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!

6 New Year's Resolutions That Will Benefit Your Teeth

Believe it or not, it is getting to be that time of the year again! Before you know it, 2012 will be gone, and we will begin another new year, and with a new year come new beginnings.

Those new beginnings can start with you in 2013! This year, resolve to make goals that will help improve not only your overall health but also your dental health! Check out these 6 great New Year’s resolutions that will benefit both your teeth and your overall health!

Eat Well – Okay, I admit. I probably had one too many cookies this holiday season! There is no shame in treating yourself once in a while, especially during this time of year in which we celebrate the holidays together with family and friends. For 2013, resolve to eat more healthily overall. Say yes to more fruits and vegetables, and do your best to cut back on sugary and processed foods, which can cause problems with your teeth. Aim for a healthy, well-balanced diet. Not only will your teeth and gums be healthy and happy, but your entire body will also benefit from the vital nutrients you consume, AND you can help yourself maintain a healthy weight!

Lose Weight – This resolution is a rather common one that countless people in the nation make every single year. According to recent surveys, 2/3 of Americans are overweight or obese. Being overweight puts you at risk for several diseases, including Type II Diabetes, which has been known to increase your risk of periodontal disease. Trust me, you do not want to mess with periodontal disease! Resolve to become more physically active and eat more healthily in 2013 for the health of both your body and your teeth!

Brush at Least Twice a Day – Yes, that is right; we said AT LEAST twice a day! Thoroughly brushing your teeth will help protect your teeth from tooth decay and gum disease, and it will help ward off your teeth’s mortal enemy – plaque! Aim to brush your teeth as thoroughly as possible for roughly two minutes at least twice every single day to make sure you are keeping your teeth in tip-top shape!

Quit Smoking – Are you a smoker? Why not resolve to stop smoking or using tobacco once and for all in 2013? Tobacco harms your lungs, teeth, and gums, and partaking in smoking puts you at risk for tooth discoloration and decay, cavities, gum recession and gum disease, disease of the throat and lungs, and even oral cancer or emphysema. In fact, you are twice as likely to lose your teeth than non-smokers! So do your teeth a favor and aim to stop smoking!

Floss Every Single Day – As people grow older, the big reason that they lose their teeth is not because of cavities but because of periodontal disease. When you floss, you remove the plaque between your teeth that brushing cannot do. If you find flossing too difficult, don’t worry! There are many simple devices that can help you floss. Be sure to take the extra few minutes out of your day in 2013 to floss!

Come Visit Me! Resolve to visit your favorite orthodontist frequently. When you stop by for your appointments at Mastroianni Orthodontics, we can help monitor your teeth and keep tabs on your teeth’s conditions. You should also visit your local dentist once every 6 months.

Will you be making any New Year’s resolutions this year? I hope you resolve to take better care of your teeth and to come visit us here at Mastroianni Orthodontics! We will ensure that you leave with a beautiful, amazing smile! To make an appointment, just call us here at (618) 288-0600 in Glen Carbon or at (618) 622-3377 or visit us online at www.amazingsmiles.com. We hope you have a happy, safe, and successful 2013!

3 Reasons To Get Braces in 2013

With a new year upon us, everyone is going to be caught up in making New Year’s Resolutions, and while resolutions are good, people quite often lose sight of their good intentions and have left their resolutions in the dust come April.

With that in mind, I want to give you 3 reasons why you should seriously consider looking into getting orthodontic treatment for the upcoming year.

Braces help correct an underbite or an overbite - One of the main reasons people get braces is to help correct underbite or overbite. An underbite is a situation in which the lower jaw juts out a bit too far causing the bottom teeth to extend out past the upper teeth. Conversely, overbite occurs when the upper jaw pushes the upper teeth too far forward. These two conditions can cause undue stress on the jaw and the teeth, and lead to permanent damage. Braces can help correct both of these situations and potentially save you lots of grief in the future.

Prevent tooth decay - This one might not be very obvious at first glance. Having crooked teeth can make brushing and flossing rather complicated. Plaque builds up in the spaces between teeth, and if the teeth are too close together, or resting at awkward angles with one another, that buildup can easily grow and get out of hand, causing cavities, tooth decay, and many other oral health problems. With straight teeth, flossing is much easier and much more effective at removing plaque.

Better Self-Esteem - Having a nice straight smile will definitely lend itself toward giving you higher self-esteem. No more worrying about awkward half-smiles in pictures! Plus, you will not feel the need to hide your teeth in photos!

So there you have it. If you have been considering getting braces or Invisalign for your teeth or your children’s teeth, call us at (618) 288-0600 in Glen Carbon or at (618) 622-3377 and set up an appointment. You will be glad you did!

Get Rewarded for Great Oral Hygiene with the Mastro Bucks Program!

We all have to take care of our teeth; there is no doubt about that. While the benefits of getting your teeth cared for by professionals should be a great reward in itself, it is always nice to get rewarded for following your orthodontist’s instructions, taking care of your teeth, or simply showing up to appointments on time.

Well, guess what? At Mastroianni Orthodontics, you can earn money while you are in treatment! We have an incentive program called “The Mastro Bucks Program” to help encourage our patients to be active participants in creating their amazing smiles.

At Mastroianni Orthodontics, we feel it is super important to celebrate our patients’ achievements and to let them know how proud we are of their successes, so we are giving our patients the chance to earn wooden nickels for being great patients!

Every time you come into our office, we will rate your hygiene as “Excellent, Good, Fair, or Poor.” You must be given either an “Excellent” or “Good” rating for the day to earn wooden nickels, which are small wooden tokens that can be collected throughout your treatment and turned in after your braces are removed for a prepaid Mastroianni Orthodontics American Express credit card!

The number of wooden nickels you collect throughout your treatment will determine dollar amount on your card. Here is how the amounts are broken down:

Wooden Nickels                                                         Dollar amount

25                                                                               $10

50                                                                               $20

75                                                                               $30

100                                                                             $40

Want to know how to earn your wooden nickels? Here is how you can do it!

1.     Keep your teeth clean – When you come in for a visit, your brushing will be evaluated. If you are given an A or B grade, then you will earn 1 nickel, and, more importantly, you will qualify to earn more. Your teeth must be clean to qualify to earn coins in this and in other categories.

2.     Come to your appointments on time - Our computer tracks what time you arrive for your appointments, so we will use it to determine if you are on time or not. (1 nickel)

3.     No broken or “loose” brackets – Help keep your braces attached to your teeth by avoiding foods on your “do not eat” list! (1 nickel)

4.     Be compliant – If we ask you to wear rubber bands or headgear, then please do so for the proper amount of time each day. (1 nickel)

Here are some special ways that you can earn more nickels:

*Refer a Friend – When you refer and friend and that friend starts treatment with us, you will receive 20 nickels!

*Good Grades – Get A’s and B’s on your report cards (NO C’s or below!) for nickels! You can bring in your report cards twice each year and earn 5 nickels each time!

*Get Your Teeth Cleaned Twice a Year – Simply bring a note in from your general dentist that your teeth have been cleaned, and you will receive 5 nickels.

*Appear in the Newspaper – When you appear in the newspaper or win a special award (such as trophies, medals, ribbons, etc.), show us, and you will earn 5 nickels!

*Send a Postcard on Vacation – Going on a vacation? Be sure to send us a postcard! We will post it to our bulletin board at the office and will give you 5 nickels in return!

You can collect up to 5 wooden nickels at each of your regularly scheduled visits. Keep the nickels in the cup we will provide you and turn them in at the end of your treatment. It is that simple!

We believe that by rewarding your good behavior you will take pride in your treatment – we want to give you the credit that you deserve!

If you are ready to receive orthodontic treatment, give us a call at our Glen Carbon office at (618) 288-0600 or at our Swansea office at (618) 622-3377 or make an appointment online at www.amazingsmiles.com! We look forward to hearing from you soon!

When Should Your Child See an Orthodontist?

Ahh, braces. They were the bane of our existence in junior high and high school. Maybe we were reluctant to smile, or our classmates poked fun of us and called us “metal mouth,” and we had to be constantly vigilant of what goes in our mouth and to clean our teeth so thoroughly after every meal. But when they came off – oh, sweet freedom!

Perhaps you are now at that time in your life in which your children, who have been “blessed” with your teeth, may be ready to visit the orthodontist to talk about braces and other orthodontic care. But how can you know for sure if your child needs braces? And how early is “too early?”

It's best for the orthodontist to see children by age 8 to advise if orthodontic treatment is required. Permanent teeth begin to erupt and emerge from the gums, which is also the best time to pinpoint any dental issues such as crossbites, crowding, and other problems. It’s always better to see someone at a young age to find that no treatment is needed at the time than to try to fix the problems of someone who should’ve been seen at an earlier age.

Does age 8 seem a bit young to you? Are you asking yourself, “Well, I got braces when I was in my preadolescent years, so why does my child have to go so much earlier than I did?”

There are quite a few big advantages to being screened at an early age and (potentially) receiving orthodontic treatment. For one thing, early orthodontic treatment corrects problems that would otherwise worsen in the adult years. The corrections can also be done more easily at an early age since the bones are still growing.

Braces, which actually harken back to ancient times (yes, that’s right – some unearthed mummies had wires wrapped around their teeth to give them a prettier and more efficient smile!), are put in place to slowly straighten the teeth in one’s mouth. Braces put steady pressure on the teeth and help them stay in place for a certain amount of time.

So how do you know if your child is in need of braces? Naturally, we’ll screen your child to see if he or she needs treatment right now or in the near future, but you can also keep a lookout for these other signs:

*your child lost baby teeth early or late.

*your child’s teeth don’t meet at all.

*your child has trouble chewing or biting.

*your child’s upper front teeth protrudes and is more than 25% past the bottom teeth.

*your child sucks on his or her fingers beyond age five or six

*your child’s teeth are otherwise poorly positioned.

Remember, the goal of all orthodontic treatment is to give the person a good bite; that is, we want to give them straight teeth that mesh well together. With straight teeth, one can chew, bite, and talk much more easily, and the person’s dental health and overall health (and definitely self-esteem) is enhanced.

If you think you’re ready to visit an orthodontist for your child, then it’s time to stop by Mastroianni Orthodontics! We love to give people amazing smiles that they’ll have for the rest of their lives! Visit our website at www.amazingsmiles.com or call 618-288-0600 to make an appointment today!

Age 7 is the magic number for an orthodontic check-up

Many parents assume they must wait until their child has all of his or her permanent teeth to see us, only to discover treatment would have been much easier if started sooner. Some orthodontic problems are easier to correct while the jaw is still growing. Consequently, the American Association of Orthodontists recommends that every child have an orthodontic check-up no later than age seven.

Ok, so what’s so great about age seven, you ask? Enough permanent teeth have arrived for Dr. Mastroianni to make a determination about whether any problems are present. The first molars have come in, providing an opportunity to check for malocclusion, or “bad bite.” Also, the incisors have begun to come in, and problems such as crowding, deep bites and open bites can be detected.

Orthodontic evaluation at an early age provides one of two positive outcomes: For some, early identification or problems will lead to easier or shorter orthodontic treatment in the future. For others, a healthy prognosis will provide immediate peace of mind.

Early evaluation, of course, may signal a need for early treatment. For some children, early treatment can prevent physical and emotional trauma. Aside from spurring on years of harmful teasing, misaligned teeth are also prone to injury and are detrimental to good oral hygiene. So if your child is nearing his or her seventh birthday, give us a call at 618-205-6133 to schedule an appointment.