October is National Orthodontic Health Month

Can you believe October is already upon us? October happens to be National Orthodontic Health Month, and this month-long event is organized by our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists, or AAO.

Many treats can cause havoc for trick-or-treaters who are going through orthodontic treatment, and these treats may cause damage that could prolong your treatment time. The AAO recommends patients avoid the following Halloween treats, or recipes with these ingredients:

• Caramel
• Nuts
• Popcorn (including un-popped kernels)
• Taffy
• Jelly beans
• Hard pretzels
• Licorice
• Bubblegum
• Taco chips
• Ice

If you happen to damage your braces, please give Drs. Bill and Terry Dischinger and our staff a call immediately. Typically, small problems can be solved over the phone. Loose brackets or wires can usually be made more comfortable by applying some wax until the you can come into our office.

A few helpful webisodes about orthodontics, from The Dischinger Team

Drs. Bill and Terry Dischinger and The Dischinger Team would like to point you to a few interesting webisodes about orthodontics, located on the YouTube channel of the American Association of Orthodontists, or AAO.

There, they tend to post some very pertinent videos about orthodontic treatment, as well as state-of-the-art technology in orthodontia. These include "Orthodontic Treatment Basics," "Common Bite Problems Seen in Children" and "Does My Child Need Braces?"

We think you may find these webisodes interesting, as well as enlightening. If you have any questions about the videos, or your treatment here at The Dischinger Team, please give us a call.

Top ten tips for keeping your BRACES sparklin’ clean

Keeping your teeth clean is more important than ever when you have braces. Food bits have more spots than usual to hide in your mouth, so you must be diligent in order to avoid bad breath, swollen gums, discolored teeth and cavities. If you remove plaque regularly during treatment, you'll experience better results and shorter treatment time. Keep plaque at bay with these top ten tips:

1. One tooth at a time. When you brush, take time with each individual tooth – at least 10 seconds each – and pay careful attention to the spots where your teeth touch your braces.

2. It’s all about the angles. Brush the tops of your teeth and braces with your brush angled down toward where they meet. Brush the bottoms of your teeth and braces with your brush angled up.

3. The tooth, the whole tooth, nothing but the tooth. While the front surface of your teeth may seem like the most logical to clean, it’s equally important to clean the inner surface of your teeth (tongue side) as well as the chewing surface. And be sure to clean along your gum line – a key spot for plaque buildup.

4. Step 1: eat, step 2: clean. While you’re in treatment, it’s important to brush after every meal. Bits of food can easily get caught between braces and teeth, and these food bits interact with bacteria in your mouth to cause decay. The longer food is in contact with your teeth, the greater opportunity for plaque to form. If you are eating somewhere that you can’t brush, thoroughly rinse your mouth with water.

5. Like a Boy Scout, always be prepared. The easiest way to be sure you can brush after every meal is to get in the habit of taking a toothbrush, toothpaste and floss with you wherever you go. Designate a special container just for your teeth-cleaning tools and keep it in your purse, backpack, or laptop case.

6. Remove the moving parts. If you have elastic bands or headgear, remove these parts before you brush or floss.

7. Fluoride is your friend. Fluoride helps prevent cavities. Be sure to brush with fluoride toothpaste, and rinse with fluoride mouthwash.

8. Pointy brushes reach tiny places. Interproximal brushes (sometimes called proxa brushes or interdental brushes) are cone-shaped and come in very handy for reaching spots around your braces that standard brushes can’t.

9. Find the floss for you. Regular floss works for some patients, but others find it easier to work with a floss threader, which helps you get the floss into tight places. Other patients like an all-in-one product called Superfloss, which comes with a stiff end for easy threading, a spongy section for cleaning wide spaces, and regular floss for narrow spaces.

10. Make time for the pros. It’s your job to take care of the everyday cleaning. But make sure to visit your dentist regularly while in treatment, to get the deep, thorough cleaning that only a professional can provide. If you need help finding the right Dentist for you, feel free to contact our office - we’d love to help!

At The Dischinger Team, what puts you at ease?

Drs. Bill and Terry Dischinger understand not everyone enjoys visiting their orthodontist. But we strive to bring you the best and most comforting experience at each visit. We’d like to know: What is it about The Dischinger Team that makes you comfortable or puts you at ease? Is it something about our pleasant office environment? Our friendly staff or Drs. Bill and Terry Dischinger?

Let us know by posting here or by giving us a call!

Age 7 is the magic number for an orthodontic check-up

Many parents assume they must wait until their child has all of his or her permanent teeth to see The Dischinger Team for a consultation, only to discover treatment would have been much easier if started earlier. Did you know the American Association of Orthodontists recommends that every child have an orthodontic check-up no later than age seven?

That’s right—seven.

Ok, so what’s so great about age seven, you ask? Enough permanent teeth have arrived for Drs. Bill and Terry Dischinger to make a determination about whether any problems are present. The first molars have come in, providing an opportunity to check for malocclusion, or “bad bite.” Also, the incisors have begun to come in, and problems such as crowding, deep bites and open bites can be detected.

Orthodontic evaluation at an early age provides one of two positive outcomes: For some, early identification or problems will lead to easier or shorter orthodontic treatment in the future. For others, a healthy prognosis will provide immediate peace of mind.

Early evaluation, of course, may signal a need for early treatment. For some children, early treatment can prevent physical and emotional trauma. Aside from spurring on years of harmful teasing, misaligned teeth are also prone to injury and are detrimental to good oral hygiene. So, if your child is nearing his or her seventh birthday, give us a call at The Dischinger Team to schedule an appointment.

Orthodontic fun facts, from The Dischinger Team

Everyone loves fun facts. Fun, fun, fun! The American Association of Orthodontists, or AAO, has come up with some fun facts about orthodontics that Drs. Terry and Bill Dischinger thought you might enjoy.

• There are nearly 4 million people in orthodontic treatment throughout the United States. Three out of four are younger than 18.

• The first mechanical treatment for correcting irregular teeth was suggested by Gaius Plinius Secundus (A.D 23-79).The American Association of Orthodontists is comprised of more than 12,000 members in the United States, Canada and abroad.

• The time required to complete orthodontic treatment ranges from 12 to 36 months depending on the nature and severity of the problem.

• Of the 160,000 dentists in the United States and Canada, 8,000 are practicing orthodontists.

• The cement that attaches the braces to the teeth is now made with a special fluoride-releasing substance.

• Wires activated by body heat used in today's braces originally were developed by NASA for use in the space program.

• In addition to alleviating or preventing physical health problems, orthodontics can boost self-esteem as treatment aligns teeth, jaws and lips.

• Famous orthodontic patients include: Dr. Joyce Brothers, Hale Irwin, Cher, Diana Ross, Phyllis Diller, Chelsea Clinton, Whoopi Goldberg, Daisy Fuentes and Brandi.

Dischinger Orthodontics, supporting National Physical Fitness and Sports Month

Did you know the month of May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month? Twenty seven years ago, President Reagan encouraged Americans - young and older - to incorporate more activity into their lives, and the reminder is even more important in this day and age, as kids everywhere are distracted more and more by TV, social networking and video games. Drs. Dischinger and our team will tell you that children and teens living an active lifestyle can improve their health, productivity and overall well-being.

At Dischinger Orthodontics, we always encourage our patients to stay fit by exercising or participating in sports. However, we want to remind you to always wear a mouth guard or other forms of facial protection when playing sports. To learn more about how often your child should exercise, we recommend you check out this series of helpful articles about kids and exercise, courtesy of our friends at KidsHealth.org.

And thanks to everyone who came to Prom Night yesterday! It was great to see you all!!

Tell the world what you think about your treatment at Dischinger Orthodontics!

At Dischinger Orthodontics, we're focused on providing gentle, effective, family-friendly orthodontic care for patients of all ages. Drs. Bill and Terry Dischinger are a father-son orthodontic team, so they understand the needs and expectations of the local families they serve.

Whether you've visited Dischinger Orthodontics for a week, months or years, Drs. Bill and Terry would love to hear your feedback about the way we run our office. There are lots of ways you can share your thoughts about our practice with the rest of the world, but we encourage you to head to our Google Local page and write a review there.

After all, reviews help Drs. Bill and Terry create more beautiful smiles here in Portland, Lake Oswego and local communities. We look forward to reading your reviews!

At the movies with Dischinger Orthodontics!

Dischinger Orthodontics' 2nd Annual movie party tickets are here in the office ready for you to pick up! We will be watching Shrek Forever After on Saturday May 22 at 10 a.m. We ask that patients arrive by 9 a.m. Come by and pick up your tickets at our office!

Also, congrats to R. Gabler, who is the Dischinger Orthodontics fan of the month!

Distinguishing the myths and facts about orthodontics, from Dischinger Team Orthodontics

Drs. Bill and Terry Dischinger know there are quite a few myths about orthodontics (and orthodontists) floating around these days. But before you buy into those myths, our doctors think you should get the facts! We came across a great site that helps set the record straight. Our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists have some excellent information on the myths and facts of orthodontics. We encourage you to check them out today!

If you have any questions about orthodontics or your treatment here at Dischinger Team Orthodontics, feel free to give us a call at 503-635-4439.

Ask Drs. Bill & Terry Dischinger: Why is it so important to have straight teeth?

People wonder why the Dischinger Team works tirelessly to give our patients straight teeth. Of course it’s nice to have a smile full of evenly aligned teeth, but did you know that straightening your teeth can keep them healthier? Straight teeth lead to better oral hygiene, increasing your chances of keeping your own natural teeth for a lifetime!

Straight teeth are less prone to decay, because they collect less plaque—the sticky colorless substance that forms on our teeth and leads to tooth decay; and they are easier to keep clean! Located in Lake Oswego and serving the greater Portland metropolitan area, the team at Dischinger Orthodontics are focused on providing gentle, effective and family-friendly orthodontic care for patients of all ages.

If you’re wondering whether your teeth might cause problems because they are out of alignment, please give us a call to set up a consultation. Drs. Bill & Terry Dischinger can help you decide whether or not you will benefit from orthodontic treatment.

Take a tour of Dischinger Orthodontics!

This week, Drs. Bill and Terry Dischinger invite you to take a load off and explore our office with a fun tour! For more of our videos, head over to our YouTube page! And, if you have any questions about anything you see, or questions about your treatment at our office, please feel free to give us a call!