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Thinking About Mail-In Orthodontics? Read This First!

Wouldn’t you love to simply take a selfie, and/or impression Young man wearing clear braces.of your teeth or get your teeth scanned, and receive aligners that straighten your teeth in a few months without even leaving your home? Sounds too good to be true, huh?

This is exactly the type of convenience offered and advertised with direct-to-consumer orthodontics. Companies like SmileDirectClub, Smilelove, SnapCorrect, etc. are appealing because they address the concern most people have about orthodontics: time. The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) advises you to take a step back and look at the overall picture before considering the latest alternative to straighten your teeth. Read More

Are You Cleaning Your Braces with the Right Toothbrush?

You’re just starting orthodontic treatment and it’s time to brush your teeth. Dentist and orthodontist concept. Young woman smiling cleaning and brushing teeth with braces using toothbrushDo you brush with a manual or electric toothbrush? The truth is that either type of toothbrush does an effective job of cleaning the teeth. For those of you not convinced, we’ve listed some features and benefits of each so you can decide for yourself.

Benefits of Using a Manual Toothbrush

  • It’s simple, affordable and easy to find.
  • Changing your brush every 3 months doesn’t hurt your pockets.
  • Depending on the type of brush and your brushing method, manual toothbrushes could be softer on the tooth enamel and gums.

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Tooth Decay – New Approaches To Repairing

Tooth decay repair Scarborough METooth decay…Did you know that for over a century dentists removed both healthy and diseased portions of tooth structure when treating patients as a preventative measure to avoid future decay? However, in the 1970s, new treatment options emerged, in the dental field known as “Minimally Invasive Dentistry” (MID) attempts to preserve as much of the healthy structure as possible.

Before MID, dentists offered treatment protocol developed in the 19th Century where dentists remove healthy structure considered vulnerable to decay. This practice resulted in reducing the tooth’s volume and by today’s standards, created larger than necessary fillings.Read More

Oral Hygiene – What Is It?

Oral Hygiene Scarborough MEOral Hygiene … Okay, we all know what oral means and the definition of hygiene is “conditions or practices conducive to maintaining health and preventing disease, especially through cleanliness”. Therefore it means taking care of your mouth and teeth. All dentists and Orthodontists like those at Southern Maine Orthodontics recommend being attentive to your teeth and your overall oral health.

Oral hygiene and good oral health know no age limits. From infants to seniors oral hygiene is important to your whole health picture.Read More

Dental Abscess – How And Why

Dental Abscess Scarborough MEA dental abscess, or tooth abscess, is an accumulation of pus that forms inside the teeth or gums. The abscess typically originates from a bacterial infection, often one that has accumulated in the soft pulp of the tooth.

Bacteria exist in plaque, a by-product of food, saliva and bacteria in the mouth which sticks to the teeth and damages them, as well as the gums. If the plaque is not removed by regular and proper tooth brushing and flossing the bacteria may spread within the soft tissue inside the tooth or gums, eventually resulting in an abscess.Read More

Can Orthodontics Improve Speech Disorders?

speech disorders Scarborough MEDid you know that the alignment of your teeth can affect your speech? One of the first things people notice about you is your smile and how we communicate when talking. If you have issues speaking clearly, orthodontics can help!

Lisping, whistling or slurring, and mispronunciation of words with “s” and “t” are the most common offenders. Proper diagnosis and correction during a patient’s developmental years, by an orthodontist, makes it much easier to correct the tooth and/or jaw problems associated with poor speech habits. The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that all children be evaluated by age 7. Read More