What Halloween Candy Can Mean for Your Teeth If You Wear Braces

October means pumpkins, costumes, and bags of candy for kids and parents getting ready for Halloween. But it’s also an important month for something else – your teeth. October is National Dental Hygiene Month and the perfect time to make sure you are doing all you can to ensure your teeth and gums are taken care of.

Getting Braces in Miami

Maintaining the health of your teeth and gums is important. Clean, healthy teeth look great, of course, but good dental health also correlates to good overall health. Decay, inflammation, infections, and abscesses in your mouth can wreak havoc on your system, and cause pain, tooth loss, and more. To keep your teeth healthy, the American Dental Association (ADA) recommends that you:

• Brush twice daily for two minutes each time
• Use a toothpaste that contains fluoride
• Clean between your teeth every day
• Eat healthy foods and limit sugary drinks and snacks

Normally you don’t have a pillowcase full of candy in your home, but after Halloween, you just might. Sweet, sticky, chewy treats are fun, but they can stick to your teeth and the sugary residue they leave on your teeth gives bacteria something to feed on. So, while enjoying your Halloween candy, it’s more important than ever that you stick to your dental hygiene routine to keep your teeth clean and healthy.

If you wear braces, Halloween candy can be a whole other issue. While some types of candy are safe for you to enjoy, the American Association of Orthodontics (AAO) says that braces-wearers should: “stay away from foods that are hard, sticky, crunchy or chewy.” Eating these types of food can damage wires and brackets and require a trip back to your orthodontist the next day, and they can also stick to your braces and teeth, leading to tooth decay.

Getting braces in Miami has benefits that can make your teeth look great and function well. At the offices of Dr. Maria Yazji, your orthodontist will help you learn oral care tips for healthy teeth while wearing braces. We provide South Florida patients of all ages with orthodontic services, including:

• Invisalign
• Silver and Ceramic Braces
• Incognito Lingual Braces
• Insignia Advanced Smile Design Braces

And more. Your dentist at Dr. Maria Yazji Orthodontics will help you decide which treatment option is best for you and answer your questions about taking the best care of your teeth with braces.

Protect Your Teeth During Halloween

Braces that are custom-made to fit your teeth result in faster, more efficient, more comfortable orthodontic treatment. Insignia Advanced Smile Design braces may be the option for you. Straight teeth are easier to keep clean and Insignia treatment aligns your teeth while taking your unique bite and facial features into consideration for the best results. You may spend one Halloween in Miami with Insignia braces, and the next year is able to smile wide with a great, straight smile.

Dr. Yazji and her team have helped patients in South Florida get their best smiles. See what patients have to say about getting a straight smile from Dr. Yazji, and let us help you too. Make an appointment today for a consultation at the Miami, Brickell, or Weston office of Dr. Maria Yazji Orthodontics. Keep your teeth healthy this Halloween with good dental care, and get a straight smile with Insignia braces or another treatment option from Dr. Maria Yazji Orthodontics.

Test Your Dental Hygiene Knowledge

Orthodontic Treatment in South Florida: October is National Dental Hygiene Month, and before the month is over, take some time to brush up on dental care tips and techniques. Maintaining good dental hygiene in Miami can keep up the health of your teeth, mouth, and contribute to better overall health. Practicing a good oral care routine can help you avoid invasive fillings and root canals, and can prevent the need for extensive dental work like crowns, and bridges in the future.

Brushing your teeth is one of those things you do every morning before leaving for school or work, and you’re probably in a hurry when doing so. A lifetime of brushing may have made you an expert on how to brush, but many people actually aren’t brushing correctly.

How many minutes does it take to properly brush your teeth?

1. 1 minute
2. 2 minutes
3. 3 minutes
4. Until they feel clean

If you chose option b, you’ve got it right. The American Dental Association recommends brushing your teeth for a total of two minutes, each time you brush. That works out to about four seconds per tooth. You want to make sure that your teeth are fully clean, and brushing for two minutes — instead of for one minute or less — is more effective in reducing plaque and preventing tartar.

What ingredient should you look for in your toothpaste?

1. Calcium
2. Zinc
3. Fluoride
4. Mint flavor

If you want to best prevent cavities, you’ll want your toothpaste to contain fluoride. Brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste keeps your teeth clean and can mean the need for fewer fillings in your lifetime. The American Dental Association recommends the use of fluoride toothpaste and to check for the ADA Seal of Acceptance on your favorite dental care products.

According to the ADA, braces can help improve:

1. The look of your smile
2. Your dental health
3. Your ability to bite and chew
4. All of the above

While everyone knows braces can make your teeth look great, the correct answer is option 4, all of the above. Getting orthodontic treatment in South Florida can improve not only the look of your teeth but can also correct other bite issues so that your teeth look and function their best.

At the offices of Dr. Maria Yazji Orthodontics, we offer a variety of orthodontic services and procedures for patients of all ages in Miami and Broward County. If you are considering getting braces for yourself or for your child, Insignia Advanced Smile Design braces may be right for you. These braces are customized to fit your teeth using the latest dental technology and can allow for shorter treatment times and fewer office visits.

Your dental health is important to us at the friendly offices of Dr. Maria Yazji, DDS. Make an appointment at our Miami, Brickell or Weston office location for an Insignia Advanced Smile Design consultation with Dr. Yazji, or to see if another one of our services is best for you. Keeping your teeth clean with good dental hygiene and straightening your smile with braces from Dr. Maria Yazji Orthodontics can help you get your best smile.

Top 5 Reasons to Consider The Insignia Treatment System

Insignia Treatment System: Have you been looking to achieve a more beautiful smile for yourself or a loved one, but don’t know where to start? At Yazji Orthodontics we can help you find the perfect treatment plan that fits your individual needs. Through our team of experts, we can provide you with a consultation that can answer your questions and give your options to choose from for a treatment plan. We believe that offering many different types of treatment plans is necessary in order to provide our very best for our patients.

Have you considered the new Insignia Advanced Smile Design system, provided at Yazji Orthodontics? This is a revolutionary new treatment system that can help you achieve a beautiful smile much more efficiently than the methods used with traditional metal braces.

Insignia Brace

Here are our top 5 reasons to consider a treatment plan with Insignia:

1. Through the Insignia treatment system, we are able to create sets of braces that are 100% customizable. At Yazji Orthodontics we understand that everyone’s smile tells its own unique story, so we believe treatment plans should reflect this and be custom-tailored to each individual. Insignia treatment plans incorporate interactive software that develops digital prints of teeth alignment in your mouth. From there we are able to see precise measurements of where the teeth need to be corrected in order to obtain a beautifully aligned smile.

2. Insignia treatment plans use cutting-edge technology to help create digital models of your mouth. The software used by Insignia systems takes 3-D images and uses an iTero scanner. Both of these technologies are able to show the most accurate representations of the teeth’ positioning. Yazji Orthodontics prioritizes incorporating advanced methods into our treatment plans in order to provide the best quality for our patients.

3. Insignia technology allows for better predictability for our patients through our precise treatment plans. The digital models that are provided through the Insignia system are extremely detailed in their positioning and structure. Because of this, Dr. Yazji and her team of orthodontists can better foresee any issues that may arise when realigning.

4. Patients can expect greater efficiency with their treatment plan with the Insignia system. Due to tailored and precise treatment plans, patients can make fewer adjustment visits than those who do not choose Insignia.

5. The Insignia system allows for better accuracy in placing custom brackets and archwires, which leads to better results. The precision used in planning your treatment plan will result in a beautiful smile custom-tailored to your mouth.

To schedule a consultation with Dr. Yazji and her team, you may contact our office at (954) 217-3737 or visit our website to learn more information on the Insignia Advanced Smile Design system. Your perfect smile awaits you- contact us today!

The Revolutionary New Insignia Advanced Smile Design

Everyone deserves to have a smile they can be proud of. However, many people today do not know about the many options available for them in order to obtain their perfect smile. At Yazji Orthodontics, we strive to provide cutting-edge treatments to determine the best fitting treatment plan for our patients.

Insignia Advanced Smile Design

Today, we provide teeth straightening treatments that go beyond traditional metal braces. The Insignia Advanced Smile Design system is a revolutionary method that incorporates digital technology into the treatment plan in order to provide a beautiful smile in a more efficient manner.

Why Choose the Insignia Advanced Smile Design System?

The Insignia treatment is highly sought after for its many advantages in creating a beautiful smile in an efficient amount of time. A great benefit to using the Insignia treatment is that patients will have a completely customized treatment plan. The technology used to implement the treatment plan allows for clear and precise measurements of teeth alignment, allowing for more predictable outcomes. Due to the specialized treatment plan, patients can also expect to have fewer adjustment visits than with traditional braces.

The Technology Behind Insignia Advanced Smile Design System

At Yazji Orthodontics, we are committed to giving our patients access to treatments that incorporate the industry’s leading technology for teeth alignment. The technology used for the Insignia treatment is very sought after, and we are excited to be able to introduce this new way of mapping out treatment plans for our patients.

This system uses advanced software that takes 3D images of your mouth in order to develop a model version of your mouth. The use of the digital mold eliminates the need for potentially messy physical molds that are used with traditional braces, and are much more efficient.

Insignia Advanced Smile Design

By using an iTero scanner, we can further develop a precise virtual model of your mouth through the use of digital impressions. This method is very effective because it allows Dr. Yazji and her team of experts to formulate a customized treatment plan based on the digital model’s exact positioning of your teeth.

Dr. Yazji and her orthodontic team of experts would be happy to meet with you for a consultation. To schedule a meeting for a treatment plan, you can call (954) 217-3737 or visit our website for more information. Dr. Yazji Orthodontics is the best when it comes to achieving your own beautiful smile- don’t wait, reach out today!

Are You Brushing Long Enough? How Long Should You Brush Your Teeth and Other Oral Care Concerns

A group of dental hygiene students in Miami was puzzled over something on their first day of class: How many minutes it takes to brush your teeth correctly. “I think it’s one minute, that seems like enough time,” the first student said. The second student shook her head: “I remember that it has something to do with that ‘Happy Birthday song. I think you sing it, like, two times? No, wait, three times maybe?” The third student chimed in: “I remember my orthodontist telling me about this – you should brush your teeth for two minutes.”

The third student had it right – if you want to make sure that you’re cleaning your teeth completely, you should brush your teeth for a full two minutes each time you brush. To be sure you’re brushing for two minutes, you can set a kitchen timer or stopwatch, use your phone to time yourself, brush for the length of a short song, or do whatever else works for you. But if you don’t brush your teeth regularly, or for a long enough time, bits of food and plaque may remain on your teeth — creating a breeding ground for the bacteria that can cause tooth decay. The American Dental Association (ADA) also recommends cleaning between your teeth every day, using dental floss, irrigators, or interdental brushes to help prevent cavities and gum disease.

It is important for everyone to keep their teeth clean, but if you have braces you may have to take extra care of your teeth. At Dr. Maria Yazji Orthodontics, we know the importance of a healthy smile. Some South Florida patients may have a hard time cleaning around their braces or flossing between wires. As a patient at the Miami, Brickell, or Weston office of Dr. Yazji, your orthodontist can discuss oral care with you, and work with you to develop a teeth-cleaning regimen that works for you while you’re wearing braces.

Straight Teeth

Patients often have questions about braces, such as “How long will I wear braces?” and “Are braces comfortable?” Dr. Maria Yazji Orthodontics provides a variety of services to South Florida patients looking for straight teeth – including Insignia Advanced Smile Design braces. Insignia Advanced Smile Design uses the latest advancements in orthodontic technology to create customized braces that are smaller and more comfortable than traditional braces. Insignia braces are tailored to your needs and allow for a faster treatment time than you’d have with traditional braces. And clear Insignia braces are even available, so your braces will be barely noticeable as you get a straight smile.

The orthodontic team at the office of Dr. Maria Yazji is here to help patients in Miami and the South Florida area get great smiles. See what our patients have to say about their treatment and their new smiles, and let us help you get a straight, healthier smile too. Contact us to set up an appointment for an Insignia Advanced Smile Design consultation with Dr. Yazji, or for another orthodontic service you need. Let Dr. Maria Yazji Orthodontics help you keep your teeth healthy as you get your best smile with Insignia braces.

October is National Dental Hygiene Month! Here are Three Steps to Healthier Smile:

When you think of a healthy smile, what comes to mind? Pearly white teeth? A mouth that’s free of cavities? Straight teeth? There are several components to a healthy smile – your teeth should look and function well. If you have any of the common dental issues that keep many patients in Miami from having their best smile, such as bite issues, crooked and crowded teeth, and dental cavities, there are a few steps you can take to get a healthier smile. Common Dental Issues:

1. Practice good dental hygiene. In honor of National Dental Hygiene Month, we at Maria Yazji Orthodontics would like to remind our patients and prospective patients of the importance of proper oral care. The first step to healthy teeth is keeping your teeth clean and free of plaque and tartar. The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends that you:

• Brush twice daily for two minutes at a time
• Use fluoride toothpaste when you brush
• Floss or clean between your teeth once a day

Keeping your teeth clean can help prevent dental caries (cavities), gingivitis, and other bothersome tooth and gum problems.

2. Visit your dentist regularly. Seeing your dentist in South Florida for regularly scheduled checkups is also part of preventing tooth decay and gum disease. Your dentist can monitor the health of your mouth, and treat your dental issues before they become bigger problems. If necessary, your dentist can also prescribe preventative oral care products like a fluoride rinse, and recommend a personalized oral care approach, like using water irrigators or making lifestyle changes to keep your teeth in top shape.

3. Correct bite issues and crooked teeth. Straight teeth are healthier teeth. When your teeth are crooked or crowded, they may be harder to clean entirely – which may lead to increased bacteria in your mouth and increased tooth decay. Crowded teeth also place more pressure on surrounding teeth than straight teeth do, and this pressure can damage your teeth. A misaligned bite can cause discomfort and make chewing difficult. Getting the proper orthodontic treatment from Dr. Maria Yazji Orthodontics can safely straighten your teeth and fix bite issues.

Insignia Advanced Smile Design braces from the offices of Dr. Yazji are helping patients in Miami and throughout South Florida get customized, comfortable orthodontic treatment. Insignia braces use advanced digital technology to create braces made to fit you, and your treatment plan will be designed to straighten your teeth quickly and gently.

At Dr. Maria Yazji Orthodontics, we help patients of all ages get great, straight smiles while promoting overall dental health. To schedule an appointment to find out if Insignia treatment — or one of our other services — is right for you, contact us today. Straighten your teeth and have a healthier smile with Dr. Yazji Orthodontics.

Once Upon a Time, My Tooth Grew in Backwards!

Insignia Advanced Smile Design Software: This is a true story! As a kid, you start to lose all your baby teeth. But this one time, one little girl lost her bottom tooth and when her adult tooth started coming in, it was growing backward! Something had forced her tooth to continuously turn when it was coming in. Her mom was completely shocked that she was looking at the back of, what was supposed to be her daughter’s adult tooth. She didn’t know what to do, so she took her daughter in for a consultation and was told that they would have to “lasso” the tooth back into place. But, the best method of correcting her daughter’s smile is to use Insignia Advanced Smile Design which would be made personalized just for the little girl! To perfect her smile in a plan built just for her.

Dr. Maria Yazji Orthodontics offers the best system of building a beautiful state-of-the-art treatment system, Insignia Advanced Smile Design! Dr. Maria Yazji Orthodontics is certified professionally in the Insignia Advanced Smile Design software that employs virtual 3-D imaging to construct a complete personalized solution with 100% Predictable treatment outcomes, custom wires to eliminate time-consuming visits to the office for adjustments, and an accelerated plan that’s affordable and manageable. With this customized treatment plan established like this, Dr. Maria Yazji can help personally guide you through the process that’s best suited for you!

Insignia Advanced Smile Design

In order to give you, your very own customized smile! Insignia Advanced Smile Design software is applied to give you a virtual image of your future smile and the design to best fit your treatment requests, which will give you the end result that leaves you speechless. Start with the end in sight! You will be amazed at how effortless Dr. Yazji makes it so you can have a perfect smile! Then you will know why people absolutely recommend Dr. Maria Yazji Orthodontics for all their dental care!

Contact the office of Dr. Maria Yazji Orthodontics NOW to schedule an appointment at (954) 217-3737, (786) 220-7802, (786) 558-5688, or visit their website for more information. Dr. Maria Yazji Orthodontics’ team will provide a service that you deserve and that you could only receive through the skilled care of Dr. Maria Yazji Orthodontics. You will not only love them but your new smile as well! Insignia Advanced Smile Design could be the best method for you. Call and schedule your appointment today!

3 Reasons Your Orthodontic Treatment Should Be Customized

Orthodontic Treatment in South Florida: Have you ever worn a piece of clothing that’s labeled “one-size-fits-all”? It will fit, sort of shapelessly. It may get the job done, but it never really fits that well. A favorite pair of jeans or a well-loved t-shirt is usually a favorite because it fits perfectly and is comfortable. If you’re buying a dress or a suit for a special event, you’ll probably have it tailored to get the best fit. And one-size-fits-all shoes could never work. So, when it comes to your orthodontic treatment, one-size-fits-all isn’t the best approach either.

Each person has an individual dental imprint. Your bite is unlike anyone else’s, and your orthodontic treatment should be custom-tailored to your teeth, palate, and facial structure. While one patient in Miami may need extensive dental correction and several years in braces, another South Florida patient may need relatively minor correction with a shorter treatment time. Braces that are customized to your needs are available at Dr. Maria Yazji Orthodontics through Insignia Advanced Smile Design.

Custom-fit orthodontic treatment is a great choice for patients in South Florida because:

1. You will spend less time in braces. Braces are a great advancement in improving the look of your smile and the function of your bite. A straight smile improves self-confidence and a properly aligned bite and straight teeth – along with daily brushing, flossing, and use of ADA-approved fluoride toothpaste — can mean better overall dental health. According to the American Association of Orthodontists, the orthodontic treatment allows your teeth and jaw to “function as nature intended” and “promotes oral health and general physical health.” But despite the many benefits of orthodontic treatment, many patients still don’t love the way metal braces look. With Insignia Advanced Smile Design treatment, you will get all of the benefits of braces with a shorter treatment time than that of traditional braces.

2. Fewer visits to the orthodontist will be required. Patients of Maria Yazji Orthodontics in South Florida have busy schedules. Work, school, family schedules, and more keep patients of all ages busy during the week and on weekends. If you worry about fitting orthodontic appointments into your schedule, let Dr. Yazji Orthodontics help you. Customized Insignia braces are made to fit your teeth, and you won’t need to come into the office as frequently as you would if you had traditional silver or ceramic braces.

3. Your treatment will be precise. Insignia Advanced Smile Design braces at the offices of Dr. Maria Yazji is the culmination of two decades of research into creating more precise orthodontic treatment. Advanced computer algorithms, 3D technology, and interactive design software will allow your dentist to build the ideal bite and perfect smile for you. You will be able to see a digital image projection of your new smile before you start treatment. And Insignia braces have a 100% customized fit for efficient and comfortable orthodontic treatment.

Orthodontic Treatment in South Florida: To schedule a consultation for Insignia braces at one of our three offices, contact us today. We have helped patients in Miami and throughout South Florida get their best smiles, see what they have to say about their treatment — and let us help you too. Get customized braces with Insignia Advanced Smile Design from Dr. Maria Yazji Orthodontics for a straight smile you’ll love.

How an Orthodontist Can Help You Get a Straight Smile

American Association of Orthodontists (AAO): A mother in Miami is looking into getting braces for her daughter. Her daughter has just started middle school, and the mother suspects her daughter is self-conscious about her crooked front teeth. Her daughter no longer smiles with her teeth and has started to cover her mouth with her hand when she speaks or laughs. The mother knows that straight teeth can boost self-esteem and help foster a healthy self-image in adolescents, and wants her daughter to be confident in school. But no-one in their family has ever needed braces, so she’s not sure where to start when it comes to getting her daughter a straight smile.

Their family visits the dentist twice a year for cleanings, as recommended by the ADA. Since they have dental insurance, she asks the dentist if he can straighten her daughter’s teeth. He explains that while he can diagnose and treat many common dental problems, straightening teeth requires a dental specialist known as an orthodontist. An orthodontist has the additional training required to safely and effectively realign teeth — correcting crooked teeth, crowding, bite issues, and other common dental problems. The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) recommends seeing an orthodontist because only these specialized dentists have “the skills and experience to give you the best smile.”

Dr. Maria Yazji has specialized training in orthodontics, and she and her team are skilled in the techniques and latest treatment methods to get South Florida patients of all ages straight, healthy smiles. At your first appointment, your orthodontist will assess your needs and develop a treatment plan for you. Whether you want to straighten crooked teeth, close gaps between teeth, correct an overbite, or seek professional treatment for another orthodontic issue, Dr. Yazji and her team can help you!

At Dr. Maria Yazji Orthodontics, a variety of orthodontic treatments are available to patients in Miami and throughout South Florida, including:

• Invisalign Clear Aligners
• Traditional Silver and Ceramic Braces
• Incognito Lingual Braces

Insignia Advanced Smile Design

And the latest advancement in orthodontic technology: Insignia Advanced Smile Design. This state-of-the-art technology allows your orthodontist at Dr. Maria Yazji Orthodontics to create braces that are custom fit to your mouth and your needs. Insignia Advanced Smile design braces allow patients to wear braces that are smaller and more comfortable than ever before. Treatment with Insignia braces at the South Florida offices of Dr. Yazji is typically faster than traditional braces treatment, and it requires fewer office visits. Insignia Advanced Smile Design fits orthodontic treatment into the busy schedules of patients (and their parents) across South Florida.

To discuss getting braces for your child or yourself, contact one of the three South Florida offices of Dr. Maria Yazji Orthodontics. Dr. Yazji’s knowledgeable and friendly team can discuss insurance questions, payment options, and scheduling with you. Trust your child’s smile to the trained orthodontists at Dr. Maria Yazji Orthodontics.

Keeping Your Teeth Clean While Wearing Braces