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As some of you may already know, October is National Orthodontic Health Month. Some may ask why October, of all months, is Orthodontic Health Month. Many will consider that since Halloween is in October, it is a great month to bring awareness to the proper way to take care of your teeth while undergoing orthodontic treatment.

Now we all know that with Halloween comes Trick-or-Treating which means lots and lots of candy and sweets. While some of you may not have gone Trick-or-Treating this year due to the rain and storms here in Longview, Kilgore, Marshall, and Gilmer. There are obviously a number of reasons why it is important to minimize sweets and candy intake, especially during orthodontic treatment.

Candy and other sweets obviously have lots of sugar in them. Sugar, of course, leads to cavities for whoever is eating them, even adults, if proper oral hygiene is not up to par. During orthodontic treatment with braces or invisalign it takes more effort to properly take care of your teeth and gums. Having excessive amounts of candy during this time of year means it is of upmost importance to brush and floss your teeth.

Another important thing to remember while going through all of that trick-or-treating candy is that the hard candies are typically the ones that will cause brackets to come off and orthodontic wires to bend, which can cause delays in orthodontic treatment and hinder your orthodontic treatment progress. Furthermore, sticky candies can get stuck between the brackets and wires as well.

As an alternative to eating all that candy this year, bring it out to our Candy Give-Back Drive taking place Saturday November 3rd here in Longview at Menchie's on Hawkins Parkway. In exchange for trading in your candy (which we will donate to Operation Gratitude), you will get a Mack and Hansen Orthodontics Toothbrush kit with a travel toothbrush and gift cards to local Longview restaurants including Menchie's, Bubba's 33 on Loop 259, and other restaurants.

Please let us know if you have any questions about invisalign clear aligners. Our free consultation will allow you to discover what our orthodontists can do for you. We’re conveniently located in Longview, TX next to Longview Regional Hospital and are just a quick drive from Kilgore, Marshall, and Carthage Texas

Invisalign in Longview TX

Are you interested in orthodontic treatment but don’t want to go with traditional braces? Here at Mack and Hansen Orthodontics we love when our patients opt for Invisalign clear aligners as their treatment option. Invisalign offers a number of benefits to patients, most notably the convenience of being able to take their trays in and out when they choose, such as for social gatherings, parties, and of course to brush and floss their teeth.

For our patients we actually do not take molds/impressions of your teeth. Instead, we use our digital scanner to scan your teeth and bite. This gives us trays that fit more comfortably and accurately than when you have molds taken.

Dr. Mack and Dr. Hansen were trained in residencies placing a strong emphasis on this new and improved orthodontic treatment. Having recieved training from orthodontists in the top 1% of Invisalign providers worldwide, Dr. Mack and Dr. Hansen are comfortable treating even the most complex and difficult cases effectively and efficiently using Invisalign clear aligners.

Typically, orthodontic treatment with invisalign lasts between 9 and 15 months, depending on the complexity of the case. However, there are cases that take longer and some that are shorter, again it all just depends on what needs to be done to your teeth. Our orthodontic consultations are free of charge and we use those to determine what your specific treatment needs are.

Another nice thing about invisalign is that you can bleach your teeth with the trays in your mouth, giving you the opportunity to whiten your smile at the same time you are straightening your teeth. We now include a bleaching kit with all of our invisalign treatment options!

Please let us know if you have any questions about invisalign clear aligners. Our free consultation will allow you to discover what our orthodontists can do for you. We’re conveniently located in Longview, TX next to Longview Regional Hospital and are just a quick drive from Kilgore, Marshall, and Gilmer Texas

Each year, Operation Gratitude sends hundreds of thousands of care packages to those who serve our country. Since 2003, Operation Gratitude has sent over 2,000,000 care packages to Troops, First Responders, Veterans, and their families.  Each of those care packages include a handful of candy, the majority of which comes from donations made by groups and drives such as this held in October and November where children donate their Halloween candy as a way of showing gratitude to those who serve.

This year, we are offering an extra incentive to children to give back their candy. The first 500 children who bring in and donate over a pound of Halloween candy to our Give-Back Drive will receive a Mack and Hansen Orthodontics toothbrush kit filled with gift cards and coupons to local restaurants including Menchie’s, Bubba’s 33, Raising Cane’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, Slim Chickens and more!

All of the candy collected will then be sent off to Operation Gratitude’s packaging center where the care packages are put together and shipped all over the world.

This year’s event will take place on Saturday, November 3^rd from 11 am to 2 pm in the parking lot at Menchie’s at Hawkins Pkwy Center. There will be fun and games for the whole family so be sure to come out, bring your candy, and have some fun while giving back to those who serve our country!

If you are interested in scheduling a FREE Consultation for braces or invisalign with Dr. Spencer Mack or Dr. Andrew Hansen you can do so here. We are your in-network orthodontic provider and treat children, teenagers, and adults of all ages, offer low down payments and affordable payment plans. Come see why we give East Texas a reason to smile!