SMILEHEALTH

for Patients of Burleson Orthodontics & Pediatric Dentistry / Dec. 2014

WHATS
GOING ON
THIS
MONTH

Ask One of the

Smile Specialists
Q. How often should

2014 Insurance
Benefits End Soon
Does your family have
insurance benefits running
out soon? Call one of our
Smile Specialists to help
maximize your benefits
before Dec. 31st.

Free Photos
with Santa
December 13, 2014
come to Briarcliff Village
in front of Green Acres
Market for FREE photos
with Santa from
10am-1pm.

Win a $500 Target

Shopping Spree
You can win a $500
Holiday Gift Card to Target
stores just in time for the
holidays. Ask us at your
next appointment how to
get entered into the
contest.

my child visit the

dentist during
orthodontic treatment?
A. This is one of the most
popular questions from

Radiation Safety &

Orthodontic Treatment
Digital Radiographs are the safest type of x-ray available today.
Most dental oces use traditional x-ray machines, but our oce is
equipped with only 100% digital radiograph equipment. This type
of x-ray equipment reduces radiation by up to 90% compared to
traditional film radiographs. Protective shielding should be used
when taking x-rays. We use both thyroid shields and lead aprons
during radiographs. This helps prevent scatter radiation from
reaching other areas of the body that are not meant to be radiated.
Radiation risk is cumulative. That means the more x-rays you are
exposed to, the more risk of damage there is. In order to minimize
the number of radiographs taken, we can send your dentist copies
of your x-rays taken in our oce. Please let us know if you have
recently had radiographs taken at your general dentists oce and
we will check to see if they are the type we are looking for.
Our oce is committed to providing the best care for our patients
in the safest manner possible. Our team members are trained in all
of the above safety measures. If you ever have any questions about
our safety or quality practices, please feel free to call our oce.
You can download our Radiation Safety Guidelines at:
http://www.BurlesonOrthodontics.com/articles/radiation_safety.pdf

SMILEHEALTH

parents at Burleson
Orthodontics. Regular
dental visits every 3-4
months are recommended
for children wearing
braces. This is one of the
main reasons Burleson
Orthodontics decided to
introduce Pediatric
Dentistry back in 2010.
Many of our patients were
unable to fit the required
cleanings and exams into
their insurance budget.
Our office can help make
sure your child receives
the optimal number of
cleanings and exams
throughout orthodontic
treatment. Proper
cleaning and professional
fluoride treatments are
necessary for a
Spectacular Smile at the
end of braces or Invisalign.

BRACES & INVISALIGN

Fitting Orthodontics Into Your Lifestyle

From the
Doctors Desk
Patients frequently ask about
herbal supplements and
their affect on tooth and
gum health. It is important
to remember that most
herbal remedies are not
reviewed by the FDA for
safety measures. Some
herbal supplements can
affect gum tissue health and
dry mouth. If you are unsure
about a specific herbal
supplement, be sure to ask
one of our doctors before
taking the new supplement.
Your smile is important and
we can help you make the
right decision.

When youre wearing braces, there are a few things

youll have to adjust to get the optimal results in the
shortest amount of time.
When you have braces, there are a few types of foods
that can damage your brackets and bend your wires,
leading you to more appointments and longer
treatment times. By simply avoiding sticky, chewy,
crunchy, and hard foods, as well as foods like corn on
the cob, your orthodontic experience will be smoother
and will help prevent unnecessary emergency visits.
Maintaining a clean mouth takes focused attention,
more so when you are undergoing orthodontic care. Youll never believe the amount
of food that can get lodged between your braces when you eat. It is so important to
brush your teeth after every meal and floss every day. It may seem like a hassle, but it
will all be worth it in the end! If you have questions, please give our oce a call. We
are here to help.

PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

The Challenge of Choosing a Toothbrush

Here are a few factors to consider. Budget:
Electric toothbrushes are pricier. However,
while high-end options can cost upwards of
$100, you can find some eective powered
brushes in the $10 range. Remember that
you need to add the cost of batteries and
replacement brush heads to your toothbrush
budget.

Home Care
Tips & Tricks

Dexterity: People who have limited manual

dexterity, including the very young,may
find it easier to reach and clean areas of
their mouth with an electric toothbrush.
Habits: If your child has a hard time brushing regularly, and they enjoy the sensation of
brushing with an electric toothbrush, then by all means use the brush that will encourage
your child to brush most often.
Engagement: Parents should still monitor home care for their children, even if they think
their kids are doing a good job brushing. Check for at least 2 minutes of brushing after
breakfast and before bedtime to help prevent tooth decay.
SMILEHEALTH

Changing your toothbrush

during flu season is
important, especially if you
have recently been sick.
Your mouth contains more
bacteria than anywhere
else in your body. Do not
share your toothbrush with
anyone and sit your
toothbrush upright after
brushing so the bristles can
dry out. Never bush with a
wet toothbrush that might
contain high levels of
bacteria, mold and viruses.
Change your toothbrush
every 2-3 months.

EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

2014 Candy Exchange a BIG Success

Smile Health
Success Tips
Q: My kids always seem to have
a broken bracket. What can I do
to help them avoid another?

Thank you to all of the patients, parents

and local dentists who came out to the
2014 Sweet Swap Candy Exchange.
The 8th Annual event collected
hundreds of pounds of candy that has
been packaged in small gift bags and
shipped to our troops serving overseas.

said Kevin Choe, Director of

Operations. This year marked the
eighth anniversary of the popular event
and enjoyed support from local vendors
with proceeds going to some of our
favorite charities in the Kansas City
area.

Our very own SPC Andree (active

reservist in the U.S. Army) and patient
coordinator extraordinaire helped pack
up the treats for the troops.

Every October, Burleson Orthodontics

& Pediatric Dentistry teams up with
Smiles Change Lives to donate
orthodontic treatment to families in
need who desperately need but cannot
aord orthodontic treatment. This year
Burleson donated over 132 orthodontic
cases (or $808,896 in free orthodontic
care to families in need) for Smiles
Change Lives and their families in need.

Hotdogs, balloon artists, face painting

and fun raes were enjoyed by all. Its
a fun time to get together with patients
and parents outside the traditional clinic
setting when were treating patients,

SMILEHEALTH

Almost everyone in orthodontic

treatment experiences a broken
bracket once or twice during their
stint in braces. The key is
avoiding a few types of foods and
habits that are most often the
culprits of broken appliances.
First, make sure your child is
aware that they should not eat
hard, sticky and chewy foods like
caramel and hard candy. Your
child may have an easy time
remembering this rule when you
are near, but it may be harder if
they are around friends who are
not in treatment and are partaking
in these types of treats, so make
sure that friends parents and
teachers also know about this and
can avoid these types of snacks.
Also, if you hear your child
grinding their teeth or notice
them clenching, please let us
know. Sometimes this can cause
broken brackets and often we can
fabricate a bite guard to help
prevent damage to their
appliances.

Be a Floss Boss
Did you know? Flossing
once per day dramatically
reduces your risk of tooth
decay, gum disease and
other systemic health
problems associated with
chronic inflammation of the
gum tissues be a floss
boss, start flossing today.

INSURANCE & FLEX SPENDING

Parenting Tips
for Dental Health
Northland Lifestyles
recently interviewed our
doctors for their #1 tip to
help parents take even
better care of their
childs teeth. Avoiding
juice or milk in sipppy
cups was the
resounding answer from
our specialists.
Sippy cups should be
filled only with water.
When parents allow
their child to use a sippy
cup with anything other
than water, they greatly
increase the risk of their
child getting tooth
decay.

Flex Spending & Orthodontic Treatment

Sign Up Early Set aside flex spending
dollars now. Many employers set higher
limits than you think on the amount of Flex
Spending Dollars you can contribute each
year, tax-free, from your salary to pay for
health care expenses, like dental treatment.
Many employers allow $2,500 of pre-tax
earnings to be set aside in your flex plan.
Failing to sign up early could cost you more
in out-of-pocket dental expenses, especially
if your plan is not set-up and ready before
your treatment begins. If you have a new
plan, work with your plan administrator to
sign up early for next year in order to
maximize your savings!
Dierent employers have dierent sign-up deadlines, but typically at the beginning of the
year, your employer asks you how much money you want to contribute to your Flex Plan
for the year. You only have one opportunity to enroll, unless you have a qualified family
status change.

Juice should be limited

to meal time, so that the
foods and saliva can
buffer the sugars in the
juice. Even 100% juice is
loaded with natural
sugars that the bacteria
in the mouth can turn
into acid and cause
tooth decay.
In addition, parents
should take caution with
the liquids placed in
bottles. If youre going
to give your child a
bottle at nap or bedtime,
please use only water in
order to avoid significant
tooth decay risk. These
tips can help you avoid
costly visits to the dentist
and unnecessary tooth
decay in your childs
teeth.

Make Your Employer Aware of

Family Status Changes Family
Status changes like marriage, birth,
divorce, or loss of a spouses insurance
coverage are qualified reasons to
change your plan, and possibly add
more coverage for required dental
treatment.
Choose Wisely Give some thought
to calculating how much money to
contribute this year. If you are
considering dental or orthodontic
treatment, visit our oce for a FREE
consultation and our treatment
coordinators can help you plan exactly how much money you should contribute to help
reduce your out-of-pocket expenses. If you put in more money than you need, by law, you
lose the money! You have three months after the end of the calendar year to submit
claims for eligible expenses from the previous calendar year. Any money left in your
account after this three month period is lost.

SMILEHEALTH

TIPS FROM THE DOCTORS

Braces Friendly Recipes for Your Family

Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo Shells
Ingredients:
1 jar (16 oz) Alfredo sauce
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
2 cups cooked broccoli, chopped
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup shredded parmesan
21 jumbo pasta shells, cooked
Directions: Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix alfredo, chicken, broccoli, and cheeses. Spoon mixture
into pasta shells. Grease 13 x 9 baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
Evenly spread spaghetti sauce on bottom of baking dish. Arrange shells in
baking pan. Cover with foil and bake 35 minutes until heated thru.

Practice Events
and Raes Photos
When you attend one of the
Burleson Orthodontics &
Pediatric Dentistry patient
appreciation events, you
might notice one of our
professional photographers
or news stations covering
the activities. If you want to
download one of the photos
from our events, simply visit
our Facebook page at
www.Facebook.com/
BurlesonOrthodotics and be
sure to tag yourself in our
photos for a chance to win
more fun prizes!

PATIENT OF THE MONTH

Spectacular Smiles Amazing Patients!

Bryce Argo Brylee is a patient of Burleson Orthodontics who is talented
and gives back to her community. She plays many sports including basketball
and volleyball. Brylee has been playing basketball since Kindergarten and
volleyball since 3rd grade. She also plays for the Amateur Athletic Union
team The Magic. She recently competed at a Texas tournament where her
team placed third overall. They competed in a national tournament recently
where they placed seventh out of over 100 teams.
Brylees awards include a Hot Shot award at Drury summer camp, a free
throw award, and a camper of the week award among others. Brylees favorite
school subject is math. After high school, Brylee plans to become a physical
therapist. Thank you Brylee for being such a great patient!

Do You Know Someone Accomplishing Amazing Things?

Send Your Story to the Burleson Orthodontics Newsletter at: smile@burlesonortho.com or visit our website at BurlesonOrtho.com
and click on Providers That Care to see what local charities and non-profit organizations are looking for volunteers in the Kansas
City area. When you choose Burleson youre choosing an oce that makes a dierence in our community.
SMILEHEALTH

Your Pediatric Dental Specialists in Kansas City

Are you looking for a pediatric dental specialist for your family? The specialists at Burleson Orthodontics
& Pediatric Dentistry are trained to help your child feel at ease during dental appointments. With more
early morning and after-school appointments than any other dental office in Kansas City, our time is not
more important than your time. Guaranteed.

(816) 929-6916

www.BurlesonOrtho.com