Most students who attend college out of town maintain their dental and orthodontic appointments  with their providers back home, which sometimes leaves small windows of opportunity to get the treatment they need, says Miami Invisalign orthodontist Dr. Stephen Grussmark.

“Parents and students alike work diligently to schedule appointments in the summer and over Thanksgiving, Christmas and Spring breaks,” says the South Beach braces provider.
If you are a patient in conventional braces, you should have adjustments made and a check-up to ensure all brackets and wires are intact before you return to your campus. It’s a good idea to do this as close as possible to the time you leave for school, since you may have to go a bit longer between check-ups once back at school. “With Invisalign, it’s relatively easy to continue the progress of orthodontic treatment while students are away at college,” according to Dr. Grussmark.

For example, we often give the Invisalign patients additional Invisalign aligners to get them through until their next anticipated break from school. For this reason, Invisalign treatment is quite conducive to college situations, since there are very few emergencies, such as breakage, and appointments can very often go for longer intervals. The Invisalign patient wears each aligner for about two weeks before moving on to the next aligner in the series. Giving a few extra aligners would allow for longer intervals between appointments without losing any progress on their treatment.

Dental Visits
Dental check-ups and cleanings are very important. If you have dental sealants on your teeth, which may have been placed at a much younger age by the dentist, they may wear over time and would need monitoring. Sealants are a plastic coating applied to the molars to protect them from the bacteria that leads to tooth decay.

Many college students today had dental sealant applications when they were children, and it’s imperative that those sealants be checked periodically because they don’t last forever- they wear away over time. Sometimes sealants are capable of lasting for extended periods of time; however, they should be monitored to ensure there are no chips, cracks or worn areas that could affect the health of the underlying tooth.

“You don’t want to run into problems with cavities while you’re far away from home and your family dentist,” Dr. Grussmark says.
If you follow good oral hygiene habits, two dental visits and professional cleanings per year should be adequate to maintain good dental health. That makes those appointments easy to schedule around college. So make your appointment now. Doing so helps increase your chance of keeping your teeth healthy for a lifetime.

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Invisalign allows for much better home care and better oral hygiene compliance than with traditional braces. The reason for this is that there are no brackets to trap food or plaque (a type of biofilm). Biofilm, a thin, resistant layer of microorganisms that forms on various surfaces, is produced when bacteria stick to surfaces in some form of wet environment and begin to excrete a slimy, gluelike substance that can adhere to all kinds of materials. Plaque is a form of biofilm that grows on teeth and is yellow in color, according to Colgate.
“Prevention is key, and biofilm can be kept at bay as long as you are consistent with your oral care regime,” says Dr. Grussmark, a Miami orthodontist. “As an orthodontic modality, Invisalign is a very hygienic approach to treatment.”

Following are the health benefits of Invisalign:
Teeth And Gums Are Healthier
Teeth that are crowded or spaced too far apart can result in swollen or inflamed gums. Straightening the teeth and correcting the bite can definitely favorably influence the periodontal health. Since Invisalign doesn’t involve brackets and wires, this is a significantly more hygienic  approach to orthodontic treatment, according to Invisalign. Misaligned teeth can lead to food and other debris becoming lodged in tight areas, possibly leading to gum infection and disease. Straightening the teeth can prevent that problem.

Teeth Are Easier To Clean
Trying to remove all the food and plaque that becomes trapped in your brackets and wires can be a challenge. Aligning the teeth with Invisalign can help alleviate the brushing and flossing challenges that come with traditional orthodontics, which is conventional braces. Your clear aligners can be removed easily to brush, floss and eat. “Flossing can be a challenge, especially with conventional braces,” says Dr. Grussmark. “The time to floss is typically doubled with traditional braces because you have to weave the floss threaders between wires and brackets. This whole flossing process becomes a much simpler process in the patient undergoing Invisalign treatment.”

Overall Health Is Benefitted
When you take good care of your teeth, you also are having a positive impact on your general health. Dental cavities and gum disease can be implicated in other systemic health problems, such as heart disease and diabetes.
Periodontitis (gum inflammation) has been linked to pre-term delivery in pregnant women and low birth weight for babies, according to the American Dental Association.

If you notice bleeding gums, excessive recession of the gum line, any exudate (pus) between the teeth and gums, or loose teeth, you need to contact a your dentist, especially about any changes in your overall health. If these conditions exist, they may be it could affect your overall medical health.
In general summary, straightening your teeth can have great health benefits and the added hygiene benefits with Invisalign merit investigating whether Invisalign would be an option for your treatment.

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July marked the three-year anniversary of the modified Invisalign, which is geared towards the needs of teenagers. Freedom is often what your teenager wants, and being tied down to metal braces may not appeal to them.  Teens are excited when they find they can have straight teeth without conventional braces,” says orthodontist Dr. Stephen Grussmark.
The freedom that teens will experience during their orthodontic treatment is related to the fact that they have no food restrictions that are in place with traditional braces (the hard and sticky foods) because the aligners can be removed to eat, brush and floss. This takes away the chance of food or plaque getting stuck in brackets and wires, which could result in cavities and gum disease. It also eliminates the need for emergency visits to the ortho to repair broken appliances.

There are slight differences between the original Invisalign and Invisalign Teen version. These modifications were instituted for the purpose of meeting certain teenager issues.

Color Indicators
Invisalign Teen makers wanted to incorporate an element in the aligner to allow the orthodontist to determine the teen’s compliance.
The indicator, a blue dot on the rear of the aligner, will indicate to the orthodontist if the teen is wearing each aligner for the appropriate length of time. This blue dot fades with wear. Parents are also able to monitor the treatment with this modification.

“This indicator allows me to confirm whether the patient is wearing the aligner enough and to substantiate this with the patient and the parent,” says Dr. Grussmark, a provider of orthodontics. “Invisalign treatment will result in a beautiful, proper smile, as long as the aligners are worn as prescribed.”

Extra Aligners
The creators of Invisalign Teen understand that teens’ day-to-day activities may get in the way and aligners could get lost in the shuffle. That is why six free aligners are provided with treatment in case any go missing or get damaged.
As Invisalign technology continues to improve and with word spreading about Invisalign Teen, we expect the demand for this product among teenagers will grow in the years to come.

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That school of thought has changed, and these days when it comes to orthodontics Miami braces expert Dr. Stephen Grussmark says retainers should be a perpetual part of life for patients who want to hold onto a good thing- their proper alignment achieved through orthodontic treatment.

Types of Retainers
There are many different types of retainers used after braces. Miami Orthodontist Dr. Grussmark says patients may be prescribed the traditional retainer with a wire that runs across the front teeth and is connected to an acrylic piece that fits in the roof of the mouth. Another type of retainer, according to orthodontists – Miami, FL orthodontist Dr. Grussmark included- is the clear retainer option, often mistakenly called an Invisalign retainer.

“Both the traditional and the clear retainers have specific indications of when they are the preferred retainer of choice,” he says.

Retainers are used primarily to hold (retain) the teeth in the position that the impression was taken, Grussmark says. Slight adjustments in the position of certain teeth can be incorporated in the retainer, however.

Clear retainers, along with the feature of holding the teeth in their final position, also provide an added benefit of protecting the teeth from parafunctional habits. Since the retainer covers the occlusal surfaces of the teeth, those patients who grind or clench their teeth, often while sleeping, according to Grussmark, will benefit from this added occlusal coverage.

Why must retainers be worn for life? Because the teeth shift throughout a person’s life.
“Teeth are not set in concrete,” Grussmark says.

There are many factors that contribute to this continual movement of teeth throughout life. One of the main factors is the physiologic process of “mesial migration.” This is the term applied to describe the movement of teeth toward the midline (the central point between the two front upper and lower teeth) throughout life.

This is a normal process and is usually most often manifested in the lower front teeth, according to Grussmark.
“One of the most common occurrences that orthodontists see is lower teeth crowding in adults, primarily a result of mesial migration,” he says.

Other factors that do play a role in tooth crowding are:

• Teeth not having completely set after the completion of orthodontic treatment
• Continued changes associated with growth in a patient who has not yet reached adulthood
• Failure to wear the retainer appropriately after treatment
• The action of erupting wisdom teeth

Wisdom teeth typically are often cited as the reason. However, this is one of the least significant factors in the manifestation of lower anterior crowding.

“Wisdom teeth create a very passive eruptive force,” Grussmark says. “Patients often say their wisdom teeth are pushing their lower teeth, but we’ve had patients complain of this and upon X-ray, we’ve determined they don’t even have lower wisdom teeth.”

A Beautiful Smile for a Lifetime
For those who want to make their orthodontic treatment last and don’t want to have any significant change in the position of their teeth, it is necessary to have some time of retention- at least for a minimum amount of time, however, for a lifetime, he says.

“This doesn’t mean having to wear a retainer every day or every night for the rest of your life,” Grussmark says. “But it may mean that placing your retainer in just several times a month may be adequate to hold the teeth in place.”

Retainers After Invisalign
Contrary to what many people believe, after patients complete treatment with Invisalign, Miami Invisalign specialist Dr. Grussmark and other Invisalign providers throughout the world do not simply send a patient out with their final Invisalign aligner to wear as a retainer. Instead, most patients will get a clear retainer after their active Invisalign treatment is completed. This retainer is similar to the aligners used in their active treatment; however, it is more durable and made of a stiffer material.

“All retainers must be checked periodically by your orthodontist to be either adjusted, or tightened,” Grussmark says, adding that if it’s a clear retainer and it “stretches,” a new one may need to be made.

The average time for observation during the retention phase of treatment is initially three months, then every six months, and then possibly yearly, depending on many factors including growth, wisdom teeth, etc.

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This new status indicates the highest level of experience of the orthodontist, Miami orthodontist  Dr. Stephen Grussmark says.

The levels as created by Invisalign begin with Provider and ascend to Preferred Provider, Premier Preferred, Elite Preferred and Super Elite.

If you are in search of an Invisalign provider, you likely will start noticing this new status by early July, says Dr. Grussmark, a Miami Invisalign specialist.
If you are interested in being evaluated to determine whether you are a candidate for invisible orthodontics Miami braces expert Dr. Grussmark says you can visit www.Invisalign.com and enter your zip code to find a provider near you.

When the results appear, each provider’s name is accompanied by a star icon that denotes their Invisalign status.

“This helps those in search of treatment find a qualified provider of Invisalign,” Miami orthodontist Dr. Grussmark says.

Created in 1997, Align received clearance from the Food and Drug Administration in 1998 and began selling Invisalign to orthodontists throughout the U.S. a year later. Today, Invisalign is sold in more than 50 countries and has been used in orthodontic treatment on more than 1.4 million patients worldwide.

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So imagine the potential for harm among those who choose to express their individuality through oral piercings.

Although they seem to be growing in popularity and perhaps even acceptance, that is no reason for you to take on the risks involved with piercing your tongue, lips or cheeks, says Dr. Stephen Grussmark a Miami orthodontist.
The risks are numerous, as oral piercings have the potential to wreak havoc on your teeth and gums.

“Particularly by piercing the tongue, you’re opening the mucosa to the bacteria that are present in the mouth,” Dr. Grussmark says. “That can lead to some pretty potent infections.”

Besides making you more susceptible to possible severe infection from bacteria, oral piercings can chip, break, wear away, or cause your teeth to become non-vital, says the Brickell Invisalign specialist. This could possibly result in the necessity for root canal therapy or even extraction of a fractured tooth. Oral piercings also can be implicated in gum recession.

Dr. Grussmark, a Brickell, Coral Gables and Miami Invisalign expert, says mouth piercings just aren’t worth it.

“When I get a patient who has oral piercings, I mention these things,” he says. “I think sometimes the message is better received when they hear it from a professional. However, I try not to hound them.”

Another concern Dr. Grussmark has in terms of teeth alignment and oral piercings is the possible effect on tooth movement.

“It’s possible for a ring- because of its profile and projection- to actually cause a tooth to move slightly and ultimately alter the tooth alignment,” he says.
The detrimental effects that oral piercings can have on the gingiva- or gums- according to  Dr. Grussmark, may be demonstrated in the form of abrasions to the gingival tissues.

A study conducted in March 2002 by Loma Linda University School of Dentistry and Ohio State University College of Dentistry researchers looked at 52 young adults with tongue piercings and found evidence of gum recession in 35 percent of the adults whose tongues had been pierced for four or more years, according to the Journal of Periodontology. Half of those studied who wore long-stemmed barbells for two or more years experienced gum recession.

Nearly half of the adults who wore barbell oral jewelry also had chipped teeth as a result of the jewelry.

However, it isn’t just the barbell-type piercings that can be harmful in the mind of an orthodontist. Miami experts in the dentistry field have seen lip rings wear a groove into a tooth because of the constant movement of the ring against the tooth when talking and eating, or as a result of a person’s habit of constantly playing with the ring with their tongue, Dr. Grussmark says.

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Align Technology recently acquired Cadent Holdings, Inc., a leading provider of 3D digital scanning solutions for the orthodontics and dental industries, and this will bring a welcome improvement to many an orthodontist. Miami orthodontist Dr. Grussmark looks forward to having the new technology in his office.
“This means that eventually, orthodontists will scan the patient’s mouth and send the results electronically to Invisalign, rather than having to take an impression and ship it,” says Grussmark, a Miami Invisalign Elite Preferred Provider. “That means the aligners can be made more quickly, and treatment can begin sooner for the patient.”Grussmark says it is not uncommon after sending an impression to learn that a tooth was not fully captured. This is more apt to happen to the molars at the back of the mouth. If this occurs, the patient will need to return for a retake impression.

“With Cadent, we will be able to verify immediately the accuracy of the impression, being certain that the entire dental arch has been captured completely and accurately,” he says.

This technology has many other valuable benefits to the orthodontist and general dentist, says Grussmark, a Miami orthodontist, at Centre for Invisible Braces, specializes in Invisalign treatment.

Scanning impressions with this immediate turnaround will result in greatly diminished production time, allowing the patient to begin their course of treatment quicker and start the process toward that beautiful smile they always dreamed of, Grussmark says.

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Invisalign is a system of clear plastic aligners that are changed every couple weeks and gradually move the teeth into the desired position, while lingual braces are fixed appliances bonded to the back of the teeth.

When it comes to choosing between lingual braces or Invisalign, Miami orthodontist Dr. Stephen Grussmark identifies four benefits that Invisalign has over lingual braces.

1- Adults seem to tolerate Invisalign better than lingual braces. Adult patients sometimes have difficulty with having braces on the back of their teeth because even though the newer lingual braces have a much lower profile, adults often comment that their tongue is sensitive to the appliances.
If you are in Invisalign treatment, you are not limited in the types of foods you can eat, unlike other types of appliances used in orthodontics. 2- Miami orthodontics expert Dr. Grussmark says patients who have lingual braces have some limitations to what they can eat, just like patients who wear traditional braces. But with Invisalign, you simply remove your aligners when you eat, making it possible for you to eat anything you want.

3- Invisalign provides a more gentle tooth movement. Its system of clear, plastic aligners works to gradually move your teeth into proper alignment.

4- Invisalign often offers a quicker and usually less expensive regimen, as compared to lingual braces, says Dr. Grussmark, a Miami Invisalign orthodontist. Patients of Dr. Grussmark’s often comment on how quickly they see their teeth shift into proper placement as they progress through their aligners, he said. Average treatment with Invisalign is one year.

“Invisalign continues to increase in popularity, especially since the technology is constantly improving and more types of malocclusion are treatable with Invisalign,” Miami Invisialign provider Dr. Grussmark says . “My Invisalign patients are incredibly happy with the results of their treatment.”
Invisalign has shown nationally there is a 96 percent patient satisfaction level, he says.

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Many of our patients don’t want traditional braces, and educate themselves prior to their orthodontic consultation, frequently inquire about lingual braces or Invisalign. Miami orthodontics expert Grussmark, an Invisalign Elite Premier Provider, recently decided it was time to fully explain these two treatment methods, complete with benefits and drawbacks.

Lingual Braces
The technology behind lingual braces has been in existence for nearly 40 years. Instead of being bonded to the front of the teeth, lingual braces are fixed appliances bonded to the back of the teeth, which makes them unnoticeable to anyone but the wearer, Dr. Grussmark says. Some brands of lingual braces come in standard shapes and sizes, while others are custom-made to fit each individual patient’s teeth.

A great deal of progress has been made by some manufacturers of lingual braces in terms of shape and comfort to the wearer over the years. Lower profile options are available, which can provide a bit more comfort. However, discomfort for some patients remains a drawback.

“Adults who wear lingual braces sometimes complain about having braces on the back of their teeth because their tongue can be sensitive to the appliances,” Dr. Grussmark says.

Lingual braces also can- in cases where our patient’s teeth have been extracted and the space needs to be closed- expedite the positioning of the roots to allow them to become more parallel, says our orthodontist, Miami Invisalign expert Dr. Grussmark.

Invisalign
Invisalign is a system of clear, plastic aligners that gradually shift your teeth into place. They are virtually unnoticeable when you wear them.

“Lots of our patients view Invisalign as the ideal orthodontic treatment because others don’t notice the aligners when they’re worn, and they offer freedom in terms of diet,” Dr. Grussmark says. Because Invisalign aligners are removable, no food is off limits to you if you are undergoing Invisalign treatment.

The aligners are comfortable because they are made of a smooth, molded plastic. Treatment also can be completed quicker with Invisalign.

Although many professionals perceive Invisalign to have more benefits than lingual braces in orthodontics, Miami orthodontist Dr. Grussmark says there is at least one movement that may be best treated with bonded brackets rather than Invisalign. Root paralleling in extraction situations may be more efficient with bonded brackets.

If you are interested in orthodontic treatment that isn’t as noticeable as traditional braces, we recommend that you consult an orthodontist and undergo a complete evaluation so the orthodontist can determine whether you are a good candidate for Invisalign, Dr. Grussmark says.

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In these tough economic times when a larger pool of candidates is going after a smaller pool of jobs, making a good first impression on a job interview is paramount.

An American Academy of Periodontology survey of 253 people found that half of them consider the smile the first facial feature that people notice, according to information posted on the organization’s website. Eighty percent of those who participated in the study indicated that they were unhappy with their smile.

“Your smile can be the most significant aspect of a first impression,” says Dr. Stephen Grussmark of the Centre for Invisible Orthodontics, a Miami Beach orthodontics practice. “In today’s economy where many people are trying to find employment, the first impression not only carries a sort of social importance, but it can actually have an economic impact on you, in terms of getting that job.”

According to Grussmark, a Miami Beach orthodontist. not only is a person’s pleasant and healthy smile important in terms of how others will perceive and interact with them, it’s also extremely important in determining how people perceive themselves and their own self image.

“Not having a healthy self image can have an adverse effect on your self confidence and how you present yourself to others,” says Grussmark, a Miami Beach Invisalign Elite Premier Provider. “That can play against you in a job interview.”

While it is true that a potential employer may be turned off by unattractive teeth, the opposite also is true- an attractive smile can improve your appearance and increase your confidence, thus providing an advantage over the other applicants.

Advancements in orthodontic technology- such as the introduction of Invisalign invisible braces- have made it possible for adults to improve their teeth without having to wear traditional metal braces, Grussmark says.

Invisalign also typically offers quicker treatment time and requires fewer orthodontic checkups, meaning it is less of an imposition on your time and your schedule. The clear, plastic aligners can be removed during those important occasions, such as the job interview.

Some people in search of employment may question the rationale of taking on an additional expenditure such as orthodontic treatment, however, Grussmark adds that many orthodontists have made a supreme effort in these difficult economic times to offer different types of payment plans, some of which offer interest-free financing, to make it possible for more patients to achieve a cosmetic improvement- as well as improved oral health.

“It’s important to note that even though we’re talking about making a lasting positive impression, the benefits of orthodontic treatment go beyond having an attractive smile,” he says.

Properly aligned teeth also promote good oral health by alleviating crowded areas where food can get caught and allow for plaque buildup to occur. Teeth that are in proper alignment also tend to be easier to brush and floss, which promotes healthy teeth and gums.

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