Every April, National Facial Protection Month strives to raise public awareness and remind parents, caregivers, coaches, and athletes to play it safe while playing sports. Hook Orthodontics would like to take the time this month to remind our athletes to wear a mouthguard during recreational and organized sports. A mouthguard is used to protect your mouth from injury when you are participating in sports.   A mouthguard is an essential piece of athletic gear that should be part of your standard equipment from an early age when it comes to protecting your mouth. Mouthguards prevent injuries to the bone and tissues around the teeth. They also help prevent injuries to the lower jaw and temporomandibular joint in the jaw. A properly fitted mouthguard may be especially important for people who wear braces. A blow to the face could damage the brackets or other fixed orthodontic appliances. A mouthguard also provides a barrier between the braces and your chee...

Choosing to get orthodontic care is a big decision for anyone. It means your ready for a lifetime change that will affect your smile in a positive way. At Hook Orthodontics, we understand and respect your reasons for wanting to improve the way you look and feel. Our practice will work with you every step of the way to make sure your orthodontic care is an amazing experience. Our office utilizes the latest technology while offering a variety of safe and gentle treatment options to give you the customized, individual care you deserve. We often get asked a lot of great questions on orthodontic care and treatment. We love educating our patients on what to expect and the benefits of orthodontic treatment, which will ultimately bring a brand new beautiful smile. We have also seen a lot of false information on orthodontic treatment. Some are rumors heard by someone else, others are myths that have been told long ago, passed around and believed to be true (which are not true). Here are a ...

1)  Pretty simple. I don’t believe or like what I’m hearing. Heck, you may not like what I’m telling you. I was the fifth opinion once. The first four suggested a $4000 procedure, I recommended extracting a primary tooth only. It worked. 2) The fees are too high. Higher does not mean better. 3) Be careful of a hard sell. 4) Most eight year old's do not need treatment. 5) If you do Phase I treatment, your child probably won’t need orthodontic treatment, Phase II) later, or it may be less difficult later. Lie! 6) If you don’t do Phase I treatment, extractions may be necessary later, when the permanent teeth erupt. Lie! Thanks. 7) Do not start orthodontic treatment if you are moving off the island in the very near future. Good luck Dr. Hook

I know, my mom said you should not use the word “hate.” But I really hate social media. Here are the reasons why: 1) You can’t believe everything on the internet. Yelp, Google and Facebook reviews are full of lies. I long for days of old where word of mouth referrals were the gold standard. Paying fees to SEO and consultants are supposed to help place your company on the first few pages of an online search. You can see this when doctors have hundreds on online reviews. It is very common to pay for reviews. I have a tough time getting a few and when a fabulous review is submitted I have noticed that some have been deleted. 2) “Dig a Pony” by The Beatles Well if you write me a great review on my waiting room computer, your son or daughter could win a pony. Attorney's call that “quid pro quo.” 3) Years ago, it was against the ethical bylaws of many local dental societies to even place an ad in the phone book. Look how far we have come. I do have a website with an SEO compan...

June is Oral Health Month. A good oral hygiene routine is the foundation of a healthy smile, especially for young children. For parents, leading by example should establish healthy habits like brushing, cleaning between your teeth and seeing your dentist. This ultimately leads to the big difference in the health and happiness of your entire family and in children, fewer fears about visiting their dentist. Here are 2 tips from the American Dental Association that are a great reminder to enforce. Start a Routine and Stick to It: You may be tempted to let your child skip brushing after a long day or during times when your normal schedule is off (like a vacation), but keep at it. The more second nature brushing becomes the easier it will be to make sure your child is brushing twice a day for two minutes. Kids Need to Floss: It doesn't matter if you clean between ​your child's teeth before or after they brush as long as you clean between any teeth that touch. You can use chi...