Great question! When you first come in for your initial consultation we will conduct a comprehensive examination to assess your oral health. This will better enable us to determine the best treatment method for you.

Your orthodontic evaluation will consist of an oral and facial examination to assess your oral health. We will have you take intraoral and facial photographs as well as panoramic and cephalometric X-rays to help determine the proper orthodontic treatment method. Then, an impression of your teeth and bite will be taken to construct a model of your mouth. (This will help us when examining your diagnostic records).

At your second appointment, we will discuss your options with you. Our team feels it’s important to take the time to carefully examine your diagnostic records after your consultation so that we can more thoroughly prepare for your treatment. This additional preparation will ensure that you receive the best orthodontic care possible. At this time, we encourage you to ask us any questions you may have about your treatment.

If you are seeking orthodontic treatment for your child, our staff asks that both you and your child attend the initial consultation. We feel it is important that both you and your child completely understand the doctor’s recommendations before we proceed with treatment.

Give us a call today and schedule a consultation! We look forward to hearing from you!

Visiting your dentist during your orthodontic treatment will not only help keep your teeth and mouth healthy while you have braces, but will also help keep the rest of your body healthy. The fact is, every hour of every day in the U.S., someone dies of oral cancer, which is the sixth-most common diagnosed form of the disease. The five-year survival rate is only 50 percent, and oral cancer is one of the few cancers whose survival rate has not improved. Since April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month, we would like to take this opportunity to remind all of our patients about the importance of maintaining good oral hygiene while you’re undergoing orthodontic treatment.

Your dentist is specifically trained to diagnose, treat, and prevent oral health problems. Please let us now if you have any questions about your oral health during your next adjustment appointment. Take care of your teeth!

Congratulations to Dr. Felix Gen for passing his state boards and becoming once again "State Board Certified".

Besides studing for the boards, Dr. Gen also has been busy taking courses and keeping up to date with new techniques and studies in Orthodontics. He recently completed the following courses:

-"Comprehensive Introduction to Sleep Apnea and it's Orthodontic Implications" - full day course
-"Greater Cleveland Dental Society Clinic Day" 4 hrs
-"Efficenty in Practice" - two-day course
-"Sleep Apnea"
-"Restorative Dentistry Update"
-"Pulpal Regeneration"
-"World Class Orthodontics - Demystified"- Full day course
-"Neuromuscular Dentistry"
-"Innovations in Indirect Dentistry"
-"Making it Work with Invisalign"
-"Mandibular Condylar Pathology"

To stay up to date with the latest news from Dr. Gen and his team be sure to find us on Facebook!

Dr. Felix Gen and team deliver the highest quality orthodontic care in a personalized environment. We make orthodontic treatment fun and enjoyable. Just see what our patients have to say!

We will be rolling out our new Facebook Timeline page soon and would love for you to check it out!

You’ll find all the useful information that was there before, but now in a fun, new layout. When you Like us on Facebook, you’ll be able to check out photos of our office, find out about new events and contests, or you can even leave a note about how much you enjoyed your visit at our office. We love hearing your feedback to make our practice serve you and your family even better. To make life even easier, if you “Like” us on Facebook, you’ll automatically receive updates from our office right on your own news feed!

See you on Facebook!

When you visit Dr. Gen Orthodontics for your orthodontic consultation, you’ll probably have a lot of questions. We want you to be prepared for your appointment and feel in charge of your orthodontic treatment decisions, so keep these questions in mind to ask when you come in for your appointment:

• How long will I have to wear braces?
• Will getting braces hurt?
• Will I have to wear additional appliances to correct jaw problems while I have braces?
• What can I eat when I have braces?
• Are there certain things, like playing sports or playing an instrument, which I won’t be able to do?
• How can I make sure my teeth stay clean and healthy while I have braces?
• How often will I need to come in for appointments?
• How much will my orthodontic treatment cost?

Dr. Gen Orthodontics is here to answer all your questions and concerns, and we’re happy to explain all aspects of your treatment plan and expected outcome. Your orthodontic experience should be comfortable, hassle-free, and most importantly, leave you smiling!

Invisalign clear aligners can be a great option for improving the look of your smile. Dr. Felix Gen has lots of experience using this technology to give our patients the straight, beautiful smile they’ve always wanted. Plus, because it’s so convenient, Invisalign won’t interfere with your daily life.

• Invisalign aligners are clear, discrete and effective at moving your teeth into their ideal positions.
• You don’t need to change your eating habits, because your aligners can be easily removed.
• Invisalign aligners are made of comfortable, smooth plastic, so you don’t have to worry about taking care of metal brackets.
• Invisalign aligners make daily oral hygiene easier, reducing the risk of possible problems.
• Invisalign treatment is covered by most insurance providers, just like traditional braces.

A straight smile makes you look great, but it also can help you keep the rest of your mouth healthy. Correctly aligned teeth can decrease health issues that can be caused by an improper bite, speech or chewing difficulties, jaw problems, and increased wear on the tooth enamel.

Give us a call to schedule your consultation!

There are several reasons why some people's teeth grow in crooked, overlapping, or twisted. Some people's mouths are too small for their teeth, which crowds the teeth and causes them to shift. In other cases, a person's upper and lower jaws aren't the same size or are malformed. Most often, crooked teeth are inherited traits just as the color of your eyes or hair. Other causes of crooked teeth are early loss of baby or adult teeth, undue pressure on the teeth and gums, misalignment of jaw after facial injury, or common oral health problems in children such as thumb sucking, tongue thrusting, or prolonged use of a bottle or pacifier.

Having crooked teeth isn’t just a cosmetic issue; it can lead to serious health problems as well. Crooked teeth can:

• interfere with proper chewing
• make keeping teeth clean more of a challenge, increasing the risk of tooth decay, cavities, and gingivitis
• strain the teeth, jaws, and muscles, increasing the risk of breaking a tooth

There are several orthodontic procedures that can help correct crooked teeth, and at Dr. Gen Orthodontics we have many services that we can customize to meet your needs. We want you to be proud to show off your smile!

At Dr. Gen Orthodontics we make every effort to provide you with the best orthodontic treatment. For us that means achieving consistently great results. There are many things that help Dr. Felix Gen do that. Some of them are:

1. Using the most up to date and proven technologies available
2. Spending time and resources on continuing education to stay current and relevant
3. Training our entire team on new techniques
4. Educating our patients about the pursuit of excellence

If you or a family member has been thinking about orthodontic treatment, please give us a call. We look forward to seeing you.

Even if you brush and floss daily, as well as maintain your braces and visit our office during your orthodontic treatment it is still important to visit your local dentist every 6 months, or as recommended.

Why?

• Your dentist can detect and treat tooth and gum problems that you may have never felt or noticed.
• Even thorough daily oral care may not be enough to prevent cavities and oral decay.
• Frequent visits can allow your dentist to treat a problem early to prevent future complications.
During an oral exam your dentist can check the health of your mouth, teeth, gums, cheeks and tongue. Checkups will also include a thorough teeth cleaning and polishing.

If you have not visited a dentist in the past six months, please let us know! Dr. Felix Gen will be happy to provide a few great references here in the area!

Many folks consider the beginning of a new year a time to not only reflect on the year that was, but also to set personal goals for the upcoming year. How are you planning to improve your health and happiness in 2012? Dr. Gen and our team recommend that you make a New Year’s resolution to benefit your oral health!

It is important that New Year’s resolutions are reasonable and attainable, and that they improve your overall quality of life—for example, did you know that flossing every day is the very best way to prevent periodontal, or gum, disease? Using a straw when drinking sugary beverages can also help prevent cavities. There are many small steps that you can take to prevent cavities, oral infections and bad breath.

Be sure to give us a call if you need a few suggestions on ways to improve your oral health, or visit this helpful article from our friends at the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD). After all, we know your oral health is about more than just a beautiful smile.

Happy New Year!

Dr. Felix Gen and team would like to wish you a safe and happy Thanksgiving. It's a big food holiday, so be careful what you eat with those braces! If you have any stories or pictures to share with us, we'd encourage you to post them to our Facebook page or call our office and ask how.

Gobble Gobble!

Some people wonder why Dr. Felix Gen and our team work tirelessly to give our patients straight teeth. Of course it’s nice to have a smile full of evenly-aligned teeth, but did you know that straightening your teeth at Dr. Gen Orthodontics can keep them healthier? Straight teeth lead to better oral hygiene, increasing your chances of keeping your own natural teeth for a lifetime!

Straight teeth are less prone to decay, because they collect less plaque—the sticky colorless substance that forms on our teeth and leads to tooth decay; and they are easier to keep clean!

If you’re wondering whether your teeth might cause problems because they are out of alignment, please give us a call to set up a consultation. Dr. Gen can help you decide whether or not you will benefit from orthodontic treatment.

Dr. Gen Orthodontics is supporting the Cleveland Food Bank by participating in the "Brush Away Hunger" Can Food Drive Campaign, sponsored by the Greater Cleveland Dental Society. We will be accepting both canned food and monetary donations at both our Mayfield Heights and Twinsburg, OH office locations from now until Dec. 9th.

Please consider helping us out by donating to this wonderful cause that helps those in need right here in our community.Thank you in advance for your donations!

"Dentists, Orthodontists, they're all the same right?" We hear our patients asking this question as they wonder about the difference between an orthodontist and a dentist. Before becoming an orthodontist Dr. Gen started out in dental school and earned a DDS (dental degree), just like your dentist. After dental school however, Dr. Gen decided he wanted to learn more about orthodontics, which is one of nine specialties within the dental field. So he stayed in school for a few more years and became an expert in orthodontics, which focuses on tooth and jaw alignment and bite problems like overbites and under bites.

Other dental specialties you may have heard of include endodontic (focusing on the soft tissue inside your teeth), periodontic (focusing on the gums and other tissues surrounding your teeth) and prosthodontic (focusing on restoring and replacing damaged teeth).

Isn't it nice to know there's a complete dental expert here at Dr. Gen Orthodontics to help you through any type of treatment your teeth, jaw and gums might need?

At Dr. Gen Orthodontics, we know good dental health requires only a few minutes a day. We thought we’d provide some practical advice on how to improve your or your child’s smile between your adjustment visits with Dr. Gen.

Start by brushing your teeth twice a day. Proper brushing techniques are an essential part of maintaining good oral health during your orthodontic treatment, as well as preventing gum disease. More care and time are needed to adequately brush your teeth when you are wearing braces. Brushing daily helps remove decay-causing plaque from tooth surfaces. Please consult Dr. Gen if you would like us to review brushing techniques with you or your child. The use of a mechanical toothbrush such as a Sonicare or Oral B can aid in removing plaque around braces. Flossing daily will also prevent plaque to build up between the teeth and prevent stains between your teeth. Research has shown the bacteria of gum disease has been linked to coronary artery disease, stroke, diabetes and memory loss. Lastly, we encourage you to throw away old toothbrushes and replace them every 2 or 3 months, or after an illness.

We hope this helps! If you have any further questions about any of these tips, please contact Dr. Gen or ask your general dentist during your next scheduled visit! Or, ask us on Facebook!

With summer in full swing, some of us at Dr. Gen Orthodontics wanted to remind all our patients about the importance of reading. Sure it’s easy to keep putting off reading this time of year, but reading during the summer is a vital step in brain development and warding off the dreaded “summer slide.” Plus, it's fun!

Today, we thought we’d ask: What's on YOUR summer reading list? What are some of your all-time favorites? Out of ideas for great summer reads? Ask us for suggestions, and our staff and Dr. Felix Gen would be happy to provide a few suggestions. You may also ask a local librarian for some ideas or check out these summer reading ideas that we came across today, courtesy of Barnes & Noble.

Happy reading! Be sure to share with us your summer picks or your all-time favorites on our Facebook page!

True orthodontic emergencies are very rare, but when they do occur we are available to you. As a general rule, you should call the office when you experience severe pain or when you have a painful appliance problem that you can't take care of yourself. We’ll be able to schedule an appointment with Dr. Felix Gen.

You might be surprised to learn that you may be able to temporarily solve many problems yourself until you schedule an appointment with Dr. Gen Orthodontics.

The following solutions may help you relieve your discomfort:

Poking Wire: Using a pencil eraser, push the poking wire down or place wax on it to alleviate the discomfort.

Loose Bracket or Band: If your bracket or band is still attached to the wire, you should leave it in place and put wax on it. If the wire comes out entirely, wrap the bracket with a tissue.

Loose Wire: Using a tweezers, try to place your wire back into place. If doing this and using wax does not help, as a last resort use a small fingernail clipper to clip the wire behind the last tooth to which it is securely fastened. If your discomfort continues, place wax on it.

Loose Appliance: If your appliance is poking you, place wax on the offending part of your appliance.

Headgear Does Not Fit: Sometimes headgear discomfort is caused by not wearing the headgear as instructed by your orthodontist. Please refer to the instructions provided by your orthodontist. If the facebow is bent, please call our office for assistance. Surprisingly, headgear becomes more comfortable the more it's worn, so be sure you’re getting in the prescribed hours.

General Soreness: When you get your braces on, you may feel general soreness in your mouth and teeth may be tender to biting pressures for three to five days. This can be relieved by rinsing your mouth with a warm salt water mouthwash. Dissolve one teaspoonful of salt in 8 ounces of warm water, and rinse your mouth vigorously. If the tenderness is severe, take aspirin or whatever you normally take for headache or similar pain.

Remember, after alleviating your discomfort, it is still very important that you call our office as soon as possible to schedule a time to repair the problem.

Looking for a fun treat that will impress the kids this 4^th of July? Here’s a fun and simple recipe that our team at Dr. Gen Orthodontics found from Disney's FamilyFun that’s sure to WOW the kids.

You will need:

• Red and/or blue fruit flavored beverage (Powerade, Gatorade, Kool-Aid…)
• Seltzer (flavored or plain) or clear soda
• Ice cube trays

Directions:

Fill the ice cube trays with the red and blue beverages and let them freeze solid. After they are frozen, place three or four cubes into a glass and fill the glass with seltzer or clear soda. As the ice melts, colored bubbles will swirl in the drink.

Have a happy and safe 4^th of July!

-Dr. Gen and team

Dr. Gen Orthodontics, your Mayfield Heights and Twinsburg orthodontist, is situated around some pretty unique neighborhoods. Each is special with its own personality, created by the people and places (and our amazing patients) living within.

Today, Dr. Gen and our team thought we'd ask: What are your favorite things about Mayfield Heights, Lyndhurst and Twinsburg? Is there a local event you attend every year? Do you have a favorite eatery? Perhaps a favorite getaway in Ohio?

Please feel free to share some information about your favorite local hang-outs in Mayfield Heights and Twinsburg, and everything you love best about “your neck of the woods” in Ohio.

If you need to schedule your next appointment, give us a call! Have a great week!

We are living in an age with a renewed commitment to conservation, and are frequently reminded to recycle, reduce and reuse. Earth Day is today, April 22nd, and we thought this would be a great time to discuss everything that Dr. Gen Orthodontics does to conserve our natural resources and the environment.

Did you know that we offer patients account access 24 hours a day, seven days a week? We offer convenient and secure online services with our patient login system. You can view all of your account information, and even receive appointment reminders through email or text messages. Since this information is submitted electronically, we eliminate the use of large amounts of paper and printing materials.

Dr. Felix Gen and our team would love to hear how you minimize your impact on the environment. Leave us a comment below or you can also visit our Facebook page and post something on our wall.

Happy Earth Day!

Everyone loves fun facts. Fun, fun, fun! The American Association of Orthodontists, or AAO, has come up with some fun facts about orthodontics that our team at Dr. Gen Orthodontics thought you might enjoy.

• There are nearly 4 million people in orthodontic treatment throughout the United States. Three out of four are younger than 18.
• The first mechanical treatment for correcting irregular teeth was suggested by Gaius Plinius Secundus (A.D 23-79).
• The American Association of Orthodontists is comprised of more than 12,000 members in the United States, Canada and abroad.
• The time required to complete orthodontic treatment ranges from 12 to 36 months depending on the nature and severity of the problem.
• Of the 160,000 dentists in the United States and Canada, 8,000 are practicing orthodontists.
• The cement that attaches the braces to the teeth is now made with a special fluoride-releasing substance.
• Wires activated by body heat used in today's braces originally were developed by NASA for use in the space program.
• In addition to alleviating or preventing physical health problems, orthodontics can boost self-esteem as treatment aligns teeth, jaws and lips.
• Famous orthodontic patients include: Dr. Joyce Brothers, Hale Irwin, Cher, Diana Ross, Phyllis Diller, Chelsea Clinton, Whoopi Goldberg, Daisy Fuentes and Brandi.

April, also known as National Facial Protection Month, is a good time for the team at Dr. Gen Orthodontics to remind patients to protect their faces and pearly whites while out on the field. Above is a helpful video from our friends at the AAO about staying safe on the ball field this spring.

According to the National Youth Sports Safety Foundation, children, high-school athletes and adults will have more than 5,000,000 teeth knocked out in sporting events this year.

For us, that’s just not acceptable.

By simply wearing a properly fitted mouth guard or other form of protection, you can greatly reduce your chances of traumatic facial injuries. We hope the above video helps. Protective gear is vital for anyone engaging in tooth or mouth-threatening activities. If you have any further questions about any of the tips offered in the video, please contact Dr. Gen Orthodontics. And remember to have fun and stay safe!

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:

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. Remove the moving parts. If you have elastic bands or headgear, remove these parts before you brush or floss.

7. Fluoride is your friend. Fluoride helps prevent cavities. Be sure to brush with fluoride toothpaste, and rinse with fluoride mouthwash.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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. If you need help finding the right Dentist for you, feel free to contact Dr. Gen Orthodontics - we’d love to help!

Dr. Gen Orthodontics is pleased to offer patients SmartClip™ and Clarity™ 3M self-ligating braces. These self-ligating braces use a new technology that allows for teeth to move quickly and easily, with faster and fewer appointments. Oral hygiene is also easier because of the unique clip that holds your archwire in place. Be sure to check out this short video about 3M self-ligating braces, and give us a call when you're ready to transform your smiles, as well as your life!

Dr. Gen and our team love getting patient reviews. And lately, Dr. Gen Orthodontics, serving Mayfield Heights, Lyndhurst, and Twinsburg, OH and surrounding communities, has been getting some pretty great patient testimonials! We thought we'd share some with you today!

"Thank you so much for your warm, friendly and highly professional staff and service. Uchenna and I are very appreciative of all of you. Please find enclosed before and after pictures of Uchenna’s journey of restorative care of her smile which has helped her to blossom into my beautiful young lady."
Thanks Again,
~Paula S. (parent)

"Thank you so much for everything! My smile has really come a loooonnggg way!! And you’ve really help raise my self-esteem. I love you all and thank you sooo much!!"
Love,
~Uchenna (patient)

"We would like to offer you and your hard working staff our heartfelt thanks for performing to perfection & doing such an outstanding job with Preeti’s teeth. You have made her so happy & smiling even more than before."
With Warmest Regards,
~Mr. & Mrs. R.

"I have needed braces since I was a teenager. I was an accomplished oboist and the risk of braces available in the 80’s-90’s would have halted a successful career in music for me. Invisalign was just the answer and although more costly, I could continue working (playing concerts) with no disruption at all. It feels great to have straight teeth! Thank you Dr. Gen-this has been great!"
~Danna S.

"I want to thank you and your staff again for the exceptional service I received as your patient. As an adult wearing braces, I was completely out of my comfort zone and sure if this was the right thing (at my age) or of the out- come. You and your staff did a great job helping me thru this process by keeping me informed at the various stages, and addressing any and all questions. The office atmosphere was always upbeat, positive, professional and respectful of my time. Now I have straight teeth with a beautiful smile! Your kindness was greatly appreciated."
Sincerely,
Dreena S.

"I just wanted to drop you all a line to let you know how impressed and grateful I am to all the people in your office. I brought my son in for the first time and let me tell you, it was not at all like I expected from past experiences. Everyone in your office is wonderful and truly caring, that means a lot to me as a parent and also as a future patient. The office was clean and extremely inviting, there was no wait and most of all everyone talked to me and my son as if they were interested in what we had to say.

I could go on and on about your office and everyone in it, but I won’t, I said this would be short. I will recommend you to everyone I know that needs any orthodontic work done."

Thanks again,
~Bridgett D. and Mason

"Thank you for being so kind to me whenever I go to the office. All your smiling faces make me excited to go and get checked (my mouth I mean). You are all so sweet and make me feel comfortable whenever I am getting worked on. Thank you again! XOXO"
Love,
~Tabs

"When I first came to see Dr. Gen my teeth were very crooked and I had a bad over-bite. My parents and I were not sure if my teeth could ever be straight and my over-bite corrected. In the few months of treatment my teeth became straight and my over-bite was corrected. Thanks to Dr. Gen and his team, I am close to finishing wearing my braces and have a beautiful smile. Dr. Gen’s service is great and I would highly recommend him. Again, a big thanks to Dr. Gen and his team for giving me the smile I always wanted."
~Jennifer

"I was referred by a dentist to Gen’s office for my son who had a lot of baby teeth still left to loose. Dr. Gen’s staff was very attentive and thorough in helping with all the steps my son needed to grow thru in order to get his smile on track. He’s on his was to looking even better than he does. Thanks!"
~Jacquetta

Dr. Gen Orthodontics, serving Mayfield Heights, Lyndhurst, and Twinsburg, OH, strives to provide patients with state-of-the-art orthodontic care in a friendly environment. See for yourself in this short patient testimonial from Elizabeth! She just completed treatment 7 months early with Dr. Gen Felix.

If you’ve thought about getting the perfect smile you’ve always wanted, please schedule a consultation with Dr. Gen. We look forward to seeing you!

When considering treatment options, patients often ask us how Invisalign treatment is so different than traditional braces. Well, there are more reasons to smile about Invisalign with Dr. Gen Orthodontics than you may know.  Invisalign is a series of removable aligners that are nearly invisible, and besides straightening your teeth, can improve your oral health. Here’s how:

Healthy gums: Straight teeth allow a close fit for gums. This lessens the gum stress that is caused by crowded or widely spaced teeth, thus also reducing red and swollen gums.

Easy cleaning: Invisalign is removable, therefore brushing and flossing is easier and you are able to maintain a healthy mouth. These habits are vital to avoiding tooth decay, plaque and even gum disease.

Improved speech and chewing: Properly-aligned teeth don’t have the discomfort or compound speech impediments that can be caused by crowded teeth or a deteriorating jawbone.

If you have any questions about Invisalign, just ask Dr. Gen the next time you’re in for an appointment. Or, you may post your question on our Facebook page! You can also read this article for more information on Invisalign and your oral health.

Many parents assume they must wait until their child has all of his or her permanent teeth to see Dr. Gen for a consultation, only to discover treatment would have been much easier if started earlier. Did you know the American Association of Orthodontists recommends that every child have an orthodontic check-up no later than age seven?

That’s right—seven.

Ok, so what’s so great about age seven, you ask? Enough permanent teeth have arrived for Dr. Gen to make a determination about whether any problems are present. The first molars have come in, providing an opportunity to check for malocclusion, or “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 are detrimental to good oral hygiene. So, if your child is nearing his or her seventh birthday, give us a call at Dr. Gen Orthodontics to schedule an appointment.

Some people wonder why Twinsburg and Mayfield Heights, OH orthodontist Dr. Gen and our team work tirelessly to give our patients straight teeth. Of course it’s nice to have a smile full of evenly-aligned teeth, but did you know that straightening your teeth at Dr. Gen Orthodontics can keep them healthier? Straight teeth lead to better oral hygiene, increasing your chances of keeping your own natural teeth for a lifetime!

Straight teeth are less prone to decay, because they collect less plaque—the sticky colorless substance that forms on our teeth and leads to tooth decay; and they are easier to keep clean!

If you’re wondering whether your teeth might cause problems because they are out of alignment, please give us a call to set up a consultation. Dr. Gen can help you decide whether or not you will benefit from orthodontic treatment.

Thank you for taking the time to visit the Dr. Gen Orthodontics blog. Please check back often for weekly updates on fun and exciting events happening at our office, important and interesting information about orthodontics and the dental industry, and the latest news about our practice.

Feel free to leave a comment or question for our doctor and staff – we hope this will be a valuable resource for our patients, their families, and friends!