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WHEN PRESENT, they lead to excessive tooth wear and dark smiles. They cause you to bite your lips and cheeks. They even limit your jaw function. Any way you look at it, crossbites are not good for your dental health.

Crossbites Can Lead To Excessive Tooth Wear

When a front crossbite is present, the upper tooth appears "behind" the lower teeth. If untreated, front tooth crossbite leads to excessive tooth wear.

When a back crossbite is present, the upper tooth is "inside" the lower teeth. Back upper teeth are trapped or tipped towards the tongue. This abnormal tooth position causes your lower jaw to shift. Back crossbites lead to cheek biting, jaw shifting, and the appearance of black space in the corners of your smile.

There Are Different Options To Correct A Crossbite

Braces, Invisalign, or removable expansion appliances can fix crossbites by upper arch expansion.

Visit us at Gorczyca Orthodontics in Antioch, California (925) 757-9000 to find out how dental arch expansion can eliminate your crossbites. To find an orthodontist near you, visit the American Association of Orthodontists at www.mylifemysmile.org.

Sky's the limit with orthodontic possibilities. Eliminate your crossbites today for ideal dental function, comfort, happiness, and life.

AFTER YOU HAVE FINISHED your Invisalign treatment or orthodontic treatment with braces, it's time to choose a retainer to protect and maintain your beautiful new smile.

Vivera retainers by Invisalign offer many benefits for your busy lifestyle.

7 Benefits of Vivera Retainers

1. Vivera retainers are clear just like Invisalign so they always look great no matter where your travels may take you.
2. Vivera retainers don't affect your speech so you can be comfortable wearing them throughout the day or night.
3. Vivera retainers are strong and do not rip or break easily.
4. Vivera retainers are smooth and comfortable and will not irritate your lips and mouth.
5. Vivera retainers fit precisely and are not loose. They are made by the same 3-D digital imaging as Invisalign for a tight fit.
6. Vivera retainers can be changed when necessary or replaced with a new retainer when lost. In the Vivera retainer program, you will receive four sets of Vivera retainer aligners.
7. Your Vivera retainer digital tooth image will be stored digitally so you can receive additional trays without additional impressions, scans, or office visits.

We Can Help Find The Retainers That Are Best For You!

If you have questions about Vivera retainers ask us at Gorczyca Orthodontics (925) 757-9000 or visit us at www.clubbraces.com in Antioch, California.

It took time and effort to create your beautiful new smile. Whether you are in the classroom or the board room, preserve your smile with Vivera retainers.

IT MAY HAVE BEEN your first time away from home. It may have been the first time you did your own laundry. For those who do it, summer music camp is something you will never forget.

Playing A Wind Instrument With Braces Can Be Uncomfortable

Playing a wind or brass instrument like flute or trumpet with braces for several hours per day at camp gave us all "hamburger lip." This was quite uncomfortable! Even though we would put wax on our braces 5 millimeters thick, we would still ended up with raw, wounded, and uncomfortable lips after playing a wind or brass instrument for several hours per day.

Today, the problem of "hamburger lip" is solved by orthodontic treatment with Invisalign Teen. A clear, smooth alternative to braces, Invisalign Teen aligners can be either worn or not worn while playing your wind or brass musical instrument at summer music camp making the experience comfortable and even more fun.

Additional benefits of Invisalign Teen include being able to eat what you want, having nothing break while you are away, and having nothing get lose and poke while you are playing your musical instrument. This makes life at summer music camp easy, letting you focus on your music, friends, activities, and fun.

We Can Help You With Your Invisalign

If you are a wind or brass player and planning to play a lot of music this summer, consider Invisalign Teen. Call us at Gorczyca Orthodontics (925) 757-9000 or visit us at www.clubbraces.com in Antioch, California.

To find an orthodontist near you, visit the American Association of Orthodontists at www.mylifemysmile.org.

Consider Invisalign Teen today. Your lips and your embouchure will thank you.

Top image by Flickr user H. Michael Miley 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.

WE'VE ALL HEARD the proverb "Like father, like son" to describe the likelihood that a son will have traits like his father in adulthood. This is especially true when it comes to the genetics of jaw growth and need for orthognathic surgery.

Many young men ages 21 and older pursue correction of jaw imbalances during college or shortly after their college years. What frequently happens is Dad then follows with his own orthoganthic surgery. Now, it is "like son, like father."

Orthoganthic Surgery Can Improve Your Bite

When fathers see the beautiful results of their son's orthodontic/orthognathic surgery treatment, they start to think how nice it would be to have their own bite corrected.

Often, a jaw is advanced by orthognathic surgery. This not only corrects the bite, such as a crossbite, but also opens the airway helping to improve breathing and reduce sleep apnea.

A Corrected Bite Opens A Variety Of Options

Once a crossbite is corrected, it is now possible to have crowns and veneers done on the front teeth. Eating will be easier, and you will look gorgeous and feel great.

Orthognathic surgery is usually covered 100% by medical insurance with the exception of a small co-payment. Patients may stay overnight in the hospital and one to three weeks of work medical leave is taken. Patients are usually able to move their jaws after surgery and wear upper jaw lower jaw rubber bands while eating a soft diet for a few weeks of recovery.

If your apple hasn't fallen far from your tree and you would also benefit from orthognathic jaw surgery, call us at Gorczyca Orthodontics in Antioch, California 925-757-9000. Find us at www.clubbbraces.com.

Board certified orthodontist Dr. Ann Marie Gorczyca and team have completed hundreds of successful orthognathic surgery cases with comfort. We will complete your orthodontic/orthognathic surgery treatment as gently and quickly as possible.

We know your child was a "chip of the old block." It's never too late to do a little "old block" reshaping.