Thanksgiving is just around the corner and as one of the most anticipated holidays of the year, people don’t usually think of their dentist. (No matter how many foods Thanksgiving is associated with.)

We want to emphasize which foods are not only delicious but also nutritious and great for your teeth. The traditional foods at Thanksgiving can help prevent tooth decay and gum disease and hence lead to good dental health.

Let’s take a look at some foods which are great for your oral health.

- Fruit Salads: Fresh fruits have always been good for dental health as they promote saliva secretion which washes away food debris in the mouth as well as decreases acid production in the mouth.
- Carrots and Celery: Carrots and Celery are vegetables which are rich in fiber. Besides being great for your stomach, fiber stimulates your gums, which is good for your dental health.
- Sweet Potatoes or Mashed Potatoes: Potatoes are richly nutritious with a proper balance of vitamins and nutrients appropriate for oral health. They are loaded with carbs and proteins and rich in vitamin B and C. Potatoes do not stick on the teeth unlike other starchy foods which serve as haven for oral bacteria.
- Cranberries: Recent research indicates that cranberries hinder the oral bacteria from sticking to the teeth and forming dental plaque.
- Turkey: It is considered to help in remineralization of the enamel whose minerals are damaged by acid produced by bacteria.
- Greens and Winter Vegetables: Most Veggies are just great for health. They are a great source of vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A, vitamin C, flavanoids and coenzyme Q10.These prevent the gums against damage and promote its healing.
- Pumpkin Pie: Pumpkin pies are also a good source of beta carotene, potassium, vitamin C and calcium.

We hope your holiday is a great one and that you keep us in mind for any of your oral health needs!

http://www.dentalcarebydesign.net/

aligner

aligner 벗은 상태

순서에 맞게 이제 윗니는 열 아홉번째 set 을 착용하게 되었습니다.

그리고 아랫니는 스무번째 set 을 착용하구요.

대신 아랫니 aligner는 3주를 착용하게 됩니다.(윗니는 정상적으로 2주 착용이구요)

그래서 3주 뒤에 병원에 가서 아랫니를 확인하고 그 다음 단계를 어떻게 할지 결정한다고 합니다.

새 aligner 를 착용했을때 오는 통증은 이제 견딜만 합니다.

…So it turns out that sleeping with invisalign trays in is quite comforting, if you generally sleep with your mouth closed and your tongue on the roof of your mouth! A little like the secure feeling you have when you sleep with earplugs in (self contained).  Probably how a baby feels with a passifier – hell, am I going to get addicted to these things???  20 years later and I can’t give them up?  I can feel the ache when I take them off for breakfast and it seems to take ages cleaning my teeth before the dentist visit so I guess the inconvenience will wean me off them.

My dentist repaired the snapped attachment and I asked about the tooth that feels chipped.  He polished it to smooth off the edge and asked me how it feels now.  Unfortunately I meant the other tooth.  Damn, it would be easier if I had a flip top head.  I show him a diagram i’ve drawn of my tooth and explain where it feels chipped.  He looked again and polishedit.  He asks me how it feels with hot liquid (OK).  Yup, it’s chipped.

When I asked if my tooth is damaged he says it is a bit, but that they can fix it (WTF?).  They will build it up if necessary later, in the meantime it may help with moving my teeth.  Are you kidding me!  He is not at all concerned about it, probably because the lack of sensitivity means that it’s  protected  by enamel still – but how much, is my tooth going to rot?  Apparrently it is fine.

I thanked him and headed off to work.

Taking them out is still a pain it’s really difficult and not something you’d want witnessed.  Having to clean my teeth after any food and drink (non water) is a pain, wearning them is surprisingly fine.  My speech is almost normal again, hopefully it’s not going to be too bad.  I even made it through an afternoon of hens activities (not mine) with a continuous food buffet and drinks all evening.  I took the aligners out for about 1.5 hrs for food and drank vodka sodas for the evening with them in – surely vodka soda can’t do that much damage…

Day 1: Appointment to fit my Invisalign braces, after placing on attachments and polishing (or really filing) down my teeth – yup, pretty scary stuff!  My dentist advised that no anaesthetic would be needed and a friend confirmed that the filing was really nothing to worry about – that simple!  

Hmm…   the chemical put on my teeth to bond the attachments was fairly painful on one side (sensitive tooth?) .  The polishing wasn’t too bad at the start, until I saw something fly off (piece of my tooth?) and the drill stopped.   I’d have liked to ask, but my mouth was being held open with some giagantic plastic device.   Stage 2 of polishing was the worst bit, as they sanded the teeth down which rubbed against my gums making my whole mouth bleed.   I was pretty stressed by then.

The final nastiness came when my dentist put on, and then tried to remove, the bottom invisalign tray so that I could try fitting them myself.  It was so freakin tight and ridgid that he couldn’t get it off,  the tray snapped down trapping my mouth inside and pulling the skin off    I took a break, because I must have got *dust in my eyes* – yeez! 

My mouth took a while to stop bleeding, I hit the pharmacy for something to help heal mouth ulcers (and a hug from the chemist) then went to work, slightly traumatised, a little bit shaky and somewhat lispy…

Only the people who knew already, noticed.  Invisalign definitely win points on stealth.

Later at home when I took out the trays to eat (which I nearly gave up on!) I noticed one top tooth felt like the gap was too big and I remembered the chip.  Damn i’d forgotten to ask!  Holding a mirror under my teeth, I could see that the gap was bigger than the others and the surface was rough.   Then I realized I’d also ripped off one of my tooth attachments with the tray D’oh!

Looks like i’m going back to the dentist tomorrow, slightly sceptical…

Get to know your Spring Lake Park Orthodontists!

Drs. Zapfel and Madson at Zapfel Orthodontics love getting to know their patients. Here’s your opportunity to get to know Drs. Zapfel and Madson a little better!

What is your favorite thing about being an orthodontist?

Dr. Zapfel: The best part of being an orthodontist is meeting and getting to know so many interesting patients and eventually seeing their smiles the day their braces come off.

Dr. Madson: I love seeing how happy patients are when they get their braces off, and knowing that I played a role in helping them achieve their most beautiful smile. It’s really neat to see the rapid changes in technology, too, with new tools such as Invisalign and mini-implants.

Have you always known you wanted to be an orthodontist?

Dr. Z: No, I didn’t know until fairly late in my dental school training that I wanted to be an orthodontist. Once I saw the amazing things we could do with braces to create great smiles, I knew it was what I wanted to do.

Dr. M: I always knew I’d like to have a job that would allow me to help other people, but it wasn’t until my third year of dental school that I decided orthodontics was definitely what I wanted to do.

Why did you choose orthodontics as a profession?

Dr. Z: By my 4th year at the University of Minnesota Dental school I knew that orthodontics was for me. I had talked to a lot of older students and faculty members and had a good idea of what it would be like to be an orthodontist. I remember especially one of the orthodontists teaching at the University tell me that every orthodontist he knew loved his job and I he was right.

Dr. M: For me, dentistry is the perfect mix of art and science. I like orthodontics in particular because it’s so nice to be able to help improve a person’s self-esteem and confidence through my job. And the patients are great!

Did you ever have braces?

Dr. Z: I did have braces for over 2 years. At that time everyone had braces that were stainless steel and of course there were no colors to put on them. With todays choices of ceramic, gold, or stainless steel braces I think I would pick ceramic.

Dr. M: I had braces as a teenager. I could choose colors for my braces, but Invisalign hadn’t been invented yet, and ceramic braces weren’t as good as they are today.

If you weren’t an orthodontist, what would you be?

Dr. Z: When I was in college I majored in biology and the first Earth Day was during my senior year. I think I would have followed a career in ecology if I hadn’t decided to go to dental school. We are very conscious of having a green office and I think that stems from my ecology background.

Dr. M: I think I’d be a teacher or a music video director. That would be fun!

What is an interesting fact about yourself?

Dr. Z: I am planning a trip to Uzbekistan next spring to visit my daughter who is a foreign service officer in Tashkent.

Dr. M: I love to eat, but I only know how to make one meal from scratch. Some day I’ll take some more cooking classes!


What are some of your hobbies and interests?

Dr. Z: I’m usually active and like to do a variety of things. I can be found on the golf course on occasion. I have been runner for over 25 years and although I don’t run in marathons or other events I hate to miss out on a good jog after work. My hobby is the flower garden in back of the office. It is always a work in progress. Gardening is a bit like orthodontics in that you start out with a plan and help things along. Sometimes it takes a year or two before you see the end result.

Dr. M: I really like watching and playing sports and music. When I have time off, I enjoy traveling, and I like to stay active at the gym and outdoors.

What is your favorite food?

Dr. Z: I really like any kind of seafood and my favorite place to eat is Oceanaire.

Dr. M: I love ice cream! I like anything frozen and sweet.

Where did you grow up?

Dr. Z: I was born in Chicago and lived in the city until I was in second grade. Then we moved to the suburbs of Chicago. I came to Minnesota to attend college and have been here ever since then. I started my practice at the Unity Professional Building in Fridley and moved to Spring Lake Park in 1996.

Dr. M: I was born in South Korea, but I grew up in the Twin Cities. I’ve lived here basically my whole life aside from going to college in western Minnesota. I also studied for a semester in Germany during dental school, which was a great experience!

Do you have any pets?

Dr. Z: No, I don’t have a pet. I have had several dogs and a cockatiel at different times.

Dr. M: No, I don’t have any pets, but I’ve had fish, birds and guinea pigs in the past.

For More Information

Please call (763) 784-0420 or visit www.ZapfelOrthodontics.com for more information or to schedule a complimentary initial examination and x-ray. Zapfel Orthodontics is located at 1130 NE County Road 10 in Spring Lake Park, MN 55432 and serves the Minneapolis/St. Paul Twin Cities including Coon Rapids, Blaine, Fridley, Roseville, Anoka, Brooklyn Park, Columbia Heights, and Mounds View, Minnesota.

When asked about the benefits of Invisalign, many people will say straight teeth or a healthy-looking smile. Yes. There is no doubt these are benefits, but the real perks of this treatment go much farther than that. In fact, its effects can run much deeper and last a lifetime.

Self-Esteem

When a patient has a miss-aligned smile, they know it. They see it and spend hours worrying about. They remember it when they smile or laugh. They think about it when meeting someone new. They may become terribly uncomfortable as soon as a camera comes out. When you consider how many times you might encounter these situations in a day, you’ll quickly come to realize that those with a miss-aligned smile worry an awful lot.

Once the Invisalign treatment is complete, they can go through these seemingly simple things without worry. There’s no more trying to hide their smile or staring in the mirror wishing things would be different. They can hold their head up and begin to truly enjoy themselves and feel better about their appearance because of it.

Confidence

Not far behind a lack of self-esteem comes the result of that issue: a lack of confidence. When someone is self-conscious about their teeth, they may often feel inadequate towards others. This single feeling leads to a whole host of missed opportunities and second guesses. It’s a sad fact, but in a society that places outward beauty so high on the scale of importance, it makes up a large portion of our self-worth.

With an Invisalign treatment and straight teeth, these patients see themselves and the world in a whole new light. ‘If only’ becomes a thing of the past, and suddenly they feel like they can ‘compete’ with the rest of the world. They don’t worry whether or not they’ll get the job, if the person they’ve had their eye on will ask them out, or whether they should wear a certain outfit.

Invisalign does more than invisibly straighten teeth. Patients receive a new smile, a new outlook on life, and new opportunities they didn’t know they had. It’s much more than a dental treatment; it’s a life changing experience.

It’s been a number of days since my last post… I guess I am still recovering from my experience at Cowboy Stadium with the likes of Rocket Ismail and Bill Bates, former Dallas Cowboy stars.  Once again, it was a real treat for me to be invited to participate in the festivities.  See my previous post for details.

Today I would like to discuss a topic that should have interest to all.  I’d like to visit about, who really is a candidate for orthodontics and who is not.  Statistics show that virtually 80% of the population need some sort of orthodontic treatment, whether it is through traditional braces, Invisalign, or some other sort of orthodontic procedure, while only a small percentage of those 80% are actually receiving care. 

It is true that the orthodontic business has become more and more popular as techniques and mechanics have been enhanced over the years.  The question becomes, “who is eligible to have orthodontic treatment and who is not?”  The vast majority of orthodontic patients are still young pre-teens or teenagers.  The reason?  The age of pre-teens and teenagers is when natural maturing of the bones and facial structures is occurring and therefore orthodontics is a natural aid to guide and manipulate some of that growth into proper occlusion and profile for the face.  Mother Nature has a strong hand in this process so the orthodontist works with Nature to maximize the benefits of what he/she has to work with.  But orthodontics is not just for young kids.  With Invisalign and other techniques available, more and more adults are patients of the orthodontist.

Good candidates for braces are individuals who have good oral hygiene and healthy gums and teeth.  Therefore it is imperative that patients be seeing their general dentist on a regular basis. 

Poor candidates are those individuals who do NOT have good oral hygiene and healthy teeth and  whose gums are red, puffy, and may bleed when brushed or bumped.  When calculus and tartar build-up are present, the teeth and gums are inhibited and therefore orthodontic procedures are compromised.  A good cleaning is always preferred prior to orthodontic treatment and an “all systems go” from the general dentist can help in determining if you are a candidate or not for any orthodontic treatment, whether that be for regular braces or Invisalign treatment.  For further information, please feel free to contact us at info@appleortho.com where we can answer any and all of your pertinent orthodontic questions or concerns.

Phone Number: 623.842.1200

E-Mail: drdarrelbischoff@gmail.com

Website: http://www.dentalcarebydesign.net/

My name is Dr. Darrel Bischoff. In my spare time I love reading. I’m a huge science fiction fan, but I will read almost any genre. I enjoy snow skiing and motorcycle riding. I also take great interest in watercolor painting and photography. I frequently display my work in my dental office. I recently went to a weekend course in framing and now have custom framing on all of my paintings!

To give you a little bit about my past, after receiving my B.A from Cal-State San Bernardino in 1975, I earned my D.D.S. from Loma Linda University, where I graduated in 1983. Since then, I’ve kept up-to-date on the newest developments in my field through numerous continuing education courses, including those in dental implants, laser, Cerec, emergency medicine and Invisalign®. I also remain active in the dental community as a member of the Academy of General Dentistry, American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry and the Academy of Laser Dentistry.

I’m now located in the Peoria, AZ area. I’ve worked and trained extensively to build a practice that exceeds expectations of trusted, personalized dental care. I’ll bring my patients only the best that modern dentistry has to offer, by keeping myself and my staff informed on the latest advances and available techniques. My top priorities are patient comfort and satisfaction. I look forward to your visit, meeting you in person and showing you the many ways in which the finest dental care can improve your life! For further information please feel free to visit the website!

http://www.dentalcarebydesign.net/

Best,

Dr. Bischoff

This is going to be a *FuN* Night!

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS!

We all know, in order to run a successful business, it takes a team.  And, while it might sound a little cheesy, the staff at Kellerman Dental truly makes the world go ‘round.

When Kellerman Dental set out to become an upstanding practice in the Glen Carbon/Edwardsville area, Dr. Kellerman knew that in order to fulfill his personal and professional goals, he needed a staff that shared those same beliefs.  Luckily, almost four years into the Kellerman Dental practice, we have generated a dedicated staff that goes above and beyond in so many ways.

At Kellerman Dental, it isn’t just about going through the motions of seeing so many patients in a single day.  It’s about developing relationships with our patients and becoming a dependable group of employees that people enjoy seeing when they come in for their visit.

But as we all know, all work and no play makes for a dull workplace.  So we make it a point to keep things lively.  Don’t believe me?  Take for example, our trip to Las Vegas next week!  Now sure, it’s for a dental convention, but…VEGAS BABY!

Stay tuned for details on how the convention went…or wait, they say what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas right?  Naaaahhh…

In the mean time, check out the fun we had over Halloween…sure is a bummer being a prisoner of a dental practice!

Today’s post will be just a little, well actually, a lot off the subject of braces or Invisalign, or even orthodontics in general for that matter.  I just have to let you know what a grand opportunity I had yesterday as the CEO of Apple Orthodontix and a customer of Bank of America, the nations largest corporate bank.

I was invited, along with 50+ other B of A and Merrill Lynch guests to participate in a Fantasy Football Camp held at the new Cowboys Stadium!   I, along with these other old men and a few women, had a great time getting the royal treatment, as we were escorted down into the Dallas Cowboys locker room where the current NFL stars dress and prepare for Monday Night Football and the other games.  We shared the locker space with the likes of Tony Romo, Roy Williams, DeMarcus Ware, and my two favorite Cowboys, Orlando Scandrick and Jay Ratilff (They are the two Cowboy players that have their braces on with Apple Orthodontix in our Coppell, TX office.).

From the locker room, we dressed in our Tony Romo shirts and headed off to the media room where we were introduced to our two Fantasy Football Coaches, former NFL Cowboys themselves, Bill Bates and Rocket Ismail!  They talked to all of us about being careful and taking care of our bodies.  I mean think about it, a bunch of 40+ and some 50+ men and women out there trying to live their glory days!, watch out!  Once that was finished, we were put in alphabetical order and marched into the tunnell ready to run onto the field.  Yep, they let us do that too!  As they called out our names, we were shown on the now, world famous HD Jumbo Tron, manufactured by Mitsubishi, the largest of its kind in the world!

Then we had a singing of the National Anthem by one of the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders (Sarah, the blonde), and after that, we split up into 4 teams and began our stretching and warm-ups.  We went through all the basic football drills to warm our old muscles up and prepare for the games to begin.  Bill Bates was our Defensive Coach while Rocket Ismail was the Offensive Coach.  We had a great time, with coaches, media, cheerleaders and even Referees!  They even took pictures of us too! 

Each team played two games of flag football at the same time.  Each game was played from the 40 yard line to the end zone.  What a treat it was to watch some these old kodgers stumble as they tried to run and catch a ball.  I am sure they said the same about me.  We had a few injuries occur during the games, nothing that a little needle and thread, Ben-Gay, or a Swedish Massage couldn’t remedy.

One of the highlights I had personally was to ask Rocket Ismail to a foot race.  For those of you who don’t know, he was one of the fastest men in football during his NFL days.  I made one fatal mistake in asking though….Not only did he say “yes” but I asked to run at the end of the event and not at the first.  What was left of my muscles was definitely not enough, and my ego was not enough to keep up with this young 40 yr-old speedster.  I am confident that even if my ego and muscles were at their peak… he still would beat me handily.

It was a fabulous event.  The luncheon afterward was tremendous and the enitire day was blissful.  Today is another day though… does anyone out there have a couple of Advil I could use?

Happy Smiles

“Getting Invisalign is the greatest decision I’ve made.Yes, it’s expensive but is all worth it. Now I can smile with confidence and I am getting lot of praise that i have an amazing smile. Thanks to Dr Pannu’s office. Job well done!!! BRAVO.” ES San Jose.

Win Free Monthly Teeth Whitening!

Guess who amongst our celebrity patients are wearing Invisalign. Enter the monthly raffle to win free teeth whitening! Submit your name, contact details and answers via email to info@pannudental.com All entries must be in by 12 midnight (Pacific Standard Time) at the end of each month. You must be a patient of Pannu Dental Clinics in order to be eligible to enter this contest. Winner’s names will be posted in our websites and will be notified by email. For more information, please visit www.pannudental.com

Another Tasty Recipe!

Kim, our Treatment Coordinator, will always greet the patients at Zapfel Orthodontics with a smile! Besides being a great asset to the Zapfel Orthodontics team, Kim is also a fabulous baker. Please enjoy this delicious braces-friendly recipe from Kim!

Pumpkin Bars
4 eggs
1-2/3 cup sugar
1 cup oil
16 oz. can pumpkin
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda

Beat eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkin. Add dry ingredients. Stir all together. Spread in jelly roll pan (not greased). Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Frosting
3 or 4 oz. cream cheese – softened
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
1 stick butter or margarine, softened
(Optional) Can decorate on top with Pumpkin corn candies or chopped walnuts

Cream the cream cheese, butter and vanilla. Add powdered sugar and mix thoroughly. Frost when cool.

If you have a braces-friendly recipe that you’d like to share, please bring it in at your next visit!

For More Information

Please call (763) 784-0420 or visit www.ZapfelOrthodontics.com for more information or to schedule a complimentary initial examination and x-ray. Zapfel Orthodontics is located at 1130 NE County Road 10 in Spring Lake Park, MN 55432 and serves the Minneapolis/St. Paul Twin Cities including Coon Rapids, Blaine, Fridley, Roseville, Anoka, Brooklyn Park, Columbia Heights, and Mounds View, Minnesota.

At the practice we have known for a while how beneficial a healthy confident smile is to peoples overall happiness, and the introduction of Invisalign treatment just under 2 years ago has made this smile easier to achieve.

As Cheryl Cole goes public with her treatment we are seeing an upsurge in requests for this outstanding technology.

This also coincide with Richard becoming the first Invisalign Gold Doctor in Northumberland and only the second in the North East. This accreditation is a reflection on the number of cases carried out and the further training he has completed.

Recent courses include and advanced Invisalign user course in London and the European Aesthetic Dental Conference in Paris.

Sorry it’s been a few days everyone….  It has been crazy around here in my little world.  (Monday’s are always tough days to get anything done.  Too many fires to put out).   I am not going to talk about braces or Invisalign today…. Nope, just Thumb-Sucking, and you are going to like this post!

I was so excited to hear from some of you that have had experience with thumb-sucking success stories, as well as those of you looking for help to get you kids or your spouse to stop!

As mentioned previously, thumb-sucking is not a huge problem unless it persists beyond the toddler years into the age when permanent teeth begin erupting into the mouth.  Mother Nature has her way of taking care of many problems with growth but if we get in her way by putting things in our mouths that don’t belong (like thumbs or fingers), then the cavalry is called in to help.

As many of you know, there are a myriad of techniques and devises created to help in the quest to stop this somewhat challenging habit.  They range from story books, appliances to wear on the thumb, appliances to wear in the mouth such as retainers with fences, wire spurs, or rakes, pepper, Tabasco sauce, soap, and the list goes on and on. 

At Apple Orthodontix our approach is simple and straight forward.  We have been very successful at treating patients who have a severe thumb-sucking habit.  In fact, we have NOT failed in this approach.  Here is our secret.

When a patient presents his/herself in the office (with the parent, usually the mom), with a thumb-sucking issue, we converse with the patient to see what their position is on the so-called problem.  In their mind, it may not be a problem, so we find out which side of the fence they are on.  With that taken care of, we tell them that as part of their orthodontic treatment to get the buck teeth back into alignment, they will need to wear a retainer to help accomplish this malocclusion (bad bite) correction.  They agree and the process starts.  Along with the braces, the orthodontist has his/her lab fabricate a retainer that is almost identical to traditional retainers in every way but one.  This retainer is made so that the plastic that normally covers a small portion of the upper palate, is extended to cover the entire palate. 

 It can be the patients favorite color, with glitter, whatever!  But, no fences, no sharp spurs, no cayenne pepper or Tabasco sauce.  In fact we have only one request of the patient.  All we ask them to do is to wear the retainer day and night.  Take it out to eat and brush their teeth and then put it back in.  We even tell them that we don’t care if they suck their thumb or not during this period and that is the absolute truth, we don’t mind it one bit!

The reason that we don’t care is because the reason for sucking of the thumb is the delicate sensations that come from placing the skin of the thumb onto the skin of the palate.  There is a satisfaction that comes from that process and therefore, like smoking, biting of the nails, or grinding and clinching, it can become habit-forming.  When we place a barrier, in this case, the full palate retainer, that barrier precludes the patient from attaining that sensation of the skin of the thumb touching the skin of the palate.  Therefore, over time, since there is no satisfaction, the desire to suck the thumb naturally goes away.  This is why we don’t care if they suck their thumb or not.  We know that within a short period of time, they will just naturally quit on their own.  Now, parents who want to praise this new behavior can be a great help in the speed of this new behavior, but the patient will do it on his/her own. 

The Key?  The patient must wear the retainer!

Let us know what we can do for you at Apple Orthodontix.  Give us a call.  We are here to help.

“My experience with Dr Pannu has been great. The staff are very friendly.So far I am very pleased with the results of Invisalign.Dr Pannu’s main concern for me is to have a beautiful smile, and that is important..” TT San Jose.