Suresmile in Orlando, FL

John, a Basketball coach in Orlando, FL and a patient at Lach Orthodontic Specialists was kind enough to answer a few questions on camera about his experience with Dr. Lach and the SureSmile system. Dr. Lach was great and he explained every step of the way and was always there for me. It is pretty amazing to me to see just how far my teeth have come with the little discomfort that I have had. I know I have saved over a year of time with Dr. Lach's treatment over the regular braces. You just cant beat 13 months and 10 visits for my difficult case. I would recommend that to anyone!

Give us a call to learn more about how you can benefit from a shorter orthodontic treatment time with the SureSmile system!

When Are Two Phases of Treatment Necessary?

Usually patients in orthodontic treatment already have their permanent teeth – they are pre-teens, teens and adults. But in some cases we have to start treatment earlier, even before the patient’s permanent teeth come in. We call this “two-phase treatment.”

When we have patients with clear developmental problems at an early age, it’s best to start work when they are young, before the problems get bigger and more difficult to treat.

Examples include:
• An upper or lower jaw that is not growing correctly
• A mouth growing in a way that doesn’t leave enough room for all the permanent teeth to come in
• A severe malocclusion, or bad bite, which means the jaw doesn’t fit together correctly

In these cases we will start early and do one round of treatment – phase one – while the patient still has their baby teeth. Phase one usually does not involve braces, but can include a different type of appliance that helps the jaw grow into place properly. We’ll follow up with phase two usually a few years later, when permanent teeth are in place. Generally phase two involves standard braces.

In order to catch early problems, we recommend that children have an orthodontic check-up no later than age seven (and so does the American Association of Orthodontists). However, if your dentist or pediatrician sees any sign that early treatment might be necessary, he or she may recommend your child visit our office even sooner.

Questions? Give Lach Orthodontic Specialists a call today!

Dr. Lach & Team Want You To Smile–June is National Smile Month!

It’s June already! Where does the time go?

Dr. Lach and team are excited to tell you June marks National Smile Month, a great time to remind our patients to brush, floss, practice good nutrition at home (and over the summer) to avoid cavities and gum disease, among other dental health issues.

After all, there’s more and more evidence that suggests folks with gum disease are more at risk for serious health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and strokes.

Here are a few easy steps you can improve your oral health at home:

* Brush at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste.
* Floss everyday to clean between your teeth and braces
* Reduce your intake of sugary foods and drinks during orthodontic treatment.
* Visit your general dentist regularly (usually every six months apart).

If you have questions about any of the tips here, we encourage you to give us a call! We hope you had a relaxing Memorial Day weekend!

–Dr. David Lach, Orthodontist Orlando FL

Stevie Shares Her Experience at Lach Orthodontics

We asked Stevie to share her SureSmile story at Lach Orthodontic Specialists, check out the video above! Stevie also had the following comment to share

Thanks to Dr Lach I will have a perfect smile for my wedding day. If not for the Sure Smile process cutting down the time I need to be in braces I would not have gone forward with braces...thank you Dr Lach for my Sure Smile

SureSmile is a technologically driven orthodontic treatment applied to a tried-and-true system for moving teeth — the same bracket-and-wire configuration orthodontists have used successfully for more than 30 years.

SureSmile is the first and only orthodontic treatment process to combine:
* Digital imaging, with the handheld OraScanner, to map the exact position of every tooth in your mouth
* Computer simulation, allowing the orthodontist to precisely plan every step of your treatment and custom design your archwire
* Robotics to precision-bend the archwire in exact accordance with the prescription * Shape Memory Alloy, a high-tech wire material that works with your own body heat to make treatment more effective

Each component is important on its own, but the real value of SureSmile is the way they work together as a single system to revolutionize orthodontic treatment.

SureSmile brings the future of orthodontics to patients today.

So you can see, SureSmile is more than a single advance in orthodontic technology.

Its an end-to-end treatment process that combines several powerful leading-edge technologies to: * Shorten treatment time * Reduce the number of adjustments * Reduce the number of office visits * Reduce discomfort

In that sense, SureSmile technology offers the best of old and new: conventional bracket-and-wire braces plus technology that minimizes their inefficiencies and limitations.

Lach Orthodontic Specialists Reminding You To Enter the AAO Video Contest

We have some exciting news to share with all of our patients this Thursday. The American Association of Orthodontists, which Dr. Lach is a member of, is offering a $2,500 academic scholarship to two lucky winners of their "How Orthodontics Changed My Life" video contest.

All patients at Lach Orthodontic Specialists 18 years of age or younger are eligible to enter, and entries must be postmarked by July 15th! You can learn more about the contest on the AAO's web site, but here are a few subjects to think about while making your video:

• What were you like before you had orthodontic treatment? How have you changed?
• How proud are you of your new smile?
• When did you notice changes in yourself? What kinds of changes have you noticed?
• What does your new smile mean to you?
• What would you say to others whose smiles make them self-conscious?

This is a great opportunity and we encourage you to enter. GOOD LUCK!

May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month!

Did you know the month of May is designated National Physical Fitness and Sports Month? In 1983, President Ronald Reagan encouraged Americans to incorporate more activity into their lives, and the reminder is even more significant in this day and age, as kids everywhere are distracted more and more by television, social networking and video games. Kids living an active lifestyle can improve their health, productivity and overall well-being, and best of all? It doesn’t have to take a lot of time!

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has provided these public health guidelines for your convenience. The guidelines call for children and teens to exercise for at least one hour each day of moderate intensity physical activity (such as playing sports or brisk walking) or one hour and 15 minutes of vigorous activity (jogging, dancing and jumping rope).

At Lach Orthodontic Specialists, we always encourage our patients to stay fit by exercising or participating in sports. However, we want to remind you to always wear a mouth guard or other forms of facial protection when playing sports. To learn more about how often your child should exercise, we recommend you check out this series of helpful articles about kids and exercise, courtesy of our friends at KidsHealth.org.

Invisalign® Tips, from Lach Orthodontic Specialists

Many people know that Invisalign is a great solution to braces if you don't want to experience the look and feel of traditional metal braces. What few people know, though, is that just like traditional braces, Invisalign requires proper care to work effectively. Good oral hygiene is highly important, even when you are wearing something in your mouth that you can take out to eat with. It's still likely that your aligners can build up plaque if not treated properly. When wearing your Invisalign aligners, Dr. Lach wants you to ask yourself the following questions:

1. Am I eating with my aligners on? - These aligners are removable and should be taken out when you eat.
2. Am I drinking anything other than water with my aligners on? - Though it's not a necessity for you to take out your aligners while you drink, think about how sticky a soda is. If you take out your aligners when drinking a soda, you have a better chance of keeping your aligners clean.
3. Am I brushing before putting the trays on? - The aligners have both an inside and outside. Keeping the outside clean is easy. Keeping the inside clean is also easy: just make sure you've brushed your teeth before putting the trays on.

These are all very simple steps, and ultimately, they help to keep you building good oral habits. If you have any questions about Invisalign or your treatment here at Lach Orthodontic Specialists, give us a call!