Dr. Markusen’s Blog

The Clear Way to Straighter Teeth
By Kira Zwolinski

Forget everything you’ve heard about straightening teeth. A proven technology now exists that lets you straighten your teeth invisibly.
Invisalign® makes it easy to straighten your teeth while doing away with bands, brackets, and wires. This breakthrough technology lets you have the straight smile you’ve always wanted- without the hassle of braces.
Whether your smile needs minor improvements or more extensive adjustments, Invisalign can certainly help. It’s successful in treating overly crowded or widely spaced teeth. It can also relieve more complex issues, including overbites, under bites and even cross bites. Because Invisalign is clear and nearly invisible, most people will never know you’re straightening your teeth.
Invisalign is comfortable to wear and it doesn’t require you to change your busy lifestyle. The aligners are removable which allows you to continue eating your favorite foods while brushing and flossing normally. By effectively keeping your teeth and gums healthy you’re helping to prevent tooth decay and gum disease. Some orthodontic appliances, like braces, can cause gingivitis. Properly positioned teeth are easier to brush and floss than teeth that are crowded, crooked, or spaced too far apart. Unlike braces, Invisalign® is clear and removable. You can brush and floss normally to maintain good oral hygiene. There are no metal brackets or wires to cause mouth irritation. Invisalign is the invisible way to straighten teeth without braces. Invisalign uses a series of clear, removable aligners to gradually straighten teeth, without metal or wires. Invisalign uses a 3-D computer imaging technology to depict the complete treatment plan from the initial position to the final desired position from which a series of custom-made, clear “aligners” are produced. Each aligner moves the teeth in increments and is worn for about two weeks. The aligner is then replaced by the next in the series until the final position is achieved. Each aligner is worn sequentially by the patient to produce extensive tooth movements in both the upper and lower arches.
The course of treatment involves changing aligners approximately every two weeks, gradually moving your teeth into a straighter position step by step. An average Invisalign course of treatment takes about 12-18 months. You’ll see your Invisalign Certified Dentist for adjustments and to check your progress. At regular intervals, you will receive a new set of custom-molded clear aligners to continue the straightening process. The total number of clear aligners is specific to you, determined by your doctor for your course of treatment.
Like brackets and arch wires are to braces, Invisalign® aligners move teeth through the appropriate placement of controlled force on the teeth. The principal difference is that Invisalign not only controls forces, but also controls the timing of the force application. At each stage, only certain teeth are allowed to move, and these movements are determined by the orthodontic treatment plan for that particular stage. This results in an efficient force delivery system.

STEP 1: Visit an Invisalign Certified Dentist
During your initial visit, your dentist will evaluate, assess, and discuss a course of treatment for you. Bite impressions of your teeth will be taken in the office and sent off to the Invisalign technology lab for processing.

STEP 2: Invisalign® Makes Your Aligners
Invisalign® uses their advanced 3-D computer imaging technology to transform your bite impressions into your custom-made series of clear and removable aligners.

STEP 3: You Receive Your Clear Aligners in a Few Weeks
During your next visit to your dentist, you will receive your first set of clear aligners.

STEP 4: You Wear Your Aligners
You will wear each set of clear aligners day and night for about 2 weeks, removing them only to eat, drink, brush, and floss. Patients, on average, complete treatment in approximately a year. You’ll visit your dentist at regular intervals to check your progress.

STEP 5: You’ve Finished Treatment
When you’re finished wearing each clear aligner in the series, your treatment will be complete and you will have straighter teeth and the beautiful smile you deserve.

You can contact us in the office if you have further questions or if you’d like to schedule a free consultation. The number is (843) 916-0990 or you can email us at doc-mark@msn.com. Red’s Dental Spa 1321 44th Ave N, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577

“You don’t have to brush all your teeth; just the ones you want to keep”

Three Out Of Four People Have Warning Signs of Periodontal Disease
 Gums that bleed when you brush
 Gums are red, swollen or tender
 Gums have pulled away (receded) from teeth
 Pus between teeth & gums when gums are pressed
 Permanent teeth are loose or separating
 Change in the way your teeth fit when biting
 Any changes in fit of partial dentures
 Persistent bad breath & bad taste
50 people out of 100 have moderate to severe gum disease, 40 out of the 50 don’t know it, and only 3 people out of 100 will ever get treated before it’s too late. Gum disease occurs when bacteria attack the supporting soft tissues and bone around your teeth. These bacteria cause a body reaction. This reaction is responsible for the breakdown of the fibers that connect the tooth to the bone. This creates a space that dentists and hygienists call ‘a periodontal pocket’. Plaque and tarter accumulate at the base of the teeth. Inflammation causes a pocket to develop between the gums and teeth, which fills with plaque and tarter. Soft tissue swelling traps the plaque in the pocket. Continued inflammation eventually causes destruction of the tissues and bone surrounding the tooth. These pockets are difficult to keep clean and the result is infection leading to the loss of bone. The main cause of gum disease is poor oral hygiene, not brushing and flossing on a regular basis, and not seeing your dentist for preventive care. If left untreated, the supporting bone is destroyed and the teeth may eventually become loose and painful.

How are Lasers used to treat gum disease? Will it hurt?
A laser is an instrument that produces a very narrow, intense beam of light energy. When laser light comes in contact with soft tissue it causes a reaction. The beam of light produced by the laser has the ability to remove, vaporize or shape soft tissues such as the gums, cheeks and tongue. There are a variety of lasers that can be used to treat periodontal disease. Lasers can be used to remove inflamed tissues within a periodontal pocket while also sterilizing the pocket. Lasers can be used to trim away diseased gum tissue, increase the length of a tooth above the gum life so that crowns can be properly placed and can even remove muscle pulls and benign tumors. Laser treatment may be more comfortable than treatment with conventional instruments. The gum tissue may be removed without bleeding and swelling because the powerful light beam seals blood vessels and nerve endings. The aspect of laser surgery that most people appreciate is its comfort. While no treatment is always painless, the laser may reduce the need for postoperative pain medication and my reduce swelling and bleeding. The benefits of periodontal laser treatment include a faster healing time, a reduced risk of infection, less time in a dental chair, and less post-procedure pain.

Factors that Contribute to Periodontal Disease & Tooth Loss
 Smoking
 Stress/Tension
 Diet/Poor Nutrition
 Pregnancy
 Diabetes/Systemic Diseases
 Some Prescription Medications

Red’s Cosmetic Dental Spa is undergoing some changes! For those of you who are involved in Social Networking you can now find us on FACEBOOK! Look for us as “Red’s Cosmetic Dental Spa” and befriend us today!

We’re also making changes to our website. If you have constructive comments please let us know what you think; we value your opinion.

We have decided to participate in the 2009 Home Show again this year at the MB Convention Center! We will be giving out lots of prizes and rebates; especially for our BriteSmile teeth whitening procedure and the Invisalign way to straighten teeth. Visit us at the Convention Center September 18-20th to receive your rebates.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Consider this blog your news resource for information about oral health, dental procedures and technology, and what’s happening at your dentist’s office. We believe communication is key to building great doctor-patient relationships, and this dental blog is intended to keep us in touch with you. The best part is, you can simply bookmark this page in your browser, then visit whenever you like! Stay tuned for regular posts that will keep you informed. 

If you need to schedule an appointment or are “interviewing” us as your potential new dental provider, call today! You may also want to review information about us here.