Giving Credit Where Credit is Due!

When it comes to networking - things have really changed over the past five to ten years!  When I was a young mom (I won't tell you how many years ago that was) and needed to find a pediatrician for my newborn baby, I would have asked my neighbor, my sister or the lady I worked out with at the YMCA where they bring their children.  The internet was not an option.  I wasn't even comfortable thumbing through the yellow pages to find a doctor for my kids - I wanted first hand information about the office and the doctor.  This is not the case with today's generation.  I am sure they are still just as concerned about finding the right doctor and/or dentist but they look for these services in a much different way. 

I take the new patient phone calls here in our office and one of the questions I ask is how the caller found us.  Many of the younger, potential patients will respond, "I searched orthodontist or Invisalign on the internet".  This always surprises me just a little bit but it is the "way" of the future. 

This changes the game just a little for the business' of today.  You better show well in the search engine world or you may not be seen by the potential customer/patient.  Part of showing up on the first page of Google or other search engines is having good reviews.  This is where I give a pitch for writing a review.  We don't always want to take the time to write a review but more than ever, it is an important component for business'.  We are quick to complain when things are not just right but how often do we give credit where credit is due.  If you have received good services from a business and would recommend this business to your family and friends, take the time to write a review.  It will make all the difference.  I know it takes time - but business' rely on your input. 

Written by:  Dawn Rosendall, RDA, CDA

Consumers have choices - even when looking for an orthodontist!

Last week while my husband and I were flying to Charlotte, NC to visit our daughter, the flight attendant came on the intercom system and made the following announcement:

"Thank You for choosing to fly with us.  We realize when booking your flights you have several options and we appreciate that you chose to fly with Delta Airlines.  We value your patronage with us and will do everything possible to make your flight an enjoyable one."

What a true statement - as consumers, we do have choices.  This is true in the orthodontic world as well - there are choices.  There are other orthodontists in our neighborhood that you could choose.  So what makes one orthodontist better than another and how do you go about making the right choice?  Orthodontics is an investment and you want to make sure you are getting the most for your money!

My first recommendation is to look at the office's website - you can learn a lot about an orthodontic office by their website.  Is the website up to date - is it responsive, meaning can you look at it from your mobile devices or tablet as well as on your desktop?  Look at the before and after photos - nothing gives you a better idea of what your final outcome will look like than looking at other patients that the orthodontist has treated. 

What orthodontic treatment options are available through the office.  Do they offer traditional braces only or are they an Invisalign provider as well?   And if they do offer Invisalign as an orthodontic option, what level of Invisalign provider are they - there are different Invisalign provider levels based on the number of Invisalign cases treated each year in that office.  There are also Invisalign Teen providers if you are looking for an orthodontist for you teenager.  These are all very important questions to ask when doing your research.  

One last thought - If the staff on the Delta Airline flight were not friendly and unaccommodating, I would think twice about booking my next flight with them.  Same for an orthodontist office - when you call to schedule an initial consultation are they friendly?  Does the person on the other line make you feel is if she or he wants to answer all your questions and address your concerns?  If they are not friendly when you initially call the office they may not be friendly throughout your months of treatment there.

I would be remiss if I didn't end this blog post with a link to our before and after photos:  http://www.smilesbydrm.com/patient/before-after-photos

If you are looking for a great orthodontic office, call us!  616-531-1811

Foods to avoid with braces

Although sturdy, stable and advanced, braces are orthodontic appliances that you need to treat with care.  That means eating foods that are gentle on the brackets and wires that hold your braces together and in place. 

Avoid soft, sticky foods and candies.  They can loosen or even dislodge your braces. 

Be careful with whole fruits and vegetables too.  Cut apples and carrots into very thin slices and chew them carefully.  Slice corn off the cob.

It's best to avoid chips and dip.  If that's too much of a sacrifice, indulge in moderation.  Never suck on lemons, limes or ice.  Also, do not chew on pens or pencils.

Hard Foods to avoid:

• Hard Candy
• Popcorn
• Jerky
• Ice
• Nuts
• Pizza Crust
• Jolly Ranchers

Soft Foods to avoid:

• Bubble Gum
• Gum
• Starbursts
• Sugar Daddies
• Tootsie Rolls
• Gummy Bears
• Caramels
• Taffy
• Other chewy candies

Use Caution when eating:

• Chewy bread such as bagels - tear into small pieces
• Chips - eat them carefully and one at a time
• Corn on the cob - cut off the cob
• Apples and carrots - cut into small pieces
• Soda and sugary drinks - avoid these whenever possible as drinking too much can cause tooth decay

Avoiding foods you like may not be fun, but eating things that you're not supposed to eat can cause broken wires or brackets.  These can not only be painful but can actually prolong treatment. 

AcceleDent Aura - An Accelerated Treatment Option

In April our office began offering AcceleDent Aura to our Invisalign patients. 

What is AcceleDent Aura:   AcceleDent Aura is a first-of-its-kind medical device that works along with conventional orthodontic treatment to accelerate tooth movement.   It is a hands-free device, used daily for a recommended 20 minutes.  

How does AcceleDent Aura work:  AcceleDent Aura generates small vibrations or micropulses.  These micropulses help accelerate the changing or remodeling of the bones surrounding your teeth to speed up tooth movement.  

AcceleDent Aura has been reported to make the orthodontic treatment not only faster but also more comfortable.  It's designed to be fast, safe and gentle.

What will tooth wear look like in 100 years?

There are three reasons for tooth wear:

-Erosion

-Attrition

-Abrasion

Erosion is the progressive loss of tooth substance by chemical or acid dissolution, and no bacteria are involved. Erosion of tooth surfaces is mostly the results of too frequent or inappropriate use of carbonated drinks (including sparkling water) and fruit juices with high levels of acidity. This habit would appear to be particularly common amongst teenagers and young adults.

Attrition is the progressive loss of hard tooth substances caused by mastication or grinding between opposing teeth. The extent of attrition will depend upon the use to which an individual puts their teeth. For example, it will increase in people who habitually clench or grind their teeth (a condition known as bruxism), e.g., during sleep.

Abrasion is the progressive loss of hard tooth substances caused by mechanical actions other than mastication or tooth-to-tooth  contacts. Abrasion is commonly associated with incorrect toothbrushing technique, giving rise to notching at the junction of the crown and root of teeth. It will also be seen in individuals who use their teeth as a tool (e.g., to remove bottle tops, to hold pins, clips or nails). The long-term use of tongue jewelry also causes tooth abrasion, when the jewelry is hitting against the teeth.

To prevent tooth wear:

-Limit the amount of carbonated and sugary/acid fruit juices

-Use proper brushing technique as recommended by your dentist

-Be evaluated for orthodontic treatment to correct an improper bite

In 100 years we hope that tooth wear will no longer be an issue if we educate people now.

*Information obtained from the Dental Health Foundation of Ireland

Written by:  Stacey Udell

Why we love laughter and you should too!

Laughter is a big part of our day. We laugh with our patients and parents and we laugh with each other. Laughter is medicine for the soul!

Our office is set up in an "open bay" design. This is quite common in the orthodontic world, however, the laughter we share in our office is unique. It is unique because our laughter is always shared with the patients we have invested in. We care about and are interested to know more about our patients. For us, it's not just about providing a beautiful lifelong health smile, we also care about the hearts of those we have the opportunity to treat.

Dr. M has an incredibly dry sense of humor, silly things make him laugh. The next time you visit or stop by, feel free to share a joke that we can share with others (G rated).  We love to laugh!

Written by:  Stacey Udell

 

February - Dental Health Month

February is dental health month, here are some fun facts…

*It takes 43 muscles to frown and only 17 to smile!

*Two thirds have less respect for their boss with bad oral hygiene

*Some of the things we admit to picking our teeth with…

     ~Earrings, business cards, keys, matchsticks, screwdrivers

*One in four say electric toothbrushes are only for lazy people!?!

*61% of us have been attracted to somebody by their smile alone!

*$1.00 is the going-rate per tooth given by the tooth fairy!

*We would share our toothbrush with…

~A partner 24%

~Our child 18%

~A friend 7%

~A celebrity 6%

*Chocolate is the food that makes us smile the most, followed by a Sunday beef-roast.

*Top of the list of things we could not do without when we go on vacation…

A TOOTHBRUSH!!!

 

The best gift you can give someone else?

A Smile J

Written by:  Stacey Udell

 

Five Tips About Straight Teeth

1. After braces, the only way to keep your teeth straight is by wearing retainers. Retainers are forever!

 2. If you ever lose or break your retainer, make an appointment in our office to get them replaced.

 3. To keep your straight teeth healthy, see your dentist regularly for cleanings, only floss the ones you want to keep!

 4. Straight teeth provide confidence in a person and they like to smile!

 5. You can tell a lot about a person by how often they wear their retainers and how clean their car is!

 

Written by:  Stacey Udell

 

Every Case is an Invisalign Case

We treat all sorts of cases in our office. Mixed dentition cases or Phase I, teen cases as well as adult cases.  Phase I is typically done with expanders, limited braces and a retainer to hold the teeth until permanent eruption occurs.

Once the permanent teeth have erupted it is considered a comprehensive case. It used to be the only type of treatment available was conventional braces. This is still a great option for anyone who does not fit the guidelines for Invisalign therapy.

Surprisingly, every comprehensive case is an Invisalign case. There are things that inhibit someone from doing Invisalign therapy such as the inability to be responsible to wear the aligners 20 hours a day. We are able to determine those cases over simple conversations with patients and parents prior to beginning treatment.

Invisalign has opened up a whole new world in the orthodontic industry. Nearly all of our adult patients have utilized aligners to straighten their teeth after years of being unhappy with their smile. Aligner therapy has also been beneficial for patients who have had severe wear on their teeth due to an incorrect occlusion or bite.  We are able to correct severe malocclusions easier with Invisalign therapy than with conventional braces.

Just one benefit of Invisalign is for those who travel for work or live out of state.  It takes Dr. M hours of administrative time to set up an Invisalign case to insure that the teeth move exactly the way he desires. Once the case is accepted, the aligners are fabricated. At this point, our patients sequence through the aligners and come in for routine 8 week appointments. This is quite appealing to the busy business man/women, traveler, teacher or parent.

Contact our office to see what Invisalign could do for you!

Written by:  Stacey Udell

The Power of a Smile

Wikipedia describes a smile as:

 A smile is a facial expression formed primarily by flexing the muscles at the sides of the mouth.^[1] Some smiles include a contraction of the muscles at the corner of the eyes, an action known as a "Duchenne smile". Smiles performed without the eye contraction can be perceived as "fake".

Among humans, smiling is an expression denoting pleasure, sociability, happiness, or amusement. It is distinct from a similar but usually involuntary expression of anxiety known as a grimace. Although cross-cultural studies have shown that smiling is a means of communication throughout the world,^[2] there are large differences between different cultures, with some using smiles to convey confusion or embarrassment.

We work with smiles all day long and every smile is unique, no two of them are alike.  Our goal in providing personal attention to all the details is to give you the smile you desire. Some things that may inhibit our ability to give you the smile you desire are the shape and size of your teeth. When this is the case, we work side by side with your general dentist to make your teeth the optimum shape and size that they should be.

In our office, we provide the extra attention to this detail. This is so important for both visual and functional purposes. We are the "set-up" guys, placing your teeth where they need to be and provisionally bonding them until orthodontic treatment is complete. Once treatment in our office is complete, your general dentist will place the final restoration.  When you have teeth that are misshapen, worn or small, this is so important to ensure long term stability for your orthodontic investment.

At Dr. Majznerski's office our goal is to provide you with all the extra details that will give you the beautiful smile that you desire, a smile that will last a lifetime!

Written by:  Stacey Udell