Four Surprising Facts About Orthodontics

 

Surprising Facts about the Origins of Orthodontics

1.      Straighter Teeth Started in Egypt.

2.      Braces have been around for almost 300 years.

3.      Braces used to have a whole lot more metal.

§  Before the 1970’s, orthodontists hand anchor brackets to teeth by winding wires tightly around each individual tooth

4.      The first book about dentistry was written in 1840.

§  Chapin A. Harris published his first book; “The Dental Art”. It describes practices about soldering knobs on bands to assist tooth rotation as well as applying gold caps to molars to open the dental bite.

RETAINERS FOREVER

Retainers are for life....

Life after braces is a long road that we would love to keep your smile straight and perfect.

When are you finish with your with your retainers?  Well the only insurance that your teeth will be straight forever is to make sure you wear your retainer on a regular basis for as long as you'd like to keep them straight.  So the answer is NEVER!

Now don't let that news scare you too much....

We ask our patients to wear their retainers for the first month full time (24/7 except eating and brushing) 20-22 hrs a day.  Then after they have worn it for the first month we ask our patients to wear retainers 1/2 the time (12 hrs EX: 6pm-6am) and then nightly after that.  

Sometimes you forget to wear a retainer over the weekend and your retainer is very tight on Monday morning???

How Much Toothbrush Are You Using?

When brushing your teeth many people are using way too much...

For years on commercials we all see the toothpaste companies swirling on a large dollop of toothpaste filling the whole toothbrush bristles from end to end.  

We suggest using a pea size amount of paste so that not only you can see where you are brushing but also minty fresh breath.  It is more important to get all of the food and plaque off of all of the teeth and gums.  For patients that are having a hard time removing this we tell our patients to brush for one minute with just wet toothbrush so that you can easily rid the teeth of debris and then use a small pea sized amount to freshen breath and add a shield for the teeth to help keep them clean and healthy throughout the day.

Some toothpaste have a 12 hour "shield" to help protect the teeth from the sugars and acids we put on our teeth when eating and drinking. 

The ADA (American Dental Association) recommends  brushing twice a day, with a soft bristled toothbrush.  It should fit in your mouth easily so that you can make sure you can use all the proper angles to get all the debris  off of every tooth and gums.

They also recommend switching your brush 3-4 times a year so that the bristles don't fray or flatten.  

The ADA also states people should see a dentist or dental hygienist at least every 6 months for a regular dental cleaning and exam.

Halloween Candy Sweet Swap!!

SWEET SWAP TIME

HALLOWEEN SEASON MEANS it’s time for our Sweet Swap! Do your kids bring home more candy from trick-or-treating than you want them to eat? Do they only eat a few of their favorite pieces and leave the rest to go stale? Whatever the reason for the excess candy stash at your house, we’re giving you a way to trade it for something that doesn’t cause tooth decay! 

Don’t Let Candy Turn Into Cavities!

The health of your children’s teeth is always one of our top priorities, and that’s even truer around Halloween. This is why we’re hosting an event to help your family get something out of all that candy—besides sugar-highs, toothaches, and upset stomachs.

The event in question is our “Sweet Swap,” where we give your children a chance to swap out their extra candy for sweet prizes!

When Is Our Sweet Swap?

 

Start turning in your extra candy today until November 16th!

Trunk or Treats have already begun so you are able to get that unwanted candy out of your house as soon as possible!

 

How Does Our Sweet Swap Work?

Bring your candy in and we will give  our patients points on the computer (Century Points) which will add to the total points they are collecting. Not only will our patients be rewarded for trading in your sweets, but you can be entered for sharing fun pictures on social media as well!

Participating Is Easy!

Step 1: Take a picture with a fun social sign to show you’ll be swapping your extra sweets for fun prizes.
Step 2: Post the photo to Facebook, and tag our practice location.
Step 3: Receive a raffle entry to win a prize!

We Hope You’ll Bring Your Friends Too!

Our Sweet Swap is not exclusive to our patients! If you have any friends, family, neighbors, or coworkers you think might be looking to get rid of extra Halloween candy too, invite them to attend and join in all the fun!

Check out our Facebook page for more Sweet Swap information and updates!

 

 

The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

 

 

2015 Staff Photos

Century 2015 Staff Photos

Getting Braces Off! -TIME LAPSE

Sydney gets her braces off!!

How Much Do You Wear Your Rubberbands???

Everyday our patients come in, we ask, "How are your rubberbands doing?"  "Great"our patients respond.

If we ask, so how much are you wearing your elastics? Then we start getting some crazy answers that we aren't always sure how much that actually is.

It is really hard to get a straight answer.  This is how we judge the amount of time our patients are wearing them.

When patients say they are "trying" to wear them, Dr. Waxler response with a phrase from Yoda, "there is no try, there is do and not do"

The best way to figure out how much time they are wearing them is to ask when do they take the elastics out. That's the best way so far.

Century Orthodontics Wildwood

Century Orthodontics Interviews

Staff Photos 2015

Here are the Beginning to our Century Staff Photo shoot we are missing a few staff members but that's ok they had other fun things going on today.  Shannon had her baby April 30th. Vicky is on Vacation so we will just have to take pictures of them when they get back!  I included photos of the 3 new babies that made it into the world this year from our office! 

Angi, Heather, and Shannon all had babies in 2015!

Angi

Heather

Jane

Kimberly

Michelle

Sandy

Tara 

Teri

Xavier

Preston

Zoey



Faster Treatment with Propel Orthodontics

What is Propel?

Propel is a micro-invasive treatment that uses mirco-osteoperforations to stimulate the bone to remodel faster therefore "Excellerate" your tooth movement.

What does Propel do?

Propel is a way to have straight teeth faster.  This process straightens teeth in almost half the time it would normally take to treat any patient. This product excellerates treatment and allows picture-perfect selfies delivered ahead of schedule.

Did you know?

74% of adults have incorrect bites or crooked teeth.  It makes it hard to difficult to remove plaque and food debris from teeth. 

If left untreated, there is an increased risk for tooth decay. 

Micro-Osteoperforation with Propel is:

• Clinically proven safe and effective
• Doctor-performed in just a few minutes during your regularly scheduled office visit
• Used with any form of tooth movement

Benefits:

• Faster results without inconvenience.
• Can be used with any from of tooth movement.
• Procedure is done at regular office visit
• Saves time with fewer visits
• Not surgery and no recovery time

What is an Expander?

What is an Expander?

Expanders are used for certain conditions when the upper jaw or palate is narrow. Expandtion can be done before adulthood, the palate is actually two seprate bones connected down the middle by a non-bony suture.

Fixed Rapid Palatal Expander

Advantages of this technique include more room to align the teeth, a broader more esthetic smile, a more stable final result and sometimes even easier to breathing through your nose!
Relatively heavy forces applied quickly (to minimize orthodontic tooth movement) will cause the two palatal bones to separate.  After a period of time new bone fills in and preserves the increased width of upper jaw.

A typical expansion procedure involoves activation of the appliance once a day for about 3-4 weeks.  This is followed by 3-4 months of stabilization before the appliance is removed.

For most patients it is the size and bulkiness of the expander that make it the most uncomfortable. Soreness of teeth can be expected and, as the appliance expands the mid facial bones, some discomfort under the eyes and around the nose may occur.  A large space can be expected to open between the front, center teeth.  This is because one tooth goes with the right side the other goes with the left side, each is a seprate bone.  This movement stretches the gum tissue between the incisors; and over a period of a few months they will be pulled back together.  Fixed (glued in) appliances are almost always necessary to acheive an ideal alignment.

When expanding:

If you experience a GREAT deal of pain activating the appliance, you are unable to turn the screw, or if the appliance becomes loose we ask our patients to call our office and make an appointment IMMEDIATLEY!

If you are unable to make the observation appointment during the expansion phase DO NOT continue to expand past your appointment date.

The most important part: Might not be fun, but it is FAST!

Do you recycle braces?

Do you recycle braces?

 

Patients sometimes ask this question when they are getting ready to get their braces on.  The answer is NO.  When would NEVER put your braces/appliances on someone else.  Braces and appliances are unique to each patient and would not work on another patient.  The other reason we Never recycle braces and appliances is because it is unsanitary and we wouldn't want someone elses braces and neither would you.

 

We don't, however, throw them away.  We reuse them in the form of a mini sclupture that we give to our patients so they have a souveiner of their orthodontic experience.

Souveiner Appliance

Am I Too Old?

Am I too old for braces?

Our adult Patients ask this all the time. 
You are never too old to have a beautiful smile.  Teeth will move at any age.
(This is why we suggest all patients wear a removable retainer at night for the rest of their lives)

Patients think that coming to the orthodontist is something that is for teens only, but this just isn't the case.  We treat patients from all ages 3-85+.  Our oldest patients was 85 and drove a red mustang so you are only as old as you feel. 

We think that everyone should have the opportunity to have a pretty smile.  Patients may have had straight teeth all their lives may have movements or crowding in their adult years.  So if you are an adult don't feel bad you are not alone.

The rest of our bodies are always changing what makes are teeth different? NOTHING!

The leaps in technology allow our adult patients options that were not available 20 years ago.  Orthodontist can now offer you straight teeth without anyone knowing you are straightening your teeth.  There are now products on the market that allow doctors to straighten teeth using nearly invisible brackets and or clear plastic aligners.  These tools attract our adult patients because they won't have to show off a silver smile while the work is being done.

Clear braces and Invisalign give confidence to patients that could not have orthodontic treatment when they were young.

A smile is the best thing you can put on in the morning so wouldn't you like to show it off??
Make a call to the Orthodontist today if you are thinking about making your smile straight.

When should I see an Orthodontist?

What age should you first see an orthodontist?

The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) recommends that children have an orthodontic check up before the age of 7.

The reason for this examination are to check the position of molars when they first erupt.  At this time the orthodontist can evaluate the position of the molars and the relationship of the biting surfaces.  This allows the doctor to discover any functional shifts or cross-bite as well.

At this time incisors (front teeth) have begun to erupt and problems can be detected such as crowding, biting issues, habits with tongue or fingers and also any jaw problems.

For some patients this allows the doctor to start early treatment. This early treatment can be beneficial when the patient is growing and significantly reduce later treatment time.

Resources:

www.braces.org

#CenturyORTHO @Centuryortho

Twitter & Instagram Leading the Way

For Social Media

 

Twitter and Instagram are the leading way people are getting their names across in Social media.  When our patients tweet: "Heading to @centuryortho to get my braces checked"  This helps us get our name out there.  Everytime a patient Tags a photo or #Centurysmiles (hashtags) we are putting our name out there not just for our city to see but for the whole world to see.  It allows our name to get out into the world of the internet.

 

This helps us get our name on the first page in a google search for Orthodontists in Ballwin.  It helps us provide an easy way to help our patients find us.

 

Hashtags help us keep in the loop it helps our name go viral.  If you love #CenturyOrthodontics and want to help us out, Hashtag, that our name and post a picture.

Thanks for your support!

Remember everytime you #Centuryortho or Tag @Centuryortho you are helping us!



#Centuryorthodontics

 

 

Outdoor grooming

Thursday was a unique day,  our doctors were out of town spending time with their families.  The assistants had time to work on cleaning the office and taking time to restock and do any upkeep the office may need.  While some of us worked inside, the rest of us worked outdoors.  We decided to paint the picnic tables to bring it back to life.  The table went from brown and boring to full of life.

This will help our staff enjoy the outdoors when they are on lunch or on breaks.  The colors are so full of life.

Why does it matter if my bite is off?

Why does it matter if my bite is off?  My teeth are straight isn't that enough?

The way that your teeth fit together and bite down on one in other is very important to keeping your teeth straight and keeping the aesthetics of your teeth.

Many people think that braces only straighten teeth.  Orthodontists not only straighten your teeth but they correct your bite and can help change your profile and facial structure. They help adjust the teeth so that your teeth are in the most perfect position  for chewing, speaking, make it easier to keep your teeth clean and also to allow you to smile your best smile.  

What do they mean my bite?


The orthodontist evaluate the bite by looking at the placement between the upper and lower teeth when you open and close your mouth naturally.  What this allows him to diagnose what treatment will be best for your teeth.

If your bite is corrected it allows all of your teeth to be in the most stable position as possible.  It is important for patients to have their bite corrected as well to help keep the teeth straight.

Teeth are supposed to fit together like a zipper.  As they become straight, they don't always fit together this way.  It takes rubber bands, appliances and cooperation to adjust the bite.  When moving teeth cooperation is the key to keeping your perfect bite the way that it is supposed to be. 

What happens if I'm doing everything right and it still isn't changing?

Bite problems can be some of the most hard to change.  Patients are responsible for most of the changes that happen to the bite.  Some of these problems the patient has control of some of them are unconscious problems like tongue or lip habits.

If these problem bites are taking too long to fix, and the patient is or isn't cooperating, sometimes a patient will settle for what we call a "Hollywood Smile," which is Straight teeth with a not so perfect bite.  Patients who settle for this type of bite we encourage them to wear a retainer nightly for as long as they would like to keep their teeth straight.  These bites just aren't as stable. 

What will I need after I get my Braces?

Care Package

              Patients who are receiving braces or orthodontic appliances for the first time are going through a lot of uneasy feelings. 

They are thinking:  Is this going to HURT tonight?
                               What am I going to LOOK like?
                               Will I TALK funny?
                               What am I going to EAT?
                               Do I have to wear a MOUTHGAURD?

To ease your transition into the whole orthodontic experience,  we tell our patients that it will be a little achey, or tight like a new pair or jeans, but to take Ibuprofen.  We tell them to improve their speech to read a book out loud or sing in the car ride home.  Soft foods are the best for the first few days and Milkshakes and smoothies are GREAT, and mouth guards are a must when it comes to Sports.


Here are  a few things that will help you on your journey to straight teeth:

• Ibuprofen
• Books or Magazines- to read out loud and keep their minds off the appliances in their mouth
• Smoothie King Gift Card
• Jump Rope- To keep their mind off of their teeth hurting
• Sugar-less Gum- For our braces patients that can not take medication to ease the pain
• Favorite soft foods
• Chap stick, Lip gloss or ESO - To prevent dry chapped lips
• Wax- for if you get bumped in the mouth or get a sore from the braces rubbing

These will make your loved one feel so much better and comfort them in their time of need.  Remind them to Smile it makes the whole process go faster!

Invisalign Teen

                                                                   Invisalign Teen
What is Invisalign Teen?

Invisalign has a product that helps cater to our teens and young adults.  It is designed just like Invisalign but has some extra features that appeal to teens and their parents.

Teens love that they do not have to have metal braces on their teeth.

Parents love that typically they can be the same price as traditional braces and they have a happy teenager.

Patients love that they can keep their teeth clean and healthy.

Everyone loves that they can smile without metal.

Patients love that they can Eat whatever they want and still straighten their teeth.