Oral Health

Daylight savings ends and we gain an extra hour of time!  Dr. Douglas Barden recommends these 5 teeth-friendly things to do with your extra hour.

1. Whiten your teeth. Do your teeth look dull or have they lost their shine?  Try an at home tooth whitening strip or get it professionally done at your dentist’s office.
2. As a family cook a braces friendly healthy meal together. Health nutrition = healthy teeth!
3. Use this time to replace your toothbrush! Remember to switch your toothbrush every three months, after being sick, or when it looks worn.
4. Read a good tooth book with your kids! Kids love to read stories with their parents and there are a ton of great books that teach children about good oral hygiene and dental health in a fun way.
5. Watch a comedy show, funny movie, or have a family night of joke telling. It won’t improve your oral health, but it will give you a reason to show off your beautiful smile!
6. Have you lost or broken your retainer? Use the extra time to schedule an appointment and have a new one made. Remember wearing a retainer is necessary to maintain your beautiful smile!

Don’t forget to turn your clocks back one hour on Saturday!

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Kohler Andrae State Park, Wisconsin. Photo by D. Barden

Summertime in Wisconsin is wonderful. The weather is (finally!) warm and sunny. The beautiful nature, lakes, and State Parks are perfect for exploring. It’s a great time to go CAMPING! In addition to packing your tent, sleeping bags, and other camping gear-- don’t forget to pack for good oral hygiene!

Here are Dr. Barden’s suggestions for maintaining good dental hygiene while camping:

• Get all in one tooth brushes. These come with toothpaste and a flosser built in!
• Bring safe-to-swallow toothpaste.
• Buy light, travel size toothbrush and toothpaste kits.
• Consider using environmentally friendly substitutes like baking soda.
• If all else fails, brush and rinse with water.

Dr. Barden also recommends packing the following if you are currently in treatment with braces, clear aligners, or retainers:

• Bring an emergency kit in case of orthodontic situations such as poking wires. Having some wax can solve minor emergencies until you return from your trip.
• Don’t forget your retainers and storage case. Be sure to put them in a safe place so you don’t lose them among your camping gear.
• Bring a storage case for your clear aligners if you are being treated with Invisalign ®

We hope you enjoy your time camping and exploring the great outdoors in Wisconsin and other parts of the United States. Happy Camping!

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Did you know that the most common oral health diseases are tooth decay and gum disease? Not so coincidentally, they are also the easiest to prevent. As much as we would like for the brushing and flossing to do all the work for us, in reality, we really are what we eat — and a healthy diet is just as important for dental health as it is for the rest of the body.

Eating well boosts your immune system, and makes you less susceptible to gum disease and tooth decay. When you maintain a balanced diet, you provide your body with all the nutrients it needs to succeed. So what does a healthy, balanced diet entail? It’s really quite simple. Here are some tips:

1. Focus on lean meats, veggies, whole grains, and healthy fats. Healthy food = Healthy teeth!
2. Limit your intake of sugary drinks like energy drinks and soda. Healthy beverages are important!
3. Keep your sweet tooth in check.
4. Beware of acidic meals and snacks that are high in salt and sodium.
5. Drink lots of water.

Unfortunately, there’s no “one size fits all,” magic diet that will automatically improve your oral health, but following the five guidelines above as best you can is a great way to start. Food and drinks that are high in sugar or acidity weaken your enamel, stain your teeth, and make you more likely to develop a cavity or gum disease.

At Barden Orthodontics, we like to encourage our patients to drink a lot of water during the day. Doing so not only keeps you hydrated, but also helps rinse out the sugar and acid from various things you’ve consumed during the day.

If you think your diet might be affecting your smile, come pay Dr. Douglas Barden a visit or give our Milwaukee, WI office a call! We’re always happy to answer your questions.

You can learn just about anything on the Internet these days. You can also order just about anything on the Internet these days.

But would you order your braces on the Internet? There’s a new trend involving websites that claim to offer a solution for straightening teeth, without your ever seeing a dentist or orthodontist in person.

These companies usually have patients take an impression of their teeth using putty and a tray. Then you mail the impressions back to the company where a dentist reportedly examines them and suggests a course of treatment using 3D modeling software.

A series of clear aligners are made, to be worn by the patient in order to attain the desired result. Although this form of orthodontic treatment may cost less than seeing an orthodontist in person, there are several reasons why you should avoid it:

• Potential health hazards are missed: If your oral health is not up to par (e.g., you have cavities, gingivitis, chipped teeth, etc.), an orthodontist would not suggest orthodontic treatment. Only after these issues are addressed would treatment be considered as an option. Whether this is the case with a person can’t be known when all the doctor sees is a set of impressions.
• Lack of information about the patient: Before you receive any orthodontic treatment, an orthodontist will have X-rays taken to make sure you are a good candidate. If the bones or teeth do not look like they would align properly with treatment, another course of care may be suggested, even necessary. None of this background is available to over-the-net orthodontic providers.
• No regular checkups: The purpose of regular checkups with Dr. Douglas Barden is to ensure that everything is moving properly, on schedule, and most important, safely. This lack of hands-on care with Internet orthodontics could be a hazard for you as a patient and has the potential to do more harm than good.

It’s not worth the risk of getting orthodontic treatment over the net just to save some money. Our Milwaukee, WI office is committed to working with you, whatever your financial situation may be.

If you are looking for some useful orthodontic references check out these accurate internet orthodontic resources.

Let’s work together to give you the smile you deserve!

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Taking care of your smile is nothing new! People have been brushing their teeth for thousands of years. In fact, the first “toothbrush” was created around 3000BC! Ancient civilizations used a thin twig with a frayed edge to rub against their teeth for cleaning.

The first toothbrush with bristles – similar to today’s toothbrushes – was invented in 1498 in China. Brushes were made out of bone or bamboo with bristles made from the hairs on the back of a hog’s neck.

It wasn’t until 1938 that the first nylon bristle toothbrush was introduced and people quickly became aware of practicing good oral hygiene.

Here are some other interesting facts about your toothbrush (and toothpaste):
• Most people are said to use blue toothbrushes over any other color
• The first toothpaste was used in 500 BC in China and India
• On average, children smile about 400 times per day
• Your toothbrush should be replaced every two months
• The first known toothpaste was used in 1780, Crest was introduced in 1955 and Colgate in 1873