Our Blog

If you've checked out our website and social media pages, then you know our motto, "Healthy Smile, Healthy Life" came about because we believe in pursuing all kinds of healthy habits, not just great dental health!

Exercise and fitness has been a top priority and hobby for both of us for years, and running is one of our favorite types of physical activity!

As usual, this year, Hilliard will be the home of the Hilliard Classic, a race day including a half marathon, 10k, and 5k.  Dr. Bethany will be there running the 5k to celebrate Father's Day with her dad and her husband, Dan, a new dad this year!

If you're interested in enjoying some physical activity with us on a sunny summer Sunday morning, check out the Hilliard Classic and consider registering for one of the 3 race distances.  Whether you're running or walking, it feels good to start the day with fresh air and movement!

Race information and registration information can be found at:

https://runsignup.com/Race/OH/Hilliard/HilliardClassic?remMeAttempt=

Another common concern that can be addressed at home is a brace coming loose.  You'll be able to tell that a brace is loose by feeling it.  When you push on the brace, it will move up and down.  It may even come completely unattached and fall out of your mouth.

Why do braces come loose?  There are a number of reasons, but the most common is related to eating.  Eating foods that are especially hard, crunchy, or chewy can easily result in broken/loose braces.  Patients often tell me that a brace came loose spontaneously.  Odds are, the brace was loosened while eating and not noticed until later.  No matter what the case is, don't panic!

While we almost always need to eventually repair the loose brace, it usually isn't urgent enough to require a special trip to the office unless it's causing substantial discomfort.  Here's what we recommend:

• Call the office to let us know that the brace is loose, and we can help you decide if we should make a special appointment to repair the brace or if it can wait until your next visit.
• If the brace is detached, you can remove it from your mouth.
• If there is a remnant of wire sticking out where the brace came loose, you can treat this as you would any other poking wire.  (See my post from two weeks ago.) In other words, use wax to protect it, or clip the wire if you're able.

How do we decide whether the brace needs to be replaced as soon as possible?  It depends on several factors including which part of the mouth is affected and how close you are to completing your treatment.

If you've had a brace come loose, don't feel bad!  While the goal is always to complete treatment without any loose braces, it isn't uncommon to have one or two become unattached during your time in treatment.  If you're able to pinpoint the reason, then it can be a learning experience that can help you avoid more loose braces in the future!

As with many things in life, when you stop learning and start coasting, you can easily fall behind the times.  That's why we are committed to lifelong learning and consistently bettering ourselves and our ability to bring you top-notch care - the fastest, easiest, and most comfortable orthodontic treatment.

You may wonder how much there is to learn in orthodontics.  Aren't teeth pretty much always going to be the same?  Well, yes, the teeth stay the same, but the way we move them and our ability to provide a great treatment experience keep getting better. One of the ways we stay up to date and continue to improve is by attending continuing education courses.  The Annual Session hosted by the American Association of Orthodontists is one such opportunity where educators, vendors, and colleagues come together to exchange ideas and information.

This past weekend Dr. Liz attended the Annual Session in Washington D.C. She came home with lots of new ideas for delivering great care the way that you want it!  One of the major themes at the Annual Session this year was clear aligner treatment.  As patients' interest in clear aligners increases, more and more companies are offering diverse options in products, and more educators and sharing valuable tips and tricks for making aligner therapy more effective than ever before.

As specialists in orthodontists, we are proud to be able to bring you all of these options.  Each has its own strengths in terms of flexibility, cost, and customization, and we believe that we are in a unique position to help you navigate the right clear aligner treatment for you.

Of course, that's not all the Annual Session was about!  As usual, a whole host of concepts were discussed from surgical treatment to 3-D imaging for better diagnosis and treatment set-ups to improvements in clinical efficiency.  Over the course of the next year, we're excited to begin passing on these valuable pearls to our patients, and then once again, we hope to return to step up our game again next year!