Mouth Guards for Sports
It’s that time of year again, back to school means back to sports! The American Dental Association projects that one third of all dental injuries are sports related. A mouth guard is a soft plastic or laminate device used in sports to prevent injuries to the teeth, mouth, cheeks, tongue and jaw. Mouth guards are […]
Bite Plate
Bite plates are removable appliances designed to separate upper and lower jaws to open deep bites or allow movement of teeth in cross bites. Speech may be affected when you first get your bite plate. Try reading aloud with the bite plate to train your tongue to work with the appliance. For optimal results, the […]
Herbst Appliance
The Herbst appliance is used to treat a severe overbite in a growing child. It brings the lower jaw forward into its proper alignment with the upper jaw and improves the patients profile as well. The device is attached to the back molars on both sides of the upper and lower jaws and looks like […]
Orthodontic Appliances – Nance
Over the next couple of weeks we will be talking about different kinds of orthodontic appliances and why they are sometimes necessary in your treatment. A Nance is a fixed appliance that is temporarily cemented onto the top molars. It is used to keep the upper molars from moving forward. The Nance will usually stay […]
Gummy Smile
When some people smile, they may show an excessive amount of gum tissue. This is called a gummy smile and may be due to a few different problems: Gum irritation and overgrowth from braces. This is more likely to happen if the teeth appear short before the braces are placed on the teeth. This problem […]
Missing Teeth
Missing teeth can be the result of congenital absence (the tooth fails to develop), trauma or dental extractions. This problem should be corrected because it can: Cause improper functioning of teeth Cause premature wear of teeth Cause asymmetric alignment of the teeth Make your smile less attractive How can missing teeth be orthodontically corrected? Depending […]
Impacted Teeth
An impacted tooth is one that has failed to erupt normally into the mouth and remains partially or totally covered by the gums and/or bone. Impactions can be caused by improper position of the developing tooth bud, premature loss of primary teeth and crowding. Wisdom teeth are the most commonly impacted teeth, but canines and […]
How Do Braces Work?
It almost seems like magic! You come in for an orthodontist appointment every 6-8 weeks, Dr. Miller makes adjustments to your brackets and wires, then poof! you have a straight smile! How in the world do braces work? Here are some different components of braces that you might already be familiar with: Bracket: a small […]
Oral Hygiene and Braces
If you thought brushing and flossing were important before you got braces, think about the added care that needs to be taken now that you have braces. People undergoing orthodontic treatment need to be even more dedicated to good oral hygiene. Braces trap food very easily and increase the surface areas for plaque to form […]
What is Invisalign Express?
Most people are familiar with the Invisalign system, an easy and nearly invisible way to straighten teeth. But did you know there is an Invisalign Express system for simple changes? If you have had braces in the past but things have moved or shifted slightly, you may be a candidate! If there are minor corrections […]
