Each February, the American Dental Association (ADA) sponsors National Children's Dental Health Month to raise awareness about the importance of good oral health. Dr. Duane Grummons supports the ADA in their efforts.

Attached are some fun activities you can use to engage kids of all ages regarding dental health. Download Here

February is also National Pet Dental Health Month.

Did you know that human toothpaste can irritate your animal’s stomach? Watch this video on proper oral hygiene for your pet's teeth.

If you take good care of your teeth on a regular basis with proper brushing and flossing, the cost of maintaining your teeth is minimal. (watch video below) However, if your oral hygiene is lax, the cost of dental care rises, depending upon what it needed to correct the situation, be it a routine filling, root canal, or implant and bridge to replace a lost tooth.

Dental care expenses can mount up quickly in a family, especially with a member of the family in orthodontic treatment. The best assurance for good dental health has always been and still is regular brushing and flossing. Flossing is something that many of us do not do nearly as often as we should and some probably do not do it at all. If it is difficult to get adults to floss regularly, the battle parents have getting their kids to do it, especially if they have to weave the dental between teeth and wires while wearing braces, is even harder.

Some consider using a WaterPik, whether in orthodontic treatment or not, a substitute for flossing to flush out food between teeth. The WaterPik is sometimes considered simpler and faster to use than dental floss, but the question is does it work as well to keep teeth clean rather than regular flossing?

While using a WaterPik can seem much easier to maneuver in the mouth than dental floss, it actually doesn’t do the job as well. The water can’t penetrate as well between teeth that tightly fit together or are crowded, which prevents proper removal of food and plaque which causes gum disease and decay.

So, the answer to the question… Is a Waterpik as effective in removing food and particles from between teeth and around the gum line as good as dental flossing? The answer is no.

However, it is a great way to remove large pieces of food from between the teeth, especially while wearing braces. At Grummons Orthodontics, we want to stress the importance of both brushing and flossing during treatment to maintain good dental health. If you want to use a Waterpik, that’s great, just don’t use it as a substitute for flossing.

Watch this video below on what can happen if you don’t brush and floss your teeth properly and learn how to properly floss between teeth while wearing braces.

After watching this video, how important do you think it is to take care of your teeth properly during orthodontic treatment? Please comment below.

According to the American Dental Association, most kids stop sucking their thumbs on their own by the ages of 2 – 4 with little if any damage as a result. The habit no longer serves its purpose, so they stop. However, children who vigorously suck their thumbs and continue to do so beyond age four risk causing damage that will require orthodontic treatment to correct. The thumb or fingers can exert unwanted pressures upon teeth, bone, and soft tissues in the mouth causing problems with positioning of teeth and growth of the jaws.

The most obvious consequences of a persistent thumb or finger habit are:
• Pushing the upper front teeth (incisors) out and the lower incisors in… resulting in the "Bucky Beaver" smile.
• Preventing the front teeth from erupting all the way together causing an openbite.
• Stopping the lower jaw from developing normally, resulting in a recessive or "weak" chin.
• Narrowing of the soft tissue in the palate of the mouth, resulting in a crossbite.

If a child doesn't eventually stop sucking their thumbs on their own, an orthodontist can install appliances that take away the pleasing sensation children get when sucking their thumbs. However, before I recommend placement of an orthodontic appliance, we always encourage a child to stop the habit on their own.

Here are five tips Dr. Duane Grummons at Grummons Orthodontics offers parents to proactively encourage their child to stop a damaging finger habit after the age of 5. Remember, in many cases, it is just as difficult for a child to stop sucking their thumb or finger as it is for an adult to stop smoking cigarettes. Be supportive and understanding.
• 1. Explain to your child the damage their habit is causing to their mouth and teeth. Kids today are smarter than you think. They like being treated like an adult. Pictures of buck teeth and openbites go a long way helping drive home the point.
• 2. Develop a program with your child's input to stop the habit. Let them be proactive in determining the best way to correct their own problem. They are more likely to cooperate if they have a choice in the process. Suggest aids like, wearing a sock to bed at night when they fall asleep as a reminder or sitting on their hands while driving in a car or watching TV. With some children, there is a blanket or stuffed animal that goes hand in hand with the habit. It is difficult to stop one, without removing the other. I know it sounds like a double whammy… but it is often what is needed to be successful.
• 3. Set up a calendar to track progress with a reward system at the end of every week offering small rewards. There is nothing wrong with bribing your child to stop a habit that is adverse to their dental health. With older children, offer a large reward after the habit has stopped for at least 4-6 weeks. Make the reward well worth the hard work and emotional stress it takes to stop a persistent habit.
• 4. If you notice your child relapsing, work on alleviating what is causing the stress and anxiety which causes the reaction, rather than the habit itself.
• 5. Children always respond more favorably to positive praise vs negative criticism. Instead of reminding them to stop the habit, praise them when they are proactively decreasing or eliminating the habit.

Even though the habit stopped at an early age, orthodontic treatment still may be indicated due damage prior to stopping the habit. As a parent, it is now your turn to be proactive when it comes to your child's long term dental health. Have your child checked by an orthodontist by age 7 to determine if early orthodontic treatment is indicated to correct a skeletal growth problem caused by a thumb or finger habit by age seven.

Young children seem to be fascinated with them also. They may not chew on them like a pet, but they tend to pick them up out of curiosity, distort them, and drop them wherever they roam, making them hard to find.

At Grummons Orthodontics we can’t stress enough the importance of taking care of your retainers. Here are some tips on how to keep your appliances out of harms way. We have heard all the horror stories and very little surprises us anymore. The safest place for retainers is usually in the mouth.

• Always place the retainer in the retainer case when not in your mouth. If it is in your case, it is more protected. If placed in a pocket it can fall out and disappear or end up in the wash and be destroyed. If it is out of your case in your backpack, gym bag, or on a locker shelf, you are asking for trouble. If you leave it lying around in the open on furniture, it is an accident waiting to happen in more ways than one.
• Do not wrap the retainer in a napkin while eating at home, school, or a friend’s house. There is a good chance it will end up in the garbage by mistake. It’s a nasty job sifting through garbage for a retainer, especially at school or in a restaurant! YUK…
• Do not clean the retainer with hot water or boil your retainer to sterilize. It will distort the plastic so it won’t fit and then you must replace it!
• Take them out when swimming. More than one retainer has ended up lost in the ocean surf, bottom of a lake, or public pool.
• Take them out when vomiting. Once you flush, they are gone!
• And the one rule that seems to be most popular…KEEP RETAINERS… AWAY FROM PETS AND SMALL CHILDREN!

If you go without wearing your retainer for any prolong length of time, especially right after the braces are removed, your teeth will begin to move. One set of retainers is included with treatment. If you break or lose them due to your own loss or neglect, there is normally a replacement fee, so please be careful.

If you have lost or damaged your retainer or retainers, contact our office to schedule an appointment to replace them. Maintaining your smile depends on it!

The Night Before Christmas (with my braces)

Twas the night before Christmas, Santa flying all places
Delivering presents to children with braces.

There’s lights on the tree and a wreath on the door
I’m merry as can be when my teeth are not sore!

The cookies so crunchy, the roast beef so chewy,
But I must eat food that is softer and gooey…

My family munched on their chocolates and dips
Well, those only would have gone straight to my hips.

While Santa shouts orders to Blitzen and Vixen,
I’m cleaning my braces — my teeth they’re a-fixin!

This year I’ve been good, gone the extra mile
So Santa, this year I want a new healthy smile!

Goodbye crooked teeth, and spaces too tight;
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good bite!

Ortho, Ortho, Ortho
(to the tune of Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel)

I had a maloclussion
It bugged me every day
The ortho said he'd fix it
And to him I did say,

Oh ortho, ortho, ortho
When do these braces go away?
When will my teeth be straightened?
What can I eat? Oy vey!

And so I wore my braces
Brushed after every meal
I also wore elastics,
for I was no schlameel.

Oh ortho, ortho, ortho
When is my next appointment?
My gums are feeling kinda sore
May I have some ointment?

I couldn't chew the brisket
Or bite the chocolate gelt
At least there were the latkes
In my mouth they did melt!

Oh ortho, ortho, ortho
I simply cannot wait
Til the day these braces leave,
And all my teeth are straight!

So now it's two years later
And I’m grinning in style
As I light my menorah, I think:
I sure love my straighter smile!

Oh ortho, ortho, ortho
When do these braces go away?
When will my teeth be straightened?
What can I eat? Oy vey!

Have a fun and safe holiday season! Remember, one of the best gifts you can give yourself is to take good care of your teeth! Special thanks to Lynn from archwired.com for the original ideas (we’ve tweaked them just a little).

An orthodontist completes several years of extensive training beyond dental school to become an expert at correcting jaw problems and straightening teeth. A dentist may see only a handful of cases a year amid all their drilling and filling. An orthodontist only practices orthodontics and treats hundreds of cases a year. An orthodontist doesn’t clean teeth, fill cavities, extract teeth or perform any of the routine procedures offered by your general dentist. It is not our area of expertise. So be sure to see your dentist every six months for cleaning and checkups while wearing braces.

When it comes to the challenges and complexities of orthodontic treatment, most people prefer a specialist well trained and experienced. You can depend on Grummons Orthodontics for the best of both worlds: a well functioning bite and the smile of your life!

Watch this video created by the American Association of Orthodontics. It discusses why you should choose an orthodontist when considering orthodontic treatment.

Our world, both professional and personal at Grummons Orthodontics, is changing at lightning speed. It is an exciting age we live in and amazes us every day as we are sure it does you. If we are here today, where will we be one, two, or even ten years down the road? The amount of information presented to us every day and busy life styles we live moment-to-moment is mind boggling and exciting, while sometimes intimidating and challenging to us all. Please click the "Did You Know?" link to enjoy this video.

Did You Know? – The most amazing home videos are here

We appreciate every one of our patients at Grummons Orthodontics we have had the privilege to treat and interact with in our practice, whether it be with braces or Invisalign. With our new Blog, we now have the ability to easily inform patients, family members and friends on different aspects of orthodontic treatment and dental care, share with you what is going on in our office, and discuss topics of interest we feel you would enjoy…

At Grummons Orthodontics, we work very hard to keep up with the latest changes every day, not only in orthodontic treatment and technology, but customer service and the interaction we have with our patients and the community. We embrace change! It's what life and growth is all about.

Leave a comment below and let us know what you think about our changing world. Do you find the world today exciting or intimidating? Feel free to add suggestions on what you would like us to discuss in the future on our blog…