Our Blog

When should my child be seen for an orthodontic evaluation?

December 10th, 2025

Thanks for asking! It really depends on the dental age of the patient rather than their chronological age. Usually a good time to have your child evaluated by an orthodontist is after the front permanent teeth have erupted into the mouth or if there appears to be extreme crowding of the teeth. The American Association…
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Getting a Retainer? Make It Personal!

December 3rd, 2025

If Dr. Rugama and Dr. Afridi and our team recommend a Hawley retainer to complete your orthodontic treatment, you’re getting a classic. This retainer, invented by Dr. Charles Hawley, has been in use since the early decades of the twentieth century. But this isn’t your great grandmother’s pink plastic retainer! The look of today’s Hawley…
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Bells and Whistles for Your Bristles?

November 26th, 2025

Modern dentistry has made the most of today’s technological innovations. And we’ve come a long way from the fraying sticks our ancestors used as toothbrushes. On the other hand, while it’s a lot better than a fraying stick, the manual toothbrush model you’ve used for years might be ready for an upgrade. Should you take…
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What is malocclusion?

November 19th, 2025

The term malocclusion refers to misalignment of teeth. You may have been born with malocclusion, so your teeth simply grew in crooked, or the misalignment and crowding of your teeth occurred over a period of time. Either way, not only can malocclusion pose cosmetic issues, but it can have a negative effect on your speaking…
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