It has been a long time since we have tended to our blog as much of our energy has been focused on growing our facebook fan page.In 2011 we will be focused on creating more content for Web site.

With that being said, it seemed worth while to mention that The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced plans Friday to lower the recommended level of fluoride in drinking water for the first time in nearly 50 years, based on a fresh review of the science.

One reason for the change is that the prevalence of fluorosis, a condition in which teeth have spotting or streaking, has increased. Fluorosis is now found in 2 out of every 5 adolescents. In addition, there are growing worries about more serious dangers from excessive fluoride intake.

To find out more you can read the post on the CDC’s Web site here.7 You can also read the AP’s take on the story here.

It is time to announce our contest winner. But first, a few details. We had a total of 54 Wall postings over the course of the past 2 months and now have a total of 79 fans. The winner was selected using a random number generator with minimum and maximum values of 1 and 54 respectively. The first post on March 1st was numbered one and the final post on April 30th as 54.

And now for our winners… Carla Garcia and Ty Wagner. They will be spinning the wheel during Ty’s next visit.

We will be starting another contest as of today with the winner getting to spin our office prize wheel.Good luck. We will randomly select a wall posting on July 1st.

My wife and I (also an orthodontist) recently watched an episode of Ugly Betty in which Betty finally had her braces removed. I say “finally,” because she has had her braces on for a very long time (at least 4 years – and who knows when she got them on). This is unfortunate because it perpetuates the misconception that orthodontic treatment takes 4-5 years. This could not be further from the truth. In reality the average treatment time at Humphries Orthodontics is approximately 2 years, and often less, depending on the nature of a patient’s orthodontic problems.

(For those who don’t want to read my long winded diatribe there is a summary at the end)

Nonetheless, we were eager to see her smile without the braces (even though we have seen photographs of the actress without her braces). The first thing that caught our eye was a space behind her upper left lateral incisor. It becomes increasingly apparent on a big screen HD TV. America Ferrera has beautiful teeth and a beautiful smile but this was disappointing, especially since they say repeatedly in the episode that she has the “perfect smile.” We actually never noticed the space before since the retainer that she wears for her braces on the show masks the space. My first comment to my wife when they unveiled her new smile was, “her orthodontist didn’t do a very good job, they left a space distal to the upper left 2.” Leaving a space between anterior (front) teeth is certainly not ideal and not a fantastic result (as a side note there are instances in which this may be a part of the individualized treatment plan but would be later closed with restorative dentistry – bonding or a veneer).

One of the greatest aspects of the “braces removal” episode of Ugly Betty was that they alluded to the impact of a beautiful smile. They did this by showing a head trauma induced daydream in which Betty sees what life would have been like if she always had a perfect smile. Ultimately, an esthetically pleasing smile in conjunction with ideal function can lead to vast improvements in quality of life. This ranges from esthetic to functional improvements. Orthodontics routinely leads to a profound increase in self esteem. We often see teenagers transform before our eyes as their self confidence improves with a beautiful smile. Orthodontic treatment can also allow for more efficient and effective mastication. It is commonplace for adult patients to rediscover the joys of eating with an ideal bite. Orthodontics can also resolve issues causing problems with the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), some of which can be very painful for patients. Orthodontic treatment can resolve crowding which can lead to localized or generalized bone loss and periodontal disease. Obviously orthodontics will not have the effect that was portrayed in Betty’s daydream but there are many benefits of orthodontic treatment and this episode certainly painted our profession in a good light.

We also appreciated that they had an appropriate plier for removing Ugly Betty’s braces. It is too often in television or movies that props are used for dramatic effect rather than accuracy (in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Charlie wore a face-mask and a headgear which pull in opposite directions and are never used in conjunction with one another).

We did have a few complaints in addition to the space. The episode made it seem like Betty just decided she was ready to get her braces off and so she called an orthodontist and scheduled the removal appointment. This could be misleading to people in that it is imperative to have regular orthodontic adjustments in order to achieve the goals of your individualized treatment plan.. My final complaint is nit picky but, they did not show the adhesive (glue) being removed after the braces were taken off of the teeth. This oversite was necessary for the story line and allowed the orthodontist to take off the braces outside of the office. Nonetheless that is the most time consuming part of having your braces removed.

Overall, having somebody in the spotlight wearing braces is certainly a great thing for the profession. The show sent a message that there is nothing wrong with wearing braces. We will miss Betty and her braces.

Here is a summary:

The Good

• Betty got her braces off
• They used an appropriate plier to do so
• They episode where she gets them off focused on the value of a beautiful smile (although certainly over done for dramatic effect)

The Bad

• She finished “treatment” with a space behind her upper left lateral incisor
• She had her braces on way too long
• You need to regularly see your orthodontist to complete treatemnt
• The adhesive needs to be removed when you get your braces off

There are several indication for orthodontic expansion. The first is what is called a cross-bite. A cross-bite is a orthodontic problem in which the top teeth are inside of the bottom teeth (there is another type of cross-bite but for the sake of comprehension we will not go into it here). They can occur in the front teeth (anterior teeth) and the back teeth (posterior teeth).

Another indication for expansion is for the correction of dental crowding. Crowding is an orthodontic problem in which the width of the teeth is greater than the amount of bone available to house those teeth. The most common biproduct is rotated teeth. This is by far one of the most common orthodontic problems. In simplified terms there are really only two way in which to resolve crowding. They are making more space and expansion. There are two ways to make space which are polishing between teeth or extractions (taking teeth out).

There are many ways to achieve orthodontic expansion and each orthodontist has their preferred method for achieving such movement. At Humphries Orthodontics we generally use one of three different methods for expansion depending upon the specific needs of each patient. These methods include expansion using arch wires (expansion using just the braces and wires) and two different orthodontic appliances. The two appliances are both orthopedic in nature in that they transfer forces from the appliance to the underlying bone via the teeth to cause changes in the bone. The two appliance we use are the hyrax and the quad helix.

The quad helix (called quad or expander for short) is comprised of orthodontic bands on the maxillary (upper) molars and some wires. There are two wires that lay along the inside of the upper teeth and another wire with four helices that is connect between the right and left molar bands. The quad is essentially a large spring and it is convenient that it is a compliance independent appliance. The quad helix is adjusted prior to being cemented into a patient’s mouth and the expansion occurs slowly over the course of 6-9 months. Occasionally Dr. Humphries will make adjustments to the expander at the routine adjustment appointments.

Generally speaking the quad helix is a very effective appliance and it is easily tolerated by patients (especially those in a first phase of orthodontic treatment). Some patients may have difficulty speaking immediately after the delivery of the appliance but adjust shortly afterward. We even have patients that are accomplished singers that have had not problem singing with the appliance.

If you have any questions regarding a quad helix or any other orthodontic concerns please do not hesitate to give our office a call

Our new custom prize wheel has been a great success. Here is a photo of the wheel with our wonderful staff. For our existing orthodontic patients there are two ways to earn a spin of the wheel.

1. Win our bimonthly counting contest
2. Collect 50 wooden nickels

Who will be next to spin the Humphries Orthodontics Prize Wheel?

We have yet another office contest. Simply become a fan of Humphries Orthodontics on facebook and write something on our wall and you will be entered into a bimonthly drawing to spin our office prize wheel. By adding photos or additional postings on our wall you will receive additional drawing entries. Good Luck!!!

Just wanted to let everybody know that Humphries Orthodontics is now on facebook. You can become a fan of Humphries Orthodontics and follow our office news on our facebook page. Tell your friends and family! We will be doing a drawing from our fans at the end of March for a free spin of our Humphries Ortho Prize Wheel.

As many of our patients are now aware, we will be starting our wooden nickel rewards program March 1st, 2010. Patients can earn wooden nickels for a myriad of things from excellent orthodontic compliance to anniversaries or good grades. Wooden nickels can be exchanged for a number of exciting prizes.

We feel that the Humphries Orthodontics wooden nickel incentive program will contribute to our effort to make every orthodontic visit as exciting as possible.

Submit your favorite summer photograph for a chance to win a 3rd generation iPod Shuffle. Patients will have until October 15th to submit their photos. All photos must be brought in to the office for them to be considered for the contest. Good Luck!

We are very excited to announce that Humphries Orthodontics is now offering a new service in the office. As of Tuesday, May 26 we will be taking all X-rays and photographs in our office. This will be of great convenience to our patients. No longer will patients have to schedule additional appointments to have records taken. Patients will be able to have the necessary photographs and X-rays taken during their orthodontic exam, consultaion, or appointment. Our new X-ray machine will automatically export the digital X-Rays right into the patient’s digital chart. X-rays can be viewed instantly after exposure and eare asily sent to general dentists or other dental specialists via secure encrypted email. We are very excited about this addition to office and know that it will increase the quality of the care that Dr. Humphries is able to provide for his patients.