Images of picture-perfect smiles complete with straight, even, white teeth are often as a result of the work of an orthodontist. Regular dentist visits to fill cavities, check for healthy gums and professionally clean teeth provide us with great oral care, but, in some cases additional care is necessary. Orthodontists specialize in treating irregularities and abnormalities of the jaw and teeth which may necessitate the use of braces, headgear or specialty pieces to align the teeth and achieve facial balance. Becoming one of these specialized dentists is a process that involves a few crucial steps and the passion to provide excellence in oral care and hygiene for patients.

One of the first steps to becoming an orthodontist involves acquiring a 4-year Baccalaureate degree. This four year degree should ideally be in pre-medicine or nursing as the courses that are usually required to obtain said degrees contain a variety of science courses as well as generic requirements that will help boost GPA as well as prepare you for admissions into a dentistry program. Be sure to research your Dental school of choice before determining your Bachelor’s degree. Courses in Biology, Physics, Psychology, English and other language courses are recommended to include in your degree program. Depending on the program you are looking to enter after your Bachelor’s degree, community service or volunteer hours are also a good thing to include during your academic career as these will set your application apart from others. Taking other supplementary courses to boost your GPA is also recommended during your program.

Once you have completed your Bachelor’s degree, you will need to study for and take a Dental Aptitude Test. Similar to the MCAT’s for medical students the DAT is an entrance requirement for any Dental school you apply for that measures your skills and knowledge in dentistry. Be sure to research schools before applying as each school will have specific admissions requirements and deadlines to adhere to in order to gain acceptance. Check your local library or university library for a copy of a previous DAT exam to get an idea of what will be on the examination and what to study for. Bookstores often carry exams as well that you can purchase, located in the reference sections. Flashcards may also help you study for this all important test.

The next step in becoming an orthodontist is the successful completion of a 4-year graduate degree in Dental School. Once you have completed this program, you will have obtained a Doctorate in Dental Medicine or Dental Surgery allowing you to specialize in multiple post-graduate programs including Orthodontics. (Some schools require a separate Masters Degree in a specialization in order to be considered for a specialty study in Orthodontics.) This final program in Orthodontic Specialties differs from school to school and may contain various research and teaching components as well as surgical residencies to complete the program. After you have completed this final specialty program generally lasting 2-3 years, you will need to apply for designation and take a final certification test in order to practice as an Orthodontist. Each province or state has different guidelines for certification and the procedure may be different in each area, so be sure to research ahead of time when deciding where to apply for work.

The process leading up to a rewarding career in Orthodontic Medicine can seem long and tedious; however, with the dedication and passion for practicing specialized dental medicine and making short-term goals, you will find you will find the dream of becoming an Orthodontist is well within your grasp. Commitment and hard work will be necessary to achieve this goal as well as planning your steps wisely when taking university courses and choosing extra-curricular activities. Be sure to plan financially as well for the tuition and living costs, researching each school thoroughly before committing to a program. Academic advisors will help you make an informed decision as will practicing Orthodontists who may be able to address any concerns or questions you may have regarding the profession and the process to join the prestigious Orthodontic community.

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Taking care of your oral health is really important. Experiencing toothache, bad breath and other mouth problems is really inconvenient. Take this for example. While you are taking your final exam in one of your subjects, your tooth suddenly ached. You were not able to think straight anymore. You got really distracted. All you thought about was your toothache and the irritation you are feeling. Another example could be when you are going to have a job interview. You were not able to brush your teeth before your left because you know that you are already late for the interview. Before going to the venue, you ate your breakfast and your mouth smelled really bad. When your job interview started, your employer got really annoyed by the smell of your mouth. Then, that pushed him to reject your job application. There are so many instances which can show how important good oral health is. That is why, it is important, too, that you know how to prevent one of the oral health problems that a person commonly experiences. That is having tooth decay.

Tooth decay can bring you a lot of other discomforts. When you are going to eat cold foods, you would feel pain in your teeth. When bacteria eat up your tooth, it becomes gradually thinner until it reaches the root of your tooth. On the bright side, there are ways on how you can prevent having tooth decay. You can still have all the chance to enjoy your favourite drinks and desserts such as frozen yoghurt, ice cream and fruit shakes.

Brushing your teeth regularly is very helpful in preventing tooth decay. By doing this, you can remove almost all the bacteria which can cause tooth decay and cavities. You should do this after eating so you can prevent the production and development of bacteria from the food you chewed and consumed. The toothbrush you use should have soft and round bristles. Also, make sure that when you brush, you use toothpaste which contains fluoride. Another thing that you should put in mind is that you use a new toothbrush every 3 months. The rationale behind this is that when you brush your teeth, your toothbrush acquires bacteria from your teeth and rinsing your toothbrush with water does not automatically entail that all the bacteria would get washed away, as well. This will lead to the accumulation of bacteria within your toothbrush. That is why it would help you prevent tooth decay if you change your toothbrush every 3 months. Also, brushing your tongue can help you lessen the bacteria build up in your mouth.

Flossing your teeth is also beneficial. If you are only going to brush your teeth, you cannot guarantee that all the plaque you acquired from your meal would already be removed. There are spaces between your teeth that your toothbrush cannot remove. That is why it would help if you use dental floss to reach those small spaces and remove those plaques.

Also, there are certain kinds of foods that have bigger probabilities of contributing to tooth decay. These kinds of foods are the ones that you should eat in small amounts only or ones that you should avoid. Eating foods which are high in carbohydrates and sugar content should be avoided. It is not good to be always eating these foods. There are also types of foods which stick to your teeth and which are hard to chew. They might get stuck to your teeth and they can produce bacteria immediately. On the bright side, there are also foods which can help you prevent tooth decay. Eating or drinking goods which are high in calcium are really good if you are trying to lessen your possibilities of experiencing tooth decay. Drinks such as milk can help you strengthen your teeth. With intakes of such, you can make the interference of bacteria slower. It would be harder for bacteria to eat up your teeth because of their stronger composition.

Having oral health which is free from tooth decay can give you a lot of advantages. Not only can you be free from all the pains and discomforts. Also, you can now enjoy all the foods that you want to eat without worrying about what they can bring you.

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I am sure that a lot of parents looking to find the right orthodontist, for either themselves or their children, feel a bit overwhelmed with the number of options out there. Fortunately, there are many resources that can make the whole process much easier.

A beautiful smile is an important investment. Hopefully, after reading this post you can be more comfortable choosing an orthodontist in your area… at least with respect to Invisalign.

1. Find local providers on the official Invisalign website

Go to Invisalign.com, enter your zip code in the search box in the upper right, and you will get a complete list of dentists and orthodontists providing Invisalign in your area. You will be able to tell if a specific provider is an orthodontist or a dentist by looking below their name. Both dentists and orthodontists can treat patients with Invisalign, but it is important to know that in addition to dental school orthodontists also complete a 2-3 year long residency in orthodontics. In this residency, they study healthy and efficient tooth movement as well as how to care for patients for a long term healthy smile.

2. Select the level of experience right for you or your child

The search results are ranked by the number of Invisalign cases each provider completed last year. This doesn’t necessarily mean the providers at the top have the most overall experience, but the doctors that treated the most cases last year will be listed first.

You may also notice some additional distinctions located below doctors’ listings: Preferred, Premier, Premier Elite, and Invisalign Teen. These can be a little difficult to see, and there isn’t much explanation of what they mean on the site. However, they are very important recognitions of a doctor’s Invisalign experience level. Since there is now no required yearly minimum for cases treated, knowing a doctor’s Invisalign experience before you choose is even more essential. Here is exactly what those distinctions mean:

Preferred Provider:

– Completes 10 continuing education Invisalign classes per year (in-person or online)

– Treats 10 cases per year

Premier Provider:

– Completes 10 continuing education Invisalign classes per year (in-person or online)

– Has treated at least 50 cases lifetime

– Treats at least 24 cases every 6 months

Premier Elite Provider:

– Completes 10 continuing education Invisalign classes per year (in-person or online)

– Has treated at least 300 cases lifetime

– Treats 48 cases every 6 months

Invisalign Teen:

– Treats at least 4 patients aged 11 to 19 each quarter

3. Visit websites of providers

As essential as clinical experience is, actual results are far more important. Look at patient photos and compare smiles on different orthodontists’ websites. Unfortunately, a lot of dental and orthodontic websites out there use stock photos. If you aren’t sure if a website’s photos are real just ask the receptionist when you call in.

4. Schedule multiple consultations

It is always important to seek different opinions and compare offices and staff. There is a big difference between price and value. Some offices have a lot more to offer than others. Evaluate things first hand.

5. Decide

At this point, you should be armed with enough knowledge to make a decision, but if you’re still in doubt, you can always ask your friends or your dental hygienist.

Invisalign is a great tool for straightening teeth, but it is by no means a magic wand. You should definitely consult with your orthodontist or dentist to find out if it is the right choice for you. Invisalign’s requirements for certification and other distinctions are subject to change. Unfortunately, these standards are not readily available to the public. Don’t be afraid to ask your orthodontist or dentist.

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An orthodontic patient who was wearing twin block braces recently asked me how long it would be before they could move on to fixed orthodontic appliances (aka “train track braces”). I decided to put together a series of articles about the things that orthodontists consider when they change a patient over from to train tracks. (Or “functionals to fixed”, as we’d call it).

Twin block changeover and overjet

People often come in to see their orthodontist saying “my front teeth stick out”, but after a few quick checks of “landmarks” on the face (during an exam of the face and jaws), and maybe an X-Ray picture too, it usually turns out that it’s the lower jaw that’s really the problem.

In many cases, patients start off wearing twin blocks because they have a small lower jaw, or the lower jaw is sitting too far back compared to their upper jaw. This usually shows up as a big difference between the prominence of the upper and lower front teeth. (This is what we’d usually call an Overjet, but people on TV call an Overbite).

Sometimes this prominence is made worse by a “lip trap”, where the patient’s lower lip has a resting position between the upper and lower front teeth. The blocks help stop this habit. This lip trap can also be a problem if it reduces the natural protection that the lips would provide for the teeth against physical damage (“dental trauma”).

In this case the blocks would usually keep going until the front teeth meet edge-to-edge. (This would be an overjet of 0mm). Sometimes patients think this is the way that their teeth are meant to meet, but actually the orthodontist is carrying out a bit too much correction on purpose. A lot of orthodontists like to “overcorrect” certain problems to allow for a bit of relapse. This is particularly true for moving on to fixed braces, as it usually slips back a couple of millimetres while the patients moves from one brace to the other. (This is what we’d call “the transition”). A normal overjet would be 2-4mm.

So one thing to look out for if you’re wondering if you’re ready to finish with your twin blocks is the relation between your upper and lower teeth. It’s not always the case, but the orthodontist will often keep the blocks going until the front teeth can bite together. If in doubt, ask your own orthodontist to give you an idea of your progress through the treatment plan.

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Teeth whitening has become a hit with Gen-Xers, Baby Boomers, and teens. It can draw attention to your smile, make you feel better about yourself, and even give you a more youthful appearance. If you are skeptical about whitening treatments or have tried and been disappointed with over-the-counter products, this information may be helpful to you if you’d still like to have whiter teeth.

Why Can’t I Get My Teeth White?

For starters, not everyone’s teeth were the same shade at birth. This is important to know if you’re comparing your results to someone else’s results. You probably also know that foods we eat, things we drink, or smoking can cause our teeth to darken over time. But other factors – illness, medications, the environment – can also cause discoloration. If your mother used certain types of antibiotics during pregnancy or while nursing, your teeth might have become discolored as a result. If children take certain antibiotics – such as ones in the tetracycline family – during the time permanent teeth are developing, a similar discoloration can occur.

What At-Home Teeth-Whitening Options Exist?

At-home options include over-the-counter products as well as products that can be dispensed by your dentist. One of the simplest and easiest teeth-whitening approaches can be to try whitening toothpastes. However, while they have special chemical or polishing agents that help to remove stains from tooth enamel, they aren’t going to change the natural color of your teeth. Be sure to look for the ADA Seal of Acceptance in making your toothpaste selection. The ADA website provides a lookup tool that can help you identify approved products for whitening. Many people are not satisfied with the results they achieve with whitening toothpaste and want still whiter teeth.

Other at-home methods use bleaching solutions that are peroxide-based compounds of varying strengths. The bleaching agent either comes on strips that you apply to your teeth or is applied using trays that fit over your teeth. Going to a dentist for an at-home whitening treatment program allows the dentist to provide a custom-fitted mouthguard/tray that fits your mouth and teeth better. At-home teeth-whitening products are generally used for intervals of 1-2 weeks – sometimes once or twice a day, sometimes overnight. Some people experience tooth sensitivity or irritation of oral tissue (especially gums) when using these products. A properly fitted tray/mouthguard from a dentist can diminish the likelihood of oral tissue irritation.

The Academy of General Dentistry offers some informative pointers with respect to the use of bleaching agents at home on their website. One of the most important is to not use whitening products if you have decay, periodontal disease, or hypersensitivity. A regular dental exam can help you determine that. Proper use of these products is important. Some people leave the teeth-whitening agents on the teeth too long and find that their teeth have a white, but very unnatural look. Others use the over-the-counter products and are unsatisfied with the degree of whitening, or that only the front teeth are being whitened.

What About In-Office Whitening Treatments?

Two fundamental reasons that many people choose in-office teeth whitening are 1) whiter teeth and 2) faster results. Dentists can use bleaching solutions that are stronger than safe, at-home options. Just as the outcomes of teeth-whitening solutions for home use can be influenced by the user’s diligence in following directions, outcomes of in-office whitening can be affected by the dentist delivering the treatment. No matter how skilled and attentive the dentist is, there are times when tooth whitening alone won’t provide the results you’re hoping for. For some teeth, veneers or cosmetic dentistry approaches need to be used in conjunction with whitening. In fact, whitening surrounding teeth can actually call attention to problematic teeth – another reason to consult your dentist before you decide on in-home, over-the-counter teeth whitening systems.

Choosing a dentist based on the teeth-whitening products he or she uses is not the wisest approach. Many dentists offer more than one product and approach to teeth whitening. The best dental care providers will carefully devise a teeth-whitening plan that takes into account your overall dental health, your timeline, and the realities of how your personal habits can affect both short-term and long-term results.

In selecting a dentist, you should be aware that some dentists are simply more careful about what they do. This extra care can mean fewer short-term and long-term oral health issues. Applying products with care can result in a reduced likelihood of gum irritation and tooth sensitivity in the short term. However, some patients are simply more sensitive than others. With respect to long-term oral health, there are certain products that should be used very cautiously. An example is Ultraviolet (UV) light, which can be used to activate, speed up, or enhance the bleaching process. For decades, we’ve been aware of UV light and its short-term and long-term effects on skin health. In spite of that, some dentists liberally apply UV light to both teeth and gum areas during teeth-whitening treatments. Can you imagine what would happen if you held down your lower lip to expose your gums to the summer sunshine for a couple of hours? Think of the tissue damage and long-term cancer risks – especially since your gums have no sunscreen applied. UV light can be used effectively and safely. However, UV use for whitening should include procedures and equipment that protect gum tissue and direct the light only on appropriate areas.

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