Ideally, it should never hurt when you floss your teeth. But if you haven’t flossed in a long while or don’t do it regularly, you may experience sore or bleeding gums. You should floss every day to avoid pain and maintain the best oral hygiene. In the meantime, there are a few things you can do to make flossing a little more pleasant.

Be Gentle

If your gums are sensitive, take your time and be gentle while flossing. Rough flossing can lead to more irritation and soreness. Also, daily flossing should help your gums become acclimated to the practice, and as a result, irritation should decrease over time.

Use an Alternative Method

If you still feel discomfort after being gentle, an alternative method of flossing may work better for you. A water floss machine or Waterpik can dislodge food particles and plaque without irritating your gums. Also, some brands of floss have a soft coating that make them less harsh and harmful to your gums.

Many people tend to forget or skip flossing, but it is one of the most important steps your dental hygiene routine and shouldn’t be neglected. If you are consistent about flossing, your gums should become used to it and won’t be so irritated in time.

For more flossing tips, schedule an appointment at our Hiawatha, IA office and ask Dr. Sardzinski, Dr. Wilken, Dr. Stanley, Dr. Hanson and Dr. Heying or a member of our team!

Straightening your teeth with traditional braces used to be something of a public affair. While traditional teeth-straightening methods yielded high-quality results, it was also essentially impossible to wear them undetected as you went about your day. The visibility of braces could be especially troubling to teens in the high-stress environment of high school and even during the early years of college.

With Invisalign Teen, Dr. Sardzinski, Dr. Wilken, Dr. Stanley, Dr. Hanson and Dr. Heying and our team at Blair Ridge Dental will tell you that many of those concerns are no longer as relevant as they once were. Because Invisalign Teen aligners are constructed out of a plastic that is both smooth and clear, in all likelihood friends and family members won’t even realize the teen is wearing them. The smooth and clear plastic also makes the aligners much more comfortable than traditional braces, which means the teenaged user won’t have to deal with something large and obstructive in his or her mouth.

Additionally, the Invisalign Teen aligners are specifically made to be removable when the need arises. Your son or daughter won’t have to worry about getting food stuck in the alignment trays because they can be pulled out before a meal and popped back in afterwards. Invisalign Teen wearers can remove the aligners before brushing, which allows them to make sure their teeth are free and clear of all obstructions.

Invisalign Teen aligners also allow wearers to keep doing all the activities they have previously enjoyed. If your teen plays sports, for example, he or she won't have to worry about a mouth filled with metal brackets getting injured during play. If your teen plays an instrument, he or she won’t have to worry about traditional braces affecting normal playing techniques. The aligners will remain both comfortable and convenient during all of those activities and more.

If your teen is concerned about physical appearance and worried that braces will adversely affect his or her life for a year or more, Invisalign Teen treatment with Dr. Sardzinski, Dr. Wilken, Dr. Stanley, Dr. Hanson and Dr. Heying is definitely the right choice. Teens don’t have to be shy about their smile, won’t have to change any of the activities they normally do, and will still get all the benefits of straight teeth when the process is completed.

For more information about Invisalign Teen, or to schedule an initial consultation with Dr. Sardzinski, Dr. Wilken, Dr. Stanley, Dr. Hanson and Dr. Heying, please give us a call at our convenient Hiawatha, IA office today!

We all want to have a smile that makes us feel happy. We want to look in the mirror and feel good about ourselves. Botox has been used for several years to help reduce the appearance of lines, wrinkles, and folds caused by repetitive muscle contractions and old age. While Botox is commonly used to reduce crow’s feet (smile lines), frown lines, and wrinkles on the upper portion of the face, more people are using Botox to improve their smiles. If you’re looking to have a smile makeover, here are three ways Botox at our Hiawatha, IA office can help.

Improving a Gummy Smile without Surgery

For years, dentists corrected a gummy smile with two surgical procedures: crown lengthening or gingivectomies. While both dental surgeries are relatively painless, they are intrusive; a dental laser removes excess gum and then sculpts and reshapes the gums into an even shape. Healing can take several weeks. However, you can also improve a gummy with Botox. How does it work? We inject Botox into the muscles that control and elevate the upper lip; this relaxes the muscles and allows them to hide more of the gums. There is no downtime to heal with this procedure, and you'll see results in 24 to 36 hours. In addition, a Botox treatment lasts six months, which means you won’t be coming back to see Dr. Sardzinski, Dr. Wilken, Dr. Stanley, Dr. Hanson and Dr. Heying for further restorations.

Fixing Upper and Lower Lip Lines

Upper and lower lips lines are sometimes called “smoker’s lines,” but age, genetics, excessive sun exposure, and a host of other things can also cause these lines to form. Botox injections between the lip and the skin will cause the orbicularis muscle to relax, which softens lip lines and greatly improves a person’s smile. Furthermore, Botox doesn’t just get rid of lip lines, but it also creates fuller and more youthful lips.

Changing a Down-turned Smile

Do you always look like you’re sad or frowning? Does your droopy smile make you self-conscious? An overactive depressor angulu oris, which is a muscle in the lower part of the face, can make it look like you have a down-turned smile. Botox can be injected to weaken the muscles that pull down the corners of the mouth, which in turn allows the corners of the lips to rise.

While Botox can give you a fuller and happier smile, be sure to consult with Dr. Sardzinski, Dr. Wilken, Dr. Stanley, Dr. Hanson and Dr. Heying about the best course of action.

These days, fewer and fewer braces show up in school yearbook photos. Invisalign clear aligners have become a popular choice for our adolescent patients because it enables them to display metal-free smiles while straightening their teeth!  

Dr. Sardzinski, Dr. Wilken, Dr. Stanley, Dr. Hanson and Dr. Heying can help you determine whether Invisalign treatment is right for you, but below are a few reasons why so many teens are choosing it today.

More Free Time

Invisalign Teen aligners require fewer appointments, which is pretty important to teens who value their free time. Invisalign treatment gives you straight teeth without having to miss activities or skip hanging out with your friends. It’s a win-win!

Eat, Brush, and Floss Easily

Traditional braces can make eating, brushing, and flossing both difficult and tedious. Invisalign aligners are easily removable for all these important activities, and give you freedom to live your life as usual.

Metal-Free Braces

Possibly the best perk of Invisalign aligners is that you can’t see them! The Invisalign system uses a clear plastic device that fits directly over the teeth. This means no metal parts to mar the appearance of your smile, so your Invisalign aligners will straighten while allowing your pearly whites to shine through. People don’t even have to know you’re straightening your teeth with Invisalign aligners.

To learn more about Invisalign Teen treatment, feel free to reach out to our Hiawatha, IA office!