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As someone who had braces as a teenager, I can tell you firsthand that the cosmetic benefits of braces and clear aligners are incredibly important. When you’re happy with how your smile looks, it gives you a huge boost in self-esteem and confidence. This can really be life changing for a lot of people, myself included!  But while improving the appearance of your smile is amazing and nothing to take lightly, it’s not the only reason to consider orthodontic treatment. Having straight teeth and a properly aligned, functional bite also enhances your oral health and, in turn, your overall health….

We all know kids need sleep in order for their brains and bodies to develop. It’s when they’re snoozing that growth actually occurs. But, sometimes, babies and little children aren’t sleeping as soundly as it may appear due to what is known as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) or sleep-related breathing disorders (SRBD). This can affect their development, ability to learn and even their mood (hey, you know how grumpy you get when you don’t get a good night’s sleep!).  Teeth grinding, snoring and mouth breathing are all signs of sleep apnea in kids. As a Park Slope orthodontist, I often…

If you’re in the process of straightening your teeth, it’s only natural you want your smile to look its absolute best. So, you might be wondering how to whiten your teeth with braces. But, before you purchase a whitening kit or special toothpaste, read on to learn more about whether or not you can whiten your teeth with your hardware in place.  Can You Get Your Teeth Whitened With Braces? If you’ve looked into how to whiten your teeth with braces, you’ve probably noticed a lot of conflicting information. Some sources say, sure, bring on the whitening treatments, while others…

You had your digital scans taken and your orthodontist created a personalized treatment plan for you on a 3D model of your mouth. If you’re one of our Brooklyn Invisalign patients, I can even show you what your new smile will look like when you finish treatment on our Invisalign Outcome Simulator. Once the Invisalign lab fabricates your clear aligners based on your custom treatment plan, you’ll receive your first Invisalign trays and officially begin your smile journey.  So, what happens in the first week of Invisalign treatment? Here are 7 things you should know: Mild Tenderness is Normal The…

Drinking and Eating With Invisalign: Your Questions Answered Our Brooklyn Invisalign and Invisalign Teen patients usually opt for the clear aligners because they’re comfortable, removable, and virtually invisible. The treatment offers a way to get straight teeth and a healthy bite with minimal impact on your day-to-day life. While Invisalign is fairly simple to care for, and most people are well aware they’ll need to take their aligners out before biting into something like a sandwich, not everyone is clear on where exactly to draw the line when it comes to drinking and eating with Invisalign.  In this post, I’ll…

Can I swim with Invisalign? Is it safe to swim with braces? Can I continue to play watersports during orthodontic treatment? These are some of the questions my team and I get from our Brooklyn Invisalign and braces patients throughout the warm weather months. To help you soak up the last few weeks of summer, I’ll be filling you in on the logistics of splashing around with your appliance.  Can I Swim With Braces on My Teeth? Absolutely! The idea that your appliance can rust is a braces myth. Braces are made of a rust-resistant, titanium alloy material. After all,…

10 Braces Tips to Help You Breeze  Through Your First Week of Treatment Getting braces put on is a momentous occasion! It means, before you know it, you’ll have straight teeth, a healthy bite, and a fantastic smile. While once you get used to your new hardware, you’ll barely even notice it, your first week of braces can seem a little daunting. To help you sail through this adjustment period, I’m sharing some of the braces tips that work for my Brooklyn braces patients. The Process of Getting Braces Before we dive into the braces tips, let’s talk about what…

What is an Overbite (Deep Bite) and How Can it be Fixed?   As a certified specialist in orthodontics, my area of expertise is in preventing, diagnosing and treating issues with the positioning or alignment of the teeth and jaws, technically called malocclusion. One of the most common types of malocclusion my team and I see is an excessive overbite, or deep bite. Thankfully, as many of our Brooklyn Invisalign® and braces patients can attest, at Fresh Orthodontics, we can create a personalized treatment plan to correct an overbite and help you achieve a smile you love.  In this post,…

There’s a reason the American Association of Orthodontists suggests children have their first orthodontist visit at seven years old. It’s because, by this age, their first permanent molars and incisors are usually in place, and their mouth and jaw have grown enough to give us a sneak peek at how their teeth and bite are shaping up during an early orthodontic treatment consultation session.  In many cases, when our youngest patients visit our Brooklyn orthodontic office, I’ll check them out and send them on their way. They’ll come back periodically so I can monitor them and determine when it’s the…