"How Orthodontics Changed My Life" video contest!

Our staff at Orthodontic Associates wanted to direct your attention to an exciting contest that our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists are currently running. The contest, “How Orthodontics Changed My Life,” is all about you - tell the AAO your story about treatment at Orthodontic Associates. Contest entrants should tell their stories on video, answering questions such as:

* - What were you like before you had orthodontic treatment?
* - How have you changed How proud are you of your new smile?
* - When did you notice changes in yourself?
* - What kinds of changes have you noticed?
* - What does your new smile mean to you?
* - What would you say to others whose smiles make them self-conscious?

There will be two winners; each winner will be awarded a $2,500 scholarship. The contest is open to students who are age 18 who have completed active orthodontic treatment (braces must have been removed) and be in the active retention phase of treatment or have completed active retention.

Contest guidelines, available here, provide instructions to contestants on submitting their videos, which are to be submitted on DVDs or USB flash drives and accompanied by a signed release.

Drs. Mayers, Janowski and Ahman hope you'll find time to submit your video! GOOD LUCK!!

Retainers, retainers, retainers...

If you've recently completed your treatment at Orthodontic Associates, our staff would like to take this time to congratulate you! Now that your braces have been removed, Drs. Ahman, Mayers or Janowski will provide—or have provided you—with retainers.

Retainers are important because after braces are removed, teeth may 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 by Drs. Ahman, Mayers or Janowski 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.).

Give us a call if you have any questions and again, congratulations on being braces-free!

Ask Orthodontic Associates: Am I too old for treatment?

Who’s afraid of “metal mouth” and the appearance of braces? Not adults, apparently. Recently, our staff read a fascinating statistic: the number of adults getting braces has climbed 24 percent since 1996! Yes, braces help make your pearly whites strong, healthy and perfectly-aligned, but perhaps another reason for the spike in adult braces is this: people want to look and feel great. In an age—and society—where looks matter as much as anything, and at a time when evenly-aligned teeth might be the difference between getting a job or a promotion, adults are choosing—wisely, we might add—to invest in orthodontics. Treatment at Orthodontic Associates can be successful at any age, and adults especially appreciate the benefits of a beautiful smile.

If you’ve been thinking about getting that perfect smile, Drs. Mayers, Ahman and Janowski would love to have you visit for a consultation. Please give us a call to set one up!

Parsing through the myths and facts about orthodontics with the Orthodontic Associates team

Drs. Mayers, Ahman and Janowski know there quite a lot of myths about orthodontics (and orthodontists) flying around these days. But before you buy into those myths, our team at Orthodontic Associates think you should get the facts! We came across a great site that helps set the record straight. Our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists have some excellent information on the myths and facts of orthodontics. We encourage you to check them out today!

If you have any questions about orthodontics or your treatment here at Orthodontic Associates, feel free to give us a call at our Lima, Ottawa or Celina locations! Happy Wednesday!