There are few things in the world more important to me than making my children smile. I hadn’t really given a whole lot of thought to keeping that smile bright & beautiful or problem free until I attended the Invisalign What Makes You Smile event in San Antonio.
My children are 6, 5 and 3. Don’t judge me … but I have yet to take them to the dentist. Don’t get me wrong, I have tried it just seems we have a very uncommon dental insurance for this part of Texas and well, spending half my day on the phone with various dental offices and insurance companies just hasn’t been to high on my priority list. I try and fail every few months and then add it back to the bottom of my to do list …
Until now. I went to the luncheon a few weeks ago and I am happy to report my kids are all scheduled for dental exams within the next few weeks. Their health is of the utmost importance to me and now that I realize their dental health is every bit as important as their physical health, I will be much more diligent about taking them in.
A few things I learned from Dr. Percy “Bud” Luecke:
Pregnant mamas <everyone really>, please floss and keep up with your dental appointments. Chronic gum inflammation causes your body to produce pitocin, the same solution pregnant women are given to induce labor. In fact, gum inflammation can cause a mother to go in to early labor.
Getting the perfect smile is like getting the perfect haircut, it takes a lot of effort to keep it that way. Whether you’ve had braces or not, this saying still applies. Being in good dental health is no different than eating right or working out. I need to get in to a better maintenance regimen myself. If you have had braces or Invisalign, you must wear your retainers and aligners even after you’re through or all that hard work will be for naught. Your teeth will move back to their old habits the same way my legs have stopped running since my half-marathon in March … I have to get back on track on many levels …
The good news is, if your children are in need of braces Dr. Bud has assured me right now is a “great time to have a great smile”, and I believe him.
If you haven’t heard of Invisalign or taken a look at them in the last few years, there have been lots of changes. Here are a few things I found comfort knowing:
- They are BPA Free!
– Tested to the same standards as prosthetic heart valves
– They cut dental visit times down, as well as number of trips to the dentist
– There’s a little dot that turns clear the longer you wear your aligners
– You can now wear rubber bands with your aligners
– Small (dentist added) dimples can be used to keep aligners in place
– You can get up to 6 replacement aligners in case they get lost
Invisalign aligners can be started after your children have all their adult teeth in place. The optimal time being around eleven or twelve. The average patient will wear them 20-22 hours a day for 24 months. They can take them off to eat, and then put them back on when they’re done. No more yucky food in your braces, yay!
Dr. Bud said his patients have NEVER had a reaction to Invisalign (unlike retainers & braces) and that Invisalign is great option for the military & their families because you can go up to 3 months between appts.
Thanks for taking the time to read this post. Our children’s health is a subject I’m sure we all care strongly about. Follow the link to find out more about how Invisalign works. If you think you or your children may need Invisalign you might want to enter the Mom It Forward contest for $1500 off Invisalign
Disclosure: I was compensated for my writing but all thoughts and opinions are my own. I really did spend 2 hours on the phone this week making dentist appointments for my children.
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I actually crew up with bucked and crooked teeth as a child. I finally got braces right before starting high school, and I definitely felt more confident about myself when they were straightened. I was bad about wearing my retainer as long as I should have though! I love that it inspired you to take action and call the dentist (I know how tedious it can be making what feels like a million appointments!)–good for you! And Caroline has her mother’s smile, of course!
This is great information… but WOW look at her eyes. What a beautiful child.