It is crazy how quickly the year has flown by! By now, we hope that you and your family have settled into a routine and are preparing for the holiday season. Halloween is here, Thanksgiving is around the corner, and Christmas is less than 90 days away. We hope you learned a little bit from the first half of Dr. Katie’s Orthodontic ABC’s and are interested to read on.
M – Mouth Guards: For my athletes, protecting your teeth during and after treatment is important! But using a “custom” mouthguard during treatment is not recommended since the teeth are moving and overtime the mouthguard will not fit. An over the counter, stock one, is recommended for all contact sports while in treatment and after you can switch to a custom one.
N – Nighttime for a Lifetime: Our motto for retainer wear. You are spending a lot of time investing in your smile, you want to protect it! On average, it is normal to replace your retainers every 3-5 years.
O – Orthognathic Surgery: Jaw surgery or jaw repositioning is certainly a tricky subject, but did you know that we can do jaw surgery with Invisalign? Dr. Katie works with some awesome surgeons in the area that make this process as easy as possible!
P – Phase One (early) Treatment: About 15% of kids 8-10 years old need interceptive or early treatment to get things back on track for ideal growth & development.
Q – Questions: No such thing as a dumb question at KPO. There is a lot of information at the first visit, so know that questions are encouraged, and Dr. Katie is happy to offer a 2nd or 3rd opinion.
R – Retainer: This is an appliance that we use to “retain” or “maintain” your smile after treatment. We recommend wearing them full time for the first few months then switch to only nighttime.
S – Space Maintainer: Permanent teeth are larger than baby teeth so when you child loses a baby tooth early, its important to “maintain” that space until the permanent tooth can come in, otherwise it can create significant crowding or other problems in the future.
T – Tongue Thrust: A common habit where patients push their tongue forward when swallowing which can create a bite where the front teeth don’t come together.
U – Underbite: A type of bite discrepancy where the lower jaw is larger than the upper jaw. This type of bite is arguably the most important one to catch early because the growth of the upper jaw stops much earlier than the lower jaw.
V – Veneer (or any restorative treatment): Proper position of teeth prior to any restorative or esthetic work at your dentist can create an ideal foundation for the longevity of your smile.
W – Warmth: Dr. Katie is committed to creating a warm and inviting environment, that feels like home. She is excited and proud to share her new office with patients of all ages and cannot wait to meet you.
X – X-ray: We use an ultra-low dose radiograph that allows us to see the teeth and jaws in 3-dimensions. This is especially important when there are impacted teeth like canines.
Y – Young patients: The AAO recommends that parents bring their kids around age 7 for an initial evaluation by an orthodontist so they can monitor the growth of the teeth & jaws. Its important to know that you do NOT need a referral to schedule an initial visit at Katie Pizzo Orthodontics.
Z – Zest for life: – Dr. Katie loves being a mom, an orthodontist, and wife. You will see that she is enthusiastic about getting to know you and your family and bring you your very best smile.
Dr. Katie is proud to serve her Greenville community and is eager to meet you! If you are interested to get to know Dr. Katie better, you can follow her journey on Instagram at @katiepizzoorthodontics OR schedule your complimentary consultation at your convenience. Sending you lots of spooky vibes this October and Happy Halloween!
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