How to turn an expander in the mouth, from Dr. Janowski

Has your orthodontist said that it's time to turn your palatal expander? Watch this great video to see how Dr. Janowski instructs patients to turn their expander. The palatal expander "expands" (widens) your upper jaw by putting gentle pressure on your upper molars each time an adjustment is made. Please give us a call if you have any questions about your palatal expander. Or, ask Dr. Janowski, Dr. Ahman, or Dr. Mayers the next time you're in for an appointment!

Have a great week!

-Orthodontic Associates

Drs. Ahman, Janowski, and Mayers, wishing you a happy Parents' Day!

Our team at Orthodontic Associates wants to know, do you and your family have any plans for this weekend? If you didn't know already, the third Sunday of every July is Parents' Day! According to the Congressional Resolution, this holiday is a time for recognizing, uplifting, and supporting the role of parents in the rearing of children, similar to Mother's and Father's Day.

Our team at Orthodontic Associates would like to wish you a safe and happy Parents' Day! Thank you to all of the amazing parental role models in our community! If you have any stories or pictures to share with us, we encourage you to share them on our Facebook page.

Have a great weekend,

-Orthodontic Associates

Drs. Ahman, Mayers and Janowski and Cooks for Books

At Orthodontic Associates, we value children's literacy, which is why we are continuing supporters of the Lima Juniors Service League. Our involvement within the service league has focused on their Cooks for Books- Chef Challenge, an annual must-attend event and fundraiser at the Lima Veterans Civic Center in Lima, OH. This year's theme for the Cooks for Books fundraiser was “A Black and White Affair: Celebrating 75 Years of Lima Junior Service League.”

In celebration of the program's diamond anniversary, six local chefs prepared appetizer samples. Everyone had the opportunity to vote for their appetizer favorites. One of the event highlights was when the two chefs with the most votes competed in a Iron Chef style competition using a secret ingredient.

Next time you're in for an appointment, let us know if you have any questions about the Lima Junior Service League or the Cooks for Books- Chef Challenge event! Our office enjoys supporting children's literacy through non-profit organizations and community events.

Have a great week,

Your friends at Orthodontics Associates

Featured patient reviews for Orthodontic Associates!

Once in a while, our staff at Orthodontic Associates like to highlight patient reviews that make us really proud to do the work we do: creating beautiful smiles in Lima, Celina ane Ottawa. Here's what two of our patients had to say about their treatment:

"Dr. Joseph Janowski: Just starting the process with my daughter, but the office is great! Pleasant atmosphere; helpful staff; very relaxing environment overall. Really puts the patient (and parents) at ease." ~ Randi

"Scene & Service: So clean, decorated really nice, bright, spacious. Assistants are well at their jobs. Cheerful. Knowledgable. Dr.'s are great. My TMJ is getting resolved after so many years. They have monthly drawings. On time. Seats are facing out the windows which is really nice, you can watch whats going on outside instead of being bored inside.. It's great!!!" ~ Anonymous

Thanks for writing in! We're glad to have helped create such a beautiful smile for you both! We encourage all our patients to contribute your own thoughts about our office!

Orthodontic Associates want to know: Are you suffering from sleep disorders?

Sleep apnea, a condition in which folks repeatedly stop breathing at night, can occur as many as 20 to 30 times an hour. Drs. Ahman, Mayers and Janowski will tell you sleep apnea is considered a serious medical problem that, if left untreated, can lead to high blood pressure, increasing the risk of heart failure and stroke.

There are two kinds of sleep apnea: obstructive apnea and central apnea, and the preferred method of treating the condition is a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device, which includes a mask, tubes and a fan. A CPAP device uses air pressure to push your tongue forward and open your throat, allowing air to pass through your throat.

The following symptoms can indicate the presence of sleep apnea. If you notice one or more of these, give our team a call as soon as possible.

* Insomnia or difficulty sleeping
* Loud snoring at night
* Waking up at night short of breath
* Snorting or choking sounds during the night (indicating a restart of breathing)
* Headaches upon waking in the morning
* Falling asleep unintentionally during the day
* Extreme drowsiness throughout the day

Have a great week everyone! We hope you had a GREAT Fourth of July weekend!