Dr. O'Leary, reminding you that April is National Facial Protection Month

With spring here, many children, teens and adults will once again pick up the ball, bring the bat out of seasonal retirement, and lace up their cleats to hit the fields for the return of spring sports! April is National Facial Protection Month, and during this time, Dr. O'Leary and our dedicated team urge our young athletes to play it safe when out on the field. Here are a few ways to ensure your mouth’s safety this spring, courtesy of our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists:

1. Wear mouth guards for contact sports such as baseball, softball, soccer and lacrosse.
2. Wear a helmet
3. Wear protective eyewear
4. Wear a face shield to avoid scratched or bruised skin
5. Be alert, even as a spectator

We hope that helps. If you have any further questions about any of these tips, please contact O'Leary orthodontics. Stay safe and HAVE FUN!

Ask Dr. O'Leary: Who benefits from braces?

Dr. O'Leary will tell you that braces aren’t just for pre-adolescents and teenagers anymore. In fact, our staff recently read a fascinating statistic: adults getting braces has jumped 24 percent from just 14 years ago! What's more, did you know one of every five patients in orthodontic treatment is over the age of 21?

Anyone, at any age, can benefit from orthodontic treatment, whether it’s correcting a problem not treated in your younger years, or catching a problem early. To ensure the best overall treatment, the American Association of Orthodontists, or AAO, recommends that children receive an orthodontic consultation as early as age seven.

If a problem is evident, taking action early can spare a lot of treatment and expense down the road. If you never received orthodontic treatment when you were young, don’t worry! You’re never too old for a beautiful smile at O'Leary Orthodontics. Set up an appointment for a consultation with Dr. O'Leary and find out how adult orthodontics will transform your smile, as well as your life!

What are patients saying about O'Leary Orthodontics?

Dr. Kay O'Leary and our dedicated staff love getting reviews from our patients. And lately, O'Leary Orthodontics, serving Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda and Englewood, has been getting some pretty great patient testimonials! We thought we'd share some with you today! Happy Tuesday!

"The way she communicates with the patient. She makes you feel really comfortable." ~ Wayne W.

"Well, since I have been going there for a LONG time now, I like how nice she is. I look forward to seeing everyone in their office." ~ Bettyann J.

"She takes time to make my daughter feel at ease,and the same goes for the rest of her staff." ~ Americo T.

"Dr. O has been wonderful to work with for 5 years! She came highly recommended from our good friend in Tampa, Dr. Bruce Scarola. She and her staff are great with kids/teens." ~ M/M Scott.

"Great personality. Dr O'Leary really shows how much she cares about the kids AND the parents. Dr. O'Leary and her staff have been very helpful and understanding." ~ Marianne Y.

SureSmile makes the rounds on ABC’s “The Doctors”

On a recent episode of ABC's "The Doctors," Dr. Thomas Lee of Oxnard, California, was interviewed in front of a live audience and demonstrated SureSmile technology and discussed treatment benefits for orthodontists and their patients. Dr. Lee's 14-year-old patient, Nina, who had just completed SureSmile treatment, was part of the segment as well, and spoke positively about her SureSmile treatment experience.

SureSmile is a software program that facilitates the precise positioning of a patient’s teeth placement for orthodontic braces. Did you know Dr. O'Leary is a certified SureSmile provider in Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte? Give us a call and ask for more information about this exciting new technology!

At O'Leary Orthodontics, you have easy access to your account information

Access to your account, 24/7. Sounds convenient, doesn’t it?
Patients at our offices enjoy access to their account 24 hours a day, seven days a week—all through our web site. You can look up your appointments and all of your account details at your convenience, all from the comfort of your own home! You can even receive appointment reminders through email or text messages!

You, too, may 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!

What’s so special about an Orthodontist?

"Dentists, Orthodontists, they're all the same right?" We hear our patients asking this question as they wonder about the difference between an orthodontist and a dentist. Before becoming an orthodontist Dr. O'Leary started out in dental school and earned a DDS (dental degree), just like your dentist. After dental school however, Dr. O'Leary decided she wanted to learn more about orthodontics, which is one of nine specialties within the dental field. So she stayed in school for a few more years and became an expert in orthodontics; which focuses on tooth and jaw alignment and bite problems like overbites and under bites.

Other dental specialties you may have heard of include endodontic (focusing on the soft tissue inside your teeth), periodontic (focusing on the gums and other tissues surrounding your teeth) and prosthodontic (focusing on restoring and replacing damaged teeth).

Isn't it nice to know there's a dental expert here to help you through any type of treatment your teeth, jaw and gums might need?

Invisalign® Tips, from Dr. O'Leary

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, we want 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 O'Leary Orthodontics, give us a call!