Summer is officially here! Summers mean BBQ’s, spending time with friends and family, family vacations and tons of fun for everyone. With all the adventurous excitement of summer, it might be easy to forget a few of our regular simple tips that keep your smile healthy. 1. Stay on Routine:  Summer screams vacation and fun times for children. It is also the time where it is easy for routines to slip and forget. Don’t forget the nightly and morning routines from simply brushing your teeth to flossing to getting check up from both your dentist and orthodontist, if it falls during the summer. 2. Resist Sugary Drinks: Say no to the sugary drinks that have a high volume of sugar. Not only is it bad for your teeth, it is also bad for your health. Instead stay hydrated with water. This summer watch your intake of lemonade, soda and sports drinks - which are summer staples.  3. Traveling: When in Doubt - Use Bottled Water : Summer means family vacations for most f...

Can I Prevent Enamel Damage? Are you concerned about damage to your tooth enamel? Well put your worries aside because there are several things you can do to prevent enamel damage such as decaying or discoloring. Preventing enamel decay can be as easy as  cutting out or limiting high-acidic foods  from your regular diet.  High-acidic foods include items such as blueberries, sugar, honey, vinegar, soy sauce, cranberries , and more.  Another thing you can do is  remove high sugar drinks  from your diet in addition to acidic foods is also a good idea. Fortunately, there are several measures you can take to prevent your enamel from discoloring or decaying.  The easiest way to avoid decay is to steer clear of high-acidity foods. This may not always be possible, but eliminating sugary fruit juices and soda from your diet is a good start.  Brushing your teeth after each meal and flossing frequently also preserves your...

Photo provided by damonbraces.com No matter what our age ...I think we can all admit we have taken a selfie or two. With selfies and instant photo sharing being as popular as it is these days, a camera-ready smile is a great thing to have.  Thankfully, you don’t need to be a celebrity or genetically blessed to flash a stunning smile. You just need practice. Sounds crazy, right? Practicing to smile like you would practice a sport or cooking a recipe may seem silly, but as they say...practice makes perfect.   Smiling naturally may not come as easy for some people as it does for others. But just like with anything we do in life, the more we practice, the easier it gets.   Helpful Tips for a Photographic Smile   GET IN FRONT OF THE MIRROR - Take time to practice your smile in front of a mirror. See how it looks when you hold your shoulders back and strike a natural, unforced smile. Play around with turning your head and finding your best angle. Figure ou...

Dr. Hook and all the Hook Orthodontics team want to remind you that orthodontic health is much more than straight teeth. When Dr. Hook creates beautiful smiles for our patients, he places all the elements of the face into their perfect alignment for a healthy as well as beautiful smile. Orthodontic treatment at Hook Orthodontics also provides many additional health benefits . Here are just a few you might not realize: Prevent TMJ: TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint) Disorders occur from stress on the jaw joint. Often, people who suffer from TMJ have an incorrect bite pattern or a misalignment of their bite. Orthodontic treatment can align the teeth and bite to remove the stress on the joints that causes TMJ Disorder. Aid Digestive Health: Perfectly aligned teeth help you chew your food more effectively, which helps your digestive health. Avoid Tooth Decay and Gum Disease: Crowded and misaligned teeth make it difficult to clean your teeth and gums, which can lead t...

Hook Orthodontics Our dedication to providing extraordinary personal service with compassion and consideration to the unique needs of each of our patients is our top priority. We feel open communication is extremely important in creating a positive environment for our patients and insuring a successful treatment outcome. Here at Hook Orthodontics , we consider dental health to be an integral part of overall good health. We believe that good dental health can instill a sense of well-being, provide a lifelong smile, and promote good overall health. To that note, let’s talk about the truth about our teeth. Our bone and gum tissues are supported by our teeth. If this support is lost or is poorly aligned, then our bone and gums can begin to erode. If the teeth are properly aligned the bone and gums are less likely to erode. Your teeth play an important role in digestion. Before your food ever enters your stomach, it has to be chewed by your teeth. This process is called mastica...

Photo provided by oralb.com After getting braces, new patients may develop bad breath from not cleaning their teeth properly. Simply doing a quick job brushing your teeth is not enough to keep your teeth in great shape, especially when you wear braces. Bacteria feeds on food particles leftover after you eat, and this sneaky bacterium creates an unpleasant odor. We certainly understand bad breath can be uncomfortable to talk about, but it happens to most of us. The important thing to do if you’re experiencing bad breath (or know someone who is) is to determine the root of the problem. The most common factor for bad breath our patients is almost typically caused by poor oral hygiene .  It's important to brush immediately after every meal or snack or at least rinse your mouth with water or mouthwash if you aren’t able to brush. Bad breath-causing odors and bacteria can also cling to  removable orthodontics  (like a retainer or   clear aligners ), so be sur...

Photo provided by oralb.com Even though you are careful, you may occasionally damage your appliances . We want our patients to be informed of problems that may occur, and understand how to solve them, at least temporarily, until it is possible to return to our office .   You can temporarily fix the loose wire by using the back of a spoon or the eraser end of a pencil to carefully and gently push the wire back into place. If the loose wire is causing irritation to your lips or cheeks, put wax or a wet cotton ball over the broken wire to relieve the pain. If a band or bracket comes loose from the tooth, call our office for an appointment .  While a tight band or bracket actually protects a tooth from decay, a loose band or bracket is extremely dangerous and decay can occur under it very rapidly. If the band or bracket is still attached to a wire, leave it in place and apply wax if there is discomfort. If the band or bracket comes completely out, place it in an...