Friendly Orthodontics Tips and Guidance

Caramel apple suckers, taffy, milk duds. Halloween brings around so many treats that you know aren’t safe for your teeth or your braces, but you still want to enjoy some sweets this Halloween season! Taking care of your braces enables your treatment process to be smooth and may even lead to having them taken off more quickly. So what are you to do when the time for trick or treating comes around and you are faced with caring for your braces or indulging in your sweet tooth? Luckily, there are Halloween candy options that are still tasty and won’t go breaking your brackets!Safe Halloween Candy With BracesIt is okay to enjoy a sweet treat while wearing braces, but keep in mind [...]

A lost retainer can play a big role in whether your teeth remain straight or not. You probably wore your braces for at least a year and perhaps even longer. While the braces did the heavy lifting to get your teeth in their perfect positions, your retainer should be worn daily to keep your teeth in their intended positions. Retainers are responsible for keeping your teeth straight after your braces have been removed and if you go too long without yours, you might eventually notice that your teeth have shifted. So what are you to do if you find yourself without a trace of your retainer?Ways To Avoid Lost Retainers The best way to avoid losing your [...]

If you’re honest with yourself, you can probably remember many decisions you made as a child or a teenager that, if given the chance, you would do differently. As an adult, you are probably more responsible, more conscientious and more aware of how you are caring for yourself.  If your smile is something you are unhappy with, take comfort in knowing that it’s not too late for braces. In fact, you might be at the perfect age to care for your teeth responsibly and appreciate the outcome braces will provide!Treatment Options For AdultsIf you are considering getting braces as an adult, you might be hesitant to go to your job, travel, or meet new people with a mouth full of metal. [...]

Does this sound familiar? You’re often so tired that you can’t get through the day without dreaming of a mid-afternoon nap. You have ongoing respiratory illness and you’re fed up to find that yet again you wake up with a dry mouth. But perhaps the worst of it is that you’re tired of being woken up by your partner whacking you to stop snoring! So what do you do? You go to your phone and you start browsing…orthodontic treatment? Yep, you got that right!  Never before had it occurred to you that you have sleep apnea, let alone that it can be alleviated by orthodontic treatment. Read on to see whether orthodontic treatment could be the key to your [...]

So your little one isn’t quite so little anymore, and you are wondering whether it’s worth your time and money to visit an orthodontist, or whether you should wait until they are closer to middle school. The simple answer is that not only is it okay to go now, but also that your orthodontist (and your kid) will thank you for being hands-on when it comes to your child’s smile. Like so many things, proactivity is key to a successful orthodontic outcome, with as little amount of intervention as possible. We have gotten so used to regular checkups with a pediatrician and testing at various points in grade school. Orthodontics shouldn’t be any different. If you make plans to [...]

Congrats! You are well on your way to your new smile. Hopefully you are adjusting to the pressure your braces create. You might be wondering how you can take care of your braces and your mouth in the coming months to have the best results possible. Caring for your new braces may be intimidating, but we are here to provide advice and encouragement as you start on this new journey.  Look no further than these simple tasks to care for your braces and set you up for your brand new smile! Consistent Appointments One of the best things you can do while your braces are on is to show up faithfully to your scheduled appointments. [...]

The braces have come off and now you’re ready for the freedom and enjoyment your new smile brings! But have you considered the aftercare your smile requires? Retainers provide stability for the jaw and help your teeth to stay in place. One way to think through the purpose of a retainer is to think of them as a steady support, after your braces did the heavy lifting for the past year (or more)! Retainers can seem daunting if you dread having one more thing to add to your nightly routine, but rest assured, there are options and information available to help you decide what type of retainer will suit you best. Benefit of Retainers While [...]

As a parent, you are always looking to provide the best for your child. Children also don’t deal very well with constantly changing environments, and the same can be said about their dental care. It’s recommended to establish a “dental home” for your child by the time they are one year old. Having a long-term dentist keeps their treatment environment familiar and consistent. You are able to build a rapport for you and your child with your dentist. Your child will benefit from having a consistent environment for their dental care that helps to keep them calm and comfortable. What Is Pediatric Dentistry? So what is pediatric dentistry? Isn’t it just regular dentistry? Well, not quite. A pediatric dentist [...]

Some abnormalities in the jaw and its alignment require more than just typical orthodontic treatment. It’s not extremely common but orthognathic surgery, commonly referred to as corrective jaw surgery, is the last resort option that is available. Of course when it comes to any type of surgery, you’re going to have a lot of questions. Corrective jaw surgery is used to correct abnormalities and misalignments in the jaw and teeth. This surgery can even provide a slight difference to your facial appearance because of the new jaw position. While other orthodontic treatment aims at correcting misalignments in the jaw, orthognathic surgery is used in the most severe cases where other methods won’t work. Who Needs Orthognathic Surgery? [...]

When most people think about having braces, they think back to when they were kids. Most of the people you see with braces are kids, particularly around middle school age. But what if we told you that as an adult, it’s not too late? Adults can benefit from all kinds of orthodontics treatment, including braces. In fact, the American Association of Orthodontists estimates that about one in four orthodontic patients (25%) are actually adults. So if you’re an adult, don’t worry: it’s never too late to get your perfect smile! There Is No Age Limit Fun fact: there is technically no age limit for having braces. In fact, some orthodontists have reported their oldest patients [...]