“Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul.” – Henry Ward Beecher
The DCO Team is treating our fabulous patients to our 2nd annual DCO Patient Appreciation Event. All patients, families, siblings, and friends are welcome! The more, the merrier! The event will be at Merrymead Farm and attendees can join us in the DCO tent for refreshments, fun, and tickets to all of the farm's fall festivities. This includes hayrides, a cornfield maze, pumpkin painting, apple slinging, and much, much more! We hope to see you there. If you are planning to attend, please RSVP to jen@dco-ortho.com to help us get an accurate headcount.
If you are parent to a child who has a thumb or finger habit, you are in good company. One study indicated that 15-20% of children under age 6 engage in thumb or finger sucking habits. Even orthodontists' children suck their thumbs! (See cover photo to see my daughter in action).
Below are 4 considerations for parents with a child who engages in thumb sucking. All of the following are evidence-based and established by clinical research, to help your child avoid dental health problems while building self-confidence associated with overcoming a challenging task.
Impact on Dental and Facial Growth and Development
After age 6 and with the corresponding eruption of the first permanent teeth, sucking habits will begin to have an irreversible negative effect on the development of the jaws, bite relationship, and positioning of teeth. In most cases, the habit will contribute specifically to a narrow upper jaw (causing crossbite), protruded upper teeth (overbite), and a failure of the front teeth to bite together properly (open bite).
Stopping By Age 6 or 7 Will Minimize Most Long Term Effects
In my experience as an orthodontist, I find that most children begin to establish social awareness of thumb sucking around age 5-6 and develop an internal motivation to cease the habit when it is observed that peers at school are not engaged in the habit. Fortunately for children and parents, this period coincides with the time in development at which irreversible negative effects can by prevented. Research has shown that cessation of thumb and finger habits prior to the eruption of the permanent incisors (central teeth) at age 6 or 7 will prevent lasting negative impacts on the development of the upper jaw and permanent teeth. This key age to stop also aligns with the American Association of Orthodontists' (AAO) recommended age for the initial evaluation of your child (age 7) by an orthodontic specialist.
Techniques for Stopping Thumb and Finger Sucking
The single most important aspect in helping a child to stop sucking a finger or thumb is to determine self-motivation. In the clinical setting, I typically begin by simply asking the child if he or she would like to stop the sucking habit. If your child is not ready and motivated, then it is not time to attempt to stop the habit. It will only lead to frustration and negativity. The focus, instead, should be on education. Explaining to your child how it would be helpful to them to stop and pointing out that others in their social group or class at school may be in the process of stopping. Acknowledging the difficulty in stopping is also very important. For example, if either parent had a sucking habit as a child, explain to your child how you recall how hard it was to stop, but how rewarded you felt once you were able to tackle the difficult challenge.
Once established that the child is motivated, I recommend the following techniques to positively reinforce stopping the habit:
Continuously reaffirm the child's self-motivation and goal to stop. Examples: "That is so great that you set this goal." and "You can do this, we are so proud of you."
Set up a reminder system to help the child stop when the body may be unconsciously initiating the habit during sleep. This can include sleeping with glove or bandaid on the sucking hand and using nail polish on the sucking finger (Mavala Stop is one brand name). The goal is not to physically prevent your child from performing the habit, but helping to provide reminders so they can willfully stop the habit in a positive, supportive environment. Positive reinforcement is the key.
Use a reward calendar on the refrigerator. Every full day/night your child goes without engaging in the habit, place a star on the calendar. Arrange for a reward after 14 consecutive days are achieved without the habit. After 14 consecutive days, the chance of relapse of the habit is very small. (Link: I Can Do It Reward Chart)
In many cases, early orthodontic intervention will help your child if he or she is actively engaged in a sucking habit over age 7. Most often, a constricted (narrow) upper arch and possible associated crossbite will indicate the need for a maxillary expander to orthopedically widen the upper jaw. In this case, this very common appliance will change the dynamics of the thumb habit just enough to serve as a reminder and aid the child in stopping the habit.
Consider the BIG PICTURE
Your child will overcome this habit. Your role as a parent is to educate, to motivate, and to provide a positive and supportive environment. Keep in mind that this may be the very first conscious, difficult sacrifice your child makes to improve his or her health and well-being. It must be our goal as adults (parents and healthcare providers alike) to foster self-motivation, encourage that little girl or boy that they are up to the challenge, and celebrate with them when they achieve what they set out to do. Comments like "how am I going to get him to stop" or "she will never stop this" do little to motivate and will undermine the child's self-expectations. This habit should be looked at as a profound opportunity that can be used as a very important confidence builder for a young child. We adults must create an environment that encourages children in our sphere of influence to learn, to set goals, and to succeed- in thumb-sucking and beyond!!
The DCO Team is here to help you. Please email me at any time (info@dco-ortho.com) if I can provide any additional information to help you or your child.
"Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth." -Mike Tyson
(Montgomery County, PA)- Many parents ask whether their child in braces or Invisalign needs to wear a mouthguard while playing sports. Below are some guidelines to help you ensure your child's teeth are protected while playing sports.
Advantages of Mouthguards
Cushion any forceful contact to the face, lips, or jaws to prevent injury
Prevent teeth from being chipped, broken, or injured when heavy contact is sustained
Evenly distribute force when contact is sustained to the mouth, lips, or teeth
Types of Mouthguards
Custom Fit Mouthguards (the cream of the crop, best fitting and performing, made by your dentist or orthodontist)
Orthodontic Mouthguards (designed to fit around braces, expanders, and other orthodontic appliances and to give teeth the freedom to move while still providing great protection)
Boil and Bite Mouthguards (DIY at-home customization, gets the job done but may not fit as well and will be more bulky when compared to a custom fit mouthguard)
When should my child wear a mouthguard?
Any sport or activity where forceful contact to the face could be sustained
More obvious sports are: football, hockey, lacrosse, field hockey, boxing, martial arts
Less obvious sports where facial injuries can occur but mouthguard wear is typically inconsistent and/or not required to be worn amongst players are: basketball, soccer, baseball, softball. In my practice, I have seen the highest amount of significant dental trauma stemming from basketball in instances where a mouthguard was not being worn
If there is any chance for contact to the face or teeth, then a mouthguard = your best friend
If you have any questions about mouth protection or prevention of trauma while playing sports, please feel free to email me at info@dco-ortho.com. We are committed to helping you! I hope you found this short article helpful!
Misconceptions exist about the general experience of having braces and are typically based on recommendations, procedures and technologies from decades ago. New research has enabled advanced technologies that have made the orthodontic experience much better than it would have been even 5 or 10 years ago. This is great news for everybody.
“Can I chew gum with braces?”
This is one of the most common questions we have in our practice. The short answer is yes, if the gum is sugar-free and contains xylitol. Several recent scientific studies have shown that gum with xylitol (examples- Trident, Icebreakers, and many others) have a multitude of benefits:
Reduction of Tooth Decay
Aids Enamel Remineralization and Repair
Increases Salivary Flow
Increases Comfort During Tooth Movement
Always follow your specific orthodontist’s recommendations when it comes to the care of your braces. Each patient’s case or type of braces being used may vary. There are specific cases (TMJ pain/discomfort) when gum chewing is not recommended. However, at DCO, we generally recommend that our patients chew a sugar-free gum that contains xylitol 2-3 times per day. Invisalign patients may chew gum as well when aligners are removed. The best timing for chewing gum during orthodontic treatment is immediately after a meal.
We are all deeply familiar with the capability of digital technology to revolutionize the way we do things. Twenty years ago, we all would have had trouble believing that most of society would be connected via mini, hand-held computers that magically merged with our phones. At that point, we were still grappling with the concept of the internet and hoping that the world did not end on “Y2K.” As we know, in many arenas and in many ways, digitization has spelled dehumanization of experiences for customers.
At DCO, we are constantly seeking to combine the awesome capabilities of digital technologies to enhance the personal experience patients have while in treatment. Each patient is assigned to a DCO Experience Concierge whose sole mission is to guide individuals through the treatment process. The DCO Experience Concierge ensures seamless coordination, high-quality service, and a personal connection throughout treatment.
Our practice has carefully and deliberately selected technologies that add value to the personal experience of each patient. Below are three examples:
3D Printing- A true win-win for patients is technology that improves treatment quality, enhances treatment efficiency, and provides a more comfortable experience. Three-dimensional scanning and printing has allowed us to be extremely precise in creating a digital 3D model of our patients’ teeth to aid us in accurate diagnosis and treatment. We are able to work with laboratories to 3D print and create accurate appliances like expanders for children and Invisalign aligners for teens and adults. The upsides to this technology are a huge increase in patient comfort through the elimination of the need for impressions and the improved accuracy of our diagnosis and treatment. The downsides are none.
Digital Workflow- Your healthcare experience will no longer be defined by having to fill out 15 paper forms while the reception staff sits behind a glass partition. At our practice, from beginning to end, the DCO Experience Concierge is always with the patient along the way, answering questions and lending support. Our digital treatment experience is built around elimination of unnecessary steps, clear communication, and paperless management of each patient’s personalized treatment. We use sophisticated digital diagnostic, practice management and treatment planning software that allows us to make things simple for our patients while leaving a green footprint. Among these technologies are digital radiographs and three dimensional model generation which provides enhanced comfort to patients, appliances that fit more precisely, and creates efficiencies to allow for fewer visits during treatment for each patient.
Invisalign- Clear aligner treatment (Invisalign) has enabled us to make treatment virtually invisible. Additionally, it allows for flexible for adults and has improved the quality of life, function, and confidence for many who would not pursue orthodontic treatment otherwise. Invisalign’s innovations are centered around using 3D models to virtually move teeth and manufacture clear aligners to be worn sequentially at each stage of tooth movement. Invisalign's digital technology dovetails perfectly into 3D printing and scanning technological advancements that we have harnessed in other areas of our practice. Adults are now free to pursue orthodontic treatment with extremely little impact on their lifestyle or work schedule.
The future is here and it is exciting! At DCO Orthodontic Specialists, we have harnessed the power of digital technology to enhance human interactions, not replace them.
Our dogs can be our greatest teachers. Personal and professional lives are often crafted around service and making a positive impact on the lives of others. Many volunteer their time and efforts in service to others for the immense reward of knowing they made a difference. Some also see service as a means by which they are answering a higher calling and fulfilling a greater mission larger than any one person. Ask a member of our military or those of faith and they will tell you. At DCO Orthodontic Specialists, we continually ask the question- “How do we best serve our patients?” We always dig deep to look in unconventional places to find innovative and unconventional answers.
My wife Sarah and I are animal lovers and we have two rescue dogs named Genco and Riley who are at the beginning and end of their life journeys at ages 1 and 15, respectively. Dogs are extraordinary animals and their core ability to instinctively love and to feel is remarkable. One day, I was walking Genco and saw his tail beginning to wag and felt subtle tension on the leash as he gazed across the street. In the distance, he spotted a young child holding a balloon walking with her parents. He was so excited to cross the street to say hello, he sensed the child’s energy and curiosity that matched his own and was also excited to try to play with the balloon she was holding. This small moment gave way to the profound realization that there is a great deal that we can learn from our dogs about serving others. Below are three lessons that our four-legged little friends teach us on a daily basis.
The Beauty of Simplicity
William Martin’s poem entitled Make the Ordinary Come Alive illustrates the beauty in teaching children to unlock the magic that exists in ordinary life instead of encouraging them to search for that which is extraordinary. Here is an excerpt:
“Help them instead to find wonder
and the marvel of an ordinary life.
Show them the joy of tasting
tomatoes, apples and pears…”
A dog teaches us to appreciate the powerful joy that can be delivered by the mere sight of a person- whether that be a loved one or a new person to meet. They illustrate the beauty of nature, the wonderful smells of leaves on a crisp fall day, and the great fun that can be had by bounding through an open field. They show us the art of digging one’s nose into fresh snow and then sneezing and rolling around in it just before eating a few mouthfuls. For us humans, dogs show us the beauty that lies in the simple things we often take for granted. They make the ordinary truly come alive. If we can learn this lesson, we can serve others by showing them something incredible and powerful that lies within them that they may have previously assigned as simple or ordinary. By doing so, we may also turn simple aspects of our own nature into superpowers.
Unconditional Love
Unconditional is defined as that which is not limited by conditions; absolute. In a dog, we find the lesson of a truly unconditional bond. A dog sees you at your absolute best at all times and wastes no time in the contemplation of your flaws. You are a companion, a friend and somebody who is deeply missed the moment when you leave the room. If you have a bad day or are down on your luck, a dog will respond by making you instantaneously feel treasured and important. If we can demonstrate that we feel this way, we can provide an uplifting positive spark to others.
Energetic Greetings
The art of the greeting has been perfected by our four-legged friends. Although dogs lack the opposable thumb required for a firm handshake, they make up for this and more. Dogs miss you when you are gone and put that sentiment on full display when you return. Your value to a dog is expressed in the energy and enthusiasm that is shown when you enter the door after being away. We have all heard stories of dogs walking for miles to navigate back home to reunite with their owner. The same phenomenon exists when a dog explodes with excitement to meet a new friend. How we greet each other can set an uplifting tone for a positive relationship. A dog can teach us much about the value of enthusiastically greeting customers, friends, family and new acquaintances in a manner that truly brightens their day.
In Closing...
At DCO, we believe that gratitude is reciprocal and we tirelessly strive to make our patients feel valued. We seek to learn the lessons our dogs can teach us to continually improve in being supporters of our patients and their families. We hope to demonstrate to each of patients how much we value all the simple things that make them an extraordinary, unique individual to us. At the recommendation of an orthodontist colleague, I recently read a book entitled The Art of Racing in the Rain. It is story completely told from the perspective of the family dog Enzo and it seamlessly mixes observations ranging from the mundane to the deeply philosophical. One of Enzo’s most memorable observations in the book is:
We wanted our very first DCO Orthodontic Specialists blog post to be about you. That’s right- about YOU! We are thrilled to be opening our doors in July of 2016 to begin our effort to create an experience for patients that is truly unique in the healthcare space. We have been focused to build each of our processes around innovation, teamwork, collaboration, and above all else, making the patient’s experience during treatment priority number one.
Every aspect of our practice has been extensively planned, designed and built around making treatment convenient, enjoyable, affordable and rewarding. We set our goals very high, and we are determined that you will look back on your decision to have orthodontic treatment at DCO as one of the best decisions you have ever made- both in terms of the high quality result and the journey we took together to get there.
Some specific ways in which we deliver a treatment experience to you that exceeds your expectations:
Communication: We will take the time to listen to you and collaborate with you during treatment so we can help you reach your goals.
Comfort: Our office is a warm place and our entire team is determined to brighten your day. We have a beverage bar, complimentary Wifi, and semi-privacy in all clinical areas. During your visit, you may even forget that you are in a healthcare space.
Convenience: We are will work with you to make your treatment process simple and convenient. We have advanced technologies that can reduce the number of appointments. We offer early morning, evening, and weekend hours as well.
Esthetics: We offer the most advanced and esthetic orthodontic treatment options available. We are equally focused on the needs of young patients and adult patients.
We begin by listening.It all starts with you. These are the mantras of our practice. We will constantly seek feedback from our patients and tirelessly work to continue to improve each day on the delivery of an exceptional experience. Come and see what we are about. It would be an honor to have you join the DCO Family.
