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.

Consequences of Missing Teeth

Although tooth loss is typically associated with the elderly, missing teeth can occur in adults for a variety of reasons. Whether you’ve lost a tooth to decay, or injury, tooth loss can rob you of much more than the ability to chew and properly digest food. It can have serious social, psychological and emotional consequences as well. At Dr. Cynthia Wong Orthodontics, we don’t want you to experience the consequences of a toothless grin. This is why we offer a wide variety of restorative and cosmetic options to give you the smile you’ve always dreamed of.

The most obvious effect of missing teeth is aesthetic. When a tooth is lost, the facial muscles begin to sag, making you appear older than you are. Additionally, missing teeth will make it more difficult to chew and may even affect the way you speak. The more teeth a person is missing, the more challenging the task to replace them can become. It can also be costly. It is important to have regular dental visits with us to prolong the life of your teeth. 

If you have missing teeth, please give us a call to discuss your treatment options. To learn more about the services we provide at our office, visit www.drcynthiawong.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Cynthia Wong in Orland Park, IL, call 708-444-8341.

Wisdom Teeth Function

Wisdom teeth are the third and final set of molars that most people get in their late teens or early twenties. During this “age of wisdom” phase, sometimes teeth can be a valuable asset to the mouth when healthy and properly aligned, but more often they are misaligned and require removal. Some might think of wisdom teeth as spare tires, because if you lost your teeth, the wisdom teeth would be extra teeth that come in and function like normal teeth. Here at Dr. Cynthia Wong Orthodontics, Dr. Wong may recommend an extraction depending on their position and stage of development.

So why do we have them? Anthropologists believe wisdom teeth or the third set of molars, were the evolutionary answer to our ancestor’s early diet of coarse, rough food – like leaves, roots, nuts, and meats – which required more chewing power and resulted in excessive wear of the teeth. The modern diet with its softer foods, along with marvels of modern technologies such as forks, spoons, and knives, has made the need for wisdom teeth nonexistent; however, they don’t always need to be removed.

If your wisdom teeth are causing you pain, please give us a call to discuss your treatment options. To learn more about the services we provide at our office, visit www.drcynthiawong.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Cynthia Wong in Orland Park, IL, call 708-444-8341.

Benefits of Dentures

At Dr. Cynthia Wong Orthodontics, we recommend dentures to patients who have missing teeth but do not want to undergo an invasive procedure such as dental implants. Dentures are replacements for missing teeth that can be taken out and put back into your mouth. While these mouthpieces might take some getting used to, and will never feel exactly the same as your natural teeth, today’s dentures are natural looking and more comfortable than ever before.

If you’ve lost all of your natural teeth, whether from gum disease, tooth decay, or injury, replacing missing teeth will benefit your appearance and your health. That’s because dentures make it easier to eat and speak better than you ever could without teeth. There are different types of dentures, but they each type offers the same overall benefits. For example, when you lose all of your teeth, facial muscles can sag, making you appear older than you actually are. Dentures can also improve your appearance and smile, because, without support from the denture, facial muscles can sag, making a person look older. If you already have dentures, be sure that you are taking proper care of them.

If you are missing teeth and would like to discuss your treatment options, please give us a call. To learn more about the services we provide at our office, visit www.drcynthiawong.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Cynthia Wong in Orland Park, IL, call 708-444-8341.

Advantages of Traditional Braces

If you have crooked and/or a misaligned bite (an underbite or overbite), there are a variety of treatments that can help straighten teeth, including braces and aligners. At Dr. Cynthia Wong Orthodontics, our treatment options for straightening teeth include traditional braces, clear braces, as well as Invisalign, but in this specific post, we are going to explain the advantages of traditional braces.

The most inexpensive type of braces for adults and children are the traditional, stainless steel versions. Dental braces feature brackets that tend to run along a wire. The wire and brackets that form part of the braces are pressed against the patient’s teeth. This supports slight movements that can help in properly aligning and straightening the teeth. In addition, traditional braces also correct even the most complicated issues in aligning the teeth. They might not be aesthetically pleasing, but traditional braces are not removable, allowing for a reduction in treatment time. If braces are indeed the solution for you, Dr. Cynthia Wong will prescribe an appliance specific for your needs.

If you are searching for a straighter smile, give us a call to discuss your treatment options. To learn more about the services we provide at our office, visit www.drcynthiawong.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Cynthia Wong in Orland Park, IL, call 708-444-8341.

Dangers of Snoring and Solutions

At Dr. Cynthia Wong Orthodontics our goal is to enhance the quality of life of our patients who come to use for their dental health needs and this includes snoring. Snoring is a common condition that can affect anyone. Occasional snoring may not be serious; however, if you are a habitual snorer, you risk impairing your sleep quality and developing poor daytime function. 

Frequent snorers can be at risk for serious health problems, including obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep apnea creates a variety of problems, including long interruptions of breathing, poor night’s sleep, chronic headaches and daytime sleepiness, and fatigue. At Dr. Cynthia Wong Orthodontics we provide a night guard as a treatment option. It has a unique inner lining that is softened by heat during the fitting process. This allows for a custom fit and is designed to keep your lower jaw comfortable and positioned slightly forward while sleeping.

Many of our patients prefer a night guard as a practical and less invasive alternative to CPAP therapy. To learn about the services we provide at the practice, visit www.drcynthiawong.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Cynthia Wong Orthodontics in Orland Park, IL, call 708-444-8341.

The Temporomandibular Joint: Explained

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the jaw joint. You have two of them which work together as a pair, one in front of each ear. Without this joint, you would not be able to chew your food, yawn, or even speak. The joints connect the lower jaw bone (mandible) to the temporal bones of the skull on each side of the head. When this joint begins to cause facial pain, headaches, and/or jaw muscle stiffness, Dr. Cynthia Wong can develop a treatment plan.

When you open your mouth, the rounded upper ends of the mandible on each side of the jaw glide along the joint socket at the base of the skull. They slide back to their original position when you close your mouth. This joint is unique in the sense that the articular surfaces of the bones never actually come in contact with one another – they are separated by an articular disk. This disk splits the joint into two synovial joint cavities, each lined by a synovial membrane. It is important to keep in mind that occasional clicking or discomfort in the jaw joint or chewing muscles is common, but if you have a serious concern for TMD, you should schedule a consultation with Dr. Cynthia Wong.

If you have questions about the temporomandibular joint or TMJ/TMD, please give us a call. To learn about the services we provide at the practice, visit www.drcynthiawong.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Cynthia Wong Orthodontics in Orland Park, IL, call 708-444-8341.