Holiday Food Drive at The Braces Place

It is getting to be that time of year....the weather is getting cooler, football is on TV, and festive decorations are going up.  During the holidays season, we like to take time to give thanks for all the blessings we received throughout the year and we look forward to holiday cheer!  

We also want to make sure others have a reason to celebrate as well, so please partner with us this holiday season and lets help those in the community that are in need.  

Join in our FOOD DRIVE and bring in non-perishable food items to our office.  For each item you bring, you will be entered to WIN 4 FREE MOVIE TICKETS!!

Plus, The Braces Place will match your donation!!  So help us reach the goal of 1,000 cans of food by December 20th to donate to the Families helping Families program!!  

Join us at the Lexington Fall Festival!!!

The Braces Place will be setup for fun at the Lexingtion Fall Festival. Come stop by our table for a chance to win an Oral-B Vitality Toothbrush. Plus, we will be passing out candy and information about the different types of braces we offer.

The  Fall Festival is sponsored by the Lexington Police Department and it is on Tuesday October 23, it will start at 6 p.m. and continue to 9 p.m. at the Lexington Municipal Complex at 111 Maiden Lane.

Admission is $5 per person or $15 for families.The entry covers all food and rides plus all proceeds go into the Adopt-A-Cop Fund and to Blue Star Mothers of the Midlands.
 

Activities include air fun rides, a Halloween costume contest, games, prizes and candy. Participants can enjoy hotdogs, hamburgers, drinks, snow cones and cotton candy provided by the department.
Hope to see you there!!!
- The Braces Place

 

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2012/10/14/2481357/lexington-police-dept-fall-festival.html#storylink=cpy

Halloween Candy and Braces

We hope you are having a very happy October!  Its time to carve pumpkins and think of the perfect Halloween costume.  Everyone loves to Trick-or-Treat and if you have braces you don't have to miss out on the fun!

Here are some candies choices that are more braces friendly:

1) 3 Musketeers
2) Reeses Peanut Butter Cups
3) Milky Way
4) Mounds
5) Classic Hersheys Bars
6) Nestle Crunch
7) Kit Kats

These candies are more braces friendly because they are softer and less sticky than some of the other popular candies.  Remember, braces are fragile, and strong forces from hard foods will break them off. Damaged appliances will extend treatment time. Extended treatment time will increase the risk of cavities and stains on your teeth.

The type of candy you want to avoid with braces are the hard, sticky, or gooey candies. These include (but are not limited to): Skittles, M&Ms, Starburst, Caramels, Tootsie Rolls/Pops, Smarties, Laffy Taffy, Butterfingers, Dots, Heath Bars, Mr. Good Bars, Babe Ruth, Charleston Chew....and many others!!

Remember, almost all candy has lots of sugar. Sugar helps cause cavities, so it is important to brush your teeth after eating any candy. 

We hope you have a fun and safe Halloween!! 

-The Braces Place

Back to School with Braces?  What do you need to know?

1. Bring a toothbrush to school - it is very important to clean those teeth after lunch!!

2. The school nurse is a GREAT resource - they will have wax for pokey wires, tylenol for sore teeth and toothfairy boxes for the ones you wiggle out.

3. If you have a bracket that comes loose, make sure you call our office (359-4480) to see if we need to get you in to have the brace put back on.

4. Carry extra rubberbands - if you are wearing rubberbands, make sure you have an extra pack for school, so you can change to new bands after lunch.

4. Wear a mouthguard for sports! - Be sure you protect those teeth and gums. We recommend a regular boil type of mouthguard, but instead of boiling it, just trim it to fit. If it fits too snug (like when you boil and form it) it won't allow your teeth to move properly.

5. Have fun!! We hope you have a great school year

What is the deal with rubber bands and elastics?

Rubber bands, or elastics, can be an integral aspect of orthodontic care, so if Dr. Garrison or Pennella has prescribed elastics as a part of your treatment, it’s important to follow the directions fully. Elastics help to align your bite or cause teeth to move in different directions and straighten more quickly. We will instruct you how to hook one end to an upper bracket and the other end to a lower bracket so the rubber band goes vertically or diagonally from one bracket to another. The tension of the rubber band produces pressure on the bracket, which causes the teeth to move and straighten. This tension is also sufficient to correct an overbite or an under bite in the jaw.

If rubber bands are a part of your treatment plan, there are a few things to keep in mind. With rubber bands, you won’t be able to open your mouth fully, so they will have to be removed when you eat and reapplied after meal time. Many times, rubber bands are only needed at night, so you won’t need to worry about eating with them. Also, if you try to open your mouth too wide, your rubber bands might snap – so be careful!
Failure to wear your elastics full time or as instructed can lengthen your treatment time and may make it more difficult to achieve an optimal result. But don’t worry; your time in elastics will be well worth it when you see your beautiful, new smile.

Orthodontics is not just for kids......

       Orthodontic treatment for adults is becoming much more common. In fact, the number of adults seeking orthodontic treatment has climbed 24 percent since 1996! More adults than ever are realizing that braces are not just for kids, and can help improve the esthetics and health of a smile of any age! In todays society, appearance matters and can help make the difference between getting a job or a promotion, therefore adults are choosing wisely to invest in a straight and beautiful smile.

 Adult patients come to us considering orthodontic treatment for some of the following common reasons:

• Crowded or spaced teeth, sometimes as a result of tooth decay or gum disease

• Pain or pressure from crooked teeth or a misaligned jaw

• A bad bite or malocclusion, causing teeth to fit together incorrectly or causing excessive wear

Most of all though, adult patients come to our office seeking a healthier mouth and a more confident smile! Orthodontic treatment at our office can be successful at any age, and adults especially can appreciate the benefits of a beautiful smile.

As an adult patient, we recognize that you have different needs than our younger patients, and we will work with you to ensure you receive the most appropriate treatment and that your needs are met with understanding and respect from us. In addition, we offer may treatment options that are more discreet than traditional braces. These include: Invisalign, Lingual braces (invisible braces on the inside of the teeth), and clear braces.

If you’ve been thinking about getting that perfect smile, we would love to have you visit for a consultation. We understand you have a busy schedule, and will work with you to find a time that is convenient for you. Please visit our website www.mybracesplace.com or give our office a call (803) 359-4480 to schedule your complimentary consultation appointment today!

May is for Mothers!

History of Mother's Day: Anna Jarvis

Anna Jarvis is recognized as the Founder of Mothers Day in US. Though Anna Jarvis never married and never had kids, she is also known as the Mother of Mothers Day, an apt title for the lady who worked hard to bestow honor on all mothers.

Anna Jarvis got the inspiration of celebrating Mothers Day from her own mother Mrs Anna Marie Reeves Jarvis in her childhood. An activist and social worker, Mrs Jarvis used to express her desire that someday someone must honor all mothers, living and dead, and pay tribute to the contributions made by them.

A loving daughter, Anna never forgot her mothers word and when her mother died in 1905, she resolved to fulfill her mothers desire of having a mothers day. Growing negligent attitude of adult Americans towards their mothers and a desire to honor her mothers soared her ambitions.

To begin with Anna, sent carnations in the church service in Grafton, West Virginia to honor her mother. Carnations were her mothers favorite flower and Anna felt that they symbolised a mothers pure love. Later Anna along with her supporters wrote letters to people in positions of power lobbying for the official declaration of Mothers Day holiday. The hard work paid off. By 1911, Mother's Day was celebrated in almost every state in the Union and on May 8, 1914 President Woodrow Wilson signed a Joint Resolution designating the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day.

To celebrate our amazing mothers of patients in our practice we will be drawing names for a "Mom of the Day!" for each workday in May. The "Mom of the Day" will receive a Starbucks gift card!

Why are some people's teeth crooked?

There are several reasons why some people’s teeth grow in crooked, overlapping, or twisted. Some people’s mouths are too small for their teeth, which crowds the teeth and causes them to shift. In other cases, a person’s upper and lower jaws aren’t the same size or are malformed. Most often, crooked teeth are inherited traits just as the color of your eyes or hair. Other causes of crooked teeth are early loss of baby or adult teeth, undue pressure on the teeth and gums, misalignment of jaw after facial injury, or common oral health problems in children such as thumb sucking, tongue thrusting, or prolonged use of a bottle or pacifier.

Having crooked teeth isn’t just a cosmetic issue; it can lead to serious health problems as well. Crooked teeth can:

• interfere with proper chewing
• make keeping teeth clean more of a challenge, increasing the risk of tooth decay, cavities, and gingivitis
• strain the teeth, jaws, and muscles, increasing the risk of breaking a tooth

There are several orthodontic procedures that can help correct crooked teeth, and at the office of Dr. Garrison and  Dr.Pennella,we have many services that we can customize to meet your needs, including traditional metal braces, clear braces, and Invisalign®.We want you to be proud to show off your smile!

Welcome to The Braces Place Blog!!

The Blog is currently under construction, but we are excited to offer The Braces Place Blog as a way to give you more information about orthodontics, invisalign, and about what is going on in the office.

Be sure to check back soon!

- The Braces Place