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After patients complete their ClearCorrect treatment at our Idaho Falls, Rigby, Rexburg, Afton, and Salmon office, many will be given retainers to wear at night to prevent their teeth from moving. This is done after all treatment with any type of braces. There are two types of retainers available from Dr. Lowder: removable and permanent.

Removable Retainers

If you are given the option of having a clear removable retainer to use, it will most likely only need to be worn at bedtime. They are the easiest and most preferred and are able to be removed to brush your teeth, floss, eat, and drink.

Permanent Retainers

If you are not a good candidate for a clear removable retainer you will be given the option of having a permanent metal retainer placed behind your teeth. Permanent retainers are made from a thin metal wire that is attached to your teeth. This type of retainer is the perfect option for those who will not be disciplined enough to wear their removable retainer or keep track of where it is. Once this retainer is placed in the mouth it will provide protection from your teeth shifting for years.

In order to retain the alignment of your teeth and protect all of the orthodontic work you have had completed, speak with Dr. Lowder about which form of retainer would be best for your individual dental needs.

Straightening your teeth has plenty of benefits. You’ll be prouder of your smile, and your bite may feel more comfortable. You can get additional benefits by selecting ClearCorrect aligners instead of traditional metal braces. Treatment will be more comfortable, you won’t need to cut out your favorite foods, and you’ll be able to keep your teeth clean throughout your treatment.

No Food Restrictions

Among the first things you may worry about when you consider treatments to straighten your teeth is missing out on your favorite foods. This can affect your daily life and make special occasions less fun, too. The following foods are forbidden with traditional metal braces, but not with ClearCorrect.

• Hard candies
• Chewy foods, such as bagels and many kinds of meat
• Sticky foods, such as fruit roll-ups, toffee, bubble gum, and caramels
• Popcorn, seeds, and nuts, since they can get stuck
• Hard foods, such as carrots and apples

The reason why you can’t eat these foods with braces is that they can stick in your braces, making your teeth dirty, or dislodge your braces. Neither of these is a problem with ClearCorrect because you get to remove the trays whenever you eat.

Ability to Clean Your Teeth

You can take your ClearCorrect aligners out of your mouth when it’s time to take care of your teeth. You can brush and floss normally, unlike with braces. That means that when you’re done with ClearCorrect treatment, you won’t have any nasty surprises like rotting teeth that were covered by dirty braces.

Invisible Treatment

No matter how young or old you are, you want to look your best. Teens want to fit in at school, and adults want to look professional and unremarkable. You can’t hide metal braces, but ClearCorrect treatment can be done almost in secret. The aligner trays are so close to being invisible that only your family and any coworkers or friends you choose to tell may know that you have them.

Straightening your teeth is an exciting proposition, but the thought of metal braces can be a barrier. With ClearCorrect treatment, you can get the benefits of straighter teeth without many of the hassles of braces. Contact our Idaho Falls, Rigby, Rexburg, Afton, and Salmon office to learn more!

Perhaps you’ve heard from parents or older relatives what braces used to be like years ago—obvious, uncomfortable, hard to clean, and with inevitable tooth extractions to start off the whole lengthy process.

Today, brackets are much smaller and wires are more pliable. You can even choose ceramic brackets or clear aligners for an almost invisible effect. New tools make cleaning your braces easier than ever. And new braces technology means that treatment is often shorter. But what about extractions? Are they still inevitable?

For orthodontists like Dr. Lowder, the objective is saving teeth. And modern practices and technology have made this goal more attainable than ever before. There are several ways that modern treatment procedures can help avoid extractions.

• Early Intervention

We recommend that children visit our Idaho Falls, Rigby, Rexburg, Afton, and Salmon office for an orthodontic evaluation by age seven. Because a child’s jaw is still forming at this age, early intervention can lead to orthodontic treatment that expands the jaw in order to make room for permanent teeth, or starts correcting bite problems before they become more serious.

• High-Tech Planning

Today’s technology allows us to map out the progression of your treatment before we begin. Scanners, X-rays, and computer programs help us to design a treatment plan which will accurately predict how best to move your teeth and correct your bite, taking into account the size and development of your teeth and jaw.

• Surgical Options

By the time you reach your late teen years, the jaw bones have stopped growing and it’s no longer possible to expand them without surgery. Oral surgery can treat serious jaw problems that impact your teeth and bite, usually as part of a combined treatment plan designed by your orthodontist and your oral surgeon.

Because we always work to keep teeth intact—using these methods and others—you can be sure that, if we recommend extraction, it is absolutely necessary. What could make an extraction necessary?

• Severe overcrowding. Sometimes, there’s just not enough room in the jaw for all of your teeth.
• A tooth or teeth that prevent us from correcting a problem with your bite.
• Wisdom teeth. Usually, orthodontic work takes place before a patient’s wisdom teeth start to erupt. If yours do make an appearance before or during treatment, we can adapt our treatment plan accordingly.
• An extra tooth. It’s rare, but an extra, or supernumerary, tooth sometimes develops, and your jaw is not designed to accommodate extras!

It’s important that you talk to Dr. Lowder about every step of your treatment, including extractions. We want you to understand the treatment plan which will give you your best outcome. If we recommend extraction, it is because this decision is the best way to achieve a healthy bite and alignment, creating your beautiful smile—and protecting it—for a lifetime.

Every year, Americans all over the world celebrate the birth of the country and its independence on the Fourth of July. There are countless ways that people celebrate and they range from community parades and large scale gatherings to concerts, fireworks displays, and smaller scale celebrations among family and friends. For some people, July 4th is synonymous with baseball, while for others it is all about the beach of barbecues. However you celebrate, you can be sure that red, white, and blue is visible everywhere throughout the area.

The Beginnings of Fourth of July Celebrations

Although it wasn't officially designated as a federal holiday until 1941, the actual tradition of celebrating Independence Day goes back to the time of the American Revolution (1775 – 1783). At the time of the American Revolution, representatives from the 13 colonies penned the resolution that ultimately declared their independence from Great Britain. The continental congress voted to adopt the Declaration of Independence on July 2nd of 1776. Two days later, Thomas Jefferson's famous document that is now known as the Declaration of Independence, was adopted by delegates representing the 13 colonies.

First States to Recognize the Fourth of July

In 1781, Massachusetts became the first state (or commonwealth) whose legislature resolved to designate July 4th as the date on which to celebrate the country's independence. Two years later, Boston became the first city to make an official designation to honor the country's birth with a holiday on July 4th. In that same year, North Carolina's governor, Alexander Martin, became the first governor to issue an official state order stipulating that July 4th was the day on which North Carolinians would celebrate the country's independence.

Fun Facts About the Fourth of July

• The reason the stars on the original flag were arranged in a circle is because it was believed that would indicate that all of the colonies were equal.
• Americans eat over 150 million hot dogs on July 4th.
• Imports of fireworks each year totals over $211 million.
• The first “official” Fourth of July party took place at the White House in 1801.
• Benjamin Franklin didn't want the national bird to be the bald eagle. He believed that the turkey was better suited to the coveted distinction. John Adams and Thomas Jefferson disagreed with him, and he was outvoted, so the bald eagle became the official bird of the United States.

For many, the tradition is something entirely different. Along the coastal areas of the United States, people may haul out huge pots to have lobster or other types of seafood boils. Others may spend the day in the bleachers at a baseball game, or at a park, cooking a great traditional meal over an open fire. No matter how or where you celebrate, one thing is certain: all Americans celebrate July 4th as the birth and independence of our country.

Dr. Lowder and our team at Lowder Orthodontics wish you a safe and happy Fourth of July!