Align First, Then Check the Bite

Following  this simple rule has prevented jaw surgery for many of our patients! Often, the upper front teeth are poorly positioned so that the lower jaw has to move away from it’s proper position in order to find closure. Usually in this type of situation, the lower jaw will posture forward and often to the side. When this occurs, the patients face appears asymmetrical and / or the lower jaw looks over-sized. Over the years dozens of patients have been misdiagnosed elsewhere and came to us for a second opinion- and they were spared from radical treatment. Both of these patients were informed that they needed to have jaw surgery-they sought our opinion to avoid surgery.

Patient Appreciation Party Rescheduled

We are sorry to say that we have to CANCEL our patient appreciation party this Saturday, May 6th due to the unfortunate weather. Saturday’s forecast looks like it will be raining all day long and to make the best of the party, we have decided to move the the party to another date. Rain Date: Saturday, June 24th    12pm – 4pm If you already received your T-Time, please keep that time for June 24th. If you need to cancel your reservation, please contact the office at . If you can make the June 24th date and would like to join the party, please call the office to sign. up. We are very sorry that we have to cancel this event but we want to make sure that all of our patients get the best patient appreciation party that they deserve. We plan on having a day filled with mini-golf, music,…

How to brush your teeth with Braces

Get started. Remove elastics, bands, or removable parts of orthodontic appliances. Clean your braces. Carefully clean around wires and pins. Brush each wire. Move top to bottom, and all the way around upper and lower teeth. Brush your teeth. … Floss once a day. … Rinse, and then check your teeth. Final step — rinse your teeth with phos-flur for one minute. Our office asks that each patient uses the fluoride rinse Phos-flur. For more information about Phos-flur visit our past blog. *If you would like a diagram like the one shown to keep in your child’s bathroom as a brushing guide, please ask at your next appointment. They are available in both the Collegeville and Gilbertsville office locations. 

What is a Decalcification and Could you be Susceptible?

You may not realize it, but consuming carbonated beverages, fruit juice, and highly acidic foods every day can be harmful to your teeth!  Acidic foods and drinks can create an oral acid imbalance, which over time can cause your teeth can lose minerals and strength.  The acid in the foods we eat and drink pull the minerals, calcium and phosphate from tooth structure.  The loss of calcium and phosphate from your teeth is called decalcification.  The consumption of highly acidic food and drinks in combination with the accumulation of plaque (a sticky, colorless film of bacteria) on the teeth can make a person highly susceptible to decalcifications.  Sometimes referred to as white spot lesions, decalcifications have a chalky-white appearance and can cause sensitivity as well as make teeth more prone to tooth decay. How to Prevent Decalcifications? Practice good oral hygiene by brushing at least 2 x per day and…

NEW TO BRACES? Here’s a list of foods you should avoid!

Sticky candy (caramel, sugar bubble gum, laffy taffy, etc) Beef jerky / slim Jims Raw vegetables such as carrots should be broken into tiny bite size pieces Hard pizza crust Nuts Hard pretzels Hard rolls (bagels should be broken down into tiny pieces) POPCORN Ribs & Wings (meat should be taken off the bone with either a fork or your fingers) Ice Doritos, tacos, hard chips (ok in small amounts but broken down into tiny pieces) Eating the above foods or any like foods will break and loosen both wires and brackets. Broken appliances result in longer treatment time! REMEMBER that we give extra points to patients for not having anything loose or broken when they come in for their regular scheduled appointments.  If you have any questions about a particular food, feel free to call the office or ask us a question on our Facebook page. We also have…