Fun facts with Kirkpatrick & Lai Orthodontics!

Who loves fun facts? Everybody! The American Association of Orthodontists, or AAO, has come up with some fun facts about orthodontics that our team at Kirkpatrick & Lai Orthodontics thought you might enjoy. Happy Monday!

• 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.

Ask Kirkpatrick & Lai Orthodontics: What can I expect during my consultation?

When you first come in for your initial consultation, we will conduct a comprehensive examination to assess your oral health. This will better enable us to determine the best treatment method for you.

Your orthodontic evaluation will consist of an oral and facial examination to assess your oral health. Drs. Kirkpatrick or Lai will have you take intraoral and facial photographs as well as panoramic and cephalometric X-rays to help determine the proper orthodontic treatment method. Then, an impression of your teeth and bite will be taken to construct a model of your mouth. (This will help us when examining your diagnostic records).

At your follow-up appointment, one of our doctors will discuss your options with you. Our team feels it’s important to take the time to carefully examine your diagnostic records after your consultation so that Drs. Kirkpatrick or Lai can more thoroughly prepare for your treatment at Kirkpatrick and Lai orthodontics. This additional preparation will ensure that you receive the best orthodontic care possible. At this time, we encourage you to ask us any questions you may have about your treatment.

If you are seeking orthodontic treatment for your child, our staff asks that both you and your child attend the initial consultation. We feel it is important that both you and your child completely understand our recommendations before we proceed with treatment.

Give us a call and schedule a consultation! We look forward to hearing from you!

This Earth Day, did you make a difference?

Earth Day, designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment, marks its 40th anniversary today. Earth Day was founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson on April 22, 1970 and is observed every April 22nd on virtually every country on Earth.

At Kirkpatrick & Lai Orthodontics, we support Earth Day, and know that whether you lend a helping hand to plant trees or get out to volunteer in your community, today is your opportunity to get started in making your impact year-round. Did you make a difference today? Were you involved with any cool Earth Day projects?

If you’d like to join the millions of people around the world who are making small but important changes to help sustain Mother Earth, try these helpful tips, courtesy of courtesy of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA.

Oh no! Tulsa makes the ‘14 worst-teeth cities’ list!

Drs. Kirkpatrick and Lai will tell you regular dental visits, brushing and flossing, minimizing your intake of soda and coffee and not smoking, among other factors, will maximize a person's chances of achieving great oral health. Our friends at TotalBeauty in 2009 released their list of the “14 Worst-Teeth Cities,” and we are sad to report Tulsa was chosen among the fourteen.

Here’s an excerpt from the article: "Tulsa is also on the list of the smokiest cities, coming in at no. 9. That plus the area's hard water and low fruit and vegetable consumption don't help the situation either. Could explain why Oklahoma ranks no. 6 in teeth loss."

This is why Drs. Kirkpatrick and Lai are here: to straighten teeth and encourage good oral health. Have you been perfecting your smile by visiting Kirkpatrick and Lai orthodontics (as well as your dentist) regularly? If not, it’s time to schedule an appointment! And don’t forget the old dental saying: “Be true to your teeth or they’ll be false to you!”

Drs. Kirkpatrick and Lai, reminding you to play it safe this spring

With spring here, many children, teens and adults in Tulsa, Tahlequah, Miami, Okmulgee and Pryor will once again pick up the ball, bring the bat out of seasonal retirement, and lace up their cleats to hit the fields for the return of spring sports! April is National Facial Protection Month, and during this time, Drs. Kirkpatrick and Lai urge our young athletes to play it safe when out on the field. After all, sports-related injuries are the leading cause of emergency room visits in 12- to 17-year-olds according to the Centers for Disease Control.

We hope the above video from the AAO helps you understand the importance of facial protection. Drs. Kirkpatrick and Lai will tell you that 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 our staff at Kirkpatrick and Lai orthodontics and have a terrific weekend!

The benefits of smiling, from Kirkpatrick and Lai orthodontics

Drs. Kirkpatrick and Lai have some great news to report today! (And it's no April Fools' joke!) People with big, happy smiles may actually out-live those who don’t, according to a new study conducted at Wayne State University in Michigan.

Our team at Kirkpatrick and Lai orthodontics knew that positive emotion has been linked to both physical and mental health, but researchers at the university did something quite interesting: they used information from the Baseball Register to look at photos of 230 players who began their baseball careers prior to 1950 and studied their smile intensity (wide smile, no smile or partial smile). The players' smile ratings were then compared with data from deaths that occurred from 2006 through 2009.

The researchers then took into account other factors associated with longevity of life, such as body mass index, or BMI, career length and, believe it or not, college attendance. They found that players who weren't smiling 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 perfected your smile by visiting Kirkpatrick and Lai orthodontics lately? If not, give us a call today!

The importance of retainers, from Kirkpatrick & Lai Orthodontics

If you recently completed treatment at Kirkpatrick and Lai orthodontics, we’d like to congratulate you! Now that your braces have been removed, Drs. Kirkpatrick and Lai will provide—or have provided you—with retainers.

After braces are removed, the teeth can shift out of position if they are not stabilized. Retainers 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 is the best insurance that the treatment improvements last for a lifetime. Here are some things to remember when you receive your retainers:

* Wear your retainers full time, until Drs. Kirkpatrick or Lai instruct otherwise. Wearing your retainers at night ensures that your pearly whites won’t relapse.
* Take your retainers out when eating...and always put retainers in their case! (Most appliances are lost in school lunch rooms or restaurants.)
* Clean retainers thoroughly once a day with a toothbrush and only a small amount of toothpaste. Use warm but not hot water.
* When retainers are not in your mouth they should ALWAYS be in a retainer case.
* Retainers are breakable, so treat them with care. If retainers are lost or broken, give us a call immediately.
* Remove retainers when swimming or during any sporting activity in which the retainers could fall out and get broken or lost (cheerleading, basketball, etc.) or when you should be wearing a mouth guard (football, soccer, etc.).

Give us a call if you have any additional questions about retainers or your treatment at Kirkpatrick and Lai Orthodontics!