Do You Know What Is In Your Mouth?

With so many new patients starting orthodontic treatment at Spannhake Orthodontics, we thought we would give a little refresher course on the parts that make up braces. Do you know what is in your mouth? With so many different parts that make up braces, it can get a little confusing for most patients to know the different parts and their functions.

Keep reading to learn about 5 orthodontic appliances and how they help you achieve that picture perfect smile.

Elastics 

Elastics or rubber bands help move the upper and lower teeth relative to each other, ultimately achieving a better bite. These orthodontic rubber bands are typically effective for correcting overbites, underbites, or other types of alignments of the jaw. They are also useful for moving a tooth out of alignment or to close a space in the mouth.

Fixed Retainers

Fixed retainers consist of a metal wire bonded to the back of the teeth. Fixed retainers can stay in place indefinitely.
Forsus

A forsus appliance is used to correct a class II bite by pushing the lower teeth forward and the upper teeth backward. Unlike rubber bands, this appliance is not removable.
Headgear

A removable appliance worn to restrict growth of the upper jaw and improve overjet problems. It normally consists of a facebow that attaches to the teeth and a strap that fits around the neck or head.
Mara

Dr. Spannhake wants to make sure you are completely aware of the appliances we use in order to give you a straight smile. We hope you have a good understanding of what is in your mouth, but should you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask us at your next appointment. 

What is Interceptive Orthodontic Care?

Interceptive orthodontic care is one of the most rewarding treatment options that we offer to our patients. Interceptive care is exactly that, intercepting a problem before it gets out of hand. Treatment occurs at a younger age than conventional orthodontic care and is not typically as long either.

The idea is to shift teeth, manipulate growth, create space for unerupted teeth, break habits and prevent trauma before it is too late. Children between the ages of 7 and 10 are best suited for this sort of treatment. Treatment usually lasts 6 to 15 months after which the child is monitored and the decision as to the need for a second phase is made. Most children will require a second, more comprehensive, phase of treatment in order to create a completely stable, functional and esthetic occlusion.

The primary reasons for considering interceptive care are as follows:

• To prevent improper growth of the jaws that may be causing an underbite, an overbite, crossbite or shifting bite.
• To eliminate a destructive habit such as thumb/finger sucking or tongue thrusting.
• To reposition one or more teeth that are occluding in such a way that they are damaging the enamel of other teeth.
• To prevent trauma to teeth that are too far forward. This is especially true of the athletically inclined.
• To reposition teeth that are cosmetically poor and the risk of peer ridicule and low self-esteem.
• Interceptive care allows us to treat the patient most successfully: the best smile, facial profile and the most stable final result.

For more information on Interceptive Orthodontic Care, or to schedule a consultation, please contact us at Spannhake Orthodontics  located in Westminster and Towson for your convenience. 

Braces do more than just straighten your teeth

Speech is one of the most important communication tools we have and is often the first thing someone notices about you. Most people don’t know, but misaligned teeth can actually affect your speech and create pronunciation problems. Fortunately, with proper diagnosis, a couple of common speech problems can be helped by Spannhake Orthodontics.

Lisps

A lisp is a speech disorder in which a person is unable to make specific sounds. As it is usually a normal occurrence to children under the age of 5, it is not considered normal if the child does not grow out of it by the elementary school age. After seeking diagnosis from a speech pathologist, some individuals find that their lisp is a development from an open bite.

Word Slurring
Word slurring can be cause if the structure of the jaw or placement of teeth restricts movement. In most cases, braces can align teeth and open room for the tongue.

Mispronunciation
When we speak, we move our mouths and tongues in order to form words and sentences for communication. If teeth are misaligned, often patients will experience difficulty pronouncing certain words or sounds, leading them to the common problem of mispronunciation. This is normally overlooked as no big deal by some, but for those suffering with this speech problem, it is actually a bigger deal than recognized and unfortunately can lead to other self-confidence issues later down the line.

Don’t let orthodontic related speech problems kill your confidence, let Spannhake Orthodontics help you get this corrected. If you know someone suffering from this problem, please share this blog with them.

Do you want to win a toad-ally rad electric toothbrush?

We are excited to announce we have a new contest going on this month for our patients. It’s easy to enter and we have 2 awesome Electric toothbrush prizes up for grabs! One will be for an adult & one will be for a child!

Can you guess how frogs are in this jar?

To enter:

1. Go to our Facebook Page
2. LIKE US
3. Post your guess with post your name.

You can also enter at our office if you prefer.

Sorry, this contest is for patients only!

Two winners will be announced. Each winner will get an Electric Toothbrush!

Contest ends April 15th!

Happy National Pound Cake Day

Today is National Pound Cake Day.National Pound Cake Day is annually observed in the United States on March 4th. Pound cake lovers, near and far, can celebrate with a slice of this delicious rich delight.

Did you know the name Pound Cake comes from the recipe itself. The recipe for pound cake makes a cake much larger than most families can consume, as it calls for a pound each of flour, butter, eggs and sugar.

Check out this awesome video we found showing you how to make a pound cake!

We hope you enjoy this video. Do you have a good pound cake recipe you would like to share? Post it on our Facebook page & we will share it with our Facebook fans!