A few helpful webisodes about orthodontics, from Meehan Orthodontics

Dr. Michael Meehan and his team at Meehan Orthodontics would like to point you to a few interesting webisodes about orthodontics, located on the YouTube page of the American Association of Orthodontists, or AAO.

There, they tend to post some very pertinent videos about orthodontic treatment, as well as state-of-the-art technology in orthodontia. These include "Orthodontic Treatment Basics," "Common Bite Problems Seen in Children" and "Does My Child Need Braces?"

We think you may find these webisodes interesting, as well as enlightening. If you have any questions about the videos, or your treatment here at Meehan Orthodontics, please give us a call.

Breaking bad habits, with Meehan Orthodontics

At Meehan 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. Michael Meehan.

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. Meehan 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 Meehan Orthodontics or ask your general dentist during your next scheduled visit! Or, ask us on Facebook!

Why are straight teeth so important for your oral health?

Some people wonder why Palos Heights orthodontist Dr. Michael Meehan 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 Meehan 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. Meehan can help you decide whether or not you will benefit from orthodontic treatment.

Is Invisalign really customized for each patient?

Yes, it is, and that’s part of what makes it work, says Dr. Michael Meehan. To find out if you are the right candidate for Invisalign treatment, the first thing we do is to take an impression of your teeth as they are now and digitize it. Using special software, we look at the current positioning of your teeth and compare it to the way your teeth should look.

Next we use special software to map out the exact path your teeth will take from the beginning of your treatment to the end. Based on the results, a set of custom aligners are created just for your teeth. Throughout the course of treatment, you will be required to wear these clear, removable aligners one at a time; each one moving your teeth closer and closer to their final, perfectly aligned position. The best thing about it all? Nobody around you will even know you are wearing braces!

Dr. Meehan is a certified Invisalign provider in Palos Heights, IL. If you have questions about Invisalign, or would like to find out if you are a candidate for Invisalign treatment, please give us a call.

What do you love about Meehan Orthodontics?

From your very first visit to Meehan Orthodontics our doctor and team strive to provide superior treatment in a pleasant, friendly atmosphere. We thought we’d ask you, our wonderful patients: Have you been especially impressed by Dr. Meehan's work? Did our team go out of their way to make your day? Are you in love with your new smile?

Whether you’ve just come in for a consultation or your family has been visiting our office for years, we’d love to hear your feedback. You can write a review here on our Google Place Page. Or, you can tell us by posting on our Facebook page or by giving us a call!

Thank you,
The team at Meehan Orthodontics

What's on your summer reading list?

With summer in full swing, some of us at Dr. Michael Meehan's office 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. Meehan 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!

Smile, and you might just live longer!

Folks with big smiles may actually live longer than those who don’t, according to a March 2010 study at Michigan’s Wayne State University. Dr. Meehan has known for quite some time that positive emotion has been linked to both physical and mental health, but researchers at the university did something quite interesting: they looked at photos of 230 ball-players who began their careers in baseball prior to 1950 and studied their smile intensity (ranging from big smile, no smile or partial smile). The players' smile ratings were compared with data from deaths that occurred from 2006 through 2009. The researchers then took into account other factors that impact life longevity, including body mass index, career length and even college attendance.

The results? Researchers found that players who weren't smiling in the photos died at the average age of 72.9 years. Players with partial smiles lived to be 75. Those with big smiles, however, lived on average to be 79.9 years old.

The take-away from the new study? Smile now, smile often and you might just live longer! Have you been perfecting your smile by visiting Meehan Orthodontics on a regular basis? If not, give us a call!

Access your account—anywhere, any day, any time—at Meehan Orthodontics

Access to your account, 24/7. Sounds simple and convenient, doesn’t it?

Patients at Meehan Orthodontics enjoy access to their account 24 hours a day, seven days a week—all through our website. You can look up your appointments and all of your account details at your convenience, all from the comfort of your own home! You can even receive appointment reminders through email or text messages!

You, too, may sign up for this convenient service on our website by clicking on the "Patient Login" button on our homepage. Please give us a call if you have any questions about getting started or ask us on Facebook!

Orthodontic emergency care with Dr. Meehan

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. Meehan.

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

Orthodontic fun facts, from Dr. Meehan

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 Meehan 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.

June is National Smile Month!

According to the American Dental Association, a person's smile outranked eyes, hair and body as the most important physical feature, which is why it's important for our team at Meehan Orthodontics to support National Smile Month this June.

Here are a few simple steps you can take to improve your oral health so that you may celebrate National Smile Month for many, many years to come:

* Brush at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste. Here's a helpful video showing you how to brush with your braces on.
* Floss every day to clean between your teeth.
* Reduce your intake of sugary foods and drinks during your orthodontic treatment with Dr. Meehan.
* Visit your dentist regularly (usually every six months apart).

If you have questions about any of these tips, we encourage you to give us a call.

Where in the World is Dr. Meehan?

Meehan Orthodontics is excited to announce that we will be hosting our "Where in the World is Dr. Meehan?" summer contest. This contest is the perfect opportunity for anyone traveling outside of Palos Heights, IL to share their vacation with Dr. Meehan and our team!

To enter, simply snap a photo of you with “Dr. Meehan” on your summer vacation. We will be handing out paper cutouts of Dr. Meehan to all of our patients. You can email your photo or drop it off at our office.

We will be sharing all of your contest entries on Facebook, so be sure to “like” us! Our team can’t wait to see where your adventures take Dr. Meehan this summer.

Happy travels!

Ask Dr. Meehan: Am I too old for braces?

Who’s afraid of “metal mouth” and the appearance of braces? Not adults, apparently. Recently, our staff at Meehan Orthodontics read a fascinating statistic: the number of adults getting braces has actually climbed 24 percent since 1996! Yes, braces help make your pearly whites strong, healthy and perfectly-aligned, but perhaps another reason for the spike in adult braces is this: people want to look and feel great. In an age—and society—where looks matter as much as anything, and at a time when evenly-aligned and sparkling teeth might be the difference between getting a job or a promotion, adults are choosing—wisely, we might add—to invest in orthodontics. Orthodontic treatment with Dr. Meehan can be successful at any age, and adults especially appreciate the benefits of a beautiful smile.

If you’ve been thinking about getting that perfect smile, Dr. Meehan would love to have you visit for a consultation. Please give us a call to set one up!

Go GRAY in May with Meehan Orthodontics

This year, Dr. Meehan and our team have chosen to support pediatric brain tumor and autism awareness. We'll be wearing these shirts once a week, alternating causes each month. We have some patients with autism and we lost a great patient to a brain tumor.

John McNicholas was only 15 years old and a student at St. Rita High School. Patients will receive a gray ribbon to remember him when they make donations at our office. You can also purchase bracelets that say "LIVE LIKE JOHN."

Be sure to check out our Facebook page to see our complete photo album. Have a great weekend everyone!

Meehan Orthodontics at the 2011 AAO Annual Session

To better serve our patients at Meehan Orthodontics with the highest quality orthodontic care available, Dr. Meehan and our entire team are committed to continuing education into the exciting world of orthodontics.

One of the ways we improve our service is by attending conferences, meetings and seminars, and last weekend, Dr. Meehan attended the AAO Annual Session, an educational event that is one of the largest orthodontic conventions in the world – and one that allows us to consult with orthodontists from around the country and stay up-to-date on all the most cutting-edge technologies and orthodontic treatment options available. This, in turn, allows us to give you, our wonderful patients, the best treatment experience possible.

If you’ve got an appointment scheduled with us soon, we invite you to ask us about the AAO Annual Session, including what we learned and how continuing education and acquisition of new technology helps us serve you more effectively.

Wear those retainers! From Meehan Orthodontics

If you recently completed treatment at Meehan Orthodontics, we’d like to congratulate you! Now that your braces have been removed, Dr. Meehan will provide—or has provided you—with retainers. After braces are removed, teeth can shift out of position if they are not stabilized. Retainers, however, always provide that stabilization. They are designed to hold teeth in their corrected, ideal positions until the bones and gums adapt to the treatment changes. Wearing retainers exactly as instructed by Dr. Meehan is the best insurance that the treatment improvements last for a lifetime.

To learn more about the advantages of wearing retainers after your orthodontic treatment with Dr. Meehan, please read this helpful article about retainers from KidsHealth or give us a call!

Dr. Meehan's top ten tips for keeping your BRACES sparklin’ clean

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 our office - we’d love to help!

Hope this helps!

You're Never Too Old to Treat Yourself to a New Smile!

Did you know one in every five orthodontic patients is an adult? We’re living longer and technology is improving, making orthodontic treatment an appealing and safe option for patients of all ages. As the trend toward treatment later in life grows, we’re seeing braces on parents as well as children – and even adult celebrities such as Tom Cruise, Gwen Stefani and Nicholas Cage have shown off their braces. It’s never too late to look and feel your best with Meehan Orthodontics!

Can Braces Work for Adults?

People of all ages can benefit from orthodontic treatment with Dr. Meehan. The physical process for moving teeth is the same, young or old, which means it’s never too late to address issues such as an overbite or underbite, crooked or crowded teeth, or jaw disorders.

How Do I Get Started?

If you’re considering orthodontic treatment, we’ll make a consultation appointment with you. During this meeting we will perform a general assessment of your oral health, discuss options for treatment, and answer any questions you may have. We will also discuss matters of cost and insurance. The next step is an orthodontic records appointment in which we take x-rays, photos, and an impression of your teeth. This information drives your unique treatment plan.

What Are the Benefits?

Straightening your teeth can improve your smile, your self-esteem, and your dental health. Technologically advanced new treatments make it easier to identify the option that best fits your lifestyle. Modern techniques and materials have made braces and aligners more effective, comfortable and unobtrusive than ever.

If you think you might benefit from orthodontic treatment, give Meehan Orthodontics a call, so we may set up a consultation to determine what type of treatment best meets your needs.

Play it safe this spring, from Meehan Orthodontics

April, also known as National Facial Protection Month, is a good time for the team at Meehan 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 Meehan Orthodontics. And remember to have fun and stay safe!

Foods to Avoid During Your Orthodontic Treatment

There are a variety of foods Dr. Meehan recommends you avoid while wearing braces. Some foods can occasionally damage braces, but certain foods can bend the wires or even break the brackets on your braces. If you’re wearing braces, you should avoid starch, sugar and gummy foods, as these foods can be difficult to remove during brushing. Foods that are high in sugar and starch tend to cause plaque, cavities and even tooth decay.

Avoid tough meats, hard breads and raw vegetables such as carrots and celery. Before long, you'll be able to bite a cucumber again. But you'll need to protect your orthodontic appliances when you eat for as long as you're wearing braces.

Foods you should avoid include:

• Chewy foods: bagels, hard rolls, licorice
• Crunchy foods: popcorn, ice, chips
• Sticky foods: caramels, gum
• Hard foods: nuts, candy
• Foods you have to bite into: corn on the cob, apples, carrots

Also, chewing on hard things (for example, pens, pencils or fingernails) can damage the braces. Damaged braces will cause treatment to take longer.

If you have any questions on which foods you should be avoiding and why, we invite you to give Meehan Orthodontics a call or ask our staff during your next visit.