Stay Safe on the 4th

From Safekids.org

Fourth of July is right around the corner and this means flags waving and fireworks blazing the sky, with all the excitement surrounding this holiday it's important to keep you and your family safe. Here are a few tips:

Leave Fireworks to the Professionals

• The best way to protect your family is to not use any fireworks at home. Instead, attend public fireworks displays and leave the lighting to the professionals.
• If you plan to use fireworks, make sure they are legal in your area.

Be Extra Careful With Sparklers

• Little arms are too short to hold sparklers, which can heat up to 1,200 degrees. How about this? Let your young children use glow sticks instead. They can be just as fun but they don’t burn at a temperature hot enough to melt glass.
• Closely supervise children around fireworks at all times.

Take Necessary Precautions

• Do not wear loose clothing while using fireworks.
• Never light fireworks indoors or near dry grass.
• Point fireworks away from homes, and keep away from brush, leaves and flammable substances

Be Prepared for an Accident or Injury

• Stand several feet away from lit fireworks. If a device does not go off, do not stand over it to investigate it. Put it out with water and dispose of it.
• Always have a bucket of water and/or a fire extinguisher nearby. Know how to operate the fire extinguisher properly.
• If a child is injured by fireworks, immediately go to a doctor or hospital. If an eye injury occurs, don't allow your child to touch or rub it, as this may cause even more damage.

Have fun this weekend and remember to share these tips with the entire family. Share your fun with us by posting your photos on our Facebook page and we'll be sure to share.

Summer Time is The Perfect Time to Visit Dr. Wilmot

You know what's the best way to start your summer vacation, by visiting the orthodontist. Yes, you read that right we did say visiting the orthodontist. Your child probably has a lot of extra free time being on summer break so why not spend some perfecting their smile.

Just the Facts: According to surveys taken by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry
9 out of 10 
Americans agree that an attractive smile is an important social asset.
3 out of 4 
Americans agree that an unattractive smile can hurt a person's chances for career success.
1 out of 2 
Americans are satisfied with their smile.

Healthy teeth do more than provide your child with an opportunity to show off their smile. Healthy teeth enable your child to be more confident, allow for easier social development and help to promote over-all good health.

Most orthodontic problems are inherited, and therefore cannot be prevented. However, early diagnosis and treatment by Dr. Wilmot can often guide facial development and tooth eruption, and thereby prevent more serious problems from occurring. While your child’s teeth may appear to be straight, there could be a problem that only an orthodontist can detect.

The upcoming school year is like a clean slate just waiting to be filled with good memories and opportunities for growth and adventure. So embrace the summer months and give your child a happy, healthy smile! To schedule an appointment this summer just contact us today.

Mythbusters: Orthodontics Edition

There are many  myths about orthodontics, some of which have become so commonplace that they are now believed to be legitimate. Well guess what? Even if you know the guy who has the cousin who has the friend that the story happened to, it's a myth.

Here's the truth are some very common myths. 

Myth: Only children and teens need to visit an orthodontist. 


Legit: Braces are not just for kids. More and more adults today are seeking the benefits of a beautiful, healthy smile.

Myth: Braces are just for cosmetic purposes and aren’t necessary for your overall dental health.
Legit: While braces can definitely help you get that beautiful smile, they aren’t just for cosmetic improvement. Well aligned teeth can facilitate good oral hygiene making it easier to prevent tooth
decay and gum disease. In addition, resolving certain orthodontic problems with the use of braces can improve your ability to speak, chew, and even breathe.

Myth: Braces interfere with radio signals and electronic devices.
Legit: In theory any metal can act as an antenna, but braces are really bad ones. Radio signals are modulated electro-magnetic waves transmitted through the air. In order for these transmitted signals to travel well in air, they must be sent at high-frequencies. This is achieved through modulation. Even if someone's tooth could receive these frequencies, it would have to be decoded to actually hear real messages.

Myth: Wearing braces will increase your chances of being struck by lightning?
Legit: The chances of a person getting struck by are the same, with or without braces. In the U.S. in any one year, the chance you will be struck by lighting is 1 in 700,000 no matter what you are wearing.

Myth: If there was a giant magnet overhead, anyone who is wearing braces would get stuck to it.
Legit: Braces are made of materials which are non-magnetic in nature. Therefore getting stuck to a giant magnet is highly unlikely...and really, where is this giant magnet anyways? 

Don't worry about orthodontic myths, because after all they are just myths. To get the facts about orthodontics visit your number one resource jjwilmot-ortho.com.