We often ask why an Orthodontist as a Specialist?

Trust a specialist: Whether you’re considering clear aligners or conventional braces, an orthodontist is best suited to care for you. Your smile deserves the best possible care, which is why you should go to an in-person consultation with a board certified orthodontic specialist. Orthodontists diagnose, prevent and treat dental and facial irregularities to correctly align teeth and jaws. Orthodontists receive an additional two to three academic years of specialized education beyond dental school at an accredited orthodontic residency program.

More than an easy fix: Orthodontics is about more than just straightening teeth or closing space. It’s about your bite, the way your teeth come together, and how your jaws move. Orthodontic care does provide a beautiful smile and added aesthetic benefits, but even a small adjustment can affect the overall look, feel, and function of your mouth and face. The alignment of your teeth and jaws influences the way you eat, breathe, sleep, and speak.

Beware of Direct-to-Consumer Companies:  In recent years, some people have resorted to at home orthodontics with the view that it is cheaper and quicker. There are a number of factors and questions you may want to consider. Orthodontic treatment involves the movement of biological material, which if not done correctly could lead to potentially irreversible and expensive damage such as tooth and gum loss, changed bites, and other issues. Remember that orthodontic treatment is not a product or device – orthodontic treatment is a professional, dental service. When your care is personally supervised by an orthodontist who is a member of the American Association of Orthodontists, you are assured that your orthodontist spent years in a post-doctoral residency program focused on providing orthodontic treatment to patients. Before making any decision about orthodontic treatment, consider doing some research and having an in-person consultation.

Oral Health Month in Londonderry

June is Oral Health Month. A good oral hygiene routine is the foundation to a healthy smile, especially for young children. For parents, leading by example, should establish healthy habits like brushing, cleaning between your teeth and seeing your dentist. This ultimately leads to the big difference in the health and happiness of your entire family and in children, less fears about visiting their dentist.

Here are 2 tips from the American Dental Association that are a great reminder to enforce.

Start a Routine and Stick to It:
You may be tempted to let your child skip brushing after a long day or during times when your normal schedule is off (like vacation), but keep at it. The more second nature brushing becomes the easier it will be to make sure your child is brushing twice a day for two minutes.

Kids Need to Floss: 
It doesn't matter if you clean between ​your child's teeth before or after they brush as long as you clean between any teeth that touch. You can use child-friendly plastic flossing tools to more easily clean between your child’s teeth until your child learns to do it.

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Such a bright smile celebrating patient appreciation with us. Sarah you are a pleasure to have!

A post shared by Apple Tree Orthodontics (@appletreeortho) on Jun 19, 2019 at 5:07am PDT

Patient Appreciation Day

Orthodontic Staff Appreciation Week

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Here’s wishing a Happy Orthodontic Staff Appreciation Week to our entire staff! Thank you for all you do to provide excellent care for our patients. #osaw2019

A post shared by Apple Tree Orthodontics (@appletreeortho) on Jun 4, 2019 at 1:22pm PDT

2 Facts Parents Should Know

Baby teeth are essential, as they act as placeholders for our adult teeth and effect the way we speak and eat. Here are three facts parents should know about their baby’s first tooth.


1. Schedule an Appointment by their First Birthday: 

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that infants be seen shortly after the first tooth erupts or no later than their first birthday. This first visit will help establish a dental home for your child.

The earlier you start, the better chance we have to prevent any potential problems. In addition to checking for decay and other conditions, our staff will teach you how to clean your child’s teeth properly, identify your child’s risk for cavities, and offer you helpful advice that will help your child build a lifetime of good dental habits.


2. Help Soothe Teething Pain

Babies may show signs of discomfort in the area where the tooth is coming in, the gums around the tooth may be swollen and tender, and the baby may drool a lot more than usual.

Parents can help ease teething pain by massaging their baby's gums with clean fingers, offering solid, not liquid-filled, teething rings, or a clean frozen or wet washcloth.

Smiles Ready For Summer

Summer is just around the corner! We love what we do and love seeing our patients smile with their final result. Here are just a few of our amazing patients, who light up our office.

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Summer is almost here! Join us at the office on June 12th from 2-5pm for our Patient Appreciation Day! We will have plenty of activities, raffles, and prizes for all of our fantastic patients and guests 😃

A post shared by Apple Tree Orthodontics (@appletreeortho) on May 22, 2019 at 12:14pm PDT

5 Reasons Why Summer is the Perfect Time to get Braces.

1. There is more time to learn how to care for braces.
2. Dealing with the soreness of new braces is more manageable at home.
3. It's helpful to be home when adjusting to eating with new braces.
4. It's easier to schedule appointments with more flexibility.
5. It's helpful to adjust to braces before school starts.

Summer will be over before you know it! Call to schedule your appointment today. New Patient consultations are always complementary.