Like Free Shaved Ice? Come Get Yours at Mastroianni Orthodontics on June 19 and June 20!

It is finally summertime! This winter felt extra long despite what the groundhog said way back in February. And really, that feels like a million ages ago.

Now, if you have been coming to Mastroianni Orthodontics for any amount of time, you know that we like to have fun around our office. Well, one of the things we love to do in the summer is call in the local Kona Ice truck and offer our patients and visitors free shaved ice.

You read that right - Kona Ice will be serving complimentary snow cones to anyone who comes into our office! 

Kona Ice isn’t just any snow-cone vendor. Whenever the truck comes around, it pretty much is like a party in our parking lot. You will be dazzled by their bold and delicious flavors, and best of all, it is FREE!

The Kona Ice truck will be in our Swansea office on Wednesday, June 19th from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and our Glen Carbon office on Thursday, June 20^th from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.!

Listen up, patients! If you don a Hawaiian shirt or Hawaiian attire when you get your free Kona Ice, you will also have the chance to earn extra nickels! Remember, this event is free to anyone in the nearby community!

So what do you need to do to get your free Kona Ice? Simply come into our office for a ticket. That is all! Once you have a ticket, you can visit the truck in our parking lot for a tasty Kona Ice snow cone. Simple, right?

Let’s ring in the summer in a fun way with Mastroianni Orthodontics and Kona Ice! We really hope we see you there!

What Does Your Rubber Band Color Choice Say About You?

One of the best parts when it comes to wearing braces is having the ability to choose the colors you want for your rubber bands. It puts smiles on our patients’ faces when they are able to choose different colors for their rubber bands and makes them feel like they are making a statement or expressing their creativity.

Whenever you do get braces, we place elastic bands called ligatures over each bracket of your braces in order to secure the archwire. You have the option of choosing the color or colors of your choice in the elastics, which are typically changed monthly. These colors can be the same color or different combinations of colors. In fact, if you really wanted to do so, you could place an entire rainbow over your teeth with these elastics!

It is not uncommon to see children and teenagers select certain combinations of colors or just one
 color in general. Many of our patients opt for the colors of the school they attend, the colors of their favorite sports team, or colors that reflect relevant holidays or coordinate with their outfits. Others still select one color to match their personality and to make a bold statement. But what do these colors say about them?

If you are having a difficult time selecting the color you want for your elastics (or if you are simply curious!), then check out what your rubber band color selection says about you!

Red – Red is an energetic, passionate color. It tells people that you are ready for action and are not afraid to take charge in your life. It is inspirational and ambitious, just like your personality! Red also covers a lot of different emotions – lighter hues of red can signify love and romance while darker tints of red signify aggression and anger.

Orange – You are an optimist person who loves to socialize! You have high energy and love to keep your communication open. It would not be unusual to see you chatting online with five or so other people and multi-tasking.

Yellow – Selecting yellow shows the world that you are a happy, lively person! You are a bright ray of sunshine in many of your friends’ lives and love to look at the bright side of life!

Green – You are a balanced, thoughtful person who looks for opportunities to grow mentally and spiritually. You enjoy are a very intellectual, artistic person who loves a challenge. You also enjoy being outdoors and love animals.

Blue – You are cool as a cucumber and love to relax. Blue evokes a feeling of serenity and integrity, and you could not be happier with your color selection. You are kind, smart, and a loyal friend.

Purple – Get on your thinking cap, because this color really makes shows your creative side! You love using your imagination and seek out different solutions to the challenges and difficulties you face every day.

Pink – Pink is a romantic color and shows that you have a caring, happy personality. You love to have fun and laugh a lot with your friends.

If you are an adult and do not wish to showcase your personality in color bands, there is no need to worry! We have plenty of subtle colors for you to choose from, too! If all else, fails you can also opt for Invisalign!

Interested in getting braces? Want to make an appointment? Call us today at (618) 288-0600 in Glen Carbon or at (618) 622-3377 in Swansea! You can also check us out online at www.amazingsmiles.com.

Let Invisalign Complete Your Prom Night or Wedding Day!

With the fresh arrival of the spring season comes not only lush green grass, warmer weather, and colorful flower blooms, but also important impending dates such as Prom Night and one’s wedding day. When attending or participating in a wedding or prom, you will have so many different questions to answer – Which dress is the one for you? Which color or colors do you want to wear that day? What will you want your hair to look like?

One receiving orthodontic treatment might be experiencing a bit of anxiety thinking about big dates like prom or one’s wedding day, not out of fear of tripping in front of a large crowd of people, but more than likely out of the fear of smiling for photos because of your wire braces. You might even be contemplating the possibility of leaving your retainer at home for the event, just so you feel less self-conscious.

Don’t worry; it does not need to be that problematic at all! Whether you are saying, “I do,” to the one you love or preparing to have a great night with your friends at prom, Invisalign is the perfect accessory for you on your big day!

An increasingly popular treatment here at Mastroianni Orthodontics, Invisalign provides options to patients of all kinds to help them obtain straight, healthy teeth stealthily! While traditional wire braces are still a great, viable choice to make when it comes to straightening your teeth, they can become difficult in times of flossing and eating certain foods, let alone being restricted from consuming certain types of food. Invisalign, however, allows its users to remove their aligners, allowing them to eat nearly anything without worrying about damaging or breaking their braces!

Not only will you be able to eat certain foods with relative ease when you use Invisalign, but you will also feel more confident when you wear your Invisalign aligners! No longer will you have to fear the camera; you can flash that dazzling smile of yours fearlessly AND still have straight, healthy teeth! And yes, you can have that beautiful, delicious cake of yours and eat it, too, on your wedding day.

And it does not have to stop there. Invisalign is available for everyone from the bride and groom, Prom King and Queen, the Maid of Honor or Best Man, attendees, the mother of the bride, and everyone in between!

There are many advantages to using this new system, and we would love to have an opportunity to discuss it further with you! Our consultations are complimentary, and you will learn the ins and outs of Invisalign and see if it is the right choice for you!

Want to straighten your teeth without losing your self-confidence, even on your wedding day or your prom night? No sweat! Just call us here at Mastroianni Orthodontics at (618) 288-0600 in Glen Carbon or (618) 622-3377 or visit us online at www.amazingsmiles.com for more information or to make an appointment!

April is National Facial Protection Month – Learn How You Can Protect Your Mouth!

During the month of April, you have more than likely seen people walking around more and more in their favorite sports jerseys, shirts, and gear in support of their favorite professional or amateur baseball team, hockey team, or any other team they support. In fact, many children, teenagers, and adults alike are also gearing up for the beginning of their spring sports teams, itching once more to start playing with their teams professionally or just for fun.

April is National Facial Protection Month, and this month Dr. Jeff wants to remind athletes, parents, and coaches alike to not forget one very important part of their uniform when heading out to play sports this year – your mouthguard!

If you believe that mouthguards are overrated, we urge you to take a look at some of the disconcerting statistics that we have discovered. According to the U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than half of the 7 million sports-related injuries that are estimated to occur this year, both professional and recreational, will involve children as young as 5 years old. The National Youth Sports Safety Foundation has also discovered that athletes who do not wear a mouthguard are 60 times more likely to damage their teeth. Perhaps more frightening than that is the fact that 84% of children do not wear mouthguards when playing organized sports because they are not required to wear them, even though helmets and shoulder pads might be required.

There is no need to worry about these statistics if you are an athlete, however. You just need to do one simple thing before stepping out into the field – put on your mouthguard! Oftentimes less expensive than other standard equipment needed for sports, mouthguards are essential to help in preventing any facial injuries you might experience, including broken braces and loose or broken teeth.

We also want to encourage you to protect your other vital parts of your body! In addition to wearing your mouthguard, please do not forget to wear your helmet and also protective eyewear to help you see and to help prevent any permanent damage from occurring.

If an accident has occurred whether you were wearing your mouthguard or not and you have loose or broken braces or teeth, please come in to see us or call us at (618) 288-0600 in Glen Carbon or (618) 622-3377 in Swansea. Feel free also to stop by and ask us more about mouthguards or to make an appointment to see Dr. Jeff!

Remember to play it safe on the field, protect your teeth, and enjoy yourself!

Want a White, Healthy Smile? 6 Tips to Naturally Obtain a White Smile

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A bright white smile is highly desirable in our society these days. All around you are commercials and advertisements of a smiling young man or woman with white teeth trying to sell a certain product. We see friends and neighbors smile with a bedazzling set of pearly whites and maybe even find ourselves thinking, “I’d give anything to have teeth as white as him or her!”

If you find yourself wishing you had whiter teeth, then I have 6 tips for you to help you naturally obtain that white, bright smile you have been dreaming of having. Check out my tips below!

Avoid Dark Liquids – There are certain liquids that will stain your teeth over time, namely, dark liquids. To maintain a beautiful white smile, avoid drinking red wine, black tea, dark cola, dark gravy, and dark juices. Remember, if it’s dark before it goes into your mouth, they will more than likely stain your teeth!

Eat Crunchy, Crispy Foods – I am not talking about those delicious potato chips you love here! Crunchy, crispy fruits and vegetables have an abrasiveness that can help lift stains from your teeth. Try eating healthy, crunchy foods like apples, celery, and carrots to help “clean” your tooth surface without posing any harm to your delicate, irreplaceable enamel.

Chew Sugar-Free Gum with Xylitol – Gum lovers, rejoice! Chewing sugar-free gum can help you obtain and maintain a whiter smile! Just make sure that the gum has xylitol, a natural sweetener that can help prevent plaque. Xylitol will also neutralize the pH levels in your mouth and increase your saliva production, which naturally cleans your mouth.

Brush Your Teeth At Least Twice a Day – This might seem like a no-brainer, but it still needs to be stated! You technically should brush after every meal, but the minimum stands at twice every day. The most ideal times to brush are first thing in the morning and right before you go to bed at night because saliva dries up at night, allowing bacteria to build up in your mouth as you sleep.

Floss Every Day – Hand in hand with brushing, you should strongly consider flossing every single day for a healthier, whiter smile. Many people underestimate how much staining can occur in between your teeth. Flossing can remove much of the staining that occurs between your teeth along with plaque buildup. If you find yourself less likely to floss at home, try placing small flossing boxes in your desk at work, in the bathroom, in your car, or even in your nightstand!

Drink With a Straw – To avoid as many stains as possible when drinking a beverage, remember to use a straw instead of allowing the liquid to slide over your teeth. Remember, the less contact potentially damaging substances have with your teeth, the better and the whiter they will be!

Want more tips? Need to book an appointment? Just call my office at (618) 288-0600 or visit online at www.amazingsmiles.com! Your new amazing smile is waiting for you!

Want Clear Braces? You Can With Invisalign!

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Do you hate smiling because your teeth are not straight yet think that you are just too old for traditional metal braces? You are never too old for braces or for a straighter smile but if you do not want metal braces, there is an alternative - Invisalign!

Invisalign aligners are comfortable, smooth, and nearly invisible plastic trays that stealthily straighten your teeth. They are a series of aligners that are designed specifically for you! With these aligners your teeth will gradually start to shift to the correct position based on the schedule your orthodontist has planned out for you.

With Invisalign there are no metal brackets or wires that need tightened. This helps reduce the amount of time you must spend in our office while giving you more time to do more of what you love. All you have to do is pop in your new set every two weeks or whenever your orthodontist tells you to, and you will be on your way to obtaining a straight and beautiful smile!

Don’t get too comfortable, though - office visits are definitely not a thing of the past! Every 10 weeks you must come visit your favorite orthodontist (Dr. Jeff, of course) so he can make sure your teeth are moving the way they are supposed to and to give you your next sets of aligners!

So why Invisalign? Besides being able to stealthily straighten your teeth, one very big key point of wearing Invisalign is that you can brush and floss your teeth normally so you can clean better and more fully without having to spend more time and effort to achieve it.

One other big advantage deals with what you can and cannot eat. Traditional braces limit what you can eat; when wearing traditional braces, you will have to bid a temporary farewell to hard, sticky, and crunchy foods like pretzels, corn on the cob, chips, popcorn, apples and other similar foods. Unlike traditional braces, Invisalign does not have the same restriction since you take them out to eat. However, you are advised to avoid consuming dark colored liquids and soda while you are wearing your Invisalign as the liquids may cause stains and cavities.

Please do remember that just because your Invisaligns can come off doesn’t mean you get a constant reprieve from them! You will need to keep them in as long as possible, up to 20 to 22 hours each day, so that your teeth are aligning correctly.

Invisalign is a modern approach to braces. To find out if Invisalign is right for you, go to http://www.invisalign.com/Pages/Smile-Assessment.aspx and take the smile assessment. You can also call us at (618) 288-0600 or visit us online at www.amazingsmiles.com. Let us help you find the best treatment option to help you get that beautiful, straight smile you have been dreaming of all this time!

Look Out, Kansas City! Dr. Jeff Is Heading Your Way Soon!

When you think of Kansas City, Missouri, usually you will picture a sprawling city full of fun things to do, Kauffman Stadium, and, of course, those gorgeous fountains. When we think of Kansas City, we think of Invisalign!

Pretty soon, Dr. Jeff will be coming to Kansas City to be one of five keynote speakers for the upcoming Regional Invisalign Expo at Westin Kansas City at Crown Center! The expo, which is for orthodontists only, will be held on Friday, May 17, and Dr. Jeff will be discussing how orthodontists can improve their outcomes, increase their confidence, and serve their patients by using Invisalign Teen on non-adult patients.

Dr. Jeff aims to show other doctors how they can reach their treatment goals by using Invisalign Teen on non-adult patients and how patients will see improved results on their treatments.

So who all is going to this expo to hear Dr. Jeff and four other hand-chosen speakers? This event is THE expo to go to for all orthodontists in the Midwest. Orthodontists from Oklahoma to Michigan and everywhere in between are invited to attend and learn from the best.

He won’t be speaking alone either. The other doctors leading discussions at the expo include Dr. Kent Hall of Duncan, Oklahoma, Dr. Kyle Childers from Benton, Illinois, Dr. Anil Idiculla from Denver, Colorado, and Dr. Brian Amy of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. All 5 doctors practice in the Midwest, are Elite Preferred Providers, Designated Invisalign Teen Providers, and own Itero digital impression scanners.

So why was Dr. Jeff chosen to speak at this expo? He was picked because of his dedication to his patients, his excellent work that he does every day here at Mastroianni Orthodontics, and his unquenchable thirst to further his education, especially in the realm of Invisalign and Itero. Besides, who could be bored when Dr. Jeff tells a good story?

Remember, Dr. Jeff will be going to Kansas City on May 17 to tell his story to his fellow orthodontists, so be sure to stop in sometime beforehand to wish him luck and congratulate him on this awesome achievement!

Dr. Jeff Answers Your Retainer Questions!

Throughout my career as an orthodontist, I have heard countless questions about retainers. After wearing braces for a few years, my patients tend to have a good deal of questions about their new retainers, and with good reason, too. They have invested time and money in the endeavor of obtaining a straight, amazing smile; they want to make sure they do the right thing.

Many of the questions I receive about retainers revolve around the duration of the retainers. “How long do I need to wear these?” and “Do I have to wear these?” are typical questions I receive.

Well, I am here to answer all of your questions! In fact, I have a video just for you that might explain a few things concerning retainers. Go ahead and check it out below for all of your answers including how long you need to wear braces and much more!

If I haven’t answered a burning question you have been dying to ask or if you want more information, please feel free to give us a call at (618) 288-0600 in Glen Carbon or (618) 622-3377 in Swansea. You can also visit us online at www.amazingsmiles.com for more information or to make an appointment!

The Mastroianni Team - Storming Las Vegas to Better Serve You!

When you think of Las Vegas, do you tend to think of bright lights and casinos? Well, we at Mastroianni Orthodontics think of just one thing when the words “Las Vegas” come to mind – furthering our education to better serve you!

Recently, six people from Mastroianni Orthodontics attended topFest 2013, which was held from January 31 to February 2 at the Green Valley Ranch in Las Vegas. The courses that we participated in offered something for everyone in our practice from hands-on workshops, lectures from guest speakers, doctor-only sessions, roundtable discussions, and much more.

Here are the courses we as a team attended during the 3-day conference and a brief synopsis about what they are and how they will allow us to better serve you!

*Clinic Know-How: We learned in this course about treatment notes and treatment planning, lists, and reports, which should all help us in our daily activities and help us become more effective and efficient on the job.

*Letters Workshop: We created more detailed letters in this conference. We all found out how to use placeholders, add images, and use other faucets in tops. We also learned how to customize statements and receipts and how to add additional information that you, our patient, might request.

*Insurance and E-Claims: In this course, we learned what information we will need to obtain from patients, policyholders, and insurance companies in order to file insurance claims.

*Clinical Training = Clinical Excellence: Lack of training can set a new employee up to fail. In this course, we learned how to develop new employees and retain high quality of employees and, of course, how to help them succeed through training.

*Managing Your Claims and Statements List: Here we gained a better understanding of e-filing insurance claims!

*Contracts Workshop: This course showed us how to create a contract with discounts, single insurance, dual insurance, and splitting initial fees.

*Blending Clinical and Front Desk: We learned how to make things operate more smoothly with the flow of patients, including knowing what list we need to generate for information that will be needed for the day.

*Check and Balances End-of-the-Day Duties: In this course, we learned how to create elastic set ups, remove teeth, change brackets in order to help assist our patients while they are in the chair, which will help patients be even more compliant.

*Mac Course: Yes, we learned about technology, too! Here we worked with different tools and applications on the Mac. This will be used to help our day flow more smoothly and be more efficient at our job.

*Procedures and Schedule Templates Workshop – Increasing Your Daily Production: This course showed us the ins and outs of creating new procedures and groups and placing them on the template where we need them. We also learned about doctor time and the best way to plan out Dr. Jeff’s schedule.

*Financial Arranging Strategies to Maintain the House Advantage: We learned how to measure the relationship between production and financial arranging to making policy decisions, examine alternative arrangements to offer our patients, which helps us become more flexible. We also learned the advantages and disadvantages of soft credit checks!

*Understanding Clinical Reports – The Key to Clinical Excellence: Here we were shown different ways of handling clinical reports to better serve our patients and use our time wisely and efficiently.

*The Schedule is the Driving Force of the Practice: Here we learned different ways for evaluating, updating, and facilitating an efficient and effective orthodontic schedule!

*Patients Are Watching! Instrument Reprocessing and Sterilization: In this course, we learned basic compliance with CDC guidelines and how to implement changes into the practice. This course made us aware that the patients and parents observe every move we make, and it will help us improve our patients’ awareness and assure them that every step is in place to protect their health.

*Photography Workshop: Finally, in this workshop, we were shown the different methods on cropping our photos that we take of new and existing patients to make them even more beautiful.

Attending these courses is just another way that we at Mastroianni Orthodontics are innovative and invest in our staff to better serve you, our loyal patients, with utmost care and the most leading technology. If you are interested in scheduling an appointment or have any questions, feel free to call us at (618) 288-0600 in Glen Carbon or (618) 622-3377 in Swansea. You can also see all that we can do for you when you visit us online at www.amazingsmiles.com.

5 Tips to Avoid Plaque Like the Plague

We at Mastroianni Orthodontics know that plaque, while inevitable, is something that nobody wants to deal with. When kept unchecked, it can wreak havoc on your teeth and can cause irreparable damage.

But do not fret! Just check out our 5 tips that we have for you to help you decrease or avoid plaque!

Brush Regularly – We cannot stress it enough. Brush, brush, brush! You should brush your teeth at least twice every day with toothpaste that contains fluoride in order to maintain a healthy mouth. Keep in mind that brushing your teeth hard won’t help one bit; brush all of the surfaces of your teeth (and your gums) softly, otherwise you can risk damaging your gums and enamel.

Floss Every Single Day – We know, it is not something you really want to hear, but flossing every day is so imperative to maintaining a healthy smile. Did you know that 30% of you’re your enamel is in between the teeth, where a toothbrush can’t reach? Flossing between teeth helps to clear away debris before it can cause damage. It also helps keep your gums clean and healthy. Besides, there are many simple tools you can use to floss your teeth. Just be sure to take your time and floss lightly!

Don’t Dodge Your Dentist – You might brush and floss daily, but that does not give you a free pass to dodge your dental appointments. Remember, plaque still happens, and that plaque over time will turn into tartar, which can’t be removed with a toothbrush. Visit your dentist twice every year, and you will lower your chance of getting cavities or losing your teeth.

Eat Your Fruits and Veggies – These foods actually play a vital role in fighting off plaque, they are great for your body’s health, and you can also eat several types of fruits and vegetables while you have braces on. So what are you waiting for? Dig in!

Avoid Sugar and Sweets – Before you guzzle that favorite soda of yours, think twice. Consuming sugary drinks and eating junk food allows the sugar to stick to your teeth. The bacteria then become plaque. The less sugar you consume, the greater chance you have of avoiding cavities!

Want some more tips? Need to make an appointment? Just give us a call at (618) 288-0600 in Glen Carbon or (618) 622-3377 or check us out online at www.amazingsmiles.com! We will help give you an amazing smile!

Don't Want the Flu or a Cold? It Starts With Your Toothbrush!

The cold and flu season is upon us, and while it is early in the season, we are already having a moderate to severe season. Currently, Boston is in a state of emergency with the many people who come to the hospital having the flu, and several states throughout the nation, including Illinois, have widespread cases of the flu already.

While washing your hands is crucial to staying well, it is just as important to pay attention to your toothbrush, the place in which germs and bacteria can collect and be spread. Here are four oral health tips to help you from potentially catching a cold or the flu this season!

Replace Your Toothbrush Often – This is perhaps something many people will overlook when it comes to fighting the flu or the common cold. Be sure to keep replacing your toothbrush every 3 months, and always use a new toothbrush at the end of the cold or flu so that you won’t expose yourself to the old bacteria again.

Sterilize Your Toothbrush Once a Week – You should especially do this if a loved one of yours is sick. To sterilize your toothbrush, simply place it in a microwave-safe cup with 2-3 inches of water and bring the water to a boil in the microwave for 3 to 4 minutes. Try adopting this habit year-round the help prevent the numerous germs and bacteria in your bathroom from clinging to your toothbrush.

Store Your Tooth Brush Properly – Airborne bacteria can move quite easily from brush to brush, so do your best to limit contact with the other toothbrushes in the room. Always store your toothbrush upright and away from the others, and, if you can, use a toothbrush cover to protect it. Keep in mind also that the tube of toothpaste may also contain germs from touching the bristles of a germ-covered toothbrush, so use a clean finger to transport a squirt of toothpaste onto your toothbrush to ensure your health.

When In Doubt, Wash Your Hands Before and After Brushing – While encountering bacteria is inevitable, you can help decrease the amount you come in contact with when you wash your hands. Washing them before AND after can help prevent the spread of diseases that are caused by these types of bacteria, so wash up!

Remember, good dental habits are essential to having a strong and healthy body! Take care of your toothbrush and your general health, and you should have higher chances of evading the flu and cold this year!

For more tips or to make an appointment, feel free to call us at (618) 288-0600 in Glen Carbon or (618) 622-3377 in Swansea or check us out online at www.amazingsmiles.com!