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Getting your braces off is exciting. You’ve been working on your new smile for months or years, and it’s time for the trips to our Lansing office to pay off. Can you imagine how bad it would be to discover that your teeth are straight, but that there’s decay?

Caring for your smile while wearing Invisalign goes beyond just waiting for your teeth to get straighter. It involves cleaning your teeth regularly and thoroughly to prevent tooth decay. That way, your smile will be more beautiful than ever when you’re done with your Invisalign treatment.

Take Your Trays Out

The first difference you may notice between Invisalign and traditional metal braces is that Invisalign aligners are invisible, but there’s another important distinction as well. Invisalign braces are removable. You can take the trays out, and you should. Remove the trays while you’re eating so you don’t get food stuck in them. Also, remove them while you’re cleaning your teeth so that you can have full access to all the nooks and crannies in your mouth.

Brush Normally

The guidelines for brushing your teeth with Invisalign don’t change compared to braces. Brush your teeth at least twice a day using a soft toothbrush and a fluoride toothpaste, being sure to get all surfaces of your teeth. If possible, brush after each meal.

If you can’t, be sure to drink some water and swish it around in your mouth when you’re done eating to get rid of the extra food on your teeth. Leaving carbohydrates, such as sugar and starch, on your teeth opens the door to tooth decay.

Floss and Wash

Flossing your teeth gets out the bits and pieces stuck between them. It’s a time-consuming task when you need to navigate the wires of traditional metal braces, but thanks to Invisalign’s removable design, flossing is no problem. Rinsing your mouth with a fluoride antibacterial mouthwash also helps clean your teeth because it gets into all of the spaces. Floss and rinse one or two times daily.

Cleaning Your Trays

Cleaning your Invisalign trays keeps them from getting riddled with bacteria, and it helps keep your teeth free from excess food. You can use the Invisalign cleaning system, which involves placing the trays in a tub with cleaning crystals. The plastic trays are clean after 15 minutes. You can also ask Dr. Laura Dyras and Dr. Michael Hutcheson for other ways to clean your trays.

Happy March from the team of Dyras Dental! It’s officially a whole year since life changed unexpectedly last March with the spread of Covid-19. On today’s blog, our team takes a look back on a year of the “New Normal” and the challenges the team faced in an unprecedented time.

It was on March 17th, 2020 when everything drastically changed and we had to close the office and go into quarantine. The hardest part was when we were finally able to re-open our office and had to start strategizing creative ways to schedule that would allow us to see more patients than we would normally in order to compensate for the two months we were closed. It was only because of our awesome team and their dedication to patient care that we were able to make it work! Through all the turbulence of the last year, we learned that we are stronger together and the only way to remain positive is by supporting each other through both the good times and the bad!

The health and safety of both our patients and staff are of the utmost priority! We have a new check-in process that includes Covid screening and temperature checks, the staff are wearing additional PPE, we have air purifiers in each of the rooms and high-velocity suction to help minimize aerosols created by certain procedures.

The parking lot is now the waiting room! Upon arrival, we ask that you remain in your vehicle and call the office to check-in. When we have the room ready, you will receive a call back to come inside. Everyone entering the practice must wear a face mask or suitable covering and will be met by a staff member to take your temperature and ask Covid screening questions.

While there are some high-risk patients that are still in quarantine, the majority of our patients are staying up to date with their dental care. We are focusing now, more than ever, on the link between oral health and overall health. At Dyras Dental, we care for the patient as a whole!

During such a strange time, it's important to practice self-care daily. This can be any combination of meditation, prayer, exercise, yoga, eating healthy foods, and checking in with friends and loved ones. Being "healthy" is more than just physical. It's a crucial combination of mind, body, and spirit.

We are all learning to navigate the "new normal" and trying to find ways to adapt to the challenges we now face. Don't be too hard on yourself, this is new for all of us. Any change is a chance for growth. The Dyras Dental team is here to support you in any way we can!

Millions of people, around Lansing and beyond, wear green on St. Patrick’s Day so they can show their spirit for the holiday and avoid getting pinched. While it may be easy for you to throw on a green shirt, sport a St. Patrick’s Day button, or wear a pair of emerald-hued shoes, if you’re an avid St. Patty’s Day enthusiast you may want to try something different this year. Dr. Laura Dyras and Dr. Michael Hutcheson thought of a few ideas that will help you take your holiday spirit to the next level:

Visit Chicago’s Green River

If you happen to be near the Windy City during St. Patrick’s Day or you’re thinking of planning a trip, don’t miss out on going downtown to watch the large-scale celebration that kicks off when the city dyes the river bright green. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago has been celebrating the holiday with this tradition for more than 50 years, with tens of thousands of people gathering annually to witness the mysterious dying process and the stunning result.

Don Green Face Paint

Just like an avid sports fan on game day, you can use green face paints to showcase your enthusiasm for this holiday. Avoid breakouts or allergic reactions by only using paints that are specifically meant to be applied to the skin. A little bit of face paint can cover a large area, so feel free to get creative and decorate the whole family on St. Patrick’s Day.

Eat Green All Day

Not a fan of green eggs and ham? With the increasing popularity of green smoothies, there’s no better time to get in on this health craze. To create a green smoothie without the aid of food coloring, you can simply blend a generous amount of a leafy green vegetable, such as spinach or kale, with the ingredients that you would typically use to make a smoothie, like fruit, ice, milk, or juice. Keep the trend going throughout the day by using those same vegetables to create a green soup, egg salad, or a batch of bright green pastries. As an added bonus, you’ll get a healthy dose of vitamins without changing the taste of most of these foods.

If your old holiday routine has gotten stale, leave your green T-shirt in the drawer and try one or all of these tips. Don’t be surprised if you have so much fun that you decide to start a new, annual St. Patrick’s Day tradition! Have a happy St. Paddy’s day from Dyras Dental!

There are so many adults and teens in our Lansing office who would love to have their teeth straightened but that are unwilling to go through the long and unsightly process of traditional metal braces. Well, that's where Invisalign® and Invisalign Teen® come to the rescue; the most advanced clear aligner systems in the world!

There are several reasons why, if you're considering getting braces, you should consider Invisalign too. Here are some of them:

• You can eat whatever food you'd like, without worrying about it getting caught in wires or breaking brackets.
• Most people won't even know you're wearing them!
• If you need to, you can remove your aligners at any time.
• The removable aligners let you brush and floss as you normally would, making for better overall oral health.
• Since they are made of a smooth BPA-free plastic, Invisalign aligners are simply more comfortable to wear than traditional braces. No metal means no more roughed up gums or irritated tongue!
• You'll need to visit our Lansing office less often — only once every six weeks or so.
• With Invisalign Teen, you’ll receive up to six replacements for lost or broken aligners.

Before you get started with treatment, you’ll have a consultation with Dr. Laura Dyras and Dr. Michael Hutcheson to see if Invisalign or Invisalign Teen is right for you. If your case is a good fit, then you’ll have X-rays, pictures, and impressions of your teeth taken. That information will be used to make the 3D models of your teeth that let Dr. Laura Dyras and Dr. Michael Hutcheson see how they will move throughout the entire treatment and approximately how long it will take.

After that, you’ll receive your aligners based on the treatment plan we recommend. You’ll get a new set of aligners every two weeks. Then all you need to do is wear your aligners 22 hours a day and you’ll be on your way to a straighter healthier smile. Don’t hesitate to a member of our Lansing team for more information about Invisalign!