Our Blog

Preventing a Plaque Attack

Gum disease can become a big problem for people as they grow older. Luckily, it doesn’t just happen by accident, and if you know a little about what causes it, you’ll be better able to avoid it in the long run.

As unpleasant as it may be to think about, our mouths aren’t the cleanest places in the world. As food is eaten, the remnants left on teeth form a sticky substance known as plaque, which is full of bacteria. If you brush your teeth and flush regularly, most of this plaque is removed. (A quick word of caution about brushing: be gentle with your gums when you brush, because overly vigorous brushing can actually contribute to gum disease over time!) However, if you aren’t regular with your brushing and flossing, the plaque collects near the gum line and hardens into tartar, the next step on the road to gum disease. If your teeth are crooked or crowded, it may be too difficult to remove the plaque the way you should, and the tartar can develop in hard to reach places despite your best efforts. Regular dental cleanings are very important to remove any tartar that has built up for whatever reason, since brushing and flossing alone can’t take care of it.Read More

Five Tips for Cleaning Braces

Clean bracesAt Advanced Orthodontics, we don’t have to tell you that keeping your teeth clean during treatment is very important. Braces have a habit of collecting additional food while eating that can cause a multitude of problems if not cared for correctly.

So you don’t offend others with unsightly food caught on your braces, or to avoid bad breath, swollen gums, decalcification or discoloring of teeth and cavities, here are are five tooth brushing tips from our team for orthodontic patients to keep in mind while wearing braces: Read More

Baby Boomer Smile – The Finishing Touch

The Baby Boomers are a generation like no other. In addition to growing up in the tumultuous sixties and seventies, they were the first to experience the full benefit of modern medicine, changing attitudes about nutrition and exercise, and the advent of plastic surgery.

As a result, they have been able to maintain a youthful appearance far longer than any other group (at least most of them have!). However, there is a part of the Fountain of Youth that many boomers may be overlooking—their smiles.

Orthodontics have been around in some form for the better part of a hundred years, but the braces of the sixties and seventies were more costly and available to fewer people than they are today. As a result, many people who grew up in those days may not have the straightest teeth. It is a shame that folks who are otherwise able to look so young… for so long… are missing a piece of the puzzle.Read More

The Skinny on Orthodontics

Fun Facts about OrthodonticsAdvanced Orthodontics would like to share with you a few fun facts offered by the American Association of Orthodontists ( AAO ) we think will be of interest.
• The first mechanical treatment for correcting malaligned teeth was suggested by Gaius Plinius Secundus (A.D 23-79).

• Famous orthodontic patients include: Tom Cruise, Kathryn Heigle, Hale Irwin, Cher, Diana Ross, Phyllis Diller, Chelsea Clinton, Whoopi Goldberg, Daisy Fuentes, Fay Dunaway, and Brandi.

• There are nearly 4 million people in orthodontic treatment throughout the United States. One in 5 orthodontic patients are adults.Read More

What’s That Gap Between Your Teeth?

We have all heard the song, “All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth.” As many of us know, there is nothing worse than having lost your baby front teeth and waiting (with a big gap in your smile!) for your adult teeth to come in. However, some people find it is just as frustrating to have both of their front teeth, but still have a big gap in between them. Below are some very famous women who display their gap with pride. (Jessica Hart, Natalie Cole, Anna Paquin, and Lauren Hutton.

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