Friday fun facts!

Everyone loves fun facts. Fun, fun, fun! The American Association of Orthodontists, or AAO, has come up with some fun facts about orthodontics that our team at Dr. Andersen's office thought you might enjoy.

• There are nearly 4 million people in orthodontic treatment throughout the United States. Three out of four are younger than 18.
• The first mechanical treatment for correcting irregular teeth was suggested by Gaius Plinius Secundus (A.D 23-79).
• The American Association of Orthodontists is comprised of more than 12,000 members in the United States, Canada and abroad.
• The time required to complete orthodontic treatment ranges from 12 to 36 months depending on the nature and severity of the problem.
• Of the 160,000 dentists in the United States and Canada, 8,000 are practicing orthodontists.
• The cement that attaches the braces to the teeth is now made with a special fluoride-releasing substance.
• Wires activated by body heat used in today's braces originally were developed by NASA for use in the space program.
• In addition to alleviating or preventing physical health problems, orthodontics can boost self-esteem as treatment aligns teeth, jaws and lips.
• Famous orthodontic patients include: Dr. Joyce Brothers, Hale Irwin, Cher, Diana Ross, Phyllis Diller, Chelsea Clinton, Whoopi Goldberg, Daisy Fuentes and Brandi.

Totally Terrific Teeth Contest

W Clark Andersen DDS, PC invites you to show the world your totally terrific teeth! Put on your creativity cap and draw, color, paint, collage, or sculpt a piece of art describing your teeth and why you love ‘em! When you’re finished, take a digital picture of your creation, or scan it in and save it in JPG format. You can click here to submit the JPG file to us.

Our Totally Terrific judges will review each beautiful piece of art and pick three winners who will receive an iPad 2! The contest ends June 30th, 2011, so don’t delay in submitting your entry.

Smile! June is National Smile Month!

According to the American Dental Association, a person's smile outranked eyes, hair and body as the most important physical feature, which is why it's important for our team at W Clark Andersen DDS to support National Smile Month this June.

Here are a few simple steps you can take to improve your oral health so that you may celebrate National Smile Month for many, many years to come:

* Brush at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste. Here's a helpful video showing you how to brush with your braces on.
* Floss every day to clean between your teeth.
* Reduce your intake of sugary foods and drinks during your orthodontic treatment with Dr. W. Clark Andersen.
* Visit your dentist regularly (usually every six months apart).

If you have questions about any of these tips, we encourage you to give us a call.

Flossing with braces 101

Dr. W. Clark Andersen will tell you that keeping your teeth clean is more important than ever when you have braces. Food bits have more spots than usual to hide in your mouth, so you must be diligent in order to avoid bad breath, swollen gums, discolored teeth and cavities. If you remove plaque regularly during treatment, you'll experience better results and could possibly reduce your treatment time.

Here is a very concise video explaining the proper way to floss your teeth with braces. Give our office a call if you have more questions about flossing. Enjoy!