big way. We at Dr. Cynthia Wong Orthodontics in Orland Park, IL take pride in educating our patients about the importance of restricting sugary foods and drinks. It would be ideal to cut these out of your diet completely, but we understand that sometimes there’s nothing better than a crisp soda on a hot day. More attention should be paid to, say, how many sugary beverages you drink in a day or week. Is it really adding up? If so, consider restricting your intake for the sake of your teeth.

Sugar easily coats the surface of your teeth and attracts the “bad bacteria,” such as Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus. These destructive bacteria feed on the sugar and disturb the natural pH of your mouth, to the point where the acidity is too much for your teeth. Over time, the enamel on your teeth is broken down little by little. This isn’t so good since tooth enamel cannot be replaced. Once that natural barrier is gone, it’s gone for good. Having braces speeds up this process if you do not practice proper measures of oral hygiene.

If you can’t give up sugar completely, then consider these tips to fight tooth decay:

- Watch what you eat and drink. Make sure to incorporate healthy options, such as fibrous vegetables.

- Restrict the sugar. Try drinking more water, your teeth will thank you (and so will your body).

- Practice good oral hygiene by brushing and flossing two to three times a day.

- Visit your dentist regularly. Your dentist will be able to take a closer look inside your mouth, monitor anything suspicious, and give your teeth a good professional cleaning. 

Dr. Cynthia Wong Orthodontics is located at 15614 S Harlem Ave. in Orland Park, IL 60462. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please visit drcynthiawong.com or call 708-444-8341.

 

Periodontal Disease

Did you know that it’s abnormal for your gums to bleed while brushing your teeth? Your hands shouldn’t bleed when you wash them, but many people seem to think that bleeding from the gums is normal. In actuality, this is a sign of an underlying issue. We at Dr. Cynthia Wong Orthodontics dedicate our time and expertise in educating our patients about good oral health. Your Orland Park, IL dentist will help you achieve that smile you’ve been longing for.

If your gums are swollen and bleeding, these are signs of the beginning stages of periodontal disease known as gingivitis. The gums have been infected with bacteria-infested plaque, which is usually caused by poor dental hygiene or pre-existing conditions. Periodontitis is the advanced stage of the disease, where the teeth can actually be loosened and fall out.

Factors that increase your risk of periodontal disease include:

- Chronic stress

- Certain medications such as antidepressants, diuretics, high blood pressure meds, seizure-controlling meds, and calcium blockers

- Poor nutrition

- Fluctuating hormones

- Diseases such as diabetes, leukemia, inflammatory bowel disease, and HIV

- Teeth grinding

- Crooked or crowded teeth

- Tobacco use

- Genetics

- Poor dental hygiene, especially with braces on your teeth

Dr. Cynthia Wong Orthodontics is located at 15614 S Harlem Ave. in Orland Park, IL 60462. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please visit drcynthiawong.com or call 708-444-8341.

 

Digital X-Rays

The advancements in dental technology have now made it easier for dentists to deliver efficient care and diagnoses to their patients. One such advancement is digital x-rays, which are becoming a staple in dental practices all over the country. We at Dr. Cynthia Wong Orthodontics are always looking to stay up to date with the latest technology, products, and treatments. Digital x-rays allow dentists to look more closely at your teeth than ever before!

A digital x-ray takes an image of your teeth and puts it into an imaging program. With special tools exclusive to this imaging program, your dedicated Orland Park orthodontist can take a closer look at your teeth with impeccable accuracy. Digital x-rays emit eighty percent less radiation than a standard x-ray since they are actually sensitive to radiation. This is a great benefit to the patient since the patient is exposed to less radiation. Digital x-rays can be classified as intraoral (inside the mouth) or extraoral (outside the mouth), though intraoral x-rays are the most commonly taken.

Intraoral x-rays allow us to:

- Observe the status of developing teeth

- Monitor tooth health

- Look at the tooth roots

- Find cavities

- Check the health of the bony area around the tooth

- Determine if there are signs of periodontal disease

Dr. Cynthia Wong Orthodontics is located at 15614 S Harlem Ave. in Orland Park, IL 60462. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please visit drcynthiawong.com or call 708-444-8341.

 

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.