Our Blog
Ask Dr. DeCambre: “When should my child visit for an orthodontic consultation?”
April 16th, 2012
Great question! Braces were originally considered to be best appropriate for teens. But these days, kids as old as seven are beginning their orthodontic treatment. Because preadolescent kids are typically not self-conscious, our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists suggest it could be a good idea to start early.
Experts, however, say it depends on the treatment required. Some children who get braces at an early age end up in a second phase of treatment, and end up having braces well into their teenage years despite starting young.
Most orthodontic treatment begins between ages nine and 14, and the folks at AAO estimate most orthodontic treatment lasts from one to three years, with two years being the average. It’s important, however, that children be screened no later than age seven for us to assess what the best age for treatment is.
We hope this helps! Please give us a call if you have any questions about your child’s treatment!
What’s going on at Dr. DeCambre’s office?
April 9th, 2012
We hope you’re all off to a great week! We just finished our “Count the Coins” contest for St. Patrick’s day. Our patients were given the chance to guess how many magic golden coins were in our jar at the front desk to win the whole jar of chocolate coins. Our winner was Craig K., who guessed 86. There were 90 coins in the jar. above is a photo of our treatment coordinator LaTasha R. holding our chocolate coin jar from the contest.
We also recently held our Easter contest, where patients had a chance to guess how many chocolate eggs are in the giant egg or guess the closest amount to win the giant egg and all the chocolate eggs inside. The drawing was held on April 2, and we will announce the winner soon!
For both mother’s and father’s day, we will be having our younger patients fill out colorful post cards writing something special they would like to say about their mother and for father’s day, their father. We will then be decorating our office bulliten board with the cards for display.
We will also be handing out roses to our mothers for mother’s day!
April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month
April 2nd, 2012
Visiting your dentist during your orthodontic treatment will not only help keep your teeth and mouth healthy while you have braces, but will also help keep the rest of your body healthy. The fact is, every hour of every day in the U.S., someone dies of oral cancer, which is the sixth-most common diagnosed form of the disease. The five-year survival rate is only 50 percent, and oral cancer is one of the few cancers whose survival rate has not improved. Since April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month, we would like to take this opportunity to remind all of our patients about the importance of maintaining good oral hygiene while you’re undergoing orthodontic treatment.
Your dentist is specifically trained to diagnose, treat, and prevent oral health problems. Please let us now if you have any questions about your oral health during your next adjustment appointment. Take care of your teeth!
Why Teeth Become Crooked, from Dr. DeCambre
March 26th, 2012
What we can we do to straighten them!
After practicing Orthodontics for the past nine years I still enjoy the excitement of trying to determine why patients’ teeth are not straight. It’s like fitting pieces of a puzzle together!
Reasons for Crooked Teeth
• Genetics – what we inherit from our parents and grandparents
• Habits such as finger sucking, tongue sucking, tongue thrusting and mouth breathing
• Periodontal or Gum Disease, which undermine the support for teeth rendering them mobile and less than stable
• Accidents that affect either the teeth, jaws or both
Treatment Options
• Appliances such as expanders to gain space for our younger patients
• Appliances to help to curtail habits mentioned above
• Traditional braces to straighten teeth
• Invisalign™ (clear removable aligners) to straighten teeth in teens and adults
• Periodontal treatment and regular cleanings to ensure the stability and health of the bones in which the teeth reside
Maintenance of Straight teeth
Once orthodontic treatment is complete (traditional braces or Invisalign™), it is extremely important that retainers be worn daily for as long as you would like to keep your teeth nice and straight.
Remember that Orthodontic treatment is an investment of both time and money. The only way to secure that investment and ensure straight and beautiful teeth for a lifetime is to wear your retainers!
Here’s to you and your beautiful smile!
Dr. D.
