The importance of elastics (rubber bands) and how it affects your treatment time

Just about every patient that has had braces has been required to wear rubber bands during their treatment at one point or another. This is probably one of the hardest things for our patients to get in the habit of doing. The fact is, the rubber bands move your teeth in a way that the braces cant. They help us to achieve your final bite positions, which are extremely important for long term stability and function.


We know they are uncomfortable and make your teeth and jaws hurt. But if you wear them through the first couple of days of initial soreness, that feeling will subside. You can take Tylenol or Motrin during those days to help with the discomfort.

Most of our patients that don’t like the rubber bands don’t really like the braces either. But the more you avoid wearing the rubber bands, the longer your braces will stay on.

Ok, now a small biology lesson for you! It takes 10 hours of CONSTANT rubber band wear for your body to begin the process of moving the teeth. Can you believe it? 10 hours? Just to START that process! No wonder they are sore! You can “fool” your teeth for about 20 minutes once you have removed the rubber bands. After that, your teeth will start moving back where they were. For example: If you wear your rubber bands EVERYDAY ALL DAY for TWO WHOLE WEEKS, then you leave them off for a full 24 hours, your teeth are right back where you started. You lost the whole 2 weeks! Now that doesn’t make anyone happy! Especially you! You put in all that time wearing them and now you have to start all over.

Two of the best things that you can do for yourself while you are in braces: 1. Do everything they tell you to do, such as wearing your elastics, turning the key on your expander and wearing headgear the required number of hours. 2. Keep everything SUPER clean!! When the teeth are not clean, the mouth is not healthy and it can cause the teeth not to respond as well. Regular checkups with your dentist will help with this too. Doing these things will help ensure that you will get braces off on time!

If you have any questions, please call the office at (804) 737-6757.

Your Health and Drinking Water

I received this in an email, thought it would be of interest to my patients.

A cardiac doctor was asked why do we and other people urinate (pee pee) so much at night time. The doctor explains that gravity holds water in the lower part of your body when you are upright. When you lie down and the lower body (legs and other things) seeks level with the kidneys it is then that the kidneys remove the water because it is easier.

You need your minimum water to help flush the toxins out of your body.

Correct time to drink water... very Important!

Drinking water at a certain time maximizes its effectiveness on the body:

2 glasses of water after waking up - helps activate internal organs
1 glass of water 30 minutes before a meal - helps digestion
1 glass of water before taking a bath - helps lower blood pressure
1 glass of water before going to bed - avoids stroke or heart attack

Please pass this to the people you care about......and others-

The physician said that water at bed time will also help prevent night time leg cramps. Your leg muscles are seeking hydration when they cramp and wake you up with a Charlie Horse.

HALLOWEEN TIPS FOR PATIENTS

Halloween Tips for Orthodontic Patients

As Halloween and National Orthodontic Health Month approach, Dr. Monacell offers orthodontic patients and their parents some tooth-protecting tips.

We advise parents to have children brush as soon as possible after eating candy, minimizing the impact of the candy on the teeth. If brushing is not possible, we also recommend that children either consume the candy with a meal (so that the increased saliva produced while eating will help wash the candy off the teeth) or rinse the mouth with water.

Prior to Halloween, we recommend that children visit their dentist to have sealants put into their teeth grooves to protect tooth enamel against corrosion caused by excess sugar.

Also, its better to eat the candy in 1 or 2 periods a day, rather than nibble or snack on it throughout the day.

Information about Fluorosis and Prevident 5000 Booster

To help our patients protect their teeth while in treatment, Dr. Monacell prescribes Prevident 5000 Booster toothpaste to each patient. This toothpaste is higher in fluoride and helps fight plaque buildup which can occur easier when a person has braces. The extra fluoride also strengthens the enamel, making it more resistant to decay and decalcification. Research has also shown that it can help to re-mineralize enamel which has become decalcified. This toothpaste is to be used one time daily. Use your regular toothpaste the other times you brush. There has been a spike in children with a condition called Fluorosis and we want to eliminate any confusion there may be about what causes it, We ask that you please read the following information on Fluorosis and contact our office or your Dentist with any questions or concerns.

Dental Fluorosis is a health condition caused by a child receiving too much fluoride during tooth development. Having the proper amount of fluoride in your drinking water is very important to protect your teeth from decay. A common mistake that some parents make is only giving their young children bottled water, which contains no fluoride. The critical period of exposure to fluoride is between the ages of 1 and 4 years, when the enamel of the permanent teeth is forming. Children over age 8 are not at risk for Fluorosis. In its mild form, which is the most common, Fluorosis appears as tiny whit streaks or specks that are often unnoticeable in the enamel of the teeth. In its severest form, which is also called mottling of dental enamel, it is characterized by black and brown stains, as well as cracking and pitting of the teeth.

Fluorosis occurs when a child has ingested too much fluoride. The most likely source of too much fluoride is your well water. If you are concerned that your child may be at risk for Fluorosis, we recommend that you take the following steps to eliminate or prevent your child's risk:

• We recommend you visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/dental_fluorosis to find out more information about Fluorosis, risk factors, and safe fluoride consumption levels.



• Check with your city/county water provider to see what the fluoride levels are in your water.



• If you use well water at your home, have the county test it to determine the amount of naturally occurring fluoride in the water.



• If your child is between the ages of 1-4 years, be sure that they are using a non-fluoride or low fluoride toothpaste when brushing because of the risk they may swallow it.



• Hold off on having your child use fluoride mouth rinses until you are sure that they will not swallow it and are able to spit it out after rinsing.



• Be sure to keep regular appointments for your child to see his/her dentist for cleanings and discuss any concerns you may have at each appointment.

Share-A-Smile iPad Winner Announced!

Announcing our 1st iPad winner! Please join us in congratulating Ellie Hamp and her family. She was the winner of the iPad contest that we had at the beginning of the summer.



We are so excited to announce this because this contest and the iPad prize were so popular, we have decided to give away another one!

We are currently giving away a 32" Vizio flat screen and Wii Package, which will end on September 30, 2010. The new iPad contest will start October 1st, 2010 and run until the end of the year.

Remember there are 5 ways to enter and win!

1. Refer a friend for a free exam (1 entry)

2. Write a testimonial on our Facebook Wall (1 entry)

3. Record a 15 sec+ video testimonial and upload it to YouTube and share the link on our Facebook wall. (2 entries)

4. Write a review on Google Maps. (1 entry each for each location)

5. Tag us in your Facebook Status when you have an appointment at Monacell Orthodontics

If you have posted a review on Google Maps, please email us at DrMonacell@msn.com and let us know so you can be entered to Win the iPad!

DRY MOUTH

Great New Article on Dry Mouth, courtesy of Colgate Dry Mouth What do I Need to Know About Dry Mouth? Everyone has a dry mouth once in a while — if they are nervous, upset or under stress. But if you have a dry mouth all or most of the time, it can be uncomfortable and can lead to serious health problems. Dry mouth ... Can cause difficulties in tasting, chewing, swallowing, and speaking Can increase your chance of developing dental decay and other infections in the mouth Can be a sign of certain diseases and conditions Can be caused by certain medications or medical treatments Dry mouth is not a normal part of aging. So if you think you have dry mouth, see your dentist or physician — there are things you can do to get relief. What is Dry Mouth? Dry mouth is the condition of not having enough saliva, or spit, to keep your mouth wet. Symptoms Include: A sticky, dry feeling in the mouth Trouble chewing, swallowing, tasting or speaking A burning feeling in the mouth A dry feeling in the throat Cracked lips A dry, tough tongue Mouth sores An infection in the mouth Why is Saliva so Important? Saliva does more than keep the mouth wet. It helps digest food It protects teeth from decay It prevents infection by controlling bacteria and fungi in the mouth It makes it possible for you to chew and swallow Without enough saliva you can develop tooth decay or other infections in the mouth. You also might not get the nutrients you need if you cannot chew and swallow certain foods. What causes Dry Mouth? People get dry mouth when the glands in the mouth that make saliva are not working properly. Because of this, there might not be enough saliva to keep your mouth wet. There are several reasons why these glands (called salivary glands) might not work right. Side effects of some medicines — more than 400 medicines can cause the salivary glands to make less saliva. Medicines for high blood pressure and depression often cause dry mouth Disease — some diseases affect the salivary glands. Sjögren's Syndrome, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, and Parkinson's disease can all cause dry mouth Radiation therapy — the salivary glands can be damaged if they are exposed to radiation during cancer treatment Chemotherapy — drugs used to treat cancer can make saliva thicker, causing the mouth to feel dry. Nerve damage — injury to the head or neck can damage the nerves that tell salivary glands to make saliva. What Can be Done About Dry Mouth? Dry mouth treatment will depend on what is causing the problem. If you think you have dry mouth, see your dentist or physician. He or she can try to determine what is causing your dry mouth. If your dry mouth is caused by medicine, your physician might change your medicine or adjust the dosage If your salivary glands are not working right but can still produce some saliva, your physician or dentist might give you a medicine that helps the glands work better Your physician or dentist might suggest that you use artificial saliva to keep your mouth wet What can I do? Sip water or sugarless drinks often Avoid drinks with caffeine, such as coffee, tea, and some sodas. Caffeine can dry out the mouth Sip water or a sugarless drink during meals. This will make chewing and swallowing easier. It may also improve the taste of food Chew sugarless gum or suck on sugarless hard candy to stimulate saliva flow; citrus, cinnamon or mint-flavored candies are good choices Don't use tobacco or alcohol. They dry out the mouth Be aware that spicy or salty foods may cause pain in a dry mouth Use a humidifier at night Tips for Keeping Your Teeth Healthy Remember, if you have dry mouth, you need to be extra careful to keep your teeth healthy. Make sure you: Gently brush your teeth at least twice a day Floss your teeth every day Use toothpaste with fluoride in it. Most toothpastes sold at grocery and drug stores have fluoride in them Avoid sticky, sugary foods. If you do eat them, brush immediately afterwards Visit your dentist for a check-up at least twice a year. Your dentist might give you a special fluoride solution that you can rinse with to help keep your teeth healthy.

Early Treatment FAQ

Q. Why is "early treatment" or Phase I recommended for some children?

A. In some cases, preventive or interceptive care can guide the jaws and erupting teeth into more favorable positions, improve the growth and alignment of the jaws, preserve space for the permanent teeth, and/or reduce the likelihood of fracturing protruding front teeth. Early treatment is not about straightening the teeth, but more about influencing the growth of the jaws to make room for the erupting permanent teeth. This treatment, in many cases, alleviates the need for extractions and jaw surgery later.

Q. What is the psychological impact of orthodontic therapy?

A. Treatment may reduce appearance consciousness during the critical developmental years. Appearance can have an effect on popularity, social behaviors, self-expectation, personality style, and self-image. Also, orthodontic therapy may lessen the likelihood that a child will be picked on by other children.

Q. Why is the adolescent growth spurt so important in orthodontics?

A. This is a time when much of the growth of the face occurs. Treatment during this period provides an opportunity to favorably influence the facial profile in a growing child. Once growth of the facial bones is complete, correction of jaw discrepancies usually requires surgery. For this reason, early treatment may save considerable time and money.

Q. What can we expect from your practice?

A. You can expect a unique combination of art, science, and experience. Our goal is to provide the highest level of orthodontic therapy possible in a caring, friendly environment. We intend to treat you so well personally and technically that you will feel comfortable in recommending us to your friends and family.