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WHEN I THINK OF DENTAL SPORTS mouth guards, I think of my cousin John. Always the scholar athelete, a few seconds without his dental mouth guard caused him to lose an upper front tooth while wrestling in high school.

It has been reported that sports cause approximately 36% of injuries to children and adolescents. According to the American Dental Association, 10-20% of all sports related injuries are to the jaws and teeth.

Get Your Sports Mouth Guard At Gorczyca Orthodontics

For this reason, Orthodontist Dr. Ann Marie Gorczyca of Antioch, California offers custom-made sports mouth guards at Gorczyca Orthodontics.

Having recently returned from the office of Dr. Todd Yerondopoulos, Dentist of the Oakland Raiders, Dr. Gorczyca and her assistant Ashley are ready to serve local athletes in the fabrication of professional grade sports mouth guards. Custom designs are also available for Deer Valley High School, Antioch H.S., Pittsburg H.S., as well as Liberty, Freedom, and Heritage High Schools in Brentwood, California. Our goal is to prevent sports related dental injuries in our East Contra County community.

But What Ever Happened To Dr. Gorczyca’s Cousin?

What happened next to Dr. Gorczyca’s cousin is the stuff of dental legend. Making the best of the situation, John visited Boston University Dental School for his dental implant, where he became the patient of a beautiful and charming dental student named Maria.

He was so impressed with her passion for dentistry and his love for his new dental implant that he decided to marry her! Thirty four years later, John is the father of three and a leading orthopaedic trauma surgeon, making for a romantic ending to this “toothsome” tale.

IT’S NO SECRET that straight, well-aligned teeth are an important part of a great smile. Unfortunately, the inconvenience and discomfort often associated with traditional braces keeps some people from straightening their teeth.

We’ve Been Using Invisalign Since 1999

Gorczyca Orthodontics is a leader in Invisalign treatment. Having provided Invisalign treatment since 1999, we have treated hundreds of patients with a variety of problems including protruding teeth, generalized spacing, and severe crowding. Due to the advances in Invisalign technology, it is now possible for orthodontists to even treat skeletal malocclusion (orthognathic surgery cases), and cases which need extraction or elastics with Invisalign.

Invisalign is a modern approach to teeth straightening without many of the drawbacks of braces. Let’s talk about why Invisalign may be right for you.

The Clear Plastic Aligners Are Nearly Invisible

Most people won’t even know you’re wearing Invisalign aligners. You can confidently show off your smile while straightening your teeth!

No Wires Or Brackets To Irritate Your Mouth

Invisalign uses a series of soft, plastic aligners that fit comfortably over your teeth to gradually and gently straighten your smile.

Traditional braces require frequent tightening visits. With Invisalign, you can save time, since all you have to do is come in every couple weeks for your new trays, and to give us a chance to check in on your progress.

You Can See Your Whole Treatment Plan From The Beginning

Invisalign also provides a 3D computerized set-up of your virtual case (ClinCheck) so that you can track your progress with treatment and see your eventual outcome.

Your Invisalign outcome will be as successful as your orthodontists treatment plan and your commitment to wearing your aligners 24/7. We suggest that aligners be worn a minimum of 22 hours per day for the quickest and most successful treatment.

Brush, Floss, And Eat Without Interference

Unlike traditional braces, you can remove your Invisalign aligner during your oral hygiene routines, and while eating your favorite meals! Brushing and flossing is not complicated and you don’t have to give up any of the foods you love.

We want to help determine whether or not Invisalign is right for you. Call us today to set up a smile consultation.

Thank you for being one of our valued patients!

And, thanks for considering Invisalign!

THIS SUNDAY MUCH OF THE WORLD CELEBRATES motherhood and the many moms who have helped shape our lives. Most of us can thank a mom for our first smiles, subsequent years of grins and endless hours of care—including lots of help and encouragement taking care of our smiles. For ALL our mothers do, we want to say “thanks”!

The next time you eat, brush, or floss, stop and think about who taught you to do all those things? It may have been a dad or someone else who watched over you, but chances are it was your mom. Regardless of who it was, the individual(s) who taught you how to take care of yourself—and your smile—have made a big difference in your life.

This Mother’s Day, when you talk to your own mom or send a message to another mom who’s important to you, think about all the times that person made you smile. If that special somebody helped you with oral care, say “thank you” specifically for that! Let us know what that person says back to you by commenting below! We’d like to hear what their reactions might be!

After all, if it weren’t for the people who cared for us and taught us about good oral hygiene, we’d probably all have less to smile about (and fewer teeth to smile with).

A Fun, Thank You Tribute To Moms

If you have a favorite memory of mom, we’d love to hear about it. Share it with us in the comments below or on our Facebook page.

Have a great Mother's Day!

THIS YEAR ALONE, 400,000 people throughout the world will be diagnosed with oral cancer. 40% of those diagnosed won’t live another five years. Oral cancer has such a dismal survival rate because it’s usually not detected until very late in its progression. Because April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month, we’re encouraging everyone to get screened this year during their regularly scheduled checkups.

Early Detection Is SO Important

Early oral cancer detection can boost survival rates to 80–90%! One of the reasons oral cancer goes undetected is because many of the symptoms are not painful. If you experience any of the following symptoms, please let us know right away:

1. A lump or thickening of your cheek
2. A white or red patch on any part of your inner mouth or throat
3. A sore inside your mouth that doesn’t heal within two weeks
4. Difficulty moving your tongue or jaw
5. Numbness inside your mouth
6. Chronic difficulty swallowing or chewing
7. Jaw swelling

The Best Offense Is A Good Defense

Keep regularly scheduled cleaning appointments and screenings. Doing so GREATLY increases the likelihood that any problems will be detected early. It’s worth it.

If You Have Any Questions, Let Us Know

Please be aware that smoking, chewing tobacco, and alcohol consumptions have all been linked to an increased incidence of oral cancer.

If you or a family member have any unusual lesions in your mouth, inside your cheek, or on your tongue, which has lasted for more than 10 days, please have it examined by your dental health care professional or physician. We can help at Gorczyca Orthodontics (925) 757-9000. Call us for a complimentary oral exam or visit us at www.clubbraces.com.

Gorczyca Orthodontics serves the great East Contra Costa Community including Antioch, Brentwood, Oakley, Pittsburg, Concord, Discovery Bay, Bethel Island and Rio Vista. Let us be your partner in oral health.

Other Resources:

MouthCancer.org
OralCancerFoundation.org