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How Does Orthodontic Treatment Help Children?

Orthodontic treatment will help your child bite and chew and contribute to clear speech. When their teeth function properly the achieve a strong, balanced appearance. An attractive smile is a result of orthodontic treatment, and can do wonders for confidence. Self-confidence and self-esteem may improve as orthodontic treatment brings teeth, lips and face into proportion. Straight teeth are less prone to decay, gum disease and injury.

Most orthodontic problems are inherited. Some are “acquired,” developing over time by sucking the thumb or fingers, mouth breathing, dental disease, abnormal swallowing, poor dental hygiene, or early or late loss of baby teeth, accidents and poor nutrition. Sometimes an inherited orthodontic problem is complicated by an acquired problem. Whatever the cause, orthodontists are usually able to treat most conditions successfully.

All Kids Should Get A Checkup with an Orthodontist No Later than Age Seven

To have a healthy smile that's good for life®, your child needs teeth and jaws that are properly aligned. The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) recommends that your child get a checkup with an orthodontist at the first recognition of the existence of an orthodontic problem, but no later than age seven. By then, your child has enough permanent teeth for an orthodontist to determine whether an orthodontic problem exists or is developing. Putting off a checkup with an orthodontist until a child has lost all baby teeth could be a disservice. Some orthodontic problems may be easier to correct if they're found early. A checkup no later than age seven gives your orthodontist the opportunity to recommend the appropriate treatment at the appropriate time. If early treatment is in order, the orthodontist may be able to achieve results that may not be possible once the face and jaws have finished growing.

If you have any questions or concerns throughout your treatment or in the future, please consult your orthodontist or visit mylifemysmile.org.

Did Your Children Miss Appointments?

If your child missed appointments during the past couple of months, we are here for you & want to get your caught up. We are contacting patients about re-scheduling. You can also take the proactive step to contact us to schedule at your convenience. We make every effort to move your appointment in a timely manner, but you should expect a slightly longer appointment than before due to safety protocols.

We are incredibly happy to be open to serve the oral care & orthodontic needs of our patients from the greater East Bay Area. Our updated safety protocols, disinfecting procedures & personal protective equipment ensure visits to our office are safe.  We are following the ADA.org Guidance, CDC.gov & CDA.org COVID-19 Updates. When you & your children return to our office you will see our enhanced safety features & personal protective equipment is action. 

Creating Generations of Smiles Through A Legacy of Personal Care and Heartfelt Service!

Dr. Jennifer L. Martin and our team love transforming lives, one smile at a time. We work one-to-one with each patient to determine their clinical needs and care goals, and then develop individual treatment paths to create their healthy new smile. We appreciate parents who understand the importance of getting their children a proper start towards a lifetime or oral & orthodontic health.

We offer complimentary consultations for you and your family at our Pleasant Hill, CA orthodontic office, serving Martinez, Concord, Walnut Creek and Lafayette. Please call to learn more and schedule your consultation, today.

Dr. Martin and everyone at Jennifer L. Martin, DDS, look forward to welcoming you to our practice. We would love to develop a long-term relationship with you, while making the beautiful smile of your dreams a reality!

Jennifer L. Martin, D.D.S.
401 Gregory Lane, Suite 126
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
Phone: (925) 676-8485

Email Martin Family Orthodontics

Tips for Starting Invisalign® Treatment | Invisalign   New to the Invisalign® family? The video highlights the key things you need to know as you get started with your Invisalign treatment.   Read tips below for additional pointers.

Tips for Starting Invisalign Treatment(opens in a new tab)

1. Only Take Your Aligners Out for Eating, Drinking, and Cleaning

Aligners are removable but that doesn’t mean you should remove them whenever you want. To stay on track with your treatment, you need to wear your aligners at least 20 to 22 hours per day. That leaves two to four hours free for eating all your meals, brushing and flossing your teeth, and drinking things outside of water. This might sound like a lot of time, but once you start a timer every time you sit down to eat, drink or brush your teeth, you will soon realize how quickly you use that small window up.

If you fail to wear your aligners for the recommended 20 to 22 hours per day, your treatment might take longer than your original plan. The longer you keep your aligners out, the longer it will take for your teeth to move.

2. Store Your Aligners Clean and Safe

We’re sure you’ve heard horror stories about teens who lost their retainers because their dogs ate them. Well, the same is true with Invisalign aligners. Dogs will eat them if you leave them out, or you might lose them. Every time you need to remove your aligners, whether to eat, drink, or brush your teeth, it’s important that you store your aligners in the provided case. This will prevent you from losing them or from a dog finding their new favorite chew toy.

If you do happen to lose or damage an aligner, this will put a pause on your treatment while you wait for a replacement aligner to arrive. Therefore, it can cause your treatment to take even longer than planned.

3.  Aligners Need Daily Cleaning

You’ll need to keep your aligners clean. Otherwise, plaque and bacteria will build up and cause them to look stained and give you bad breath. To prevent this from occurring, you need to clean your aligners daily by soaking them in cleaning crystals and gently brushing them with a soft-bristled toothbrush. You can do this every night before going to bed and every morning when you brush and floss your teeth. This will help you prevent cavities and maintain fresh breath throughout your treatment.

Without regularly cleaning your aligners, it’s very likely you will experience bad breath, plaque buildup, and even potentially gum disease and cavities. If you can’t commit to regularly cleaning your aligners, we don’t recommend Invisalign treatment for you.

4. Maintain Your Oral Hygiene by Brushing and Flossing Regularly

With Invisalign, you have no excuse not to brush and floss your teeth since your aligners are removable. Thankfully, brushing and flossing with Invisalign is as easy as brushing and flossing without Invisalign. Keep up your regular brushing and flossing routine during your treatment to keep your aligners fresh and to prevent oral health problems. If you can’t brush after a meal or drink, rinsing your mouth with water or quickly chewing on a piece of sugar-free gum can help.

5. Maintain Your Dental Appointments

With removable aligners, all you have to do to visit the dentist is simply take them out for your cleaning. You don’t have to deal with the hassle of having your wire removed. Continue your same oral hygiene routine including dental cleanings to ensure your oral health doesn’t decline and to address oral health problems in their tracks.

6. Change Your Aligners in the Correct Order When you receive your Invisalign aligners, we will tell you how often to wear each set. Typically, patients wear each set for about two weeks before moving onto the next set. It’s important that you follow our recommended schedule and move onto the correct set. If you try to pop in an aligner that’s for two months from now, it’s not going to fit in your mouth. Sticking with our schedule and in the correct order will ensure your treatment moves along in the correct time frame

Tips for Starting Invisalign Treatment

Can We Schedule Your Appointment Today?

Dr. Martin and everyone at Jennifer L. Martin, DDS, look forward to welcoming you to our practice. We would love to develop a long-term relationship with you, while making the beautiful smile of your dreams a reality!

We offer complimentary consultations at our Pleasant Hill, CA orthodontic office, serving Martinez, Concord, Walnut Creek and Lafayette. Please call to learn more and schedule your consultation, today.

Jennifer L. Martin, D.D.S.
401 Gregory Lane, Suite 126
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
Phone: (925) 676-8485

Email: martinorthodontics@att.net

#MartinFamilySmiles #Invisalign #Braces #Orthodontist #EastBay #PleasantHill #Best #Dentist #2023 #Braces #ClearAligners #AAO #Questions #Foods #Niners #Giants

What Foods Can I Eat with Braces?

If you’re thinking about getting braces or have already decided to improve your smile, you likely have concerns about what foods you can and can’t eat.

There are many braces friendly foods that you can still eat and enjoy throughout your orthodontic treatment. Like any other adjustment, the first few days are the toughest. Getting braces means your mouth will likely be sensitive in the days following your initial appointment, which is why soft foods are best for you in the beginning. When in doubt, anything that’s easy to chew is a great choice – hello, mac n’ cheese!

Some ideal foods to eat right after getting braces (and for the rest of your treatment) include:

• Oatmeal
• Scrambled eggs
• Soups
• Pasta
• Seafood
• Soft vegetables
• Mashed potatoes
• Soft cheeses
• Bananas
• Yogurt

There are several “safe” foods that are fine to enjoy during treatment but may cause sensitivity in the first few days. Some foods to avoid when experiencing tooth sensitivity include:

• Ice cream
• Spicy foods
• Citrus fruits
• Chewy bread or rolls
• Chewy cuts of meat

Thankfully, you’ll be able to enjoy these foods again as soon as your teeth adjust to having braces.

Foods to Eliminate with braces

Let’s get the not-so-fun part out of the way! There are certain foods that you’ll have to avoid during treatment – namely anything that’s hard or sticky. These foods can damage your wires or bands or even cause a bracket to separate from a tooth.

Some foods to altogether avoid with braces include:

• Hard candy
• Sticky candy such as jellybeans, licorice, caramel, or taffy
• Popcorn
• Nuts
• Hard pretzels or chips
• Crunchy vegetables or fruits
• Pizza crust
• Bagels or hard rolls
• Ice

Best foods for your smile

The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) encourages you to enjoy a variety of healthy and easy-to-chew foods during orthodontic treatment.

In addition to the foods that you can eat right after you get braces, a complete list of some excellent foods for braces includes:

Dairy:

• Yogurt
• Milk
• Cottage Cheese

Bread and Grains:

• Oatmeal
• Pancakes and waffles
• Muffins (without nuts)
• Pasta
• Cooked rice

Meats and Proteins:

• Shredded Chicken
• Meatloaf
• Meatballs
• Lunchmeat
• Fish
• Eggs

Fruits & Vegetables:

• Bananas
• Applesauce
• Watermelon
• Grapes
• Mashed potatoes
• Cooked beans
• Steamed vegetables

Sweets:

• Pudding
• Soft cookies
• Soft chocolates (no nuts or caramel)
• Jell-O
• Ice cream
• Milkshakes
• Cake/cupcakes (soft bread, no nuts)

And that’s just for starters! We encourage you to look at this experience as an ideal time to branch out and try different foods. Who knows, you might find some new recipes that stay on your menu long after your braces come off.

Can We Schedule Your Appointment Today?

We offer complimentary consultations at our Pleasant Hill, CA orthodontic office, serving Martinez, Concord, Walnut Creek and Lafayette. Please call to learn more and schedule your consultation, today.

Dr. Martin and everyone at Jennifer L. Martin, DDS, look forward to welcoming you to our practice. We would love to develop a long-term relationship with you, while making the beautiful smile of your dreams a reality!

Jennifer L. Martin, D.D.S.
401 Gregory Lane, Suite 126
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
Phone: (925) 676-8485

Email: martinorthodontics@att.net

#MartinFamilySmiles #Invisalign #Braces #Orthodontist #EastBay #PleasantHill #Best #Dentist #2023 #Braces #ClearAligners #AAO #Questions #Foods #Niners #Giants

Start Early in the Year to Save Money

[caption id="attachment_1181" align="alignright" width="300"] Your FSA, HSA or Insurance Can Help Pay for Invisalign Treatment[/caption]

HSAs, Health Savings Accounts, and FSAs, Flexible Spending Accounts, are savings accounts that let you set aside money on a pre-tax basis to pay for qualified medical expenses, including orthodontic treatment. Money set aside throughout the year is a salary you do not have to pay taxes on. By using untaxed dollars in an HSA or FSA to help pay for your orthodontic treatment, you save money!

Watch & learn more...

Most financial institutions agree that the flexibility of these types of accounts can work great if you have predictable medical expenses each year.  Plan participants should contact your HSA or FSA provider for specific details on their HAS/FSA plan.

The team at Martin Family Orthodontcs can help you use your HSA or FSA to pay for your orthodontic care.  AAO Orthodontists have an additional 2-3 years of training specifically in moving teeth and providing a beautiful and healthy smile for their patients.

Health Benefits of Orthodontics

The primary purpose of orthodontic treatment is to create a healthy bite—straight teeth that properly meet opposing teeth in the opposite jaw. A good bite makes it easier for you to bite, chew and speak.

If your teeth are crowded, protrusive, spaced too far apart, meet in an abnormal way, or do not meet at all, correction may be recommended. Braces and aligners are the “appliances” orthodontists most commonly use to guide your teeth into their proper positions. Retainers preserve and stabilize the results of your orthodontic treatment.
From reducing your risk of gum disease to improving bite functions and overall dental health, there are many clear benefits when you receive orthodontic care.

Martin Family Orthodontics | Pleasant Hill CA | Jennifer Martin, DDS

We offer complimentary consultations at our Pleasant Hill, CA orthodontic office, serving Martinez, Concord, Walnut Creek and Lafayette. Please call to learn more and schedule your consultation, today.

Dr. Martin and everyone at Jennifer L. Martin, DDS, look forward to welcoming you to our practice. We would love to develop a long-term relationship with you, while making the beautiful smile of your dreams a reality!

Jennifer L. Martin, D.D.S.
401 Gregory Lane, Suite 126
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
Phone: (925) 676-8485

Email: martinorthodontics@att.net

#MartinFamilySmiles #Invisalign #Braces #Orthodontist #EastBay #PleasantHill #Best #Dentist #2022 #Braces #ClearAligners #FSA #HSA #FlexSpendingAccount #HealthSavingsAccount #Best