oral hygiene

At Dr. Sean M Rooney Orthodontics, we get asked a lot of questions from our patients. The ones we hear most frequently are “When are my braces or appliances coming off?”, “When can I change my colors?”, “How painful is each procedure?”, “How often should I get cleanings with my dentist?”.

We enjoy answering each of these questions, but there are also some questions we don’t hear as often that we believe are important for maintaining your oral health and for effective orthodontic treatment with Dr. Rooney, such as:

• “When is my next appointment?”
• “How often do I have to wear my rubber bands?”
• “How often do I have to wear my retainer?”
• “How often should I brush and floss my teeth?”
• “How is my hygiene?”
• “What are the different types of braces?”
• “Are there special mouth guards for my braces or my appliances?”
• “Will my teeth stay straight forever?”

These questions or any other questions you can think of, we would be more than happy to answer. You can ask us during your next appointment or by giving our office a call. Happy Monday!

-Dr. Rooney and team

We’ve all heard that biting your nails is an awful habit, but you many wonder- really- what’s so bad about it? Recently, our team at Dr. Sean M. Rooney Orthodontics found an interesting article that discusses how biting your nails affect your teeth and oral health.

Nail biting, also known as Onychophagia, is a common habit among various age groups, including primarily children, teens and young adults. Nail biting is generally triggered by stress and most often decreases with age. That being said, nail biting is unsanitary, unattractive, as well as unhealthy for your teeth!

Here’s why:

• It’s unsanitary. Your nails are dirty, almost twice as dirty as your fingers! Hence, biting your nails is just asking for germs and bacteria.
• No good things come to your teeth. Nail biting causes your teeth to constantly be chewing, which is not good for them. This excessive motion wears your teeth down faster than a non-nail biter’s and puts a large amount of stress on your front teeth- contributing to teeth misalignment.
• Braces don’t love it either. Braces already put pressure on teeth, nail biting ads unnecessary pressure, further stressing your teeth and weakening their roots.
• It can be costly. Nail biting can result in up to $4,000 in additional dental bills over one lifetime, according to the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD). Yikes!

What can you do about it?

Now that you know how harmful nail biting can be, it’s time to take action to break your nail biting habit. Try to be conscious of your fingernails and to keep them looking good- this will help you resist the temptation. Ask Dr. Rooney or visit the article for tips on how to break a nail biting habit.

Good luck!

Your friends at Dr. Sean M. Rooney Orthodontics

This upcoming Thursday - October 28th, don't be surprised if you see Dr. Rooney walking around your school and peeking into your classroom!

On Thursday, Dr. Rooney, Jen and Denise are going to visit Austin Road Elementary School to talk about National Orthodontic Health Month. Dr. Rooney and staff will talk to the kids about having good oral hygiene, and about getting braces. He will also discuss oral health problems to watch out for at an early age.

Be sure to write down your questions for us, and Dr. Rooney will be happy to answer! See you on Thursday!!