Lock it Down

You’ve just gotten your taken braces off and your smile looks awesome! Now, if you want to keep that super straight, amazing smile you are going to need to make sure you wear your retainer.

We know you know this…the braces come of, the retainer goes on. But we can’t stress it enough. If you don’t wear your retainer as prescribed, your teeth are going to move out of alignment and back into their original, crooked places…just as if you never even had braces at all.

Here’s something you may not know… your teeth aren't set rigidly into your jawbone like you might think. They are held in place by bands of fibrous tissue called the periodontal ligaments. After your teeth have been moved into their ideal position by your braces and/or other orthodontic appliances, it takes time for the periodontal ligaments to adjust. When you’re not wearing your retainer, pressure from your lips and tongue can cause your teeth to shift. Even if your teeth and smile don’t look like they are moving, that doesn’t mean they haven’t. If you go without wearing your retainer for long periods of time, your teeth will continue to move until misalignment is visibly noticeable, and that crooked smile you thought was a thing of the past is back again.

So, if you don’t wear your retainer as prescribed, your nice straight teeth won’t be nice and straight for long. And we know you didn’t go through orthodontic treatment just for fun.

Protect Your Smile!

Each year during the month of April the Academy for Sports Dentistry, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the American Dental Association, the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, and the American Association of Orthodontists sponsor National Facial Protection Month.

National Facial Protection Month focuses on spreading awareness about the importance of protecting children and adults from oral and facial injuries. Many injuries that do occur during sporting activities could have been prevented had the proper protective gear had been worn. An estimated 12 million people between the ages of 5 and 22 years suffer a sport-related injury annually. A recently published study by the University of Alabama at Birmingham analyzed data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS), a database of injuries treated at hospital emergency departments, for the period 2001-2008. Researchers found the five most common causes of childhood injuries were, in order of frequency, basketball, football, bicycling, playgrounds and soccer.

For our patients we want to remind you that it is important for you to protect your mouth during treatment. For protection you must wear a mouth guard. A mouth guard can help prevent injury to the teeth, mouth and even jaw. Mouth guards are made of flexible material that is fitted to protect yourupper and lower teeth. You can buy a stock mouth guard or get a custom guard made. The right fit mouth guard will act as cushions protecting your mouth from hits and preventing serious injury.

To help promote National Facial Protection Month Dr. Wilmot has began the "Protect Your Smile" contest. To enter our "PROTECT YOUR SMILE" contest for a chance to win a gift card to Academy Sports. Send us a photo of you wearing your mouthguard and you will be entered in the contest. Email your photos to smilesblossom@jjwilmot-ortho.com or drop it off at our office.

To learn more about National Facial Protection Month please visit AAOMS.org

NO Pain NO Gain

When thinking about orthodontic treatment the first question people usually have is, "Will it hurt?”. There seems to be a common fear among everyone with regards to the pain orthodontic treatment might bring. Well Dr. Wilmot has some good news! Orthodontic treatment is not as bad as you think it is.

Orthodontic treatment has improved dramatically over the years. But as a general rule, initially, braces do make your teeth tender and sore for the first few days after having them placed. But the soreness is not unbearable. The slight soreness you feel comes from the fact that your teeth are beginning to move and they are not used to the pressure the arch wire and brackets are causing. As time goes by, your teeth will get use to the braces and your soreness will go away.

It is important to know that today’s braces are more comfortable than ever. But if you still think braces might hurt more than we are letting on, here are a few tips that will help reduce any soreness you may feel:

•     Take an over the counter medicine...like Advil. 
•     Rinse your mouth with warm salt water. 
•     Eat soft foods like yogurt and mash potatoes. 
•     Place heating pad or warm was rag on jaw. 
•     Avoid acidic drinks; those drinks with acid can irritate a sore mouth. 
•     Use over the counter oral anesthetic like Orajel. 
•     Apply wax to any bracket or wire bothering your cheek, tongue or lips.

If you have any questions about starting orthodontic treatment at our office, please feel free to give us a call anytime, or leave a question on our Facebook page!

3 Reasons to Change Out Your Old Toothbrush

The toothbrush is your number one oral hygiene accessory. Toothbrushes help keep your teeth and mouth clean, but how long should you a keep a toothbrush?

Dr. Wilmot recommends that you switch out that old toothbrush for a fresh new one ever 3 to 4 months. Replacing your toothbrush is essential since they are constantly being exposed to germs and bacteria. If you notice the bristles of your tooth brush have become worn that's a clear sign...you need a new toothbrush. Those of you who wear braces should change their toothbrushes frequently because braces break down and fracture bristles which makes the toothbrush lose its effectiveness.

It's helpful to keep a pack of toothbrushes available in the house at all times for easy replacement.
So mark those calendars for every 3 to 4 months and it’s out with the old and in with the new.

After reading the above you're probably thinking…”My toothbrush is fine, I have it broken in just the way I like it.” And maybe that’s true, but did you know that your old toothbrush could actually be harming your mouth?

3 Reasons to Change Out Your Old Toothbrush:

1. Bacteria - Your toothbrush is a tool for removing bacteria from your teeth…but it doesn’t actually kill bacteria. Some of the bacteria from your teeth stay on your toothbrush after you are done brushing. Now, this isn’t a problem initially, but imagine three to four months of bacteria build up on your toothbrush. That old bacteria ridden toothbrush is in your mouth at least twice a day…yuck.
2. Bristles - Like any tool, a toothbrush wears down. Worn bristles are tough on your enamel and can wear it away over time. Not only that… an old, worn toothbrush can be up to 95 percent less effective at removing plaque.
3. Illness - Always change your toothbrush after you’ve been sick, even if it’s not “technically” time to switch out your toothbrush. Do we need to say it again? Germs and bacteria in your mouth twice a day, every day.

Feel like changing your toothbrush every three months is wasteful? We’ve got a solution. Put that old toothbrush to work doing odd jobs around the house. Old toothbrushes are great at cleaning around facet fixtures and in tile grout. They can even be used to clean tools, computer key boards and tennis shoes.

Just 2 Minutes 2 times a Day

Seeking orthodontic treatment is a great way to make sure your oral health is in good shape. However, there are other factors that affect the status of healthy teeth. Brushing, flossing and eating habits are just as important. 

When treating your teeth Dr. Wilmot and her staff want to be sure they are working with healthy teeth...and developing healthy habits start at a young age.

Did you know that the baby teeth that appear in the first 3 years of a child's life have been there since birth, in the baby’s jawbones? Those baby teeth are key for chewing, speaking and appearance. They also hold space in the jaws for upcoming adult teeth. Even though they fall out, baby teeth are important and you need to take good care of them.

In an effort to help Keep Kids' Mouth's Healthy, The Ad Council has started the 2min2x Children's Oral Health Campaign. For healthier teeth, good breath and fewer cavities kids need to remember to brush their teeth for 2 minutes, twice a day. Adopting these healthy brushing habits can help save children from a lifetime of tooth pain.

Helpful Brushing Tips

    Brush with a fluoride toothpaste.
    Place the toothbrush at an angle against the gums.
    Make sure to move the toothbrush back and forth, gently, in short strokes.
    Brush the tongue to remove germs and freshen breath.

...For more tips please visit 2min2x.org

Check out this Children's Oral Health Ad campaign 

At Gwinnett Orthodontic Care we care about the overall oral health of all of our patients. If you have any questions about your oral health, please contact our office today.

Clearly Different

Typically when we think orthodontics, we think traditional metal braces. And while technology has made many advances in traditional braces…there more options for achieving the smile you have always dreamed of, and there's an option that is CLEARLY different

The Invisalign System straightens your teeth without wires and brackets, using a series of clear, customized, removable appliances called aligners. It's virtually undetectable, which means hardly anyone will know that you're straightening your teeth.

Invisalign takes a modern approach to straightening teeth, using custom-made aligners created for you and only you. These aligners are smooth, comfortable and virtually invisible. And wearing the aligners will gradually and gently shift your teeth into place, based on the exact movements Dr.Wilmot has planned out for you.

There are no metal brackets to attach and no wires to tighten. You just pop in a new set of aligners approximately every two weeks, until your treatment is complete.

More adults are seeking orthodontic treatment, and it's not hard to figure out why. Appliances that are barely noticeable have been developed to give adults more discreet choices when it comes to orthodontic treatment. With the Invisalign System, you’ll achieve a great smile with little disruption in your daily life.

Check out these results from our patients

Did you know…
Only an orthodontist who has been trained and certified by Align Technology can diagnose and treat using Invisalign. Invisalign is not intended for children and is not appropriate for every adult. Only an orthodontist can determine if this treatment is an effective option for you. To see if Invisalign can help you achieve the smile you've always wanted, contact us to make an appointment today.

Be Kind To Your Braces

Braces are used as a treatment to bring out your best smile. And with that comes a lot of changes to your mouth including your daily oral hygiene activities and eating habits.

While you have braces you will want to avoid certain types of foods…basically anything sticky, chewy, hard and crunchy. Here’s a list of treats you will need to avoid during your braces treatment:

• Gum
• Hard Candy
• Sticky Candy
• Popcorn
• Nuts
• Ice
• Taffy
• Hard Chips
• Carrots
• Apples
• Hard/Thick Bread
• Large/Hard Pretzels
• Corn on a cob

It is important to not consume these foods, because eating anything sticky, chewy, hard or crunchy can damage your braces which could make your treatment longer than expected.

We want you to have the best experience during your treatment. So…here’s a list of great foods you can enjoy while wearing braces.

• Dairy - pudding, soft cheeses
• Breads – sliced lunch bread, soft tortillas, pancakes, muffins w/o nuts, biscuits
• Grains – noodles, pasta, soft-cooked rice
• Meats/poultry - soft-cooked chicken, meatballs, lunch meats
• Seafood - fish w/o bones, tuna, salmon, crab and crab cakes
• Vegetables - mashed potatoes, peas, yams, steamed spinach, beans
• Fruits - applesauce, bananas, fruit juice
• Treats - ice cream w/o nuts, milkshakes, smoothies, Jell-O, cake
• Other – eggs, hot dogs, hamburgers, chili, beans and much more

Remember with braces, always be mindful of what you are eating, the wrong food can lead to a sooner than expected visit to our office.