Confidence in Your Consultation

Your first visit in our office will  include a personal consultation with our doctors. You will find this visit to be extremely informative. Once you have arrived and checked in, you will be greeted by one of our Patient Coordinators. Because we request that health history forms be filled out and returned to our office prior to your initial consultation, we will have already contacted your general dentist, and obtained the necessary information regarding your history. This form can be sent to you via standard mail when the consultation is scheduled, or you may download it directly from our website for quick and convenient access.

One of the best ways to prepare for an orthodontic consultation is to understand your options. With so many choices available today, orthodontic care is a lot more versatile than in the past. You can start preparing now by seeking out and understanding the options. With a few specific things in mind, you can be totally confident and prepared for your consultation. Feel free to watch the Sondhi-Biggs Initial Consultation video on our website to learn more about our consultation process.

Once your consultation is complete, your options are not exhausted. If questions arise after the consultation, don't be afraid to ask. Our orthodontic team is always ready to help throughout the entire process.

With answers to your questions, and our orthodontic team on your side, you can be confident about any necessary orthodontic treatments. From the initial consultation to the day your braces are removed, your orthodontic treatment at Sondhi-Biggs Orthodontics promises to be a smooth and simple process.

What is Dentofacial Orthopedics?

 

You may have noticed that we specialize in orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics. And while most people we talk to have heard about orthodontics, many are confused by what "dentofacial orthopedics" means. Today, our team thought we would explain the difference.

While orthodontics entails the management of tooth movement, dentofacial orthopedics involves the guidance of jaw growth and facial development. This growth occurs during childhood, and is the reason why children between the ages of 7 and 12 are often the best candidates for receiving dentofacial orthopedic therapy. Dr. Sondhi and Dr. Biggs will examine and monitor your child's growth to determine the right age for starting treatment. During this phase, Dr. Sondhi and Dr. Biggs will use treatments designed to correct your child's jaw growth and make sure that the jaw bones are properly aligned before evaluating for the next phase of treatment, which involves braces to straighten the teeth.

With our younger patients, we know that the jaw bones are still forming, making it easier for our team at Sondhi-Biggs Orthodontics to modify bone growth and tooth movement. Adults, however, are a different story; their bones are no longer growing, and their jaw bones have matured, so it requires different treatment to adjust the bite and move teeth into proper alignment. Adults may also require some jaw surgery.

Because our team at Sondhi-Biggs Orthodontics is skilled in both areas, we are able to diagnose misalignments in the teeth and jaws as well as the facial structure, and can develop a treatment plan that integrates both orthodontic and dentofacial orthopedic treatments.

We hope that helps! To learn more about dentofacial orthopedics, and to find out if this type of treatment is right for your child, please contact our office and schedule and initial consultation for your child. It's never too late to get a great smile, and we can't wait to help you or your child get started.

What's your bottled water missing?

As more people turn to bottled water and away from the tap, they may be missing out on one important ingredient that most brands of bottled water fail to include: fluoride! Because fluoride helps strengthen teeth, it is an important component of maintaining good oral health. Our friends at the American Dental Association have endorsed both community water fluoridation and the use of fluoride-containing products as a safe means of preventing tooth decay.

In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have also warned that "bottled water may not have a sufficient amount of fluoride, which is important for preventing tooth decay and promoting oral health." One 2012 study in the Journal of Pediatric Dentistry found that more than 65% of parents using bottled water did not know what levels of fluoride were contained in bottled water.

If bottled water happens to be the beverage of choice for you or your family, check the label to make sure your selected brand contains fluoride.  Of course, simply drinking fluoridated water is not a magic ticket to perfectly healthy teeth. To keep your pearly whites in tip-top shape, it's important to brush and floss daily while avoid sugary sweets, in addition to maintaining your fluoride intake.

Questions about fluoride? Give any of our Sondhi-Biggs Orthodontics team members a call. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

Straight teeth are just one of several benefits you get from braces.....

Everyone wants a naturally aligned and beautiful smile, and it is no secret that orthodontic braces can help deliver one. However, there are greater benefits to wearing braces than just having straight teeth. You'll also gain many oral health benefits.


Tooth Decay and Gum Disease

Crooked or crowded teeth may overlap and create tight spaces in between. This can make it very difficult to brush and floss effectively, allowing bacteria and plaque to build up, which eventually leads to tooth decay and gum disease. With orthodontic treatment, your teeth will become properly aligned and spaced, which allows for more effective brushing and flossing.

Difficulties with Speech

Your teeth play an essential role in speech. When they are out of line or lean too far forward or backward, speech patterns can be affected. Braces will readjust the positioning of the teeth to allow for clearer pronunciation.

Bone Erosion

Without the support of the teeth, bone and gum tissues begin to erode. This is also true for poorly aligned teeth that leave gaps and spaces, or place too much pressure on the jawbone due to a misaligned bite. With braces, the bones and tissues are less likely to erode, allowing for continued support for the teeth in their new alignment.

Digestion

Your teeth play an important role in digestion. Before food ever enters your stomach, it has been partially digested during the chewing process. If teeth are severely misaligned, they may not play their role in breaking down food as effectively as they should. With braces, your teeth will be straightened into optimal alignment for eating and chewing.

Our doctors and staff at Sondhi-Biggs Orthodontics will be happy to answer any of your questions about orthodontic treatment. Visit our YouTube channel and watch our "Introduction to Orthodontics" video to learn more.

Indirect Bonding

Many of our patients at Sondhi-Biggs Orthodontics ask us about indirect bonding, a method of applying braces to the teeth in such a manner that an entire set of braces can be applied at once, usually in less than an hour. In many orthodontic offices, braces are placed on each individual tooth, one at a time. The procedure required meticulous, long, painstaking sessions for both patient and doctor, to ensure each bracket was in the correct position, especially in the back of the mouth. Indirect bonding helps provide more accurate placement of braces, and therefore makes the process more precise and efficient .

Indirect Bonding Process

Indirect bonding is a techniques in which molds of the teeth are made and most of the work for the braces is done in the lab. It is a remarkable process that depends on our ability to make particularly accurate models of your teeth. Much detail goes into the accurate measurement and alignment of the model, since your mouth is naturally unique to you.

The braces are placed on the models of the teeth, exactly in the right place, fitted into the trays made on the model, and sealed and cured.

Setting the Braces

When you come to Sondhi-Biggs Orthodontics to have your molds made, your braces are made from the molds of your own teeth. All that remains is a short appointment to fit the trays onto your teeth, align them, and separate the braces from the trays.

Your own teeth will have to undergo some preparatory work in order to accept the braces. This involves preparing the surface of the teeth for the adhesive for the braces, as well as preparing the surfaces of any crowns. You will also have a short period to wait while the adhesive cures.

All the other work that would traditionally have been done in the orthodontist's chair has been done on the models, and by the time the orthodontist sees you for the appointment to place your braces, your braces are precisely aligned to your teeth, Visit our YouTube Channel on our website to view the basics of this process. Indirect Bonding is just another example of how Sondhi-Biggs Orthodontics is Smiles Above the Rest.

Cold Temps are Not the only Thing in the Air....

The dreaded cold and flu season is here again! This raises a common question around the office: Should we replace a toothbrush when we have been sick?

Since the flu is a viral infection, antibodies are developed once you have been infected, which helps prevent you from catching the same illness twice. Even for bacterial infections or minor illnesses like the common cold, the likelihood of becoming re-infected from your toothbrush is fairly slim. Also, toothpaste frequently contains antibacterial compounds, which further decrease the chances of becoming re-infected.

 

The American Dental Association recommends the following tips for toothbrush care:

• Do not share toothbrushes, especially if you are sick.
• Allow the brush to air dry after each use.
• Store the toothbrush in an upright position to allow water to drain and dry faster.
• Replace your toothbrush every 3-4 months. Worn bristles are less effective in properly cleaning your teeth, and can actually be damaging to teeth if used too long!

We hope these tips help! Feel free to give any one of our Sondhi-Biggs Orthodontics team members a call if you have any questions!

What is your New Year's resolution?

The beginning of a new year is often a time to reflect on the year that was, and to set personal goals for the upcoming year. Do you have ideas on how you plan to improve your health and happiness in 2014? It's never too late to think about New Year's resolutions, and we recommend making a commitment that benefits your oral health!

It's important that New Year's resolutions are reasonable and attainable, and that they improve your overall quality of life. For example, did you know that flossing every day is the very best way to prevent gum disease during your orthodontic treatment? Using a straw when drinking sugary beverages can also help prevent cavities while you are wearing braces. There are many small steps that you can take to prevent cavities, oral infections and bad breath.

If your resolution is to attain a great looking smile, Sondhi-Biggs Orthodontics would love to help! Please feel free to contact any one of our team members to schedule your appointment. Happy Holidays!