Lake Worth Orthodontist Quizzes You on Cavities

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Most of us have been told since childhood to brush our teeth twice a day and floss at least once to prevent cavities. Although 90% of adults in America under the age of 59 have had at least one cavity, many people do not know much about the malady, or have been led to believe a myth that is not true. To help clarify the truth about tooth decay, Dr. Ciro Cabal, an experienced orthodontist in Lake Worth, tests your knowledge about the silent epidemic with this short true or false quiz.

True or False: Cavities

Q: Cavities are formed from eating too much sugar.

A: This is a trick question, and is both true and false. Sugar contributes to the formation of cavities, but it is not the main cause. The true culprit is acid, which oral bacteria excrete after consuming the sugars and carbs in your meal.

Q: Cavities are more likely to affect kids than adults. (more…)

Lake Worth Orthodontist Explores the Germs That Hide in Your Mouth

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The science of correcting misaligned teeth has helped countless people gain or regain their confidence by improving the look and function of their smiles. Straighter teeth are much more pleasant to look at, and can also help you avoid many of the dental maladies that can occur from crooked teeth, such as malocclusion (a misaligned bite) and TMJ disorder (distress in your jaw joints). One of the most significant benefits to straighter teeth, however, is the ability to effectively keep your mouth clean. When your teeth do not line up properly, the jagged edges and odd corners offer excellent hiding spots for oral bacteria to rest, often out of reach of your toothbrush. To highlight the significance of eliminating these hiding spots, Lake Worth orthodontist Dr. Ciro Cabal explains some of the malicious microbes that can be found in your mouth and the destruction they cause.

The Tooth Decay Microbe

Among the most talked about oral bacteria is the one that is largely responsible for tooth decay. Streptococcus mutans consumes the sugars and carbs in your diet, then converts them into lactic acid, which attacks and weakens your tooth enamel (your tooth’s first and most powerful line of defense). While enamel is the strongest substance in your body (and the second strongest substance in the world, only weaker than diamond), it is subject to acid erosion. (more…)

Invisalign Braces: The Clear Choice for Teens?

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Invisalign braces are often the clear choice for adult orthodontic patients. Now Invisalign Teen is making clear braces an option for image-conscious teens.

How Invisalign is Different

Unlike the application of traditional metal braces, Invisalign treatment has the patient wear a series of custom-designed aligners, or smooth, comfortable, removable plastic trays. The patient switches aligners about every two weeks as the teeth move gradually into the desired position.

Dr. Cabal likes to see his Invisalign patients about every six weeks – less frequently than is necessary with traditional braces. These assessment visits allow the Lake Worth orthodontist to make sure treatment is on track. He’ll evaluate the shifting of teeth and modify treatment, if necessary.

Parents, don’t worry about the less-than-responsible habits of your teen. To accommodate teens, who are likely to lose removable dental devices such as retainers and aligners, Invisalign Teen offers free replacement of up to six aligners during the course of treatment. (more…)

Lake Worth Orthodontist Discusses Key Contributors to the Science

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Thanks to great strides in technological advancement, orthodontics has become more popular than ever. Orthodontics became recognized as a specific dental specialty over 100 years ago, but the presence of orthodontics dates back thousands of years. Ancient Egyptians used gold wire to straighten teeth, and famous Greek philosopher Hippocrates contemplated tooth straightening, as well as treatments for other dental conditions. Today, your Lake Worth orthodontist, Dr. Ciro Cabal, honors key contributors that helped make orthodontics what it is today.

Notable Contributors to Orthodontics

• Pierre Fauchard, a notable French dentist, published the book The Surgeon Dentist in 1728. His book discussed various methods of straightening teeth.

• Dr. Norman Kingsley, the first dean of the New York University College for Dentistry, was at the forefront of creating interest in the alignment of teeth. Dr. Kingsley penned the first article about orthodontics in his book, Treatise on Oral Deformities. (more…)

Braces Provide More Than Just a Beautiful Smile

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There is nothing quite as charming as a bright smile featuring clean, straight teeth. Unless you were blessed with the best characteristics of a winning smile, braces can provide you with what genetics could not. A pretty smile is just one positive result braces can provide.

The Many Benefits of Braces

Braces not only produce a beautiful smile, they also bolster your overall dental health.

• Straight teeth are easier to clean. Crooked and crowded teeth are difficult to properly clean and maintain, which opens the door for tooth decay, a leading cause of tooth loss.

• Braces promote proper jaw alignment. A misalignment of the upper and lower arches of teeth (malocclusion) can contribute to an abnormal wear of tooth surfaces, and cause excessive stress on jaw joints.

• Your wallet will thank you. There is a stigma surrounding the cost of braces. Granted, braces are an investment, but one that pales in comparison to the additional care required to treat dental problems that arise due to untreated orthodontic issues.  (more…)

What Do Headaches, Tooth Sensitivity, and Shoulder Pain Have in Common?

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Did you know that your dental health can have far-reaching implications for the rest of your body? For instance, gum disease has been shown to increase your risk of stroke and pregnancy complications. TMJ disorder is another oral health condition that can have negative effects on your overall health. Our Lake Worth orthodontist, Dr. Ciro Cabal, will explain the symptoms of TMJ disorder and how we can help.

Headaches and Your Oral Health

We do not often associate headaches with dental problems. Consequently, finding out headaches may be connected to your tooth alignment may come as a surprise to some patients. TMJ disorder is an oral health condition involving jaw pain issues. Your TMJs, or jaw hinge joints, allow you to move you lower mandible. These hinge joints become exhausted from attempting to hold misaligned teeth in the correct position. As a result of jaw muscle overexertion, you may experience teeth grinding, which can lead to numerous dental health problems, such as tooth sensitivity and increased cavities.

Other Symptoms of TMJ Disorder

In addition, TMJ disorder causes your jaw muscles to pull on other parts of your body like the top of your head, your neck, and your shoulders. This can result in muscle aches, chronic headaches, and even inner ear pain. Dizziness, jaw popping, and difficulty opening your mouth are other symptoms of TMJ disorder. (more…)

What is Cosmetic Orthodontics?

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Your smile can say so much about your personality before you even speak. Many people notice your teeth first because your smile can be an indicator of your authenticity, kindness, and even competence, according to a Penn State University study. In fact, at a recent TED Talks conference, Ron Gutman presented UC Berkeley statistics that tied students’ smiles in yearbooks to their levels of relative success. Our Lake Worth orthodontist, Dr. Ciro Cabal, will explain how orthodontics can improve your image and your confidence so that you can benefit from a big, genuine smile.

The Advantages of Cosmetic Orthodontics

Cosmetic orthodontic treatments are different from other orthodontics. These therapies focus mainly on the front teeth which show when you smile. Cosmetic orthodontics addresses crooked, overcrowded, or unevenly spaced anterior teeth. In contrast, other orthodontic treatments may focus on malocclusion, or misaligned bite, TMJ disorder issues, and other dental health problems.

Because cosmetic orthodontics prioritizes small changes to the visible portion of your smile, many treatments can be completed in a shorter amount of time than other orthodontic treatments. Unlike other therapies, cosmetic treatments do not address extensive dental issues that take more time to correct.

Our cosmetic orthodontic treatments include:

Invisalign in Lake Worth

Invisalign clear braces for teens and adults are a great option for quickly correcting cosmetic smile issues. These removable clear plastic aligners gradually move your teeth into the ideal position for a straight smile. These options for orthodontic treatment offer the most convenience when straightening a crooked smile.

Tooth-Colored Braces

Tooth-colored braces also offer discrete orthodontia with ceramic brackets and wires. Since the braces are color matched to your smile, they are much less conspicuous that traditional braces, yet offer the same benefits of a straighter smile. By applying gentle forces overtime, these tooth-colored brackets will direct your teeth into perfect alignment. (more…)

Tips for Eating Healthy When You Have Braces

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Whether you’re a child, teen, or adult adjusting to wearing braces on your teeth, you might not consider now the ideal time to focus on eating healthy. Reaching for things like buttery mashed potatoes and sugary milkshakes might seem like the only option to get calories into your body, without compromising the integrity of the new brackets and wires on your teeth. However, there is no need to deplete your body of nutrients just because you have braces.

Healthy Eating Tips

Lake Country Orthodontics encourages our current and future patients to consider these healthy eating tips:

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The Future Of Braces in Lake Worth

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InvisalignThe invention of orthodontics for straightening teeth is credited to French dentist Pierre Fauchard in 1728. That is a mighty long time for braces to evolve. Depending on your age, you may have even seen drastic changes in your lifetime. Awkward headgear and bulky brackets and wires have improved over the years. Orthodontic treatment is even invisible in some cases. Can it get any better than that? Lake Country orthodontist, Dr. Ciro Cabal sees a bright future for innovations in orthodontic care, which may be good news to you, your kids, and even your grandkids as the years march on.

Many Choices

Orthodontic treatments have vastly improved in the last thirty years or so. What used to be something teens dreaded, and adults refused to even consider has now become embraced by many people who are on a worthy quest towards a straight, beautiful smile. NASA actually developed the archwire which connects brackets in traditional braces, but things have taken off like a rocket from there. The latest technology makes orthodontic experiences easier, faster, and incognito. There is now a wide variety of options so you can easily select a plan that is right for you, your orthodontic needs, and your lifestyle.

Keeping Braces on the Down-Low

Perhaps one of the most important innovations in the evolution of orthodontics is the cosmetic appeal of many treatments. Two services we are proud to provide at Lake Country Orthodontics are: tooth-colored brackets and Invisalign.

Tooth Colored Brackets: Using a stain-resistant, composite material, tooth-colored brackets make your orthodontic treatment more attractive than ever before. These brackets blend in smoothly with teeth, making bulky metal brackets a thing of the past. At a distance or in pictures, your friends and coworkers will barely notice you’re wearing them.

Invisalign: The Invisalign clear alignment system has become very popular over the last decade. This modern approach to straightening teeth uses a series of specially designed aligners, made of smooth, invisible plastic, to gradually shift your teeth into the perfect arch. It’s almost as discrete and easy as never having braces in the first place.

Visit your Lake Country Orthodontist

Call Lake Country Orthodontics at 817-236-7846 to set up a consultation today. We proudly offer services for patients from Lake Worth, Lake Country, Lakeland, Highlands, and Saginaw.