Author Archives: Lateefah Washington

Want to get a head start on your child’s smile? Check out Myobrace treatment! Poor oral habits can lead to crowded teeth, underdeveloped jaws, open bites and many more unpleasant complications. Myobrace can straighten teeth the natural way, so you don’t have to worry about your child being too young. Myobrace retrains the facial muscles by encouraging the patient to keep the lips together, breath through the nose, swallow correctly, and positioning the tongue in the correct resting spot. Some patients may not need additional treatment with braces after Myobrace. If braces are needed to finish up treatment, Myobrace does reduce that treatment time significantly. Once Myobrace treatment is completed retention of the teeth is better, as the poor oral habits are corrected, making relapse less likely. Here at The Brace Place our staff is completely trained to guide your child during their Myobrace therapy. The Myobrace mouth guard is easy to use. Your child will be required to sleep in it and wear it only 2 hours during the day. Along with this we will show your child some daily exercises to follow that will only take about 5 minutes. Call us today to schedule your free consultation!
The number of adults wearing braces has increased dramatically in recent years. According to the American Association of Orthodontics there were more than 1 million adults with braces in 2008, a 25% increase from 1989. The number of adults getting braces has risen for a number of reasons:
  • Advances in braces technology makes them less noticeable, requires fewer appointments and can lead to quicker treatment times than before.
  • A great smile can help provide the competitive edge and confidence necessary to compete in today’s job market.
  • As people live longer, they are motivated to improve their looks with a healthy new smile.
  • Braces are more affordable than ever, in fact, many insurance plans will cover a portion of your treatment
  • Crooked teeth are susceptible to gum disease (gingivitis) and bone loss (periodontal disease) due to plaque and food buildup between the teeth.  Braces can help prevent gum disease and bone loss by placing them in a straighter, healthier position to allow for proper oral hygiene.
So relax.  Wearing braces as an adult is no big thing.  In fact, lots of other adults are pretty happy about their braces.  Talk to us about the various types of braces available at The Brace Place.  This may be your perfect age for braces!
Ever looked forward to a mouth watery meal and BAM, you accidentally bite your cheek!  Just like that the meal is ruined.  It may happen once in a while that you accidentally bite your cheek, but if it happens frequently, your teeth may be positioned poorly. Aside from ruining meals cheek biting can result in mouth sores and ulcers.  Unfortunately they do not heal over night, so they could interfere with a family get together or any other planned social event.  Sure paying more attention when chewing food could help prevent a cheek bite, but lets be honest, does anyone remember to pay attention to chewing while enjoying the conversation of our peers? Not just “bad bites” cause cheek biting, nervous habits or just careless chewing can also be the cause but if an improper bite is your case, dental appliances and/or braces may fix your bite alleviating the discomfort of cheek biting.  Call us today for us to take a look!  You have nothing to lose only gain peace of mind eating.
Sleeping is essential to our health; it helps keep a healthy heart, reduces stress, boosts alertness, improves memory and helps the body repair itself. We’ve all experienced the occasional sleepless night but what if you are “sleeping” and still not feeling your best through the day. It could be a sleep disorder known as Sleep Apnea. Many people suffer from it but are unaware that they have it. The most common type of Sleep Apnea is Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), which is when a person stops breathing periodically throughout the night due to physical obstructions of the airway.   It is extremely crucial that OSA is managed as it can become serious and lead to death. When breathing stops the oxygen level in your blood could drop, this will cause strain on your cardiovascular system making your heart work harder. OSA can increase risk of heart attack, high blood pressure and diabetes. All this sounds scary but on the bright side OSA can usually be successfully treated. Speak to your doctor if you or a family member notice the following symptoms:
  • Loud snoring or Silence when asleep
  • Gasping or Choking sounds while asleep
  • Insomnia or Hypersomnia
  • Frequent sore or dry throat
  • Teeth grinding
Once you have been diagnosed by your medical doctor they may recommend a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure). This machine keeps the airway open and prevents breathing from stopping during sleep. Keep in mind you also have the option of a Sleep Apnea dental device this is an oral appliance that brings your jaw forward opening the airway. Some patients may opt for a dental appliance over the CPAP due to comfort and portability issues. Dr. Washington and our team at The Brace Place are knowledgeable about OSA and can fabricate dental sleep devices. Please contact our office for more information; we would love to provide you with regenerative sleep.