Ask Tidewater Orthodontics: Why are retainers so important, anyway?

If you've recently completed your treatment at Tidewater Orthodontics, our entire team would like to congratulate you, again! Now, after your braces have been removed, we will provide—or have provided you by now—with retainers. After braces are removed, teeth can shift out of position if they are not stabilized.

Retainers, you see, provide that stabilization. They are designed to hold teeth in their corrected, ideal positions until your bones and gums adapt to the treatment changes. Wearing retainers exactly as instructed by our doctors is the best insurance that the treatment improvements last for a lifetime.

If you have additional questions about retainers or your treatment here at Tidewater Orthodontics, please give us a call! Happy holidays!

Happy Holidays from Tidewater Orthodontics!

The holiday season is upon us, and as the team at Tidewater Orthodontics reflects on the year that was, we’d like to ask you, our wonderful patients: What’s your favorite part about the holidays? Being with your loved ones? A clean slate for the new year? Opening presents by the fireplace? All the delicious food? Also, what gift are you most looking forward to getting this year?

We’d love if you shared with us all the things you love about the holidays. Stay warm, and don’t forget to stay away from those sweets!

--The team at Tidewater Orthodontics

Ask Tidewater Orthodontics: When should my child come in for a consultation?

Many parents simply just assume they should wait until their child has all of his or her permanent teeth to visit Tidewater Orthodontics only to find that treatment would have been much easier if started earlier. But did you know the American Association of Orthodontists recommends that every child have an orthodontic check-up no later than age seven?

Ok, you're thinking, what’s so great about age seven? Enough permanent teeth have arrived for the team at Tidewater Orthodontics to make a determination about whether any problems are present. The first molars have come in, providing an opportunity to check for malocclusion, or what we call “bad bite.” Also, the incisors have begun to come in, and problems such as crowding, deep bites and open bites can be detected.

Orthodontic evaluation at an early age provides one of two positive outcomes: For some, early identification or problems will lead to easier or shorter orthodontic treatment in the future. For others, a healthy prognosis will provide immediate peace of mind.

Early evaluation, of course, may signal a need for early treatment. For some children, early treatment can prevent physical and emotional trauma. Aside from spurring on years of harmful teasing, misaligned teeth are also prone to injury and detrimental to good oral hygiene. So if your child is nearing age 7, give us a call to schedule a orthodontic consultation.

Happy Holidays from all of us at Tidewater Orthodontics!

Like us on Facebook, and we’ll donate the proceeds to a great cause!

At Tidewater Orthodontics, we value the relationships we have developed with our patients over the years. Even if you only see us for your appointment every six months, did you know that you can now connect with us on Facebook?

We invite you to “like” us on Facebook, where we share office news, announcements and updates! By Liking our page, you will receive updates from our office automatically in your news feed!

In fact, for every new Facebook fan we get by the end of the year, we will donate $1 to Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters, the facility of choice for pediatric care in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina. Whether a child needs hospitalization, ongoing care for a chronic illness, outpatient surgery or primary care, CHKD Health System provides the staff, facilities and technologies that address the unique demands of childhood.

We encourage everyone to share our Facebook page with friends, family and coworkers! Please help us make a difference.

See you on Facebook at Facebook.com/TidewaterOrthodontics.