Enter At Your Next Appointment

We have a contest going on now through August 4th! Be sure to enter the next time you're at Spannhake Orthodontics!

What's the Difference between a Dentist & Orthodontist?

Recently there has been a lack of understanding about who should be providing your orthodontic care. Most patients contemplate on whether they should seek treatment for braces or clear aligners from their general family dentist, or a certified orthodontic specialist. Making the decision to get orthodontic treatment is an important one that will affect your dental health for a lifetime, so it’s important that consumers are informed of the significant differences in care between a certified orthodontist and a general dentist.

In reality, just like not all doctors are the same, the same fact is true when it comes to dentistry. Did you know that all orthodontists are dentists, but only 7% of dentists are orthodontist? This is determined by training, as all general dentists complete 8,000 hours of dental training for their dental degrees, orthodontists start with this same training and continue on with over 4,000-6,000 hours in an accredited residency program to learn orthodontic basics. A general dentist is wonderful for routine dental work, but the scope of their practice is preventive, cosmetic, and restorative. Orthodontists, on the other hand, are trained specialist and have the expertise in smile and facial esthetics, jaw function, facial growth and development, tooth movement, alignment of teeth and jaws, and straightening of teeth. Thus, orthodontists have the best experience, judgement, and certifications to give the best orthodontic treatment for all patients with braces.

You will notice today several general dentists are advertising orthodontic care such as Invisalign, as well as offering special discounts for these treatments. We urge you to recognize that these general dentists are not orthodontic specialists recognized by the American Dental Association.


At Spannhake Orthodontics we understand that your smile is priceless and want you to be confident in knowing that our orthodontic office is the clear choice for braces.

Do You Want A Free Giftcard?

Did you know anytime you leave us a review, you can get a FREE $5 gift card to McDonald's, Starbucks, or Five Below? Just go to our website or our Google place page and submit a review, then drop by our office and pick up your FREE gift card! It's simple, easy, and FREE!

http://www.spannhakeorthodontics.com/patient-reviews.php

June is Men's Health Month

June isn't just about Father’s Day, June is also Men’s Health Month. In honor of these occasions we are going to give you some dental health facts about the men in your life. Under certain circumstances, these facts can be helpful. Mostly, they should be entertaining.

• Men have larger, longer tongues.
• Healthy teeth are more important when dating than rock-hard abs. This is because a man who takes care of his smile is probably a guy who takes care of his whole body.
• Beards may contain bacteria, but not to the extent that toothbrushes do. When the dentists recommends you change your brush out every three months, it’s a good idea. And storing your brush inside the medicine cabinet is also a good idea. Also, don’t use an old toothbrush to groom your mustache or beard. 
• Half of all men only brush their teeth once a day. Allowing sugars and acids to sit on your teeth overnight by skipping the nightly hygiene routine encourages the decaying process. Encourage the men in your life to brush.

Is Invisalign Teen Right For Your Teenager?

Invisalign Teen is one the newer styles of braces, and perfect for those who do not like the standard metal braces. They are available in a clear material that is practically invisible called aligners that are replaced every two weeks. The aligners are custom made for each patient and gradually straighten teeth without all of the metal and rubber bands that come with traditional braces.

Is Invisalign as effective?
If your child will wear them as directed to, then the answer is yes, they are as effective as traditional metal braces. However, to make sure the child is actually wearing them correctly you will notice a small blue spot on the back of each aligner. This is called an indicator and if worn correctly will fade over a period of two weeks. Dr. Spannhake will be able to tell if the patient is not wearing them correctly.

Can Invisalign be removed?
Parents should be aware that the Invisalign aligners can be removed for up to four hours per day to eat, brush teeth, play sports, or play musical instruments. With the option of removing them it actually makes brushing and flossing easier and helps oral hygiene. The recommended time to wear them is at least 20 hours per day.

Invisalign Teen has had remarkable success because patients are happy to have the option of having clear aligners for treatment. With the child more confident they are actually more prone to keep up with their treatment and many do complete their treatment sooner. You should speak with Dr. Spannhake as soon as possible to learn about the benefits of Invisalign Teen.

New Contest Alert: Where in the World is Your Spannhake Smile?

Don't forget to pick up your FREE Spannhake Orthodontics sunglasses at your next appointment! We are starting our new Summer patient contest, and the theme is "Where in the world is your Spannhake Smile?" 

Check out the details below!

www.facebook.com/SpannhakeOrthodontics

Orthodontic Stereotypes

The stereotypical braces wearer – in middle school, with a mouth full of metal brackets – has led to numerous myths about orthodontics that discourage many people from getting the dental care they need.

Myth 1) Orthodontic treatment is for kids. Although teenagers typically have braces, adults represent a growing proportion of orthodontic patients. No matter your age, a consultation with an orthodontist can identify problems with your teeth, jaws, or bite that can be corrected with orthodontics.

Myth 2) Traditional metal braces are my only option. Advances in orthodontic technology have rendered improved braces and other appliances that are much less noticeable than the braces of yesteryear. Ask Dr. Spannhake about which option is best for you.

Myth 3) Orthodontic treatment is only helpful for crooked teeth. Sure, a crooked smile is a common reason for patients to seek orthodontic car. However, orthodontic interventions help with a range of dental health problems. From missing teeth to overbite to jaw misalignment, your orthodontist can help with many problems associated with teeth, gums and jaws.

Myth 4) Orthodontic treatment is too expensive. As with any medical procedure, orthodontics can be pricey. However, we are happy to work with patients and insurance companies to come up with a payment plan that helps to reduce the financial burden. Many people are very surprised at how affordable treatment can be!

Prom-tastic Photo Contest

Be sure to enter our Prom Photo Contest At Spannhake Orthodontics!

Upload your photo to our Facebook wall now & the photo with the most LIKES will win a $50 iTunes gift card! Last day to enter is June 15th!

www.facebook.com/spannhakeorthodontics

Wearing & Caring For Your Retainer

So you recently got your braces off and have begun the retention phase at Spannhake Orthodontics. Congratulations on having a straight Spannhake smile! Now that you're in rentention, it's important for you to know some basic tips for caring and wearing your retainer. 

Tips to remember during retention:

• Wear your retainer at all times, until the doctor instructs otherwise.
• Take your retainer out when eating, and always put it back in its case! (Most appliances are lost in school lunchrooms or restaurants.)
• Clean the retainer thoroughly once a day with a toothbrush and toothpaste. Use warm but not hot water. Brushing retainers removes the plaque, and eliminates odors. Efferdent® or other orthodontic appliance cleaners can be used but do not take the place of brushing.
• When your retainer is not in your mouth, it should ALWAYS be in its case. Pets love to chew on them!
• Initially, you may find it difficult to speak. Practice speaking, reading, or singing out loud to get used to it faster.
• Retainers are breakable, so treat yours with care. If your retainer gets lost or broken, call us immediately.
• If you have any questions or concerns about your retainer, or you believe it needs adjusting, call us. Do not try to adjust it yourself.
• Always bring your retainer to your appointments.
• Retainer replacements are expensive, but with proper care they will last for years!
• Remove your retainer when you go swimming.
• Keep retainers away from hot water, hot car dashboards, pockets, the washing machine, and napkins.

If you have any questions about your retention phase, please call the office you are seen at office. 

Wearing Elastics

Braces are often the main line of treatment for most orthodontic problems and nearly always need to be augmented by elastic bands to help achieve perfect results. Elastics helps move your teeth so as to minimize the teeth gaps and cure the 'over-biting' complain.

At Spannhake Orthodontics we advise wearing the elastic bands in the following way:

From upper right canine to lower right first molar and from upper left canine to first lower left molar. You might face problems in placing these correctly initially, but don’t worry we will teach and help you accordingly.

You can follow this guide unless you are personally instructed to do yours a little differently by Dr. Spannhake.  The next time you visit Spannhake Orthodontics for the setting of your elastic bands, make sure you asks any questions that come to mind, and pick up a few extra bands to play it safe.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Every year on April 22nd, we recognize Mother Nature by celebrating National Earth Day. National Earth Day is held to demonstrate support for our environment and raise awareness about protecting it. Thousands of people organize and promote going “Green” to save the Earth. 

Keep reading to see how you can recycle to celebrate Earth Day this year, and do your part to protect our Earth.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Currently less than 35% of households and less than 10% of businesses in the U.S. recycle. If the US recycling levels can reach 75% it will be the environmental benefit of removing 50 million cars from the road each year and it will generate 1.5 million new jobs. Improving and increasing recycling is one of the greatest opportunities for our environment, our natural resources, and our economy! 

Start separating plastics, cans, paper, glass, cardboard, food waste, composts, and e-waste.

Learn more about the basics of recycling and start now.

Visit: www.epa.gov/recycle/recycling-basics

There are so many wonderful opportunities for people of all ages and all backgrounds to participate in saving the Earth. This year on Earth Day, Spannhake Orthodonitcs encourages you to do something that makes a difference and go Green! If we all take a little time out of our day to do something small, it could make a big difference.

Checkout the Invisalign Cleaning System

It’s extremely important to keep your aligners odor-free, hygienic and clear. If you’re not aware of the Invisalign Aligner Cleaning System, we want to introduce you to it. This system makes it easy to care and clean your aligners to ensure optimal results of treatment. Special Cleaning Crystals remove plaque from your Invisalign aligners within about 15 minutes.

The Cleaning System Contains:

Cleaning Tub + 50 pack of Cleaning Crystals.

This cleaning system can be purchased for $75, and is highly recommended. Available on Invisalignstore.com, as well as the refill 50 pack of cleaning crystals for $50.

For more information about this, or to schedule a consultation contact Spannhake Orthodontics.

April is National Facial Protection Month - Let's talk about concussions

April is National Facial Protection Month, so Dr. Spannhake wants to give you a heads up on concussions in youth sports. As your orthodontic provider, we understand that head concussions are a little out of our area of expertise. However, we feel it is our duty to provide you with as much information for your overall health as we can, when we see fit. That being said, let’s talk about concussions.

Did you know…

· Most concussions occur without loss of consciousness.

· Athletes who have, at any point in their lives, had a concussion have an increased risk for another concussion.

· Young children and teens are more likely to get a concussion and take longer to recover than adults.

A concussion is a form of a traumatic brain injury that changes the way the brain normally works. Typically, a concussion is caused by a blow, bump, or jolt to the head or body that causes the brain to move rapidly back and forth. Even minor blows or bumps to the head can be serious. Be sure to seek medical attention if you think you or someone you know is suffering from a concussion.