Congratulations!

All of us at Bluegrass Orthodontics would like to give a big CONGRATULATIONS to Jack Rockaway one of our former patients.  Jack is a senior at Trinity Christian Academy in Lexington, Kentucky, who has been accepted to Harvard, Yale and Princeton next year!  Jack has made his decision and in the fall he will be attending Yale.  What a great accomplishment, Jack, we know you will continue to succeed throughout your life! Congratulations, again!

Moms For Mouth Guards - How far would you go to protect your child durin...

April is National Facial Protection Month

The sun is shining, it is a warm spring day.  Your child has their first sporting event today.  You get everything packed- chairs, sunscreen, hats, water bottles, snacks, etc.  You've been watching the game and you are so excited because your child is doing so well.  All of a sudden a ball comes and hits your child in the mouth.  A time out is called and you run down to the  field and notice that your child's mouth is bleeding.  As you have your child open their mouth to get a better look at the accident you notice that part of your child's braces are broke and your child has some cuts in their mouth.  You call your orthodontist and they meet you at the office for an emergency visit.  As your orthodontist is looking and repairing your child, he/she asks if your child was wearing their mouth guard?  Whoops, the one thing you forgot to pack!  

If that story sounds familiar to you, you are not alone.  Did you know that 67% of parents say their child does not wear a mouth guard - yet, 70% say their biggest fear when their child plays sports is that they will get hurt?*  According to the American Association of Orthodontists, one out of every 4 parents say their child has sustained an injury during an organized sport resulting in a trip to the emergency room.  Of the parents whose children do not wear a mouth guard, 84% say it's because the league or coach does not require it.*   Cheerleading is also considered one of the most dangerous sports, accounting for 65% of all injuries in high school girls' athletics according to MSNBC.com.  Therefore, the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) and football great Emmitt Smith are teaming up together to help spread the word about the importance of mouth guard awareness during the month of April.

The main purpose of a mouth guard is to cover and protect the teeth and braces while playing a sport, which can help prevent jaw, mouth and teeth injuries caused by a collision or a fall. Mouth guards can come in a variety of colors, sizes, shapes and also vary in price. While the color of a mouth guard does not make that big of a difference (some sporting leagues may require you to have a certain color), the type of mouth guard does.  When in orthodontic treatment, make sure that you do not get a mouth guard that needs to be boiled.  The boiled mouth guards are form fitting to your teeth and due to your mouth consistantly changing while wearing braces, the boiled mouth guards may not fit through out your child's sport season. We recommend you get a mouth guard that you can adapt to fit your child's mouth by trimming it with scissors.  Dick's Sporting Goods or Wal Mart seem to have the best selection and carry orthodontic mouth guards such as The Shock Doctor Youth Gel mouth guard that sells for around $15-$16 each.  If you are unsure which mouth guard will work best for your child and their sporting event talk with your orthodontist. 

So, remember as you start to pack up for the next big game don't forget to grab your child's mouth guard.  A trip to the emergency room is definately not as much fun as being there to watch your child and their team win the big game! 

You may also want to visit Mom's For Mouthguards website and make a pledge stating that you will have your child/children wear a mouth guard, to help protect their winning smile and prevent facial injuries while participating in sports activities.  For each pledge made, the AAO will donate mouth guards to the National Alliance for Youth Sports.

*American Association of Orthodontists

Bluegrass Orthodontics Talks With Area Schools about Dental Health

During the month of February, Dr. Ferguson and Liz Maskos visited with some area elementary schools in Lexington, Kentucky to educate children about the importance of dental health.  Dr. Ferguson spoke with a class of kindergartners at Trinity Christian Academy while Liz spoke with nine K/1 classes one 2nd/3rd grade class at Veteran's Park Elementary.

Both Dr. Ferguson and Liz spent about 30-40 minutes with each class teaching them how many baby and permanent teeth they have along with the proper brushing and flossing techniques.  They even used a couple of experiments to show the importance of flossing and why fluoride is so important. 

Below are some photos of their fun educational experience with the kids.

February is National Children's Dental Health Month

National Children's Dental Health Month began as a one-day event in Cleveland, Ohio on Feb. 3, 1941. The American Dental Association held the first national observance of Children’s Dental Health Day on Feb. 8, 1949. This single day observance became a week-long event in 1955, and in 1981 the program was extended to a month-long celebration known today as National Children’s Dental Health Month.

We believe at Bluegrass Orthodontics that children's teeth are meant to last a lifetime and a healthy smile is very important to a child's self esteem.  With proper brushing and flossing along with eating a balanced diet and visiting the dentist two times a year children can achieve this goal!  Therefore, during the month of February, Dr. Ferguson and Liz Maskos will be visiting some area schools in Lexington, Kentucky to help educate children about the importance of dental health. 

                                         

Please visit back soon to hear how their visits went!                 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

All of us here at Bluegrass Orthodontics have been truly blessed this year. We have had some new additions to our Bluegrass Orthodontic family. Heather, one of our assistants welcomed a new baby boy in October and Angelia, one of our treatment coordinators got married in October. It was a busy month in October around here!


We have also been blessed by our other orthodontic family, our patients. We are so grateful to have such a wonderful group of patients and every day we thank that they are part of our Bluegrass Orthodontic family. During this time of year we especially would like to say thank you for all you.

From all of us at Bluegrass Orthodontics we’d like to wish our families, friends, co-workers, and our extended family, our patients, a very Merry Christmas and all the best in the New Year!!

Why is Fluoride So Important?

Fluoride protection against tooth decay is needed throughout life.  However, while you are wearing braces, it is much harder to keep your teeth clean.  This can result in higher than normal amounts of plaque accumulation, which can cause cavities.

Using a fluoride toothpaste after each meal or at least twice a day is one of the most proven ways to help you stay decay free.  Fluoride makes teeth more resistant to the acids produced after eating or drinking and replaces minerals that are lost in the early stages of tooth decay.

Place a small amount of PreviDent on your toothbrush and brush as normal. When finished brushing expel the remaining out, but do not rinse with water.  The fluoride needs to stay on your teeth in order for the active ingredient to work, therefore, no eating or drinking for 30 minutes afterward.  For this reason, we recommend our patients brush with the PreviDent at night instead of their regular toothpaste.

Because your risk of tooth decay may be higher while you are wearing braces, we provide our patients with their first bottle of PreviDent 5000 Booster Fluoride at their initial banding. However, due to PreviDent 5000 Booster having over 4.5 times the fluoride protection than your everyday over-the-counter toothpaste, it is a prescription only. If you find you have run out of your first tube, let us know and we will give you a prescription.

With great brushing habits and the help of extra fluoride we are hoping to help all of our patients, friends, family, and future patients to a healthier, and happier smile.