Thanks to Invisalign®, mom and dad can have a perfect smile, too!

Hey parents! You’ve taken your kids to our office to improve their smiles, but what about yours? If you've been wanting to improve your smile , our staff at Mastroianni Orthodontics can help! We are specially trained to offer an adult-friendly option for straightening teeth called Invisalign.

This course of treatment consists of a set of clear aligners that are molded to fit your teeth using a proprietary technology. You wear them all day and night, except for meals, brushing, and flossing – when you can easily slip them out to make eating and cleaning a snap!

Because they're clear, your teeth will be steadily straightening – and no one will know it but you!

Please give us a call to set up a complimentary consultation, so that we can discuss the specifics of your treatment, and determine if Invisalign will work for you.

Orthodontics - All the cool kids do it!

Braces today are cool and—many would say—even fun! These were among the findings of a 2010 nationwide survey of moms whose children are going through or have had orthodontic treatment. New technologies such as In-Ovation, advanced computer software, color options, and even popular celebrities—Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Danny Glover, Serena Williams—sporting stylish braces are making orthodontic treatment more comfortable, fashionable and exciting for today’s teens.

The study, conducted on behalf of our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists for February’s National Children’s Dental Health Month, found 86 percent of moms reporting that braces are better today than when they were children. Sixty-nine percent of moms also said wearing braces makes their children feel cool, and 81 percent reported their children’s experience with orthodontic treatment as either positive or extremely positive.

Different color options and the ability to change colors at each visit, for example, provide exciting ways for young patients to customize appearances. That enthusiasm helps them to feel good about their orthodontic treatment with Mastroianni Orthodontics and may contribute to the success of treatment.

Has your child or teen visited Mastroianni Orthodontics for a consultation? If not, please give us a call and let us help your child begin the journey to an amazing smile!

Top Ten Tips for Keeping your Braces Clean

Keeping your teeth clean is more important than ever when you have braces. Food bits have more spots than usual to hide in your mouth, so you must be diligent in order to avoid bad breath, swollen gums, discolored teeth and cavities. If you remove plaque regularly during treatment, you'll experience better results and shorter treatment time. Keep plaque at bay with these top ten tips, from Mastroianni Orthodontics:

1. One tooth at a time. When you brush, take time with each individual tooth – at least 10 seconds each – and pay careful attention to the spots where your teeth touch your braces.

2. It’s all about the angles. Brush the tops of your teeth and braces with your brush angled down toward where they meet. Brush the bottoms of your teeth and braces with your brush angled up.

3. The tooth, the whole tooth, nothing but the tooth. While the front surface of your teeth may seem like the most logical to clean, it’s equally important to clean the inner surface of your teeth (tongue side) as well as the chewing surface. And be sure to clean along your gum line – a key spot for plaque buildup.

4. Step 1: eat, step 2: clean. While you’re in treatment, it’s important to brush after every meal. Bits of food can easily get caught between braces and teeth, and these food bits interact with bacteria in your mouth to cause decay. The longer food is in contact with your teeth, the greater opportunity for plaque to form. If you are eating somewhere that you can’t brush, thoroughly rinse your mouth with water.

5. Like a Boy Scout, always be prepared. The easiest way to be sure you can brush after every meal is to get in the habit of taking a toothbrush, toothpaste and floss with you wherever you go. Designate a special container just for your teeth-cleaning tools and keep it in your purse, backpack, or laptop case.

6. Remove the moving parts. If you have elastic bands or headgear, remove these parts before you brush or floss.

7. Fluoride is your friend. Fluoride helps prevent cavities. Be sure to brush with the fluoride toothpaste we prescribed you, and rinse with fluoride mouthwash.

8. Pointy brushes reach tiny places. Interproximal brushes (sometimes called proxa brushes or interdental brushes) are cone-shaped and come in very handy for reaching spots around your braces that standard brushes can’t.

9. Find the floss for you. Regular floss works for some patients, but others find it easier to work with a floss threader, which helps you get the floss into tight places. Other patients like an all-in-one product called Superfloss, which comes with a stiff end for easy threading, a spongy section for cleaning wide spaces, and regular floss for narrow spaces.

10. Make time for the pros. It’s your job to take care of the everyday cleaning. But make sure to visit your dentist regularly while in treatment, to get the deep, thorough cleaning that only a professional can provide. If you need help finding the right dentist for you, feel free to contact our office - we’d love to help!

Where Are You Headed This Summer?

Summer is here, and its time for our summer photo contest! Whether you are headed on vacation, or have fun plans near home, send us your favorite summer photo! We will be choosing winners in several categories, including Most Adventurous, Most Creative, Funniest, and Furthest Location. Each winner will receive tickets to the The City Museum in St. Louis! The contest ends August 31st, Good luck!

Invisalign Teen at Mastroianni Orthodontics

Invisalign Teen has become a popular treatment here at Mastroianni Orthodontics because it provides an option for younger patients to have straight, healthy teeth, without anyone noticing! Unlike traditional braces, teens using the Invisalign Teen system can remove their aligners, allowing them to eat just about anything without worrying about damaging or breaking their braces. This also makes teeth easier to clean compared to traditional braces. There are many advantages to using this new system, and we would love to have an opportunity to discuss it further with you. As you probably know, our consultations are always complimentary and we would be able to assess your teen's eligibility for treatment with Invisalign Teen at that time.

Dr. Mastroianni is a Premier Provider of Invisalign, meaning that he is in the top 5% of orthodontists in the entire COUNTRY using the Invisalign and Invisalign Teen systems. Call us today at 618-288-0600 to set up your complimentary consultation with our office.

New Office Video at Mastroianni Orthodontics

We believe that there are two main reasons people choose to seek care at Mastroianni Orthodontics. The first being the great customer service that we offer. We strive to be on par with any great restaurant you’ve been to, a vacation you’ve taken, or any other memorable experience in your life. We want you to have a comfortable, enjoyable experience at our office. Our modern clinics in Glen Carbon and Swansea are fun and feature lots of high tech equipment.

The second reason is the level of clinical care that we deliver, and the excellent results we are able to achieve for our patients. Part of this is reached by the continuing education that both the doctor and the team participate in each year. For example, Dr. Mastroianni recently returned from the 2010 AAO Annual Session, one of the largest orthodontic events in the world, with the latest information, technology, and treatment techniques in the field of orthodontics. We ensure that we are current in all the latest technologies to help deliver superior care to our patients.

Patients at Mastroianni Orthodontics are treated like a members of our own families, and we strive to build strong relationships with each new patient at our office. We also consider involvement in our community as a critical part of Mastroianni Orthodontics. Each year, we donate several free orthodontic treatments to school auctions and fundraisers, and even sponsor local sports teams each year in many Metro East communities. You can learn more about our practice on our web site, or give us a call to schedule a complimentary consultation!

24/7 Access to Your Account at Mastroianni Orthodontics

At Mastroianni Orthodontics, we embrace new technology, whether it is through the innovative orthodontic treatments that we offer, our high-tech web site and social networks, or our modern offices conveniently located in Glen Carbon and Swansea, IL.

Did you know that patients at our office have access to their account 24 hours a day, seven days a week—all through our web site? You can look up your appointments all at your convenience, from the comfort of your own home! You can even receive appointment reminders through email or text messages!

Just see what some of our patients are saying about this service:

I was not sure of my appointment time, but with this service I can now easily access my information. ~ Susan J.

Love being able to access appointment information online as well as the option of being texted reminders for appointments. I am a mother of 3 teenage boys 2 of which are currently getting treatment...Kudos to the Mastroianni team ~ Sonja W.

I like the availability of the information on finance account and changes/updates with numbers very easy and quick. ~ Yolanda C.

There is no need to call to confirm, I can do it quickly and easily from home or work without being interrupted ~ Rebecca D.

You, too, can sign up for this convenient service on our web site by clicking on the "Patient Login" button on our homepage. Please give us a call if you have any questions about getting started!