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Dr. Justin Hughes

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“How long should I wear my retainer?”

This is a question we get every day at Hughes Orthodontics from patients, parents, and friends. Before I give you the answer a simple parable may be helpful.

A retainer parable

Imagine you made a new years resolution to get in better shape, but you actually kept your promise. You went to the gym every single day for a year and were in the best shape of your life. Now, imagine someone told you that in order to stay in perfect shape, you didn’t have to keep working out every day, all you had to do was take a magic pill before bedtime. The catch was that if you stopped taking the pill, you’d lose that perfect fitness you’d worked so hard for. You’d take that pill wouldn’t you?

It’s the same with retainers. So our answer at Hughes Orthodontics always has been and always will be – “As long as you want your teeth to stay straight!”

As one of my professors in residency would always say, “Skin wrinkles, teeth wrinkle!” What he meant by that was that nothing in our bodies stays the same over time. Everything changes and shifts and “wrinkles” as we age, so we can’t expect our teeth to remain exactly the same over time without some help.

The Bottom Line

Your retainer is your only guarantee that your teeth stay in the position they were the day you got your braces off or finished your aligner therapy. Some people may be able to get away without wearing a retainer, but others stop wearing it just for a few days and their teeth noticeably shift. We’ve got no way of seeing into the future (although our doctors are working on their crystal ball illusions), so our best advice is to wear a retainer if you want to ensure (and insure!) that your teeth will stay straight.

If you have any questions about retainers please comment below, or if you’ve lost yours and need a new one give us a call!

– Dr. Justin

 

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Since we had such a busy end to the year it has taken us a while to announce the exciting news that Dr. Justin Hughes has achieved board certification from the American Board of Orthodontics!

What is board certification? Aren’t all orthodontists board certified?

Unlike in medicine or general dentistry, board certification in orthodontics is optional. In fact, only 1 in 3 orthodontists is board certified. Here’s how it works:

Orthodontists and orthodontic residents must submit 6 cases that they have treated based on certain criteria. The cases must pass certain criteria level to qualify, such as having lots of crowding or a large overbite. At least one of the cases must show the extraction of 4 teeth (severe crowding) and the proper management of closing spaces, while another type of case must demonstrate the correction of a severe overjet (protruding teeth) without extractions. The orthodontist then completes a thorough written evaluation of the diagnosis, treatment plan, and results of each of the 6 cases.

Before and after photos, x-rays, and stone models of the teeth are brought to the exam. Two board examiners then spend hours evaluating the cases to ensure that they were diagnosed and treated to the highest quality in our profession. They discuss and question the orthodontist to ensure that he or she has a thorough understanding of every area of orthodontics.

In addition, Dr. Justin was shown a case that he had never seen before and asked to come up with a complete diagnosis and treatment plan on the spot and explain his reasoning to the examiners.

At the end of the day, the examiners agreed that Dr. Justin exemplified the highest commitment to excellence that the American Board of Orthodontics represents. We’re so proud of him!

via GIPHY

What does this mean for me?

It means that you can feel confident that you are in good hands at Hughes Orthodontics. Our doctors go above and beyond to continue learning and striving to achieve excellence every day in their profession. That is why Dr. Justin decided to spend the extra time, money, and energy to go through the process of board certification, because he wanted to challenge himself to ensure that he was providing the best patient care possible.

If you’re interested in learning more about the American Board of Orthodontics or about the process, click here. 

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“Is there a difference between my orthodontist and my dentist straightening my teeth with Aligners? Isn’t it the same thing?”

We commonly get questions like this in our office from new patients and from parents.

Imagine a skilled violinist playing a beautiful song. He’s spent thousands of hours practicing and fine tuning his craft, and he makes beautiful songs with the strings of his instrument. Now imagine someone else, without the years of practice, experience, and training picking up that same violin. How do you think it will sound? But aren’t they the same thing?

Or imagine an airline pilot who has been to a top flight school and flies planes all day every day. Now imagine someone who took some flight classes on a weekend and flies a plane once a month or so. Which pilot would you trust to get you safely to your destination with any unexpected turbulence along the way?

Same Tool, Different Results

Aligners is a wonderful tool in the hands of someone who knows how to use it well, but in the hands of someone untrained or inexperienced, you may not get the results you’re looking for. There is a difference between a dentist taking a weekend course at a Holiday Inn and someone with 2-3 years of specialized training and education in Orthodontics. While both can offer you Aligners, orthodontists understand the biomechanics of tooth movement better than any other type of dentist. What this means is that we know how to apply the right forces to the right teeth at the right time to give you the smile you’re looking for.

How does Aligners work?

If you’re interested in Aligners, here’s how the process works at Hughes Orthodontics.

  1. We meet face to face at your consultation and make sure that Aligners is the right tool to accomplish your goals. Dr. Justin has completed the Aligners Master’s Program, a level of expertise that only 1% of all Aligners doctors have achieved, so he’s very comfortable treating a variety of cases with Aligners.
  2. We scan your teeth. No more goopy impressions! This means that the process is faster, your trays fit better, and you have a better experience.
  3. We customize your treatment through the ClinCheck software – this is how we communicate with Aligners and tailor your treatment to your unique situation. Many Aligners providers will approve whatever the software gives them, but we spend time adjusting each tooth, its final position, and how it moves in sequence so that we can give you the best result in the least amount of time.
  4. You wear your trays and enjoy your smile throughout the process!

If you have other questions about Aligners, feel free to come see us or email Dr. Justin at drjustin@hughesortho.com.