Easing into Braces

Some people have an innate fear of having work done on their teeth. Sometimes it stems from a traumatic visit to a dentist as a youngster where he or she had teeth poked, prodded, and possibly even pulled. Many times, these invasions of the mouth are done to young patients without any explanation. The probe or pliers might get the job done and fix the physical problems but, in its wake, create an ongoing mental anguish over subsequent dental visits.

It’s easy to spot the nervous patient, whether they are 7 or 70. However, no matter what the age of the patient, we set them at ease by going slowly and thoroughly explaining the exam process. We emphasize that we are only looking in the mouth to assess health of the gums and position of the teeth. Once we gain their trust and they begin orthodontic treatment, we work hard to keep it by noting on their chart to explain what is to be done first and also to be extra gentle. We usually add extra time for each appointment for the nervous patient so they don’t feel unduly anxious or rushed.

We treat all our patients with kindliness and courtesy. Our goal is to have our patients looking forward to each appointment as a step towards reaching their goal of a great smile. By providing a little extra TLC, even our fearful patients can leave the office with at least a little smile on their face!

Smile–June is National Smile Month!

It’s June already! Where does the time go?

Our doctors and team are excited to tell you June marks National Smile Month, a great time to remind our patients to brush, floss, practice good nutrition at home (and over the summer) to avoid cavities and gum disease, among other dental health issues.

After all, there’s more and more evidence that suggests folks with gum disease are more at risk for serious health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and strokes.

Here are a few easy steps you can improve your oral health at home:

* Brush at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste.
* Floss everyday to clean between your teeth and braces
* Reduce your intake of sugary foods and drinks during orthodontic treatment.
* Visit your general dentist regularly (usually every six months apart).

If you have questions about any of the tips here, we encourage you to give us a call!

-Sylvania & Lambertville Orthodontics

My Life Behind "Bars", Part II

We continue our My Life Behind "Bars" series this week with Nancy's story below:

Nancy has the distinction of being our oldest patient in treatment at this time. Orthodontics was not something on the radar for Nancy as she approached her 75th birthday, but her daughter, Lee, persuaded her to explore her dental options. Lee has been very satisfied with her own smile since undergoing orthodontic treatment with us and was determined to see what we could do for her mom.

Lee knew from taking bite wing x-rays of her mom years ago while in dental assisting school that her teeth were “curious.” Nancy had retained a baby tooth for 65 years before finally needing to have it extracted. After that procedure, her adult tooth finally decided to join the party, but then proceeded to come in way up on the gum line!

Nancy was sure that since her teeth were so terribly crowded, she’d need adult teeth extracted which she really didn’t want. However, after reviewing her x-rays and doing an examination, we feel we can align everything AND bring that wayward tooth in line, too. She was excited about having her teeth straight for the first time in her life, and started her orthodontic treatment with upper, clear braces on April 6, 2010.

For Nancy, life is always interesting and she has found orthodontic treatment to be very interesting, indeed. She was fascinated with having her brackets put on using the “indirect method” and likes the fact that we utilize cutting edge technology. She has also been amazed at how relatively easy the process has been and surprised she can be so relaxed in a dental chair. Nancy has an incredibly sunny outlook on life and enjoys making a statement with her “Braces are Beautiful T-shirt.” Her only challenge so far has been eating sandwiches because her bite has been changing so much. She’s dealing with that by cutting her sandwich into bite size pieces and eating them with a fork. There’s no doubt that she’s looking forward to the day when she’s finished with treatment and can bite into a big old hamburger at Red Robin’s with her straight teeth and perfect bite!

My Life Behind "Bars", Part I

For the next two weeks, we will follow two adult patients from the start of their orthodontic adventure to its conclusion. Periodically, we’ll check in to see how they’re doing and even post some photos of their progress! Stay tuned for Nancy's story next week.


Cindy came into our office on February 23, 2010 for her free consultation to see what it would take to create the perfect smile. For her, deciding that our office was the right place for orthodontic treatment was both professional (she’s a nurse so understands first hand how patients like to be treated) and intuitive. For the past two years she’s been on a journey of self-improvement after spending almost 20 years taking care of everyone else. She did an assessment of her life and decided the first step in the process was to take better care of her physical body, to feel good, and to be happy. She joined a gym, changed her way of eating, allowed more restorative sleeping time, and most importantly – “upgraded” her thinking.

She knows a positive attitude is what keeps you moving forward with a smile on your face. (And you want that smile to be one you’re proud of!) Cindy feels that devoting two years of her life to straightening her teeth will add even more value to the self image she’s been working on.

We started Cindy’s upper braces on March 11th and she is amazed at the change she can already see. She said 40 years of crooked and tight fitting teeth have made for difficult flossing. Now, however, she can actually “breathe” through her front teeth! She opted for clear brackets and gets many comments on them (well, if people notice them, that is!) Some people think she’s having a mid-life crisis but she knows what she’s experiencing is a wonderful mid-life revival.

Creating a perfect smile fit perfectly into Cindy’s plan for self-improvement. Helping her achieve that goal gives us a perfect reason to smile, too.

Summertime Oral Hygiene Tips from Sylvania & Lambertville Orthodontics

Just because summer is here and you're slathering on the sunscreen doesn't mean you can lighten up on the toothpaste! Summertime, and the living is easy, but we don't want you to take it TOO easy in keeping your teeth and gums healthy. Please keep your smile as bright as the summer sun by frequent flossing and diligent brushing.

One of the best things about summer is the loosening up of daily routines. One of the worst things about summer for your oral health is the loosening up of daily routines! It's so easy to be having a great time right up until the minute you plop yourself in bed for the night. However, it is so important to brush your teeth before resting up for the next fun-filled day. So, if you find yourself drifting off for the night, you need to: STOP! DROP! and BRUSH! That means: STOP shutting those eyes, DROP your feet to the floor and head to the bathroom and BRUSH. Afterwards, you will drift off to a pleasant, restful sleep filled with dreams of beautiful, shiny smiles!

Summer is traditionally vacation time. To make it easier than ever to keep your teeth clean, many drugstores now carry disposable toothbrushes and dental picks. These won't replace a thorough job of brushing and flossing but it's an easy alternative for people on the go this summer.

-Drs. Haerian, Ludwig & Simon-- Orthodontists serving Sylvania, Lambertville, and Toledo