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You want a beautiful smile that you feel proud of, but you’re not eager to give up your favorite foods for a few years during treatment with braces. If that describes you, In-Ovation self-ligating braces may be worth considering. Since treatment times with In-Ovation are significantly shorter than with traditional braces, you can get back to eating all your favorite foods much faster.

One of the challenging parts about getting braces is not being able to fit in. Traditional metal braces stand out in a crowd, but In-Ovation braces are smaller and have a lower profile, making them much more discreet. While you'll have to give up some foods, especially anything hard or crunchy, it won't be forever.

A Generally Healthy Diet

When life gets hectic, it’s easy to forget about your diet. That’s a mistake you don’t want to make while you’re getting your teeth straightened. Even though you’re working on obtaining a beautiful smile with In-Ovation, you need to eat a healthy diet so that your oral and overall health stay good. For example, consume plenty of calcium, such as from low-fat dairy products, to support strong bones and healthy teeth.

Timing Your Eating

Just like it is when you don’t have braces, it’s important to think about the times that you eat and drink when you have In-Ovation braces. When carbohydrates sit on your teeth for too long, bacteria in your mouth ferment them and produce acid that can wear away at your teeth and eventually cause tooth decay.

The following tips can help you avoid this problem:

• Don’t eat hard candy or lollipops, since the sugar will be on your teeth for long periods of time.
• Rinse your mouth out with water after you eat anything.
• Brush your teeth after each meal.
• Don’t drink sugary sodas, since the sugar will get all over your teeth.

Getting straighter teeth with In-Ovation is exciting, but you do have to take extra caution when eating, and make sure you take good care of your general oral health while you're at it. At least with In-Ovation's efficient self-ligating technology, you'll be back to eating popcorn and chewing gum in no time!

Dr. Thomas Shipley and the Shipley Orthodontics team take time each year to thank our referring offices in the Peoria, AZ community for choosing us to provide excellent care to their patients. Now in its fourth year, our Referring Office Appreciation Luau has become quite a festive occasion. Held on the last Thursday of October, our luau features full catering by AZ U Wish, hula dancers, and even a band!

The referring doctors and staff with whom we’ve worked have been so supportive to us over the years. Our luau is the least we can do to say, “Thanks!”

Thanksgiving marks the start to the holidays; a season filled with feasting, indulging, and spending time with family and friends are always special. Thanksgiving is a holiday meant for giving thanks, and while this may seem like such a natural celebration, the United States is only one of a handful of countries to officially celebrate with a holiday.

Unlike many holidays, Thanksgiving is a secular holiday, and it is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November in the United States. In Canada, it is celebrated on the second Monday of October, which is, oddly enough, much closer to a time when harvests were likely gathered. In addition to the different dates, the origins of the celebration also share different roots.

Thanksgiving in the United States

Giving thanks for a bountiful harvest are not new, but the modern day holiday in the US can be traced to a celebration at Plymouth in Massachusetts in 1621. This feast of thanksgiving was inspired by a good harvest, and the tradition was simply continued on. At first, the colony at Plymouth didn't have enough food to feed everyone present, but the Native Americans helped by providing seeds and teaching them how to fish, and they soon began to be able to hold a feast worthy of the name. The tradition spread, and by the 1660s, most of New England was hosting a Thanksgiving feast in honor of the harvest.

Canadian Thanksgiving

An explorer of early Canada named Martin Frobisher is accredited for the first Canadian Thanksgiving. He survived the arduous journey from England through harsh weather conditions and rough terrain, and after his last voyage from Europe to present-day Nunavut, he held a formal ceremony to give thanks for his survival and good fortune. As time passed and more settlers arrived, a feast was added to what quickly became a yearly tradition. Another explorer, Samuel de Champlain, is linked to the first actual Thanksgiving celebration in honor of a successful harvest; settlers who arrived with him in New France celebrated the harvest with a bountiful feast.

A Modern Thanksgiving

Today, Thanksgiving is traditionally celebrated with the best of Americana. From feasts and football games to getting ready for the start of the Christmas shopping season, Thanksgiving means roasted turkey, pumpkin pie, and green bean casserole. No matter how you celebrate this momentous day, pause for a moment to give thanks for your friends, family, and all the bounties you’ve received. Happy Thanksgiving from Shipley Orthodontics!

Parents usually have numerous questions about orthodontic treatment for their children. According to the American Association of Orthodontists, orthodontic treatment for children should start at around seven years of age. This allows Dr. Thomas Shipley to evaluate the child’s existing and incoming teeth to determine whether or not early treatment might be necessary.

What is early orthodontic treatment?

Early orthodontic treatment, known as Phase One, usually begins when the child is eight or nine years old. The goal is to correct bite problems such as an underbite as well as guide the jaw’s growth pattern. It also helps to make room in the mouth for the permanent teeth to be properly placed as they come in. This will greatly reduce the risk of the child needing extractions later in life due to his or her teeth getting crowded.

Does your child need early orthodontic treatment?

There are several ways that you can determine whether your child needs early treatment. If you observe any of these characteristics or behaviors, you should talk to Dr. Thomas Shipley.

• Early loss of baby teeth (before age five)
• Lat loss of baby teeth (after age five or six)
• The child’s teeth do not meet properly or at all
• The child is a mouth breather
• Front teeth are crowded (you won’t see this until the child is about seven or eight)
• Protruding teeth, typically in the front
• Biting or chewing difficulties
• A speech impediment
• The child’s jaw shifts when he or she opens or closes the mouth
• The child is older than five years and still sucks a thumb

What are the benefits of seeking orthodontic treatment early?

Early orthodontic treatment is begun while the child’s jaw bones are still soft. They do not harden until the children reach their late teens. Because the bones are still pliable, corrective procedures such as braces work faster than they do for adults.

In short, early treatment at our Peoria, AZ office often allows your child to avoid lengthy procedures, extraction, and surgery in adulthood. Early treatment is an effective preventive measure that lays the foundation for a healthy, stable mouth in adulthood.