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IT’S NEVER TOO LATE to widen your dental arch for a gold medal smile.

As an adult, broadening your upper jaw may include an orthopedic palatal expansion procedure called SARPE.

SARPE Can Improve Your Bite And Broaden Your Smile

SARPE, surgically assisted rapid palatal expansion, uses oral surgery to lightly release bony sutures of the upper jaw, the maxilla, with an expansion appliance. SARPE expands nasal passages to improve breathing and broadens your dental arch for a big, beautiful smile.

Oral surgeons and orthodontists work together to make SARPE available. Less rapid expansion is often used for increased comfort and stability. Adults age 30 and older with narrow upper dental arches and palates are helped by SARPE to gain a broad, comfortable, and functional bite.

We Can Give You A Winning Smile

This case was treated by Board Certified Orthodontist Dr. Ann Marie Gorczyca of Gorczyca Orthodontics, in Antioch, California. Our office is located within driving distance from San Jose and most cities in the San Francisco Bay Area and is open 5 days a week for your convenience. With over 25 years experience and having treated over 10,000 patients, Dr. Gorczyca guarantees satisfaction and treats each patient one at a time, with tender loving care.

Call us at 925-757-9000 for a personalized and private orthodontic consultation. Find us at www.clubbraces.com.

Time off from work with SARPE may be 3 weeks.Time off from rigorous sports training may be 3 months. This SARPE case above took 33 months from start to completion.

Go for a gold medal smile with SARPE. Start today and have your gorgeous new smile ready for the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Top image by Flickr user Agência Brasil Fotografias used under Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 4.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original.

The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

AS YOU KNOW, HERE at Gorczyca Orthodontics, we’re honored to have you as our valued patient! Our goal is ALWAYS remarkable, one-to-one patient care... Thanks to our amazing team members!

Gorczyca Orthodontics Is Growing!

Gorczyca Orthodontics is thrilled to welcome our newest Registered Dental Assistant, Dana.

A Little About Dana, In Her Own Words

I am originally from Victoria British Columbia, Canada. I came to California when I was 27 years old and went to school at Huntington Dental College in Huntington Beach, California. I got married and started working in my first dental office where I met my husband who was a patient.

I left that office to and started working as an orthodontic assistant in the office of orthodontist Dr. Gary Devian in Yorba Linda, California. I just loved it! After that, I always wanted to be an orthodontic assistant.

We recently put Dana in the hot seat and asked her some questions so you can get to know her better...

When you’re not here working, what are your favorite things to do?

On my day off, we like to go boating and camping. I live in Discovery Bay with my husband and son who will soon be 10. We like to wake board and ride dirt bikes. We live on the water so we get out on the water almost every day in the summer time.

When you first started working here, what were your first impressions of the office and the team? Have those impressions changed?

I think everyone at Gorczyca Orthodontics is very nice, helpful, and welcoming. We have a very happy team and working with the orthodontic patients is a lot of fun.

What’s your favorite part of your job?

I love seeing the patients start treatment from the beginning of orthodontics and make the step by step progress which truly tranforms their life. Not only are the teeth straight but their overall personally shows more confidence an happiness. It is a wonderful feeling to be a part of this and be able to give this gift to our patients.

I will be doing the initial orthodontic records and final orthodontic records at Gorczyca Orthodontics. I will be working Tuesday through Thursday as well as Fridays. After the examination with Dr. Gorczyca, this will be the first step toward starting your orthodontic treatment. If you need to schedule your orthodontic records, please give me a call!

We’re So Happy To Have Dana As A Member Of Our Team!

At Gorczyca Orthodontics we have three goals:

• Clinical excellence,
• Outstanding customer service,
• and a Great patient experience.

Thank you Dana for being part of our Gorczyca Orthodontics team!

As one of our valued patients, if you have your own question for Dana, please ask in the comments section below! Also, you can always send us a message on Facebook anytime.

We look forward to seeing you at your next visit! Thanks for the trust you place in our practice.

WHEN WE SEE emerging wisdom teeth are going to cause dental problems, wisdom tooth removal is likely in the cards.

Wisdom teeth–also known as the third molars–received their nickname because they emerge during young adulthood, when a person has a little more wisdom. But why do we wait until the late teenage years to address the issue? In fact, if wisdom teeth so often cause complications, why has nature given them to us at all?

Wisdom Teeth Have Ancient Roots

The most widely accepted theory behind wisdom teeth suggests we look to our ancestors in the distant past for answers. Early humans had a much different diet than we do today: roots, raw meat, tough plants—foods that would have required a lot of grinding. Big, wide molars were the perfect teeth for the job, and that third set of molars would have helped them immensely! They also had larger jaws to accommodate these extra teeth.

Today, we have smaller jaws and eat much softer foods, but our genes still produce third molars! When they don’t have enough room to emerge properly, wisdom teeth can begin erupting at angles of 45 degrees or more—even horizontally! When teeth grow where there isn’t space for them, they cause a lot of problems.

When Is Removal The Right Decision?

Wisdom teeth emerging at bad angles or crowding other teeth can damage oral health. They might not even emerge at all, becoming impacted below the gum surface. In either case, they can cause constant pain and infection, weaken bone structure, and undo orthodontic work.

You might ask why wisdom teeth aren’t addressed in early childhood. It’s because they actually don’t begin forming until around age 10! All teeth (adult teeth included) begin forming in the jaws during fetal development—except for wisdom teeth.

Here at Gorczyca Orthodontics in Antioch, California, we usually recommend removal of wisdom teeth during orthodontic treatment. Benefits to wisdom teeth removal before age 15 include:

1. Easy removal when the roots are less than 2/3rds formed
2. Less nerve damage from long roots wrapped around the lower jaw nerve
3. Ideal positioning of second molars when third molars are absent
4. Less infection and pain from partially erupted wisdom teeth

We Treat Each Wisdom Teeth Case Individually

There are the lucky few that have no problems with their wisdom teeth. It is possible for them to emerge at the right angle, with enough space, and not have to be removed.

Each case is unique, and by getting to know your unique dental profile, we will advise the best solution with your individual orthodontic treatment in mind—whether wisdom teeth extraction is in your future or not.

If you have questions about your wisdom teeth, ask us at Gorczyca Orthodontics. Call us at (925) 757-9000 or find us at www.clubbraces.com.

Thank you for choosing us as your family’s orthodontic health partners. We treasure the trust you place in our practice!

Top image by Flickr user Celestine Chua used under Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 4.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original.

The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

IT'S BEEN A FEW YEARS NOW since I read Mark Schaeffer's classic social media book "The Tao of Twitter."

I decided to follow this author's advice and reach out and schedule my first "tweet up" with a person I had never met before who I considered "The Queen of Dental Social Media" Livvie Matthews. The experience in the words of Seth Godin was "remarkable."

Livve had worked in dentistry for 30 years and that's where her social media dynasty began. When it comes to social media, Livvie lives by the words "Content is King" and "Consistency is Queen." Always friendly, helpful, never "sales-y" and putting forth great content in a positive and inspirational manner, Livvie has helped thousands of dentists, dental assistants, and people in dentistry and small business with the "social" side of their of social media.

Livvie Shows Her Followers She Cares

Through her facebook and twitter posts, blogs, video series, and soon to be released podcast with Dr. Howard Farran of Howard Speaks, Livvie constantly shows her friends and followers that she cares. Livvie simply lights the world with her love and positivity through social media.

So I met up with Livvie in Charlotte North Carolina.

Our "tweet-up" exceeded my expectations! Larger than life, with a smile on her face, love in her heart, and enthusiasm emanating from every pore of her body, Livvie continued to amaze me in every way. What amazed me most of all was something unexpected. Livvie gave me some of the best and most effective dental practice management advice I have ever received!

Since our "tweet-up" Livvie has branched out into becoming an online marketing business coach for many industries. Her morning posts are a great way to start the day and keep business owners focused on what's important in running a successful small business.

Livvie's Posts Are Inspiring

Livvie's social media contributions continue to inspire me. I can't wait for my second "tweet-up" with the Queen of Dental Social Media "Livvie Matthews Online Marketing Business Coach."

http://www.livviematthews.com/

I am thankful for great people like Livvie Matthews. They truly make the world a better place. Here lie the power and benefits of social media.

Dr. Ann Marie Gorczyca is an orthodontist at Gorczyca Orthodontics in Antioch, California. She is author of the books "It All Starts with Marketing" and "Beyond the Morning Huddle".

She lives in Walnut Creek and the Sea Ranch, California with her husband and son.

Top image by Flickr user Kvasir79 used under Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 4.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original.

The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.