Technology hasn’t just come a long way over the last few years, it’s proliferated at a rate that’s difficult for anyone to keep up with. Because there are so many options out there, it can be difficult for anyone to keep track of the ‘best’ technology available — and this is especially true for industry-specific devices.

At McGuire Orthodontics and Facial Orthopedics, we make the effort to tell our patients more about our methodologies, and why we have selected one product over another. We’ll tell you why our 3D images make a difference, particularly when it comes to your experience in the chair.

Visual Statements

3D images in Shaker Heights, OH are excellent at revealing nearly every detail in your mouth, and this turns out to be just as important to the patient as it is to the dentist. With these images, you can visualize what different options will do to your teeth, so you’re able to understand your treatment plan better than you would with more traditional technology. You can make a more conscientious decision with the help of your dentist rather than just blindly accepting their recommendations.

Digital Conveniences in Shaker Heights, OH

At McGuire Orthodontics and Facial Orthopedics, our 3D images are used as part of the iTero® system. This cutting-edge technology has been proven to improve orthodontic treatments in Shaker Heights and Solon, OH by cutting down on appointment length and improving accuracy. This system also eliminates a lot of the mess and hassle of putty trays. If you’re curious about how different technology can work to a patient’s advantage (and want to work with a staff who isn’t afraid to step into a new century), we invite you to make an appointment today.

The relationship between oral health and sleep is complex, but it’s necessary to understand the connection to getting a good night’s rest. Many people are unaware that oral care issues can significantly affect their quality of shuteye. In this article, we’ll explore how sleep orthodontics can help address oral care issues affecting your rest.

The skilled team at McGuire Orthodontics and Facial Orthopedics of Shaker Heights, OH, is proud to serve the local community with state-of-the-art orthodontic services to have you feeling your best.

What is Sleep Orthodontics?

Sleep orthodontics is a specialized field of dentistry that focuses on treating oral care issues that can affect sleep. It involves using dental appliances to address problems such as obstructive sleep apnea, snoring, and other sleep-related breathing disorders.

How Can a Sleep Orthodontist Help?

A sleep orthodontist can help you identify and address oral care issues affecting your sleep. Here are three ways that a sleep orthodontist can help:

Customized Oral Appliances:

A sleep orthodontist can create custom-made oral appliances tailored to your specific needs. These appliances can help reposition your jaw and tongue to keep your airway open while you sleep, reducing snoring and improving your breathing.

Treatment for Sleep Apnea:

Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder with serious health consequences if left untreated. A sleep orthodontist can provide treatment options, such as oral appliances or continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines, to help manage the condition and improve sleep quality.

TMJ Disorder Treatment:

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder can cause pain and discomfort in the jaw, neck, and head, leading to poor quality of sleep. A sleep orthodontist can provide treatment options to alleviate TMJ symptoms and improve sleep.

Your Local Quality Orthodontist

Whether you’re experiencing snoring, sleep apnea, or TMJ disorder, seeking the expertise of a sleep orthodontist can provide practical solutions to help you get the restful sleep you need. During your next consultation with the professional team at McGuire Orthodontics and Facial Orthopedics of Shaker Heights, OH, you can be sure you are receiving the best possible care and guidance that you deserve.

If your orthodontist in Ohio has recommended braces, you’re probably wondering what to expect. While braces will take some getting used to, there have been many improvements on braces in the last few decades. If you follow these top tips for braces, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how awesome braces can be.

1. Rinsing is More Important Than Ever

If you’ve always believed that rinsing your mouth is optional, prepare to change your dental hygiene routine. Depending on what kind of braces you get, it may be much more difficult to remove food particles from your teeth and gums. Thoroughly rinsing your mouth may be the only way that some food particles come loose after eating. A top tip for braces is to carry a personal sized bottle of orthodontist approved mouth rinse with you so you can easily rinse at work, school and restaurants.

2. Avoid Certain Foods

To make oral hygiene easier while you’re wearing braces, you’ll want to avoid certain foods. This includes things like:

• bagels
• peanut brittle
• taffy
• caramel candy bars
• pizza
• and more

For a complete list of foods and beverages to be avoided, consult with your orthodontist in Ohio. A top tip for braces is to replace forbidden foods with other treats that taste good but won’t impair your oral hygiene.

3. Wear the Apparatus at Night

Sometimes your orthodontist may require you to wear an additional apparatus at night. This is intended to help move your teeth into the correct position. The apparatus may be hard to get used to at first. It may feel uncomfortable or make it more challenging to find a good sleep position. You may be tempted to forego wearing it, but this is a mistake. You’re sleeping for about eight hours a night, so if you skip this time, that will likely heavily extend the time that you need to wear the braces. A top tip for braces is to use extra pillows to support your head and neck so you aren’t leaning on the apparatus as you sleep.

When you get your braces off you’ll be so glad you invested the time and care to ensure the best results. Make these changes for just a short time and reap the benefits for a lifetime! To make an appointment to see an orthodontist now, please contact us.

Orthodontists are amazingly skilled at gently manipulating the teeth and bite, moving all elements into their proper positions. Through their care techniques, your oral health and overall quality of life can dramatically improve.

You may need to see an orthodontist if you have any bite or tooth alignment irregularities, especially if they are causing difficulty eating, speaking, or smiling. Here are a few conditions these professionals treat.

Open Bite

In a perfect world, your upper and lower molars would line up just so, creating a perfectly even bite. If you are prone to tongue thrusting, thumb sucking, or similar habits, your bite may not develop correctly. An open bite typically develops as a result, leaving a gap between your upper and lower sets of teeth. Open bites can also occur due to simple genetic factors or seemingly at random.

No matter the cause, if left without treatment, an open bite can cause problems eating regular meals and conversing with others. Treatment depends on the severity of the open bite and all other complicating factors.

Overjet

While similar to an overbite, overjet occurs when the teeth actually splay outward rather than sit vertically in the mouth. When teeth protrude, they often impact confidence and make it hard to eat certain foods.

Both genetics and habits contribute to the development of protruding teeth. Either way, this condition is usually easy to treat with fixed or removable orthodontic appliances. The severity of the problem determines which appliance your orthodontist will use for treatment.

Crowding

Orthodontists regularly resolve tooth spacing issues, such as crowding. With crowding, your teeth are spaced too close together or may even overlap.

When your teeth do not have enough space, you are at risk of cavities, tooth decay, and other trying problems. You may also feel dissatisfied with the appearance of your smile and the ability to chew without difficulty. Thankfully, fixing crowding is often as easy as wearing braces — and attending all follow-ups with your orthodontist.

Orthodontists treat many other bite and teeth alignment issues that often cause problems for their patients. If you have bite or tooth alignment issues, you can easily acquire the orthodontic care you need by reaching out to our team at Arnstine McGuire Orthodontics. You can request an appointment online or fill out our form to receive a prompt response back.

Orthodontists can use braces to correct tooth and bite misalignments that impact how you want your smile to look. Through these corrections, it is even possible to improve the function of your teeth, making it easier to speak clearly and chew your food. To see if you are a good candidate for braces, you will need to schedule an exam with your trusted orthodontist. During the consultation appointment, they will look for common problems that they can correct with braces, such as:

Crowded Teeth

To treat crowded teeth, orthodontists have to use braces to pull each one into proper alignment gradually. Without fixing these teeth, the lack of spacing can trap plaque and bacteria against the surface of the enamel. As the bacteria releases acidic waste into that small area, rapid tooth decay often begins and damages the enamel. The lack of this protective layer leaves your teeth vulnerable to developing advanced decay and gum disease, which could result in tooth loss.

Gaps in Tooth Spacing

Braces can also help eliminate large gaps in tooth spacing to create your ideal smile and improve the function of your teeth. When positioned near the front of the mouth, these gaps are typically caused by thumb sucking, tongue thrusting and other mechanical processes. As this process occurs, spacing between the molars tends to decrease in kind. With braces, it is possible to bring all the teeth into proper alignment at the same time.

Bite Misalignments

When used with other corrective devices, braces can even correct misalignments at the jaw-level. To treat an underbite, for example, orthodontists use braces equipped with expanders to widen the upper palate gradually. This aligns the upper jaw with the lower jaw by the end of the orthodontic treatment period. With the correction of bite misalignments using braces, orthodontists can help their patients achieve their health and beauty goals.

Schedule Your Orthodontic Exam to See if Braces are Right for You

If you think you could benefit from braces, you should schedule an appointment with an orthodontist right away. They will assess your oral health and help determine if you would be a good candidate for braces. To schedule your visit to our clinic, feel free to call our team any time at 440-349-1129.