National Smile Week

If you haven’t had a reason to smile today yet, we’ll give you one now. It’s National Smile Week! So go ahead – smile. In celebration, here are some fun facts about smiling that we bet you didn’t know.

1. There are many kinds of smiles that mean different things about the person behind it. These smiles express different emotions. Think about it. The smile that comes from you finding something funny is different from the polite smile you flash at a stranger on the street.
2. People perceive you as more attractive when smiling as opposed to not. In fact, 69% of people find women more attractive when they’re smiling than when they’re wearing makeup!
3. Simply smiling can help reduce stress. Smiling releases endorphins which, you know – make us happy!
4. Smiling is actually contagious. This isn’t just a myth!
5. Smiling is universal and one of your first expressions as a baby. All newborns smile and therefore scientists have found that smiling is not learned – it’s a completely natural reflex and is just part of being a human.

Whether or not you’re sporting braces, get your smile on this week. There’s never been a better time for it.

Why are retainers so important?

Whether you had metal braces, clear braces or Invisalign aligners, you will need to wear retainers after treatment. At first, you may be required to wear your retainer 3 to 6 months for 12-22 hours per day. This is based on many factors including the severity of your initial problem and your age. If the retainer is worn properly in the first 3 to 6 months, patients can begin to only wear them at night.

Why 12 months?

Your teeth are housed in your jawbones and when you undergo orthodontic treatment, you are pushing the teeth into a new position. In order for the tooth to move into a new position, it needs to have bone on the one side disappear or soften. Once the tooth is in the new position, new bone is deposited around the tooth to help it stabilize in its new position. This process of depositing new bone can take 9 to 12 months.

After 12 months, we recommend wearing your retainers 3-5 times a week for as long as you live because your teeth continue to slowly shift forward and inward as we get older. This movement occurs very slowly and in general takes decades to occur. However, it can be prevented through continued and consistent wear of retainers.

So, wear your retainer folks. Lost a retainer? Call the office and we’ll replace it! 210.354.3131

Before Braces

Before we can begin treatment, there are a few things our adult patients and future patients should know.

Get checked-out first – Not everyone is a candidate for braces right away. It’s necessary that patients have good oral health before beginning treatment. Make sure to visit your dentist for a proper cleaning and check-up. They might refer you to another specialist like a periodontist or other oral health care providers. Once you get the thumbs up from them – we can begin treatment.

Gums and jaw health – One of the other important things to consider is the state of your gums and jaw bones. If you have unhealthy gums, a lot of gum recession, or bone loss, braces may not be recommended because the pressure they put on your gums could cause unfavorable complications.

See an orthodontist – You may love your family dentist, and he or she may have told you that they can "do your braces" for a lot less money than an orthodontist. While this is very nice, it's also a big gamble. Orthodontists are specially trained in tooth movement and jaw function; dentists are not. Yes, some dentists have taken a few course hours to learn how to do Invisalign or other types of treatment, but that is not the main thing that they do.

If you have any questions, give us a call at 210.354.3131 and we’d be happy to answer! 

Get to Know: Yolanda Manzano

We love our Texas Orthodontics family! Get to know more about one of our team members: Yolanda Manzano!

Favorites -
Book: Little Women

Movie: A Walk In the Clouds
Color: Purple
Artist: Pink

Candy: Snickers
Team: Dallas Cowboys

Her bucket list:
1. To read all of my books

2. To find someone special

3. To have my place clean for more than one day

Who would you choose to play you in a TV Show?

Julia Roberts

If someone wrote a book about you, what would the title be?
The Wild

Who inspires you?
My children – they are my world.

What is your dream vacation?
Sitting on a beach

What is one piece of advice you would like to share with others about life?
Don’t take things for granted

If you could witness one event (past, present, future) which would you choose?

The crowning of Princess Diana

What is your why?

My kids are the reason for my life and what keeps me going.

What is Hyperdontia?

Most children are born with 20 primary teeth and 32 permanent teeth. Some children are born with more than this amount, and we refer to this as hyperdontia. Primary teeth are the first set of teeth that develop in your child’s mouth. Permanent teeth take the place of primary teeth and by the time your child is 21, he or she should have 32 permanent teeth.  Anyone who develops more than 32 permanent teeth has hyperdontia. These extra teeth are known as supernumerary teeth. 

The causes of hyperdontia are not entirely figured out, but research suggests there may be a genetic factor involved. Hyperdontia is affects between one and four percent of the U.S. population. The majority of those with hyperdontia have only one extra tooth.

Hyperdontia can be treated by orthodontic treatments, but treatments vary on a case by case basis. Orthodontic treatment may definitely help, but tooth extraction is also a great way to take care of the issue.  We recommend that children receive an oral hygiene evaluation no later than age seven. This is a great way to see if your child has hyperdontia. 

Invisalign Teen makes orthodontics easy

Teens are busy people. Between tests, Homecoming, football games, practice and first dates, there leaves little time for metal braces and the extra time it takes to take care of them – that’s where Invisalign Teen comes in. Here are three reasons why Invisalign Teen makes orthodontics easy –

1. Eat like you want - When you have standard metal braces, there are a number of things that are off-limits such as gum, popcorn, sticky candies and whole fruits. With Invisalign Teen, the aligners are completely removable, allowing you to eat all of your favorite foods whenever you want. This also means you can easily keep brushing and flossing as you normally would for proper oral hygiene.

2. They’re completely clear – Looking back at photos from high school are awkward enough without metal braces gleaming back at you. With Invisalign Teen, you can have the confidence of knowing that your smile is improving without the physical reminder.

3. Enjoy life as a teen – Whether you play sports or a musical instrument, a mouth full of metal can hold you back from enjoying the things you want to. It’s hard to perform at your best knowing you could get hit in the mouth with a ball, or cut your lip trying to hit that note on the trumpet. Invisalign Teen helps you focus on doing what you do best—being a teen.

The Price of a Smile

Let’s face it, everyone wants a beautiful straight smile, but braces have always appeared, for some, to be financially unattainable. At Texas Orthodontics, we believe everyone deserves to have the confidence that comes with a perfect smile. How do we do that? With consistent prices that are affordable to begin with! For just $83 a month, we can get you in Standard Metal Braces ($3480 total)! We invite you to shop around and find a lower price.

Our Comprehensive Care Includes -

New Patient Appointment: $0

• Orthodontic diagnostic records
• Orthodontic examination by doctor(s)
• Consultation with doctor(s) regarding the diagnosis and an individualized orthodontic treatment plan, including an estimated treatment time

Comprehensive Orthodontic Treatment: $3480 (For Standard Metal Braces)

• All office visits
• All orthodontic appliances necessary to complete treatment (braces, expanders, arch wires, head gear, rubber bands, aligners, etc.)
• All orthodontic emergency appointments, if applicable
• All orthodontic progress orthodontic records
• Continual communication with your general dentist and any other dental specialists, as needed

Post-Orthodontic Treatment: $0

• Post-orthodontic records
• One set of retainers
• One year of post-orthodontic treatment office visits

We want to provide the most affordable orthodontic services with unsurpassed quality. So give us a call (210.354.3131) today!