Ask Drs. Baby & Rojas: “I got my braces. Now what?

We love when patients ask us that question! Now that you’re wearing braces, it’s just as important to maintain a good oral hygiene regimen as you did before before orthodontic treatment began.

Braces are known to trap food particles and make it difficult to brush or remove plaque, which is why Drs. Baby and Rojas recommend that you brush and floss after every meal. We also encourage you to use a proxabrush to help with the smaller areas where your toothbrush doesn’t reach. We encourage the use of fluoride rinse as well; ask Drs. Baby or Rojas for a recommendation.

When your braces are initially placed, your teeth are likely to be very sensitive. You may experience discomfort for up to 3 or 5 days, which is why we encourage you to eat soft foods during that time. Remember, the less pressure you put on your teeth, the less discomfort you will have.

You may also be thinking, “Okay, so what can I eat?” We would encourage you to avoid eating sticky, hard, crunchy or chewy snacks that can stick to your teeth.

Drs. Baby and Rojas will tell you it’s crucial to regularly check your braces for bent or loose wires and brackets. In the event of a loose/broken wire or bracket, please call one of our offices immediately to schedule an appointment for repair.

Access to your account any day, any time

Access to your account, 24/7. Sounds convenient, doesn’t it?

At the office of Dr. Baby and Dr. Rojas, we embrace new technology, whether it is through the innovative orthodontic treatments we offer, our high-tech web site and social networks, or our modern offices.

Did you know that patients at our office have access to their account 24 hours a day, seven days a week—all through our website? You can look up your appointments and all of your account details at your convenience, from the comfort of your own home, which is especially helpful during the holidays! And, because we know folks sometimes forget, you can even receive appointment reminders through email or text messages!

You, too, can sign up for this convenient service on our website by clicking on the "Patient Login" button on our homepage. Please give us a call if you have any questions about getting started or ask us on Facebook!

You're Never Too Old to Treat Yourself to a New Smile!

Did you know one in every five orthodontic patients is an adult? We’re living longer and technology is improving, making orthodontic treatment an appealing and safe option for patients of all ages. As the trend toward treatment later in life grows, we’re seeing braces on parents as well as children – and even adult celebrities such as Tom Cruise, Gwen Stefani and Nicholas Cage have shown off their braces. It’s never too late to look and feel your best!

Can Braces Work for Adults?

People of all ages can benefit from orthodontic treatment. The physical process for moving teeth is the same, young or old, which means it is never too late to address issues such as an overbite or underbite, crooked or crowded teeth, or jaw disorders.

How Do I Get Started?

If you’re considering orthodontic treatment, we’ll make a consultation appointment with you. During this meeting we will perform a general assessment of your oral health, discuss options for treatment, and answer any questions you may have. We will also discuss matters of cost and insurance. The next step is an orthodontic records appointment in which we take x-rays, photos, and an impression of your teeth. This information drives your unique treatment plan.

What Are the Benefits?

Straightening your teeth can improve your smile, your self-esteem, and your dental health. Technologically advanced new treatments make it easier to identify the option that best fits your lifestyle. Modern techniques and materials have made braces and aligners more effective, comfortable and unobtrusive than ever.

If you think you might benefit from orthodontic treatment, get in touch with us so we may set up a consultation to determine what type of treatment best meets your needs.

Preparing for Cold and Flu Season, from Drs. Baby & Rojas

It’s that time of year to start thinking about protecting yourself and your family from the flu. Here are some simple steps you can take to help yourself avoid colds and the flu this season.

• Wash your hands before and after brushing
• Allow the brush to air dry after each use, harmful bacteria dies after being exposed to oxygen
• Store the toothbrush in an upright position to allow water to drain and dry faster
• Replace toothbrush after every cold or flu or every 3-4 months when bristles appear worn

To promote a healthy and clean environment, we and our team give a great deal of attention to sanitation and sterilization in our office at all times, as well as following all requirements for sterilizing instruments and work surfaces.

For the protection of other patients and our staff, we always ask that patients reschedule their appointments if they have any type of cold or illness that can infect others.

Hope this helps and give us a call if you have any questions! Stay healthy!

Make 2011 the year to improve your oral health

Many folks consider the beginning of a new year a time to not only reflect on the year that was, but also to set personal goals for the upcoming year. How are you planning to improve your health and happiness in 2011? Dr. Rojas, Dr. Baby and our team recommend that you make a New Year’s resolution to benefit your oral health!

It is important that New Year’s resolutions are reasonable and attainable, and that they improve your overall quality of life—for example, did you know that flossing every day is the very best way to prevent periodontal, or gum, disease? Using a straw when drinking sugary beverages can also help prevent cavities. There are many small steps that you can take to prevent cavities, oral infections and bad breath.
Be sure to give us a call if you need a few suggestions on ways to improve your oral health, or visit this helpful article from our friends at the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD). After all, we know your oral health is about more than just a beautiful smile.

Happy New Year!

What is your New Year’s Resolution?

The 2010 holiday season is upon us, and our team would like to wish all our patients and their families the merriest of holidays and best wishes for the New Year.

We thought we’d ask: what was memorable about 2010 for you, and what are you looking forward to in 2011? Do you have a new year's resolution, or any exciting plans for the coming year?

Have a safe and happy New Year!

Insignia Delivers Custom-Made Damon Braces

Ask us about this exciting new technology on your next visit to our office!

Video- Digital Braces

Check out this video on 3D technology in orthodontics. Pretty cool to see how far orthodontics has advanced over the years!

Help Us Reach Our Food Bank Goal This Holiday Season!

With Christmas just around the corner we want to do our part and support our community. For the 2nd year we are accepting donations for the London Food Bank. We have a goal of 150 non-perishable food items. Please help us reach our goal! We are accepting donations from now until December 20th. Thank you so much for your continued support! Items currently needed by the London Food Bank include:

-powdered or canned milk

-canned beans in tomato sauce

-canned tuna, salmon

-canned fruit

-canned vegetables

-canned juice

-rice, pasta (uncooked)

-macaroni & cheese dinner

-canned tomatoes / pasta sauce

-baby food (jars, cereals, cookies)

-baby formula

-individually packaged healthy snack foods

-canned stew

What puts you at ease at our office?

Dr. Baby, Dr. Rojas and team understand not everyone enjoys visiting their orthodontist. But we strive to bring you the best and most comforting experience at each visit. We’d like to know: What is it about our team that makes you comfortable or puts you at ease? Is it something about our pleasant office environment? Our friendly staff or doctors?

Let us know by posting here or by giving us a call!

Staying connected with Our Team

At our London, Wingham, and Goderich offices, we embrace technology, whether it’s through the innovative treatments we offer, our high-tech web site or our Facebook fan page. As you can probably tell, we love connecting with our patients online, whether it’s by sharing news on our blog or communicating ideas on our fan page. For social media to work, we understand that conversation is vital, and that’s why we invite you to join in and tell us what’s on your mind. Although social networks are hugely popular these days, we know they’re unpredictable and ever-changing.

While we take a little time to research how to best use social media, we thought we’d ask you, our loyal patients: How would you like us to use our social networks? What would you like us to share on our blog? Please post your thoughts or give us a call!

Ask Us: Who benefits from braces?

Braces aren’t just for pre-adolescents and teenagers anymore! Our team will tell you that anyone, at any age, can benefit from orthodontic treatment, whether it’s correcting a problem not treated in your younger years, or catching a problem early.

To ensure the best overall treatment, the Canadian Association of Orthodontists, or CAO, recommends that children receive an orthodontic consultation as early as age seven. If a problem is evident, taking action early can spare a lot of treatment and expense down the road.

If you never received orthodontic treatment when you were young, don’t worry! You’re never too old for a beautiful smile. Set up an appointment for a consultation and find out how adult orthodontics will transform your smile, as well as your life!

Give us a call today at 1-800-920-9798!

Age 7 is the magic number for an orthodontic check-up

Many parents assume they must wait until their child has all of his or her permanent teeth to see Drs. Baby & Rojas for a consultation, only to discover treatment would have been much easier if started earlier. Did you know the Canadian Association of Orthodontists recommends that every child have an orthodontic check-up no later than age seven?

That’s right—seven.

Ok, so what’s so great about age seven, you ask? Enough permanent teeth have arrived for our team to make a determination about whether any problems are present. The first molars have come in, providing an opportunity to check for malocclusion, or “bad bite.” Also, the incisors have begun to come in, and problems such as crowding, deep bites and open bites can be detected.

Orthodontic evaluation at an early age provides one of two positive outcomes: For some, early identification or problems will lead to easier or shorter orthodontic treatment in the future. For others, a healthy prognosis will provide immediate peace of mind.

Early evaluation, of course, may signal a need for early treatment. For some children, early treatment can prevent physical and emotional trauma. Aside from spurring on years of harmful teasing, misaligned teeth are also prone to injury and are detrimental to good oral hygiene. So, if your child is nearing his or her seventh birthday, give us a call at our London, Wingham, or Goderich orthodontic offices to schedule an appointment.

A few Halloween safety tips

Trick-or-treat! In the spirit of October’s sweet and spooky holiday, Halloween, Drs. Baby & Rojas would like to remind all of our patients to be safe while celebrating with friends and family. Below are some tips for trick-or-treaters to ensure a ghoulishly good time.

A few Halloween safety guidelines:

• Young children should always be accompanied by an adult
• Carry a flashlight
• Wear a light-colored or reflective costume
• Choose face paint over masks for young ghosts and goblins
• Have an adult inspect all treats before the children dig in

Many treats can cause havoc for trick-or-treaters who are going through orthodontic treatment. If you happen to damage your braces, please give our staff a call immediately. Typically, small problems can be solved over the phone.

We wish you all a happy, safe, and spooky Halloween!

A Great Braces Friendly Halloween Recipe

Our team know how tempting this time of the year can be on our sweet tooth. With all of the caramel, candy corn, and lollipops that are often passed around to trick-or-treaters, we realize that it can sometimes be hard to find hard, chewy, sticky, and crunchy candy alternatives.

However, there is good news! Today, we would like to share a great braces-friendly Halloween recipe with all of our patients, courtesy of “The Braces Cookbook” by Pamela Waterman. This Spider Bites recipe is delicious, and provided that you remember to brush and floss after indulging, this is a cookie that won’t bite back!

Spider Bites

Ingredients:

• 1 cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp. water
• 1 Tsp. vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup cocoa
• 1 Tsp. salt
• ½ Tsp. baking powder
• 1 package black rope licorice, cut into 1-inch pieces**
• 1 small tube of white (or color of choice) frosting
• Toothpicks

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine shortening, sugar, water, and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Add eggs into the mixture and blend. Slowly mix in flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder using low-medium speed. Drop tablespoon helpings of mixture onto ungreased cookie sheets and roll each helping into a ball.

Bake 9 minutes at 375 degrees. The batch should produce around three dozen cookies.

Let cookies cool for about 10 minutes. Then using a toothpick, create four small holes in either side of the cookie. Still using the toothpick, push one end of a piece of the cut licorice into each hole, creating the “legs” of the spider. Once all eight pieces are in place, create eyes or decorate at will using the white frosting. Then eat and enjoy!

**Licorice can sometimes stick to braces; parents should monitor

Keeping Up with the Latest in Sterlization Techniques

A safe environment for our patients and team members is a big part of our goal here at the orthodontic practice of Drs. Baby & Rojas. We strive to use the highest quality, safest materials and procedures with our patients, to ensure you have a healthy and pain free experience at our office. Another area of our efforts in safety revolves around sterilization. Our staff is up on the latest technologies in sterilization, and continue to take educational courses to ensure we are doing everything possible to keep our patients and ourselves safe.

Questions about our sterilization or safety procedures? Give us a call!

The importance of retainers

If you recently completed treatment, we’d like to congratulate you! Now that your braces have been removed, we will provide—or have provided you—with retainers. After braces are removed, teeth can shift out of position if they are not stabilized. Retainers provide that stabilization. They are designed to hold teeth in their corrected, ideal positions until the bones and gums adapt to the treatment changes. Wearing retainers exactly as instructed is the best insurance that the treatment improvements last for a lifetime. Here are some things to remember when you receive your retainers:

* Wear your retainers full time, until the doctor instructs otherwise. Wearing your retainers at night ensures that your pearly whites won’t relapse.
* Take your retainers out when eating...and always put retainers in their case! (Most appliances are lost in school lunch rooms or restaurants.)
* Clean retainers thoroughly once a day with a toothbrush and only a small amount of toothpaste. Use warm but not hot water.
* When retainers are not in your mouth they should ALWAYS be in a retainer case.
* Retainers are breakable, so treat them with care. If retainers are lost or broken, give us a call immediately.
* Remove retainers when swimming or during any sporting activity in which the retainers could fall out and get broken or lost (cheerleading, basketball, etc.) or when you should be wearing a mouth guard (football, soccer, etc.).

We hope this helps! You can always contact our team if you have any questions!

Orthodontic fun facts, from Drs. Baby & Rojas

Everyone loves fun facts. Fun, fun, fun! The American Association of Orthodontists, or AAO, has come up with some fun facts about orthodontics that our team thought you might enjoy.

• There are nearly 4 million people in orthodontic treatment throughout the United States. Three out of four are younger than 18.
• The first mechanical treatment for correcting irregular teeth was suggested by Gaius Plinius Secundus (A.D 23-79).
• The American Association of Orthodontists is comprised of more than 12,000 members in the United States, Canada and abroad.
• The time required to complete orthodontic treatment ranges from 12 to 36 months depending on the nature and severity of the problem.
• Of the 160,000 dentists in the United States and Canada, 8,000 are practicing orthodontists.
• The cement that attaches the braces to the teeth is now made with a special fluoride-releasing substance.
• Wires activated by body heat used in today's braces originally were developed by NASA for use in the space program.
• In addition to alleviating or preventing physical health problems, orthodontics can boost self-esteem as treatment aligns teeth, jaws and lips.
• Famous orthodontic patients include: Dr. Joyce Brothers, Hale Irwin, Cher, Diana Ross, Phyllis Diller, Chelsea Clinton, Whoopi Goldberg, Daisy Fuentes and yes, even Justin Bieber!

Celebrities get braces, too!

Did you know that back in 2002, Tom Cruise had braces? During this time, he was 40 years old and filmed Minority Report, Austin Powers in Goldmember and the Last Samurai. Check out his smile in Jerry Maguire, Rain Man or The Firm and compare to the post-braces Tom Cruise in Valkyrie or Tropic Thunder. The fact is, movie stars need to look their best for the silver screen, and it wouldn't be possible without orthodontists like Drs. Baby & Rojas!

In fact, lots of stars on the silver screen have had orthodontic treatment. Check out this slideshow of famous faces with braces. If you’ve thought about getting the perfect smile you’ve always wanted, please give us a call!

Corinne Gets Insignia Braces!

Corinne, one of our hygienists in our London office got braces. To put her braces on we used Insignia. Insiginia is a high tech treatment option that can give patients a truly customized smile. With Insignia, we are able to use special orthodontic software to give you precise results in less time!

This means we can facilitate better, faster treatment results, even in complicated cases!

Be sure to ask Corinne about her experience with braces on your next visit!