Century Newsletter

  What is an underbite?         An underbite is a malocclusion where the lower teeth extend outward farther than the upper front teeth. This can create a bulldog-like appearance in the mouth and face. Some cases can be severe causing the lower teeth to extend far forward. Other cases are milder and almost unnoticeable.   What causes an underbite? ·          Thumb sucking. ·          Tongue thrust when swallowing. ·          Using a pacifier in children above age 3. ·          Genetics. ·          Injury. ·          Tumors. Why does an underbite need to be fixed?             Patients with milder cases may not have any o...

  What are HSA and FSA accounts? ·          Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Spending Account (FSA) are usually offered to you by your employer. These accounts allow you to set money aside for qualifying health care expenses. Can you use an HSA or FSA for treatment? ·          Yes, you can use your HSA or FSA for eligible orthodontic treatments for the portion not covered by your insurance company. Can I do monthly payments? ·          Yes! You can have the amount remaining portion split into monthly payments. Can I do autopay? ·          Of course! We can set up to have autopay taken out of your HSA or FSA. -LS n     Do you have Flex money you need to spend? Please make sure to let us know before the year ends and we will adjust your monthly payment.      Call today ...

Teeth can move at any age or anytime if you let them!!!  Unfortunately, the reality is that even after orthodontic treatment is complete, your teeth are still likely to move. Unless however, you are to wear a retention appliances for 6-12 hours nightly for as long as you'd like to keep them where they are. Why does this happen? There are a few ways to think about it:    ·          Changes in the mouth reset the balance   – Suppose you lose a tooth or have one extracted. Your other teeth are going to notice they have room to move and may drift over into the gap. Not all changes to your mouth are as dramatic as a lost tooth, but growth and age-related changes to your mouth will also change how your teeth relate to one another.  ·          Ligaments are not fixed   – The periodontal ligament is the name of the connector that attaches each tooth to a jawbone. Ligaments are ela...

  Cleaning   traditional retainers   is very easy.   When you are brushing your teeth, take your tooth brush and brush your retainer.   For a more “deep” clean you may use a denture cleaner or Retainer Brite.   This allows bubbles to clean particles away from your retainer.   Follow the instructions on the box.   If you have metal wires on your retainer, don’t leave your retainer in the cleaner for extended times because this can weaken the wires. Cleaning  Essix retainers  or  Invisalign  type retainers can be very easy also.   Clean your aligner prior to each insertion.   First use a liquid soap to make a lather in your hand and place the aligner in hand.   Then scrub aligner with hands.   For a more accurate clean you may use a cue tip.   We ask you to use a mild liquid soap. This liquid soap may be anti-bacterial if you wish.   Some patients prefer liquid soaps that are scented.   Do NOT u...

  What is an open bite? Usually when someone is referred to having an open bite it means that when they bite down their back teeth touch but not the front.  Open bites are a type of malocclusion (Bad-Bite), which means the teeth are don't meet properly when the jaws are closed.   What causes an open bite? Thumb sucking ; thumb sucking while your adult teeth grow in can cause your teeth grow forward and outward. Pacifier sucking ; just like thumb sucking, if the patient continues to suck on pacifiers as their adult teeth grow in can cause the front teeth to protrude outwards. Tongue thrust : when you swallow you push your tongue forward between your teeth. Skeletal problem : when your jaws grow apart instead of parallel.   Why does an open bite need to be fixed? Aesthetics : Patients may be unhappy with the appearance of their teeth when they smile. Speech: Patients that have an open bite may speak with a lisp and have a hard time with pronunc...

  Are you wondering if your child needs braces or early treatment? It is a great idea to set up a consultation appointment with your orthodontist. Are you trying to figure out what age to set up an appointment for your child? The answer varies per child but the best age to have your child seen is 7. Most 7-year-olds have begun to grow some of their adult teeth. Does your child need to have all their adult teeth in before they are seen? No, most early treatment begins while they still have some of their baby teeth.     The goal of early treatment is to intercept any developing problems, eliminate the cause, guide the growth of facial and jaw bones, and provide adequate space for incoming permanent teeth. A patient may require a second course of treatment after all permanent teeth have come in to move those teeth into their best positions.               Early intervention of braces or other orthodontic ...

    Congratulations on the addition to your family! This is an exciting time for you and your new bundle of joy. Though, there can be some downsides; feet swelling, heart burn, cavities, and teeth shift. Now do not panic. This blog may not help with the feet welling or heart burn, though we can help and explain about your teeth changes.                  You have probably noticed that your hormones are changing, from the moment you find out that you are expecting to after you have delivered your little angel. These changes increase the acidity in your mouth, leading to increased cavities. With the changes in your hormones, it can affect your sugar intake due to new cravings and decrease the attention to prevention to your dental care.                  Once you are in your second and third trimester your body’s inflammato...

  Are you worried that your braces are going to ruin your Halloween? What if I told you that that is simply not true and that you can still have a ghoulishly good time? There are some candies that you will want to trade with your friends or family because you need to avoid them, but you can swap those for ones that are safe for braces.   Candies to avoid : ·         Caramels ·         Taffy ·         Hard candy ·         Chewy candy ·         Jellybeans ·         Suckers ·         Sour candy ·         Caramel Popcorn ·         Nuts Candies that you can eat: Softer, melt-in-your-mouth candies tend to be less risky when it comes to ke...

  1.  Straighter teeth s tarted in Egypt. 2. Traditional braces have been around for almost 300 years. 3. Braces used to have a whole lot more metal. They were custom to each person and wrapped around the entire tooth.  They were then cemented in the mouth.           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.