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It’s normal to interview a prospective orthodontist before you make the decision to get braces or Invisalign. Asking questions and getting to know the orthodontist is the best way for you to find the orthodontic office that will be the best fit for you. After all, once you get started, you could be visiting the same Sturbridge orthodontic office for many years.  But, your questions shouldn’t end after the initial consultation. Asking questions throughout your treatment will help you to learn more about your health and keep you engaged in your orthodontic progress. Ask your orthodontist these 5 questions during your next visit:

1. Are you comfortable with my progress? Even if you haven’t seen a huge change in your smile since your last visit, your orthodontist has a strategic plan for your smile, and he’s got a timeline in mind as to how things should be moving along. To understand more about your orthodontist’s strategic plan for your smile, ask how he feels about your progress.
2. What can I do between appointments to help? What you do between your orthodontic appointments can either help or hinder your progress. Make sure you are doing all that you can to help (and find out if you’re doing anything that is slowing you down).
3. How is my oral hygiene? Poor oral hygiene can hinder your progress and harm your health. Ask the orthodontist and assistants if there are any areas that you might not be cleaning well enough.
4. What oral health products should I be using? The right products will keep you healthier and more comfortable. Find out if you should be using extra fluoride, special rinses, or electric toothbrushes during your normal routine.
5. Is there anything that my general dentist needs to know? You should continue to see your general dentist during your orthodontic process. Ask if your orthodontist has noticed any issues that should be brought to your dentist’s attention. Keep the lines of communication open if you want to receive the very best care.

To speak with an orthodontist in Sturbridge who’ll be glad to answer your questions, call to schedule your appointment today.

You might think that orthodontists only care about one thing– straight teeth. While orthodontists are certainly concerned about straightening your teeth, their primary passion is to promote healthy teeth. Braces and other orthodontic appliances can challenge you significantly as you try to keep your teeth and gums healthy, so top orthodontists in Sturbridge recommend these 4 tips to keep you on track:

Invest in a power toothbrush. Electric toothbrushes have come a long way in the last decade. Today’s power brushes can polish the teeth, reach further under the gums, and get into the crevices of most orthodontic appliances. It is possible to do a thorough job with a manual brush, but power toothbrushes can take the guesswork out of the process.

Rinse well and rinse often. Loosely attached plaque and food particles are notorious for causing bad breath and staining. If this residue is allowed to remain on the teeth and braces for too long, then the risk for cavities and gum diseases begins to rise considerably. Flushing the mouth out with water or mouthwash can help to keep you cleaner and healthier throughout the day.

Choose the right foods. A healthy diet is essential to good oral health, but when you have braces, your food choices become even more crucial. Sugary foods and drinks, sticky foods, and carbohydrates can create an acidic environment within the mouth, making the teeth more vulnerable to tooth decay. Even after you brush, your orthodontic appliances can make it difficult to reach some areas. Opting for fruits, vegetables, and water will make the cleaning process less challenging.

Keep your dentist nearby. Your routine dental checkups are more important than ever during the orthodontic process. Maintain a normal schedule with your general dentist and make sure that there is clear communication between the general and orthodontic offices.

For other oral health tips from the top orthodontists in Sturbridge, call to schedule your appointment today.

The Different Phases of Orthodontic Treatment

As kids begin to lose baby teeth and permanent teeth emerge in their place, issues in alignment and/or spacing can start to show. It’s recommended that kids have an orthodontic evaluation at age 7. That’s when Dr. Ferdinand Sabelis at Sturbridge Orthodontics can evaluate a child’s smile to determine if ortho treatment is needed. Not every child requires treatment. For the ones that do, however, early intervention helps their smiles stay in step and develop in a healthy manner.

Take it From the Top

For kids, Dr. Sabelis takes a phased approach to treatment. At the initial ortho evaluation, he can assess whether permanent teeth will have enough space to easily emerge into their appropriate spots. He can also identify issues with bite alignment, which is the way the top and bottom rows of teeth fit together. (A fancier word for this is “occlusion.”) Malocclusion occurs when the rows don’t align as they should. Examples include overbite, underbite, and crossbite.

If detected early, appropriate treatment can eliminate issues that might otherwise require more extensive treatment down the road. For example, a palate expander can correct crossbite to eliminate the issues associated with malocclusion.

Phase Two

Lots of kids who undergo interceptive, or early, ortho treatment don’t require treatment at a later age. Sometimes, early treatment sets the stage for less intensive treatment down the road. Either way, it’s a win-win situation for your child, as a healthy smile can be a huge benefit with regard to confidence and overall wellbeing.

Phase two treatment may include braces to align permanent teeth. At Sturbridge Orthodontics, we offer many types of braces to suit the unique needs of our patients. Choose from traditional metal braces, ortho with Damon self-ligating braces, or metal-free Invisalign aligners. Dr. Sabelis will guide you in the process to determine the optimal treatment option for your child’s needs.

Call Us Today at Sturbridge Orthodontics For Orthodontic Treatment

Contact our state-of-the-art ortho office in Sturbridge MA today to make an appointment for your child and help set the stage for a lifetime of happy, healthy smiles.

We live in a world that offers us lots of choices. From what you wear to what you eat to the music you listen to, you’ve got options. So, shouldn’t you have choices when it comes to orthodontic treatment? We think so. At Sturbridge Orthodontics, Dr. Ferdinand Sabelis offers leading-edge care for healthy, beautiful smiles. He creates custom solutions and offers our Sturbridge ortho patients the choices they deserve.

Tried and True

Orthodontic braces provide a proven method to straighten teeth and correct bite misalignment. Braces work by applying gentle pressure to move teeth into their optimal position. In the past, metal brackets and wires were the only options available. Today, your choices abound.

Traditional “metal” braces are still a popular ortho option. Small, stainless steel brackets take up less surface space on teeth for a more pleasing appearance and increased comfort. Planned movement of a wire threaded through the brackets and held in place by tiny rubber bands called ligatures guide teeth into position. Many patients opt to personalize their braces with ligatures in a fun color.

Don’t like the look of metal brackets with colorful ligatures? Choose Damon self-ligating brackets that are more discreet. These unobtrusive brackets work just like metal ones but deliver a more aesthetic appearance that many patients like.

Let’s be Clear

Invisalign clear braces are another popular choice for Sturbridge orthodontic patients. Clear, BPA-free acrylic aligners do the work of brackets and wires – without the metal. The comfortable aligners are removable, so it’s easy to keep teeth clean during treatment. Plus, you can eat what you want. Dr. Sabelis offers traditional Invisalign and Invisalign Teen.

Do Your Own Thing

Customized ortho treatment from Sturbridge Orthodontics lets you be you! Call today to schedule an appointment.

If you have spoken to a Sturbridge orthodontist about braces recently but found yourself confused by all of the jargon, there’s no need to worry. Here’s a list of the most common orthodontic terms and their definitions so that you’ll be able to speak the same language as your orthodontist on your next visit.

• Brackets: These metal or ceramic fixtures are bonded directly to the teeth or connected to orthodontic bands to hold the archwire in place.
• Metal bands: These metal rings wrap around the teeth, usually the molars, and are cemented in place to anchor your braces.
• Archwires: Wires made from specialized metals like titanium are connected to the brackets and create specific amounts of force in order to move the teeth into alignment.
• Elastic hooks: Small hooks that extend from the edge of the brackets are used to hold elastic bands in place.
• Elastic bands: These small rubber bands help to move the teeth towards their final positions.
• Ligatures: These tiny elastics or pieces of twisted wire are used to hold the archwire and each bracket together.
• Power chain: This series of elastic rings are joined together to create more force in order to pull the teeth together.
• O Rings: This is another name for the small elastic ligatures that hold the archwire into the slot on each of the brackets.

Will you need these items to get them straight and the healthy smile of your dreams? The orthodontist may use some or all of these devices to customize your orthodontic appliance. Some of them are used for specific conditions such as crossbites, overbites, and impacted teeth. Others are used for short periods of time, such as palatal expanders and springs.

Don’t let the language barrier keep you in the dark about today’s most common orthodontic terms. This handy list should be useful, but the orthodontist is your ultimate resource. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to contact a Sturbridge orthodontist today to learn more.

Your bite represents the way that your teeth fit together. A perfectly aligned bite is one in which the upper teeth fit just slightly over the edges of the lower teeth. Unfortunately, few of us are able to enjoy a perfect bite without help from a professional. If your bite could stand to be improved, but you’re afraid that the orthodontist will recommend surgery, talk to a Sturbridge orthodontist about your non-surgical bite correction options.

Technically, a bad bite is known as malocclusion and it’s a condition of which you might be completely unaware—at first. Properly-aligned teeth are easier to keep clean and tend to function without stress or strain. A healthy or proper bite is less likely to be compromised by gum disease or cavities. However, a bad bite tends to stain your teeth, jaws, and muscles excessively, increasing your risk for gum disease, cavities, and broken teeth. Malocclusion also promotes the symptoms of TMD/TMJ (temporomandibular joint disorders).

Although some severe malocclusion cases will require some form of dental surgery (jaw surgery), the orthodontist will first help you to explore your non-surgical bite correction options:

Night Guards – If you suffer from bruxism, a custom-made acrylic or plastic dental appliance can be worn over your top or bottom teeth while you sleep. When worn as recommended, a nightguard can reduce the wear and tear of grinding to stabilize your bite.

Tooth Reshaping – The teeth can be gently reshaped when they are fairly well aligned but still quite fitting together perfectly. A slight adjustment can help to evenly distribute your biting pressure across all of your teeth rather than just a few. The dentist can evaluate your bite and make minor adjustments until your bite is properly balanced.

Orthodontics – An experienced orthodontist is generally your best resource when your bite needs to be corrected.

Braces, retainers, and other orthodontic appliances can be used to guide your teeth into a healthier bite relationship. Although the process can take months or years to complete, most bite problems can be corrected without the need for dental surgery.

For a better bite without dental surgery, talk to an orthodontist in Sturbridge MA today.