Watch What You Drink!

Whether you call it pop or soda this soft drink is in every store and served in every restaurant, but is it good for your teeth?

Soft drinks have been found to be one of the most significant sources of tooth decay. Acids and acidic sugar in soda soften tooth enamel which contributes to cavities. There are diet options for sodas with less sugar, but they can still be harmful to your teeth.

Eliminating soda from your diet can be very healthy for you and a great alternative to drinking soda is juicing. Juicing is when the liquids, vitamins, and minerals are extracted from raw fruits and vegetables, this process strips away any solid matter from the fruits and vegetables and you're left with liquid only. Drinking fresh juices is not only good for your overall health but your teeth as well. There are specific ingredients that can help keep your teeth looking great. 

Those ingredients are:

Leafy greens

Veggies

Cranberries

Wheat grass

A healthy diet along with great oral hygiene habits is a recipe for good oral health. For more oral health tips please visit Dr. Poser's site poserortho.com/hygiene.

Palatal Expander

One of the most commonly used Orthodontic appliances is the palatal expander This appliance is used on young children to expand and widen the palate.

What is the palatal expander & How does it work?

A palatal expander, also known as a rapid palatal expander, rapid maxillary expansion appliance, palate expander or orthodontic expander, is used to widen the upper jaw so that the bottom and upper teeth will fit together better. An expander is attached to the upper arch by metal bands placed around the teeth or plastic bonded over the teeth. Expanders are fixed, which gives advantage in treatment process that they cannot be lost or forgotten.

Reason a palatal expander is needed:

Crowding — Even before all of a child's permanent (adult) teeth come in, we can tell when there will

 not be enough room to accommodate them. Widening the upper jaw can create the necessary space without the need for tooth extractions.

Impacted Teeth — When a tooth that hasn't come in (erupted) yet and is blocked by other teeth, widening the upper jaw can allow it to erupt into proper position on its own. This most often happens with canine or eye teeth — the pointier ones located directly under the eyes.

Crossbite — When a child's upper jaw is too narrow to fit correctly with the lower jaw, the back top teeth will bite inside of the lower teeth instead of outside. This can be corrected by expanding the upper jaw.

For more information regarding palatal expander contact Dr. Poser's office.

Guess Right and Win Big!

If you've been on our Facebook page lately you will see that we have an active contest going on for all of patients. To enter the Candy Cane Count contest it's simple, all you have to do is guess how many candies on in the jar pictured on our contest flyer. To submit you guess you must make sure you have a LIKED our Facebook page then you can post your guess on our wall. There will be two winners for this contest, the two people with the closest guess will receive a $50.00 Marcus Movie Theater Gift Card.

From the movie tickets to popcorn, going to the movies can be a pricey experience. In 2014, it was reported that the average cost for one adult to go the movie theater was $20.00. We want to give you a chance to go to Marcus Movie Theaters on and not worry. Also, it's the best time to plan movie trips. The new year brings new and exciting films to theaters.

Check out 5 of the most anticipated family-friendly movies of 2015

The Peanuts Movie

Minions

Cinderella

Inside Out

The Spongebob Squarepants Movie: Sponge Out of Water

Don't miss the opportunity to let us cover your movie expenses, this contest ends January 16th so submit your guess today!

New Year, Same Braces

Our patient Josh with Dr. Poser after getting his braces removed.

By receiving orthodontic treatment from Dr. Poser you have made a commitment to going that extra mile to make sure your oral health is in tip top shape. As we enter the new year and you create resolutions and set goals, staying on top of your treatment plan should one of them.

As you continue treatment you must remember there are 4 things you must stay on top of to make sure your treatment plan is on track.

1. Brush and Floss Daily

Teeth should be brushed in the morning, after each meal, and at bedtime. If you cannot brush after meals, rinse your mouth vigorously with water. The use of an electronic toothbrush is recommended if proper brushing is not accomplished with a manual toothbrush. Along with brushing at least once every day, you should be flossing daily too. Brushing and flossing helps keep your mouth clean and removes food particles from in between teeth and wires.

2. Avoid Certain Foods 

Please do not eat hard foods, including nuts, ice, crisp taco shells, whole apples and carrots (cut them into pieces first), hard French bread crust and rolls, spare ribs, corn on the cob (cut the corn off the cob before eating) and popcorn. These foods can cause breakage of the brackets and wires. Sticky foods should be avoided as they cause the brackets, bands and other orthodontic appliances to become loose from the teeth.These types of problems caused by eating the wrong foods can extend the duration of treatment.

3. Wear Your Elastics

Elastics are basically rubber bands that are attached to brackets, usually between the upper and lower or front and back teeth, applying tension and causing teeth to move. Elastics can be used in many ways depending upon the treatment goals. You can leave them in during snacking, but be sure to replace the elastics with new ones immediately after meals and brushing.


4. Make All Scheduled Appointments

It is important to follow through on scheduled appointments in order to keep up with your personal treatment timetable. However, we  know that things do come up and if you are not able to make your scheduled appointment just give us a call and we will reschedule you for the next convenient time.


Our goal is to make sure all of our patients receive the proper care. If you have any questions regarding your personal treatment plan or treatment at Dr. Poser's in general please feel free to visit Treatment section of our website or give us a call today!