Welcome to the Vinson Orthodontics Blog!

Did You Know May is National Fitness and Sports Month Physical exercise is good for everyone’s health no matter what your age or body type. There is no better time to spread the word about the advantages of being active than National Fitness and Sports Month.

  Father’s Day is certainly not the oldest holiday in the World or even in America. Usually, Dads are celebrated by getting a day to do whatever they want…which most Dads believe to be a great idea. You will see Dads playing golf, fishing, bowling, working on their Model-T-Bucket hot rod or just plain napping in front of the TV. Now Dads may not be quite as busy as many Moms regarding the chauffeuring aspect, but we must admit most do their part in driving the kids to camp, to soccer, to baseball and yes…even to the orthodontic office of Vinson Orthodontics.

At Vinson Orthodontics, we don’t have to tell you that keeping your teeth clean during treatment is very important. Braces have a habit of collecting additional food while eating that can cause a multitude of problems if not cared for correctly. So you don’t offend others with unsightly food caught on your braces, or to avoid bad breath, swollen gums, decalcification or discoloring of teeth and cavities, here are are five tooth brushing tips from Dr. Britt Vinson and our team for orthodontic patients to keep in mind while wearing braces:

As Independence Day, July 4th rapidly approaches, it’s clear we are already more than halfway into the year and more importantly … summer has arrived. Our team recently researched some fun facts about our nation’s favorite holiday to showcase why we love celebrating the day which hallmarks our nation’s independence. Did you know July 4th, or as it is commonly referred to, Independence Day, has only been a federal holiday since 1941? The tradition still has roots though going all the way back to the 18th century and the American Revolution (1775 – 1783). July 4th has been celebrated as the birth of American independence since then and is often celebrated with fireworks, parades, concerts and of course, barbecues.

Everyone wants a full, toothy smile, but some people are missing teeth through no fault of their own. Whenever you see a person missing teeth, you probably assume that they have lost them somewhere along the line, either through an accident or neglect. However, that is not always true. At Vinson Orthodontics we sometimes see patients that are missing teeth because they failed to develop due to a family hereditary condition. Other times, the “missing” tooth isn’t really missing at all; it’s hidden underneath bone and gum tissue because it’s blocked or impacted by other teeth. In either situation, space must be created or closed, depending upon circumstances, to improve the bite and aesthetics. If not, then other teeth will gradually drift into the spaces, creating a bite problem and misalign teeth. Luckily, both problems can be treated with orthodontics.

Some parents at Vinson Orthodontics ask if stopping a child’s nail biting habit is another positive effect of orthodontic treatment. Since nail biting can be harmful to braces by breaking brackets and bending wires that delay treatment, Dr. Britt Vinson feels that finding ways to curtail the habit is in our patient’s best interest.

Lollipops are a cavity on a stick and soda is pure sugar in a can. Candy and soda cause tooth decay. You’ve been taught this since grade school. This is not news, is it? Well, what about the fact that sports drinks ruin your teeth, too? Heard that one before? The team at Vinson Orthodontics want to make sure you understand sports drinks can damage healthy teeth. Actually, “erode” is more like the term, especially in the brackets while wearing braces. These sort of drinks erode your teeth by “demineralization,” or reducing the minerals in the outer tooth enamel and also the dentin (“dentin” is a yellowish, calcified tissue underneath the tooth enamel). It doesn’t affect the enamel underneath the braces covered by the brackets.