Hocking Orthodontics Blog

Under Observation

Under Observation

As I have mentioned before, the AAO recommends that children be examined by an orthodontist starting at the age of 7. For young kids that need early Phase I intervention for one reason or another, this is great. But what about the majority of the kids who don’t need anything right now? In our office we have a complimentary Junior Observation program. Children who do not need a Phase I intervention are followed on a regular basis- often times yearly or every 6 months depending

Baby Tooth Extractions

Baby Tooth Extractions

Baby teeth (primary teeth) are meant to come out on their own. So then why would an orthodontist recommend extracting baby teeth? There are a variety of reasons why it might be recommended to extract a baby tooth. I generally leave it up to the patient’s pediatric dentist or family dentist to extract a tooth based upon decay. But, if there is a space issue, or if the adult tooth underneath is not developing straight and appears to be at an angle, it can be highly recommend

My Bracket Popped Off!

My Bracket Popped Off!

You have braces, and you are eating a sandwich when suddenly you notice something jiggling on your wire. Looking closely you see that it is one of your brackets… why did it come off and what should you do? First off, don’t worry! It is not an emergency. Generally a loose bracket will stay tied to the wire, so it is recommended to leave it alone. If the wiggling bothers you, you can place some wax over the bracket to make it comfortable, but most patients aren’t bothered by it

Parts of Braces

Parts of Braces

What are the different parts that make up braces? Having braces involves more than just the braces themselves. There are many ‘parts’ that work together to move and align teeth. The first part of course are the braces themselves. Braces is plural for a whole set of ‘brackets’. Individual braces are called brackets. A bracket is bonded to each tooth with a special tooth cement. The brackets themselves cannot move teeth. The second part that is critical for proper movemen

Orthodontic X-Rays

Orthodontic X-Rays

A question I get a lot is “I (or my child) just had x-rays taken at the dentist, why do I also need x-rays taken for orthodontics?” This is a valid question. In years past there was a lot of concern about the dose of radiation received from x-ray machines. As a result, it put patients and parents on high alert about receiving x-rays. The great news is that with the advent of digital radiography we can now enjoy significantly lower doses of radiation than ever before. One pano

The Mythical Effect of Wisdom Teeth

The Mythical Effect of Wisdom Teeth

Adults will often say that they had braces as a kid, and for a while very nicely aligned teeth… But then those darn wisdom teeth started to grow in and crowding ensued. Can we squarely put the blame on the wisdom teeth? Some years ago, many theorized that this was the case. Then, new research came out that actually showed that wisdom teeth aren’t the reason why teeth crowd. One such study looked at tooth alignment of former braces patients. These patients were placed into 3 c

Braces Friendly Foods

Braces Friendly Foods

When patients get braces there is a lot of talk about what foods they can’t have. Let’s talk about the things you can still have! The truth of the matter is that you can still eat most foods. The items that can break or damage braces and wires tend to be foods that are extremely hard (hard candies, lollipops, pretzel rods, whole nuts) or extremely sticky (Caramel, gum, gummy bears, taffy). In the sweets category, you can still enjoy things like chocolate, Kit Kats, Reese’s pe

Retainers: The Real Deal

Retainers: The Real Deal

How long should I wear retainers? Not that many years ago, the recommendation for wearing retainers was to wear them for a few months after orthodontic treatment and that was about it. Well, we know a lot more now than even 10 or 20 years ago and the new recommendation is to anticipate Retainer for Life. We all know that skin sags down and wrinkles form over time. Much in the same way, teeth have a tendency to shift forward and inwards over the course of a person’s lifetime.

TMJ

TMJ

TMJ Up to ¾ of Americans may experience at least one sign of a temporomandibular joint problem. Yes, that many! These signs can be anything from soreness of the jaw, popping, clicking, locking of the jaw, or migraine headaches. Does this mean that these symptoms need treatment? No. Experts in the field of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery from Mass General Hospital affilitated with Harvard School of Dental Medicine in Boston have indicated that only about 5% of patients with sym

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