Patient Appreciation Day With the Duluth Huskies and Carlson Orthodontics

A huge thank you to all our patients who attended the first Carlson Orthodontics patient appreciation day on August 5th. Our Duluth Huskies beat the Mankato Moondogs 2-1!

Abigail Gilbert won a Huskies sweatshirt for wearing her Carlson Orthodontics t-shirt, and Ty Sarkela won a $50 Best Buy gift card (all patients in attendance were entered). If you missed this event, keep an eye on this blog and our website and social networks for news on our next patient appreciation day!

Summer Contest at Carlson Orthodontics!

Carlson Orthodontics has officially began our summer contest!

"Where in the World is Your Carlson Orthodontics T-shirt?"

Take a picture while wearing your Carlson Orthodontics T-shirt and send it or email it to us before August 31st. One winner will be drawn from the photos we receive and he or she will take home a $250.00 VISA gift card! To get started, pick up your T-shirt at either of our convenient Carlson Orthodontics offices!

Open to all patients in active treatment or retention.

Good luck to everyone!

A Sour Smile is not a Happy Smile, from Carlson Orthodontics

It’s no secret that sweet, sugary candies and drinks have an adverse effect of the health of your smile, but what about sour or tart candies? We at Carlson Orthodontics thought you might want to know what kind of an effect does eating or drinking something sour have on my smile?

Recent research from the Minnesota Dental Association suggests that the amount of acid in sour candies is enough to eat away at tooth enamel and cause cavities. Here are a few souring facts about sour candies, and some helpful tips on how to protect your teeth from Carlson Orthodontics(even if you cannot give up sour candies all together).

Facts

-Sour candies can be very acidic, and may actually burn the gums and cheeks, while weakening and wearing down the enamel on your teeth. (Check the acid levels in some of your favorite candies)

-It can take almost 20 minutes for the acid in sour candies to become neutral. Holding the acid in your mouth by sucking on sour hard candies or chewing sour gummies can keep the acid active for more than 20 minutes.

-The acid in sour candies can cause cavities and severe tooth decay.

Protect your teeth

-Limit the amount of sour candies that you eat on a daily basis, and if you do indulge, remember not to suck or chew on sour candies for long periods of time.

-After eating sour candies, rinse your mouth out with water, drink milk, or eat a couple slices of cheese. This will help neutralize the acid in your mouth (wait at least one hour before brushing your teeth with toothpaste, as this can actually increase the effects of acid on your teeth)

-If tooth erosion has already begun, ask your dentist about ways you can help reduce sensitivity and continue to protect your teeth.

Hope this helps! From Carlson Orthodontics.

Gummy Tummy from Carlson Orthodontics

At Carlson Orthodontics we know the rumors going around – mostly among young people – that once you swallow a piece of chewing gum it will stake a claim and take up residency in your stomach for at least seven years! We really hate to take all the fun out of the mystery, but the truth is that chewing gum, when swallowed, will enter the stomach and move through the digestive system just like any other piece of food and leave the body long before seven years! So, if you ever have accidentally swallowed a piece of gum, there is no need to worry!

This being said, gum does not have any dietary benefits, so while it’s not harmful to swallow, you still want to avoid swallowing it. If you are a gum-chewer, make sure you chew sugarless gum, because gum with sugar can lead to cavities. Sugarless gum still has the same amount of flavor, but with less cavity causing ingredients. You see, when the bacterium in your mouth breaks down sugar, what’s left behind is acid. This acid eats away at the enamel coating of your teeth, causing holes that we call cavities. Cavities can lead to other long term mouth problems if they are not treated in time, so it is best to try and avoid overexposing your teeth to too many harmful substances!

Happy (sugar-free) gum chewing!

--Carlson Orthodontics

Is Invisalign® Really Customized for Each Patient? Carlson Orthodontics

Yes, it is, and that’s part of what makes it work. To find out if you are the right candidate for Invisalign treatment, the first thing we do at Carlson Orthodontics is to take an impression of your teeth as they are now and digitize it. Using special software, we look at the current positioning of your teeth and compare it to the way your teeth should look.

Next we use special software to map out the exact path your teeth will take from the beginning of your treatment to the end. Based on the results, a set of custom aligners are created just for your teeth. Throughout the course of treatment, you will be required to wear these clear, removable aligners one at a time; each one moving your teeth closer and closer to their final, perfectly aligned position. And since the aligners are virtually invisible, nobody around you will even know you are wearing braces!

Carlson Orthodontics is a certified Invisalign provider. If you have questions about Invisalign, or would like to find out if you are a candidate for Invisalign treatment, give us a call at 218-206-8209.

How To Stay Young & Healthy from Carlson Orthodontics

Whether you’re 5 or 50, your health depends on your awareness of what’s good for you. But in a world filled with fad diets, blaring advertisements, and unintelligible ingredient lists, we at Carlson Orthodontics know it can be difficult to determine exactly what is good for you – and what’s not.

For straightforward guidance on how to live a long, healthy life, we recommend Brush Your Teeth! And Other Simple Ways to Stay Young and Healthy by Dr. David Ostreicher. The book sums up good health in six fundamental principles: hygiene, diet, attitude, exercise, sleep and personal safety.

Drawing on nearly three decades of experience as an orthodontist and professor of health and nutrition, Dr. Ostreicher definitively answers age-old debates, like the best way to prevent colds and flu (your mom was right: wash your hands). He provides straight talk on a variety of diet choices including salt, fats, carbs and organic food, and he documents the importance of regular sleep, stress reduction and positive thinking to your overall health. His suggestions throughout are simple, clear, and inexpensive.

Dr. Ostreicher advocates a back-to-basics, common-sense approach to staying young and healthy. We at Carlson Orthodontics couldn’t agree more, and we’d like to repeat the title of his book as our favorite piece of advice: don’t forget to Brush Your Teeth!

Patient Testimonials of Carlson Orthodontics

Dr. Carlson and his staff focus on providing friendly service and quality orthodontic treatment to patients in the Duluth and Cloquet, Minnesota areas. We asked the patients about their experiences at Carlson Orthodontics, here is what they had to say:




The Carlson Orthodontics staff made my son feel very comfortable and at ease. They explained everything to him, in terms he could understand. ~ Danette S.

Dr. Carlson is easy to work with, and seems to keep up with technology. It's nice to go into the office and see things going on that help connect them to their patients. ~ Gordon Tate

Doctor Carlson is very personable and professional. I appreciate that they do not keep me waiting and that there are later appointments available for working patients. I am very pleased with results thus far. ~ Joan K.

Carlson Orthodontics has a convenient location, kid-friendly atmosphere, nice people, and great use of technology ~ Neil W.

I think Dr. Carlson is keeping up with the ever changing times very well. This makes it easy and convenient for the patient. ~ Holly R.

Dr. Carlson is very nice and he makes it so fun and easy to come to the orthodontist. I was kind of nervous at first but he made me feel right a home! I like the contests, and the tooth brushing station was a great idea! ~ Brooke N.

The entire staff is so very, very nice and very helpful. Very children-friendly! ~ Jayne M.