The Choice is Clear with Damon Clear

damonbraces.com

Your appearance can make a big difference in your confidence, and a healthy smile is one of the first things people notice. If you have crooked teeth, a bad bite or other dental challenges, it can even be difficult for you to find the success you want as a professional. And for kids and teens, the discomfort of traditional braces can add to an already stressful school experience.

Dr. McClellan is dedicated to creating beautiful smiles with straighter teeth and good bites. One of the orthodontic treatment options offered at McClellan Orthodontics, includes Clear Braces by the Damon System.  Made of tooth-colored or transparent ceramic, Damon Clear Braces require no metal clips or elastic ties…meaning our patients are actually getting braces that are clear.

With Damon Clear, people may not even realize you're wearing braces. Unlike other clear braces with visible metal parts or elastic ties that can yellow during treatment, Damon Clear braces are virtually invisible. Damon Clear braces are resistant to staining and do not use elastic ties, providing a superior aesthetic solution for patients.

Damon Clear Braces are perfect for adults looking to improve their smile yet steer clear of any noticeable differences that may draw attention to their mouth. Teenagers that already feel insecure about their smiles don’t want the look of metal braces either.  And while traditional metal braces are effective, most teenagers choose Damon Clear Braces over metal braces a majority of the time.

Damon Clear Braces offer our patients the look they want, with all of the functionality of traditional metal brackets. Their comfortable, sculptured design and attractive translucent appearance help provide the self-confidence that comes from wearing braces that look as good as they perform.

If you have been considering orthodontic treatment, consider Damon Clear Braces. Give McClellan Orthodontics a call to schedule your initial consultation today.

National Facial Protection Month

McClellan Orthodontics

McClellan Orthodontics would like to take this month to remind our athletes to wear a mouth guard during recreational and organized sports.

A mouth guard is an essential piece of athletic gear that should be part of your standard equipment from an early age. Mouth guards prevent injuries to the bone and tissues around the teeth. A properly fitted mouth guard may be especially important for people who wear braces. A blow to the face could damage the brackets or other fixed orthodontic appliances. A mouth guard also provides a barrier between the braces and your cheek or lips, which will help you avoid injuries to your gums and cheeks.

Mouth guards are coverings worn over teeth, and often used to protect teeth from injury from teeth grinding and during sports. An effective mouth guard should be comfortable, resist tears, be durable and easy to clean, and should not restrict your breathing or speech. There are three types of mouth guards:

1. Stock mouth guards are preformed and come ready to wear. They are inexpensive and can be purchased at most sporting goods stores and department stores. However, little can be done to adjust their fit, they are bulky, make breathing and talking difficult, and they provide little or no protection. 
2. Boil and bite mouth guards can also be purchased at many sporting goods stores and may offer a better fit than stock mouth guards. The "boil and bite" mouth guard is made from thermoplastic material. It is placed in hot water to soften, then placed in the mouth and shaped around the teeth using finger and tongue pressure. 
3. Custom-fitted mouth guards are individually designed and made in our orthodontic office. Custom-made mouth guards are a little more expensive than the other types of mouth guards, but they provide the most comfort and protection.

Mouth guards should be used by anyone playing contact sports such as football, soccer, and basketball. However, even those participating in noncontact sports and any recreational activity that might pose a risk of injury to the mouth would benefit from wearing a protective mouth guard.   

If you're an athlete and a patient at McClellan Orthodontics, talk to Dr. McClellan and his team about selecting a mouth guard that will provide the right protection for you.

COVID-19 Update:

Due to the guidelines from the American Dental Association our office will now be closed through April 3rd.

We will keep everyone informed by email as to the status of the office. This is an unprecedented time in history and we are trying to keep everyone healthy from our patients to our team members.

Call the office if you have an orthodontic emergency and we will get back to you with what we can do for you.

Stay home, stay healthy. We will be reaching out to reschedule all of you who have appointments within this time period. Thank you for your understanding in this difficult time. We will get through this!

Wear those Retainers

McClellan Orthodontics

Congratulations! You are near the end of your smile journey and your braces are about to be off! Nothing like that feeling. Even long after our braces are off, teeth shift and it is natural as we grow older. There is one thing you can do to ensure your smile remains the best it can be and that is wearing retainers.

No matter your situation, it’s almost a guarantee you will be wearing some form of a retainer after having your braces are removed. It might be removable retainer, which is removed for eating and cleaning or a bonded retainer, placed discreetly behind your teeth.

There might be a minor adjustment period when you first put your retainer on. Don’t worry, this is completely normal and will pass soon enough.

Retainers are essential for helping your teeth stay in place in their new positions after wearing braces.

3 Benefits of Fixing an Open-bite

If your upper and lower teeth don't touch when your mouth is closed, your doctor calls this an open bite. An open bite affects the way we eat food. With orthodontic treatment this can be corrected. Here are three benefits of fixing an open bite.

1. Your teeth will be cleaner. When your teeth become straighter, it is easier to clean in between teeth and keep your smile healthy.
2. In many cases, red and swollen gums are a direct result of teeth that are too widely spaced or too crowded, which can be minimized by straightening your smile.
3. As a key part of your mouth, your teeth play an important role in your speech. Gapped, protruding, or crowded teeth can affect your speaking patterns. Straightening your smile can help.

Choosing to straighten your teeth is a big decision that affects not only your appearance but your lifestyle as well and the benefits of having properly aligned teeth extend far beyond a confident smile. Straightening your teeth can significantly affect your overall dental health. Schedule an appointment today.

What is Two Phase Orthodontic Treatment

Two-phase orthodontic treatment is a very specialized process that encompasses jaw and facial changes and tooth straightening. The major advantage of two-phase treatment is to maximize the opportunity to accomplish the ideal healthy, functional, aesthetic and comfortable result that will remain stable. In some cases interceptive treatment prevents adult tooth extractions or major jaw surgery.

Interceptive orthodontic care is one of the most rewarding treatment options that we offer to our patients. Interceptive care is exactly that, intercepting a problem before it gets out of hand. Treatment occurs at a younger age than conventional orthodontic care and is not typically as long. The idea is to shift teeth, manipulate growth, create space for unerupted teeth, break habits and prevent trauma before it is too late. Children between the ages of 7 and 10 are best suited for this sort of treatment. They are flexible, compliant and their growth potential is still at a maximum. Treatment usually lasts 4 to 12 months after which the child is monitored and the decision as to the need for a second phase is made. Most children will require a second, more comprehensive, phase of treatment in order to create a completely stable, functional and aesthetic occlusion.

Second phase treatment begins once most of the adult teeth have erupted. This phase usually requires 12 months with braces on all of the teeth. After the second phase of treatment retainers will be worn in order to hold the teeth in the correct position.

2 Facts about 2 Phase Treatment

Two-phase orthodontic treatment is a very specialized process that encompasses jaw and facial changes and tooth straightening. The major advantage of two-phase treatment is to maximize the opportunity to accomplish the ideal healthy, functional, aesthetic and comfortable result that will remain stable. In some cases, interceptive treatment prevents adult tooth extractions or major jaw surgery.

Second phase treatment begins once most of the adult teeth have erupted. This phase usually requires 12 months with braces on all of the teeth. After the second phase of treatment retainers will be worn in order to hold the teeth in the correct position.

1. Moving baby teeth is not done for the sake of their appearance. While baby teeth can move during Phase One orthodontic treatment, their movement is part of the process to ensure sufficient space for permanent teeth.
2. Two-phase orthodontic treatment is for kids, but it’s not for all kids. Most orthodontic problems can be treated in one phase of comprehensive treatment, however there are a few exceptions.

2 Ways Your Smile Changes when you get Older

As we grow older, our teeth shift. If you had orthodontic treatment as a teen or child, chances are as an adult your teeth will shift. Here are two ways your smile changes as we all get older.

1. When the lower and upper jaw don’t align, it is called a malocclusion in orthodontic terms. Simply, you may have a bad bite. A bad bite can cause headaches, a bad speech, clicking and popping jaw joints and can cause you to possibly grind your teeth.

A bad bite can be corrected at any age and through various ways such as Invisalign or braces.  An estimated 1.61 million adults underwent orthodontic treatment in the U.S. in 2018.

2. Retainers are so important after orthodontic treatment because teeth may shift. After orthodontic treatment a retainer is needed to maintain teeth in position. As we age, if teeth are restored or lost, new proper fitting retainers will be needed to prevent unwanted change.

Your First Visit at McClellan Orthodontics

At McClellan & Sagun Orthodontics in Kenilworth, IL, we have a tradition of creating great smiles by providing unparalleled orthodontic health care. Dr. Mart McClellan, Dr.Tim Sagun and our team strive to accommodate the needs of our patients and create a positive orthodontic experience.

At your first visit, you will be greeted by one of our staff members and a complimentary, no obligation orthodontic exam will be done. During this time, we evaluate many things relating to your face, your smile, the fit of your teeth and the amount of room for all of your teeth. From this initial visit, if a you are ready for treatment, an appointment for diagnostic records is made.

If a patient is still developing and is not yet ready for treatment, we will recommend the patient be placed into an observation phase where we will follow growth and development to determine the appropriate time for treatment. Often, treatment fees, general payment options and insurance benefits are discussed.

Thankful for our Kenilworth Community

Thankful for our Kenilworth community and all of our patients. We are incredibly grateful for the kind words and reviews. Our office is conveniently located to serve the communities surrounding Kenilworth, such as Wilmette, Winnetka and Glencoe, IL. Call us today for your initial orthodontic consultation! We look forward to meeting you and working with you as we continue our tradition of creating the North Shore’s best smiles.

Summer Health Tips

Summer has finally arrived! Summers in Illinois 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.

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.

Resist the temptation of 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.

Traveling: when in doubt brush with bottled water:
Summer means family vacations for most families. If you’re traveling outside of the country or are out in the wilderness - brush your teeth with bottled water. It will reduce your chances of getting sick and keep your smile healthy beyond summer.

Brush 2 x a day:
With an abnormal routine at times during the summer - be sure to not forget the important step in keeping your summer smile healthy, brushing your teeth! The American Dental Association, recommends everyone brush their teeth for 2 minutes, 2 times a day.

At McClellan & Sagun Orthodontics in Kenilworth, IL, we have a tradition of creating great smiles by providing unparalleled orthodontic health care.