Deband Days at Pobanz Orthodontics

Getting your braces off is an exciting moment! All the visits to our office and the months of hard work to care for and clean your braces has finally paid off! If you've ever been in for an appointment during one of our "deband days", then you know Dr. John and the team love to celebrate the big day with our patients. We have posted a few videos of the celebration on our YouTube channel, so don't miss them!

“When Do I Get My Braces Off?” — The Straight Answer

Dr. Pobanz was recently published in the Local Healthcare Today magazine, describing treatment time and the time-saving benefits of the SureSmile system offered at our practice.

Be sure to check out the article on the Local Healthcare Today web site:

“When Do I Get My Braces Off?” — The Straight Answer

Tell us what you think about the SureSmile system, and how it has affected your orthodontic treatment time! Share a comment here on our blog, or head to our Facebook Fan Page and share your thoughts with all of our fans!

Top Ten Tips for Keeping Your Braces Clean

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 shorter treatment time. Keep plaque at bay with these top ten tips:

One tooth at a time. When you brush, take time with each individual tooth – at least 10 seconds each – and pay careful attention to the spots where your teeth touch your braces.
It’s all about the angles. Brush the tops of your teeth and braces with your brush angled down toward where they meet. Brush the bottoms of your teeth and braces with your brush angled up.
The tooth, the whole tooth, nothing but the tooth. While the front surface of your teeth may seem like the most logical to clean, it’s equally important to clean the inner surface of your teeth (tongue side) as well as the chewing surface. And be sure to clean along your gum line – a key spot for plaque buildup.
Step 1: eat, step 2: clean. While you’re in treatment, it’s important to brush after every meal. Bits of food can easily get caught between braces and teeth, and these food bits interact with bacteria in your mouth to cause decay. The longer food is in contact with your teeth, the greater opportunity for plaque to form. If you are eating somewhere that you can’t brush, thoroughly rinse your mouth with water.
Like a Boy Scout, always be prepared. The easiest way to be sure you can brush after every meal is to get in the habit of taking a toothbrush, toothpaste and floss with you wherever you go. Designate a special container just for your teeth-cleaning tools and keep it in your purse, backpack, or laptop case.
Remove the moving parts. If you have elastic bands or headgear, remove these parts before you brush or floss.
Fluoride is your friend. Fluoride helps prevent cavities. Be sure to brush with fluoride toothpaste, and rinse with fluoride mouthwash.
Pointy brushes reach tiny places. Interproximal brushes (sometimes called proxa brushes or interdental brushes) are cone-shaped and come in very handy for reaching spots around your braces that standard brushes can’t.
Find the floss for you. Regular floss works for some patients, but others find it easier to work with a floss threader, which helps you get the floss into tight places. Other patients like an all-in-one product called Superfloss, which comes with a stiff end for easy threading, a spongy section for cleaning wide spaces, and regular floss for narrow spaces.
Make time for the pros. It’s your job to take care of the everyday cleaning. But make sure to visit your dentist regularly while in treatment, to get the deep, thorough cleaning that only a professional can provide.

Hope this helps!

-Dr. Pobanz

New Contests for 2010 at Pobanz Orthodontics

All of us at Pobanz Orthodontics are excited about the new year, and we wanted to let you know about our latest contest!

Bring in a picture of you and your snowman to get entered to win ski passes!

We will be announcing other exciting contests soon, so be sure to head to our Facebook Fan Page and "Become a Fan" to get the latest updates!

Happy New Year!

The year is almost over, so we wanted to ask what was memorable about 2009 for you, and what are you looking forward to in 2010? Do you have a new years resolution, or any exciting plans for the coming year?

Have a safe and happy New Year, from all of us at Pobanz Orthodontics!

Happy Holidays

The holiday season is upon us, and as the team at Pobanz 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 too many of those sweets!

--Dr. Pobanz & Team

Orthodontic Treatment Basics

Check out this great video from the American Association of Orthodontists about the basics of orthodontic treatment. Have you ever wondered what the difference is between a dentist and an orthodontist? Did you know orthodontic treatment works for all ages? Watch the video to learn more about what makes orthodontic treatment important!

Have a great weekend,

-The Pobanz Orthodontics Team