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Can you believe that March has already arrived? Neither can we! With April just around the corner that also means Spring Break season is upon us. Most of the local schools have their spring break during the month of March, including Longview, Marshall, Spring Hill, Pine Tree, Hallsville, Gilmer, Kilgore, Carthage and more! If you happen to be one of the families traveling during Spring Break we wanted to help you remember some important tips to take care of anything that may come up with your orthodontic appliances while you are away from East Texas.

Should you have any orthodontic braces that come loose while you are away rest assured that it is not something where you need to visit an orthodontist in whichever city you are in (Dallas, Tyler, Shreveport, etc…) to try and have them repair that bracket. If the bracket is bothering you, placing some wax around the bracket can help alleviate any discomfort you may be having from the loose bracket. Alternatively, if the bracket is one in the way back, you might be able to just slide the bracket off the wire, in which case you can save the bracket in a little bag and bring it home with you from vacation. We can then put the bracket back on once you return to Longview. If you do end up sliding the back bracket off your orthodontic wire, then you will end up with a long wire that is likely poking you.

There are also a couple different things you can do when you have an orthodontic wire poking you. You might be able to simply cut the wire with a cuticle cutter if you have a flexible wire in. If not, using some of the orthodontic wax we give you at your initial visit will again help temporarily alleviate any discomfort you may be having.

If you happen to misplace, lose, or break one of your Invisalign clear aligners, you can jump ahead and wear the next Invisalign aligner in your sequence. If you do not have your next Invisalign tray with you, then you can wear your previous Invisalign or Invisalign Teen tray. As you can probably tell, if you are going on vacation, please bring your next Invisalign or Invisalign Teen aligner with you, or your previous tray if you do not have your next tray with you. This way, in the unfortunate event that something should happen, you are not without a tray for your entire Spring Break.

In any of these cases though, please do not hesitate to contact our Longview orthodontic office and ask what you should do. We are more than happy to help walk you through any of these situations should something happen while you are away from East Texas.

If you have any additional questions about Mack and Hansen Orthodontics or want to discover how Dr. Spencer Mack and Dr. Andrew Hansen can help you gain straighter teeth and a healthier smile with braces or Invisalign please contact us today! You can also visit www.etxortho.com to learn more about our orthodontists or dental braces,. We’re conveniently located in Longview, TX right by Longview Regional Hospital and are just a quick drive from Marshall, Carthage, Henderson, Kilgore, and Gilmer.

When undergoing orthodontic treatment with braces, true emergencies are a rare occurrence. When one does come up though, we are here for you!

Depending on what type of "orthodontic emergency" you are experiencing, you can reference your take home packet that we give you the day you get your braces on. In that packet you will find all sorts of tips and tricks to help take care of anything that may be going on. As a general rule though, you should always call our office if you are having any severe pain or an orthodontic appliance is bothersome and you are unable to take care of it yourself. Our fantastic Front Office Team will be able to get you an appointment scheduled so we can take care of whatever may be going on.

If you do reference your orthodontic take home packet though, you will be surprised to see how many things you can take care of yourself or at least temporarily until we see you in our Longview office. If something is loose and you can remove it from the wire, or it is already off the wire, you can simply put it in a plastic bag and bring it in with you to your next visit. If something is poking you, please do not hesitate to use the wax we give you to cover anything that is poking or sticking out, such as a bracket or a wire. If you wire has shifted to one side, which can happen, you can pull it back to the other side with a narrow tweezers or pliers.

If you are experiencing any general soreness from your braces or your new orthodontic wire, a soft diet will surely help. If you have any irritated or sore spots in your mouth, whether from your braces or your clear aligners (invisalign trays), you can rinse with a warm salt-water mouthwash. Taking Tylenol will help, as well as ibproufen (Advil or Motrin).

Please do not hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions or are experiencing anything that you feel is out of the ordinary or not mentioned here or on our Braces First Aid page. Have a wonderful day!

If you have any additional questions about Mack and Hansen Orthodontics or want to discover how Dr. Spencer Mack and Dr. Andrew Hansen can help you gain straighter teeth and a healthier smile with braces or Invisalign please contact us today! You can also visit www.etxortho.com to learn more about our orthodontists or dental braces,. We’re conveniently located in Longview, TX right by Longview Regional Hospital and are just a quick drive from Marshall, Carthage, Henderson, Kilgore, and Gilmer.

Sometimes patients present to our orthodontic office with severe jaw discrepancies that include bad bites, jaw bone abnormalities, and malocclusion. Oral and maxillofacial surgery is a specialty in the field of dentistry that focuses on treating complex cases involving the face, mouth, jaw and skull. If you need surgical orthodontics, Dr. Mack and Dr. Hansen work with an oral and maxillofacial surgeon to give you the best result and experience possible.

WHEN MIGHT ORTHODONTICS AND SURGERY BE NEEDED?

Typically, jaw growth stops around age 15 in females and 18 or 19 in males. Surgical orthodontics may be used to treat patients whose jaw growth has completed and resulted in an improper bites or other aesthetic concern. When orthodontics alone is not able to address the bite issues resulting from abnormal jaw growth then surgical orthodontics may be needed. Orthognathic surgery can help properly align the jaw, and our doctors, Dr. Mack and Dr. Hansen will use orthodontic braces to move the teeth into the proper position.

HOW DO I KNOW IF I WILL NEED ORTHOGNATHIC SURGERY?

Your orthodontist, Dr. Mack or Dr. Hansen, can tell you if orthognathic surgery is needed as part of your treatment. Depending on the severity of your case and the alignment of your jaw, you may or may not need surgery.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

An oral and maxillofacial surgeon will perform your orthognathic surgery, and the surgery will take place in a hospital such as Longview Regional or Christus Good Shepherd. Orthognathic surgery can take several hours depending on each individual case. Once the surgery is complete, you will have about a two-week rest period. Since orthognathic surgery is a major treatment, we recommend that you schedule some time away from work and school during the healing process. After your jaw has healed, Dr. Mack and Dr. Hansen will once again “fine-tune” your bite using braces. After surgery, you will have to wear braces, and most braces are removed within six to 12 months following surgery. After your braces are removed, it will be important to wear your retainer to help maintain your new smile.

WHAT ARE THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH ORTHOGNATHIC SURGERY?

As with any major surgery, there may be certain risks of having orthognathic surgery. However, the process of orthognathic surgery is not new, and it has been performed for many years in practices and hospitals. If you're concerned about an upcoming treatment with orthognathic surgery, please contact our office, located in Longview right next to the Longview Regional Medical Center and let us know. We are happy to answer any questions that you may have, and provide you with any additional information.

WHAT ARE THE REWARDS OF HAVING ORTHOGNATHIC SURGERY?

For many patients, the most important reward of having orthognathic surgery is achieving a beautiful, healthy smile that lasts a lifetime. Whether you need orthodontic treatment to correct a bad bite, malocclusion, or jaw abnormality, orthognathic surgery can help restore your confidence and leave you smiling with confidence for many years to come.

If you have any additional questions about Mack and Hansen Orthodontics or want to discover how Dr. Spencer Mack and Dr. Andrew Hansen can help you gain straighter teeth and a healthier smile with braces or Invisalign please contact us today! You can also visit www.etxortho.com to learn more about our orthodontists or dental braces,. We’re conveniently located in Longview, TX right by Longview Regional Hospital and are just a quick drive from Marshall, Carthage, Henderson, Kilgore, and Gilmer.

In 2002, the first Give Kids A Smile (GKAS) event was held in St. Louis where free dental care was delivered to nearly 400 children.

The American Dental Association recognized these efforts for their ability to raise awareness for oral health across the country. In 2003, with help from sponsors and of course the American Dental Association, Give Kids A Smile became a nationwide program.

Since it's inception in 2003, nearly 6 million children have received dental care from more than half a million dentists and dental volunteers. The program is now designed to address the dental health crisis in three main areas: 1. Provide immediate dental care to people suffering from active, untreated dental disease; 2. Grow the public/private safety net; and lastly, increase dental education and dental disease prevention in communities.

Here in Longview as well as in Kilgore, Marshall, Henderson, and across all of East Texas you will find a number of community programs taking place during the month of February. These will either be in association with Give Kids A Smile or National Children's Dental Health Month. Some of these events may be taking place at local schools while others will be at local dentist offices so be sure to keep an eye out for any events around your city!

If you have any additional questions about Mack and Hansen Orthodontics or want to discover how Dr. Spencer Mack and Dr. Andrew Hansen can help you gain straighter teeth and a healthier smile with braces or Invisalign please contact us today! You can also visit www.etxortho.com to learn more about our orthodontists or dental braces,. We’re conveniently located in Longview, TX right by Longview Regional Hospital and are just a quick drive from Marshall, Carthage, Henderson, Kilgore, and Gilmer.