Cleft Palate Lecture Series with Dr. Flinn

May 27th, 2014

It was Dr. Wanda Flinn’s distinct pleasure to lecture to the Howard University orthodontic residents in January and February of this year, and to local Rockville and Olney dentists this past March about the team treatment of cleft lip and palate. She spoke on topics ranging from the specifics of orthodontic management for cleft patients to the importance of treating these patients with an experienced team of specialists to ensure that all issues are properly addressed (dental anomalies, facial cosmetics, hearing issues, psychological consequences, financial concerns, etc.).

Children who are born with clefts have always touched Dr. Flinn’s heart in a special way, ever since she became acquainted with the condition in dental school. She even decided to do her master’s thesis on cleft palate treatment in her orthodontic residency, and the research took her oversees for data gathering. The findings were eventually published in the Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal which is distributed internationally.

The director of the Lancaster Cleft Palate Clinic, located in Lancaster, PA, invited Dr. Flinn to join his prestigious team in 2003, and she’s been going there monthly ever since. Dr. Flinn describes this opportunity as a “reality check.” She explains, “Whenever I complain about something going on in my life, I think about everything these kids have to go through from the day they’re born, and it puts my rather insignificant problems into perspective.”

Want to find out more about what you can do to help kids with clefts of the lip &/or palate? Just ask a member of our team. We’ll be doing a fundraiser soon and would love your help!

#NameThatSmile with Burk & Flinn Orthodontics!

May 14th, 2014

Can you feel that? It's the feeling of summer approaching so quickly! To celebrate winter being over and sunshine being a regular thing in all our lives, we're starting a #NameThatSmile contest!

To enter, draw a line matching the smiles to their celebrity owners at your next appointment. When you submit your entry form to us before July 7th, you'll be entered to win 4 tickets to Six Flags OR a family pack to the Adventure Park at Sandy Spring Friends School.

Want a SECOND chance to win either of those great prizes? Post a picture of your awesome smile on Instagram or Facebook and tag us, using the hashtag #BurkFlinnOrtho

We''ll be announcing the winner after July 7th, so good luck to everyone who enters!

Follow us on Instagram!

November 11th, 2013

Drs. Flinn and Burk and our team are pleased to announce we are now on Instagram, a social media service for sharing photos and short videos. Want to take a deeper look into the life of our office on a day-to-day basis? Follow us on Instagram at @BURK_AND_FLINN_ORTHODONTICS for the latest and greatest from our office!

Don’t have an Instagram account? It’s really easy!

  • Download the Instagram app in the App Store for your iPhone/iPad, or in Google Play for an Android device
  • Once the app is installed, tap the Instagram icon to open it
  • Tap “Register”
  • Create a username and password and fill out your profile info (ex: email, name)
  • Tap “Done”

Follow @BURK_AND_FLINN_ORTHODONTICS to see our selection of photos from the office and in the community.

Feel free to tag your photos @BURK_AND_FLINN_ORTHODONTICS and #BurkFlinnOrtho on Instagram

Enjoy and snap away!

What can I eat with braces this Halloween?

October 29th, 2013

Trick-or-treat! In the spirit of the sweet and spooky holiday, Drs. Saul Burk and Wanda Flinn, and our team at Burk & Flinn Orthodontics would like to remind all our patients to be careful when they bite into their treats this month! All those sweet, sour, and sticky candies may taste great, but these treats are known to damage teeth, as well as break braces, as well as delay precious treatment time!

Hard candies, chewy candies, caramels, taffy, nutty goodies, jelly beans, licorice, bubble gum, suckers, and sour candies are some of the foods that can cause havoc for trick-or-treaters who are undergoing orthodontic treatment. Sour and fruity candies, such as Starburst and Skittles, are the worst for your child’s teeth since these candies have a low pH value, which can wear down the enamel that protects them. This can cause tooth decay and cavities!

So, what are the alternatives?

Candy such as dark chocolate, sugar-free gum, or anything that contains the sugar substitute xylitol is not as harmful for your teeth as hard, chewy, or sticky sweets. Experts at the American Association of Orthodontists recommend softer treats or melt-in-your-mouth foods. These include:

  • Soft chocolate
  • Peanut butter cups
  • Gelatin treats
  • Ice cream
  • Smoothies
  • Root beer floats
  • Apple cider

If you’re still looking for other braces-friendly alternatives, we recommend cutting up easy-to-eat fruits and vegetables such as an apple or banana. You would also be surprised how much eating a banana or sipping on a glass of water helps you curb snack cravings!

We understand trick-or-treating is a time-honored tradition, and if you’re one of those folks who just can’t stay away from Halloween sweets, we encourage you to brush and floss between teeth immediately afterward, including around brackets and at the gum line, as well as swish water in your mouth.

While sugar is known to sit in your child’s teeth and in between and under brackets and wires after consumption, it is important to know that sugar is not the only cavity-causing culprit. Carbohydrates, starches, acids, and any food that is chewy or sticks break down into sugar, and can promote tooth decay.

If you happen to damage your braces, please give our team at Burk & Flinn Orthodontics a call as soon as possible at our convenient Rockville or Olney, MD offices. Typically, small problems can be solved with a quick visit to our office. If you have any questions about sugary foods or drinks, please give us a call or ask us during your next adjustment visit!

Are You Joining Us for a Movie Party?

October 1st, 2013

One of our favorite things to do on blustery fall days is go out and see a movie! We're excited to invite our patients for a trip with our office to watch "The Greatest Turkey Movie Of All Time," Free Birds!

Stop by either of our office locations to pick up your free tickets - you can pick up one for YOU and one for a FRIEND (or family member)! To make the day even more fun, we'll be giving away some special prizes too, just make sure you come to the theater 20 minutes early to participate!

We look forward to seeing you at the Greatest Turkey Movie of All Time! Please see the flyer above for more details.

Send us a "Smile on Location" Photo and You Could Win a $250 Visa Gift Card!

August 8th, 2013

Where in the world did you go this summer on vacation? Disney World? Europe? The Coast? To visit your Grandparents? Summer camp? We had a great summer, and we want to know how you spent your lazy, warm days in the sun!

Send us a picture to Maria@smilesmadebeautiful.com, post to Facebook, or bring us in a copy and you could win an awesome prize! Your back to school season would be a whole lot better with a $250 Visa Gift Card, and it could so easily end up in your wallet! So, send us your pictures from now through Sept. 23rd and you'll be eligible to win!

We can't wait to see how you spent your summer vacations, and take a look now to see what some of our other patients did this summer on our Facebook page!

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