We’re open again! Shutting down our orthodontic offices for COVID was necessary to keep our staff and patients safe, but we sure did miss seeing all of your smiling faces in the office. Now that we’re taking patients again, many people are asking “Is it safe to go to the orthodontist during COVID?” So we wanted to address that question in a blog.

Being safe in COVID comes down to taking the right precautions, whether you’re going to the orthodontist, the grocery store, or school. We know that this virus is here to stay, at least until a vaccine is developed. So until then, keeping yourself safe is a matter of following the recommended guidelines from the CDC and using common sense.

We’re taking all kinds of precautions to make sure our staff and our patients stay safe from COVID at our orthodontist’s office. From the minute you walk in our door, you’ll see tons of changes we’ve made in an effort to kick COVID to the curb.

Here are some things we’re doing to make sure it’s safe to go to the orthodontist in COVID:

1. Masks are required to enter our office. Every person in our office is required to wear a mask at all times, except when the patient is sitting in the chair being examined. Forgot your mask? Don’t worry. We’ll provide one for you.
2. The waiting room is “patients only”. To help with social distancing, we’re only letting patients wait in our waiting room. Of course, parents of a young patient may stay. But for everyone else, we ask that you let us know how you’d like to be contacted so we can call or text you when your patient is ready for pickup.
3. Special precautions over aerosols. We’ve always followed PPE guidelines to prevent the spread of blood-borne illnesses. Since COVID is a respiratory illness, we’ve stepped our precautions up a few notches. In particular, we’ve taken new measures to make sure that saliva and respiratory droplets (aerosols) are not blasted into the air, as that’s how COVID is transmitted. We’re also taking precautions to stop aerosols from spreading around the office, such as partitions and extra-oral suction devices.
4. Staggered appointments – We’re booking fewer appointments at the same time so we limit the number of people in the office at once and can maintain social distancing.
5. Tooth brushing is no longer allowed – That’s something you never expected to hear from an orthodontist’s office, isn’t it?!? Please brush and floss at home before you get to your appointment. We’ve closed the common toothbrushing area to prevent cross-contamination.
6. Temperature checks. We are checking the temperature of everyone that walks in our door. Anyone that presents with a fever will be asked to reschedule for another day.
7. Antiseptic rinse. Every patient is required to rinse with Peroxyl, an antiseptic mouth rinse, for 60 seconds at the beginning of the appointment. This rinsing reduces the number of microbes in the mouth as an added layer of protection for our staff and fellow patients.
8. Air purifiers and evacuation systems. We have installed air purifiers and high-velocity evacuation systems to trap aerosols quickly and efficiently throughout the office. This prevents the spread of respiratory droplets throughout the office.
9. All of our staff is wearing PPE – Staff members are required to wear medical grade PPE to prevent the spread of germs to and from the patients and each other. The level of PPE needed will depend on their particular assignment and sometimes even the specific type of appointment.

We’re working hard to keep you safe

The COVID pandemic can seem scary, but when we all do our part to keep each other safe, we can make a real difference. All of our precautions are for your benefit as well as the safety of our staff. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding during this time. We won’t let COVID keep our patients from getting the orthodontic care they need to have beautiful forever smiles!

Oral health begins at a young age and carries with us into adulthood. When it comes to educating kids about their teeth, the struggle comes with kids understanding the importance of taking special care of their teeth and how their oral health affects them in the long run! When it comes to educating and taking care of your child’s pearly whites, here are our top four ways, with input from children’s dentists, to help.

Lead By Example

That’s right – make it interactive. Kids learn by others showing them how to do activities, and brushing along with flossing is no different. Take five minutes after meals to demonstrate proper brushing technique, to floss adequately between teeth, and don’t forget to make it fun. Maybe make up a rhyme about how to keep your teeth healthy.

Give Them Control

Once it’s time to graduate to a “big kid toothbrush” load up the car and head to the grocery store. Take a little stroll down the toothpaste and toothbrush aisle and let your child pick out something they love. By giving your child a choice in a color, size, or taste they like, you’re giving reign to them getting excited about something important.

Learn About Foods

By learning which foods are better for teeth than others, you’ll be able to teach both about healthy teeth and healthy bodies. Educating them about how sugar, sodas, fruit juices, pasta, potato chips, and many more should be eaten sparingly and brushing regularly will help build knowledge.

Reward System

Think about how a reward system might be beneficial! Whether it be small (like stickers on a poster) or a little bigger (a new toy at the end of the month if they brush and floss everyday), having healthy motivators will push a child towards excellence as they take on the extra responsibility of oral health.

But don’t forget that children are still in the process of learning how to effectively care for their teeth. Incorporating fluoride treatment for teeth can provide your child with the strong defense they require to tackle cavities while they continue to learn proper dental care techniques.

Summary

Proper education will take a child far, and brushing and flossing everyday is no different. By giving them the key to success starting young, you’re preparing them for a bright and sparkly future.

 

You may be familiar with the old adage: “Don’t eat all that sugar, it’ll rot your teeth out.” And maybe that isn’t as far off as we were once led to believe.

Sugar is known to cause tooth decay, but very few are aware of how this can take place. After all, it isn’t necessarily the sugar causing tooth decay but the bacteria in your mouth. One you eat a cookie, a piece of cake, or candy, the bacteria are ready to feast!

As the bacteria eat the leftover sugars, acids are produced and slowly destroy the protective coating, tooth enamel, covering your teeth. The acids slowly cause holes in your teeth which can lead to cavities, pain, and frustration.

Not only are your teeth at risk, but so are your gums. Excessive sugar intake can lead to gum disease in the mouth which can advance quickly if left untreated.

How can you watch out for your sugar intake? First, be aware of how much sugar you consume in a single day. From protein bars, sodas, lattes, and your Acai bowl, sugar is in just about everything, even if it’s only a small amount.

Natural sugars exist in fruit and dairy products, added sugars are in syrups in sodas, chocolate, and ice cream, and free sugars are in honey and fruit juices. Both added and free sugars do not provide essential nutrients to the body and add extra calories along with extra risk for tooth decay.

Not only can sugar harm teeth and gums, it can harm your brain with impaired learning as well as memory loss. Noteworthy is sugar causing anxiety, irritability, wrinkles, early aging, and can contribute to heart disease and diabetes.

So how do you prevent yourself from going off the deep end with sugars and ensure good dental care? First, know your daily limit and stick with it. By understanding how much you should be eating, you can limit your extra eating and drinking. Next, cook at home and limit your take out and junk food. If you stick to cooking at home, you quickly realize what is going in your body and can curb unwanted habits.

By following these simple steps, you’ll be easily able to prevent tooth decay and stay actively healthy in your oral hygiene and physical health!

Back in 2007, Drs. Rathburn and Stewart began using a technology that would come to revolutionize our office and other offices across the globe—SureSmile. What is SureSmile and how has it helped us develop as orthodontists? Let’s dig in.

Traditional Orthodontics vs. SureSmile

To understand SureSmile, it’s best to describe how traditional orthodontics works first. In a traditional approach, braces are placed on the teeth and we spend the initial part of treatment “leveling and aligning” (i.e. straightening). Depending on how crowded the teeth are this could be a quick or a longer process. Once the teeth are straight, we may have patients wear rubber bands while we begin what’s called “detailing.”

Usually, this involves us looking for any remaining errors in the alignment of the teeth, marking the wire, and then using orthodontic pliers to make subtle bends in the wire to help move the teeth. This is where the “art” of orthodontics comes into play. Unfortunately, there is some inefficiency in this method; if a bend is too big or too small, a tooth may move too much or too little. And as orthodontists, we have always sought ways to improve our efficiency.

The SureSmile Difference

SureSmile leverages handheld 3D scanning technology to make a digital model of your teeth and oral anatomy. This scan is then uploaded into the SureSmile software to create the blueprint for your orthodontic treatment journey. Each tooth’s trajectory is planned in detail, taking the time and guesswork out of the process.

This technology helps optimize the full spectrum of orthodontic services, whether you opt for traditional metal braces, hidden braces, ceramic braces or clear aligners. With SureSmile, we can also see the roots of the teeth and the bone that surrounds them more accurately, which is very important in orthodontic treatment planning.

At Atlanta Orthodontic Specialists, every patient is treated with SureSmile. We don’t pick and choose because this technology truly helps us improve our skills and level of care.

SureSmile for Braces

Traditional teeth straightening methods have typically involved metal, ceramic, or hidden braces. All three involve some level of “eyeballing”—in which the orthodontist assesses the situation and makes judgment calls. Now, we can use SureSmile scans to guide us from the beginning, and they come in especially handy in the aforementioned detailing phase:

Once the teeth have been generally aligned, another SureSmile digital model of the teeth is created, with the brackets on. The orthodontist then uses this information to digitally move the teeth into the ideal final position. From there, a fully customized archwire is bent by a robotic arm (at labs in Dallas and Germany) and sent back to the orthodontist. We then place the wire so the teeth can move more predictably to their final position. No wire bending, no more wasted time, and better patient outcomes.

In fact, SureSmile straightens teeth up to 40% faster than traditional braces. Now, moving the teeth is less of an “art” and more of a science.

Check out the SureSmile wire-bending robot in action!

What are SureSmile Clear Aligners?

Similarly to traditional braces, we use the SureSmile 3D scanning technology to create custom-fit removable aligners for teeth straightening. These aligners are virtually invisible, transparent, and removable, making them a popular choice or an attractive option for those who want to avoid the look of traditional braces.

Unlike traditional braces that rely on wires and brackets, clear teeth aligners are made with visible plastic materials and can be worn for 18-22 hours daily. Since they are removable, patients can eat and drink anything and have an easier time with brushing and flossing. Most patients also experience less discomfort. Best of all, we make our SureSmile clear aligners in-office so we can pass along cost and time savings to our patients.

How do SureSmile Clear Aligners Work?

First, we leverage our SureSmile scanning technology to make a perfect 3D mold of your teeth—which we use to plan and create the ideal shape and number of clear aligners for your straightening journey.

The SureSmile clear teeth aligners are a custom-made series of plastic that works by placing moderate and controlled pressure on the teeth, causing them to shift into position. They don’t need wires and brackets like in traditional braces. Instead, the smooth plastic of the aligners lies flush against your teeth. You’ll move to your next set of aligners every one to two weeks as you progress through treatment.

 

Get Started with SureSmile Today

Feeling confident in your smile helps boost your overall confidence and self-esteem. Learn more about SureSmile here, and call us today for a consultation.