Are You Having An Orthodontic Emergency?

Broken or disturbed appliances are likely to occur from time to time during your orthodontic care. If there is any disturbance, such as loose bands, broken or poking wires, call our office as soon as possible so we can evaluate the urgency of the problem and schedule you to be seen accordingly.

The following are helpful hints to remedy some of the problems you may encounter until you can be seen in our office.

• If a tie wire is irritating your mouth, cover it with orthodontic wax or tuck it under the archwire using a blunt object like a pencil eraser or a Q-Tip.
• A loose band or bracket can generally be left in place until seen in our office. Call the office as soon as you notice a loose band or bracket so we can schedule you to be seen to reattach the loose appliance.
• A broken archwire, or one that is irritating the gum or cheek tissue, needs to be seen as soon as possible for replacement or adjustment.
• A bent headgear facebow, or removable appliance that is not fitting well, is not to be worn until it can be properly adjusted in our office. Call the office as soon as possible to schedule an appointment to have the facebow or removable appliance adjusted.
• Several days of soreness and sensitivity are common following an office visit. If you are experiencing abnormal pain or discomfort please contact our Wentz Orthodontics.

DIY Summer Treat

Wentz Orthodontics wants to help you keep your snack choices healthy this summer with braces-friendly healthy summer snack recipes.  By avoiding sticky sweets and sugary beverages, we will provide you with snack choices that are fit for orthodontic patients and promote overall wellness and health! All summer long, check here for healthy new summer snack recipes! 

STRAWBERRY-KIWI FRUIT POPSICLES

Ingredients:

• Popsicle Molds
• 8 strawberries , cut into thin slices
• 2 kiwis , cut into thin slices
• Strawberry-Kiwi Juice

Instructions:

1. Arrange sliced strawberries and sliced kiwis inside the popsicle molds.
2. Pour just enough strawberry-kiwi juice into each mold to cover the fruit.
3. Insert popsicle sticks and freeze until frozen solid; about 1 to 2 hours.
4. Serve.

Tips For Creating Your #WentzJingleJam Entry

Here at Wentz Orthodontics, we love giving back to the community and patients as much as we can. This month, we're giving you the chance to win 1 of 3 amazing prizes all valued at $1500 each! Don't feel overwhelmed with the requirements of entering, you don't need fancy equipment or video editing skills! Use your smartphone or any camera that allows you to video record, pop on your best smile, and show us some fun moves to our new Wentz Orthodontics jingle!

Keep reading for a few tips on how to create your #WentzJingleJam video entry!

Make a Plan
Ready to make your video? Get creative, get loud, get silly! Dance around with your friends or family and show off that Wentz smile. Think quick, simple, and fun.

Set-up the Scene
Prepare your setting and have all people and props ready to go. If you want to keep it simple use your camera app and attach your camera phone to a tripod or camera stand. This way you can film and arrange the scene without also holding the camera. However, you’ll find out quickly that another set of hands will make life easier.

Shoot
Open the camera app and tap the camera button to go into photo shooting mode, then tap the video camera icon on your phone to enter the video mode. (Unless you have a video camera)

Edit
Watch your video and go back and delete or add shots. If this is a little out of your comfort zone, skip this part! This is meant to be fun and easy so don't overcomplicate it!

Share
Add a description of the video and post it on our Wentz Orthodontics Facebook wall! Be sure to include the tag #WentzJingleJam! Check out the flyer for other ways to enter!

Will Wisdom Teeth Affect Your Braces?

Some people require their wisdom teeth to be removed following orthodontic treatment with braces. Often the timing of the eruption of wisdom teeth coincides with the removal of braces. It is often difficult to determine if someone will have space in their mouth for their wisdom teeth to erupt or if the wisdom will become impacted.

Many people have their wisdom teeth emerge as healthy, effective back molars. In this case, the tooth has grown in straight and is not affecting the person’s bite and any dental work will be unaffected. There is nothing stopping a person with healthy wisdom teeth from getting braces either.

Wisdom teeth are a leftover trait from when humans had larger jaws and chewed hearty leaves. Wisdom teeth tend to overcrowd already corrected molars or emerge only half way. In fact, wisdom teeth statistically have the highest chance of growing in sideways, an issue known as an impacted wisdom tooth, which can affect the nearby teeth. However, wisdom teeth cannot cause front teeth to become crooked. From the back of the mouth, the pressure they exert on the other molars is not strong enough to reach the front.

This has led people to believe that wisdom teeth can ruin their current or previous dental work. There are a number of other factors that have led to this. Around 20 years old, the jaw performs its last growth spurt, which can leave teeth crooked. This is also the age when many former braces wearers begin to neglect their retainers at night.

Each set of braces is unique for the wearer, as is the decision on what to do about wisdom teeth. Talk with the doctors of Wentz Orthodontics as soon as you notice any discomfort or wisdom teeth appearing. While they may not affect your braces, wisdom teeth can change your overall oral health.