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Earth Day is observed worldwide on April 22nd and with it brings an important reminder that our planet belongs to each and every one of us. It takes all of us equally doing our part to preserve it! As Earth Day rolls around each year, we’re reminded of the importance of being environmentally friendly but you don’t have to wait for Earth Day to start protecting the planet or look for big ways to make an impact. Every small step you take leads to a  more sustainable planet and SmilesForever Orthodontics strives to reduce our carbon footprint every day!

There are Clean Teeth and there are CLEAN Teeth

What’s the difference? Brushing and flossing help prevent tooth decay and gum disease. Both are very important in maintaining good oral and dental health, in and out of braces. We can all make wiser choices regarding the products we use to maintain our sparkly teeth and healthy gums. The American Dental Association recommends replacing your toothbrush every three to four months. The standard toothbrush is made of a hard plastic handle and a set of soft nylon bristles which are bad for the environment. Most come in plastic packaging which greatly impacts our landfills.

While taking care of your oral hygiene you can make a difference in helping the environment by:

• Going Natural: Choosing a toothbrush made from recycled and renewable materials.
• Recycle your old toothbrushes. The Colgate Oral Care Recycling Program accepts old toothbrushes, used toothpaste tubes and dental floss containers as well. As these items are each made from multiple types of materials, they can't be processed by your city’s regular recycling plant.
• Turning off the water: You’re diligently brushing, paying careful attention to technique and time - but wait! You’re in the zone and zoning out - by leaving the water running? It’s time to turn that water off while you brush!

What we’re doing:

• We strive to limit our SmilesForever Orthodontics carbon footprint by minimizing our paper usage and keeping digital records and charts for our patients.
• Our insurance coordinators make every effort to handle claims for our patients, using secure and HIPAA compliant protocol.
• Our patients can receive their appointment reminders through e-mail or text messages.
• The toothbrushes at our brushing station are made from recycled products!
• Our ligature ties (the cute colors holding the arch wire into the brackets) and our rubber bands are BPA free!
• We minimize radiation for our patients by providing in-house digital cephalometric and panoramic x-rays.

Take a moment to consider how you can help save our beautiful planet. If you’re concerned with making changes, rest assured that when it comes to your orthodontic treatment and care, Dr. Brad Gilbert, Dr. Adam Wells and our SmilesForever team are striving to make a difference with products carefully selected to ensure our practice complies with reducing our carbon footprint!

Are you an adult thinking you may be too old for braces? Have you always wanted straight teeth and a confident smile but have shied away from a mouth full of metal?

Is There A "Best" Age For Straightening Teeth?

You may be aware that the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) recommend an orthodontic evaluation beginning at age seven with the majority of straightening teeth during the teen years. Perhaps you have younger children or teenagers who are just getting braces or have been through their orthodontic treatment to result in their own beautiful, confident smiles.

Orthodontic treatment can be beneficial at ANY age. The AAO also states that one in four orthodontic patients are adults! Adult teeth are also able to be moved using braces or Invisalign®. Thinking braces and Invisalign® are only for children and teens shouldn’t be a deterrent to achieving the straight smile you have always wanted.

Why Choose Invisalign®?

While we offer clear porcelain brackets and tooth colored arch wires for our adult patients choosing a more discreet orthodontic process, we equally treat a large amount of adults with the Invisalign® straightening treatment option. Invisalign® clear aligner trays are made from a clear, comfortable, medical grade acrylic material that fit over the arch of your teeth, and are often undetectable. This means no bulky metal and no potentially uncomfortable comments from friends and acquaintances.

Another major advantage of Invisalign® for our adult patients is the fact that the trays are removable. Removable trays mean patients are able to brush and floss teeth as normal, maintaining their normal oral hygiene regimen throughout the entire straightening process. This also allows patients the flexibility to remove their aligners for eating as the recommended time to wear them is 22 hours per day.

Choosing An Invisalign® Provider

Adults often become confused on just who to choose as their Invisalign® provider as many dentists are now offering Invisalign® as a dental service. While it may seem easier to purchase Invisalign® through your dentist and not switch between dental and orthodontic practices, dentists often do not have extensive experience or broader understanding of orthodontic tooth movement compared to orthodontists as they have not gone through the extensive orthodontic schooling and training that orthodontists must acquire. At SmilesForever Orthodontics, we are confident that the extra years of study and experience Dr. Brad Gilbert and Dr. Adam Wells have achieved will provide a more comprehensive treatment for you. Our highly trained SmilesForever orthodontists and our orthodontic team understand the complexities of the mouth and have a thorough understanding of all orthodontic treatment, allowing us to offer the best treatment for your needs.

Is Invisalign® right for me?

Invisalign®, in part, relies on the compliance of the patient. As the aligners are removable for eating and cleaning, some patients find it hard to remember to wear them or choose only to wear them at certain times. While offering the flexibility of briefly removing them, leaving them off for extended periods of time will limit the effectiveness. As mentioned previously, it is very important to wear the aligners as instructed by the orthodontist, typically 22 hours per day to ensure optimal results.

No two mouths are the same and your mouth is uniquely yours. Invisalign® has helped thousands of patients around the world achieve the cosmetic results they were looking for. However, there are a few instances where the Invisalign® system may not achieve optimal results. For example, problems concerning bite, crowding or an over abundance of space, to name a few, may require treatment such as traditional braces. The best way to know whether you are a good candidate for Invisalign® aligners is to come in for your FREE orthodontic consultation with SmilesForever Orthodontics where Dr. Wells and Dr. Gilbert will help you to make the right decision for you.

How many of our SmilesForever Logos do you see? 314 in celebration of National Pi Day!

Our SmilesForever Orthodontics doctors and staff are SO excited it's National Pi Day!    No - not THAT kind of pie - we're talking about pi or π!

What is Pi?

Written as 3.14, pi is a number representing the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter. We calculate the circumference of a circle by multiplying its diameter by pi. Pi is thought to be a special number because it is an irrational number, meaning that it can't be expressed as a simple fraction. Mathematicians, scientists and other curious people have been fascinated by pi for hundreds of years trying to determine whether there is a pattern to its digits or whether they are completely random.

Well, to be a bit more exact, the number is 3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510
58209749445923078164062862089986280348253421170679... we can TRY to be MORE precise but pi literally goes on forever!

Why do we celebrate National Pi Day?

National Pi Day came about in 2009 to promote mathematics. Our SmilesForever Orthodontics staff loves Pi Day because many businesses celebrate with pie deals. Yes - THAT pie! Pizza, fruit, cream, pumpkin, sweet potato, chicken, yummy, braces-friendly PIE!

Yummy Local "Pi" Deals we found online:

"Pies don’t have to be round. On National Pi Day (Thursday, March 14), visit Bojangles’ to experience three rectangular-shaped Sweet Potato Pies for the fitting price of $3.14."

"For Pi Day this year, Kroger grocery stores will offer fruit-based, sweet potato, pumpkin and no sugar-added pies for just $3.14, which is over 30 percent off their regular retail price."

 

"If you love Boston Market's Pot Pie - click on the link below or go to their website to download a coupon for a Buy 1 Pot Pie & A Drink - Get 1 Pot Pie FREE!"

Coupon Link 

Five Fun Pi Facts

1. Albert Einstein was born on pi day in 1879.
2. Pi is the number of times that a circle's diameter will fit around a circle's circumference.
3. Without knowing the true value of pi, it's impossible to find the circumference of a circle.
4. The first 31 digits of pi contain NO zeroes.
5. In the first 6,000,000,000 numbers of pi:

• 0 occurs 599,963,005 times
• 1 occurs 600,033,260 times
• 2 occurs 599,999,169 times
• 3 occurs 600,000,243 times
• 4 occurs 599,957,439 times
• 5 occurs 600,017,176 times
• 6 occurs 600,016,588 times
• 7 occurs 600,009,044 times
• 8 occurs 599,987,038 times

• 9 occurs 600,017,038 times

However you choose to celebrate - we wish you Happy National Pi Day from Dr. Brad Gilbert, Dr. Adam Wells and our SmilesForever Orthodontics Team!

Wondering How to Get Along with Your Braces?

You've taken steps toward gaining a healthier, more confident smile by choosing orthodontic treatment. Now you're wondering how the heck you're going to get along with these life-changing sparklers over the course of your treatment. Don't worry - you and your braces will become good friends over the coming months or years. In fact, they'll become your sparkling new "bestie" by getting your relationship off to a good start!

Dr. Brad Gilbert and Dr. Adam Wells aren't only your orthodontists, they've been through treatment too! They, along with our SmilesForever Orthodontics team, have a few tips to help you avoid a rocky relationship with your braces:

1. Remember to floss! We understand it’s difficult to floss around your braces, but it’s the best way to prevent gum disease and other oral health problems. Ask our staff for floss threaders to make the chore easier - we'll happily show you how to use them! Unhealthy gums turn red and often bleed when brushing. Just a few minutes of flossing each day will help keep your gums and teeth healthy while in braces.
2. Avoid those hard, crunchy, sticky or chewy foods - your braces and your orthodontists will thank you! These foods can break wires, brackets and your teeth too and Dr. wells and Dr. Gilbert believe it's best to avoid them altogether. We have several boards with yummy braces-friendly recipes on our Pinterest page. Start with our Braces-Friendly School Lunches board.
3. Try chewing foods with your back teeth, especially if you’re used to taking large bites with your front teeth. Try instead, breaking or cutting smaller pieces of food and placing them into your mouth to chew using your back teeth instead of biting into foods with your front teeth. Taking large bites of food with your front teeth can break a bracket off!
4. Do your homework and always wear your rubber bands, headgear and other orthodontic appliances as instructed! Wearing these may seem annoying at first but that will quickly change once you get into the habit. Besides, it's proven that not complying with wearing them can increase the length of your treatment.
5. Check out our Pinterest page Taking Care of Your Teeth and Braces and always feel free to call us with any concerns or questions - we're here to help you LOVE your braces and smile!