Top ten tips for keeping plaque at bay, from Main Street Orthodontics

Keeping your teeth clean is more important than ever when you have braces. Food bits have more spots than usual to hide in your mouth, so you must be diligent in order to avoid bad breath, swollen gums, discolored teeth and cavities. If you remove plaque regularly during treatment, you'll experience better results and shorter treatment time. Keep plaque at bay with these top ten tips:

1. One tooth at a time. When you brush, take time with each individual tooth – at least 10 seconds each – and pay careful attention to the spots where your teeth touch your braces.

2. It’s all about the angles. Brush the tops of your teeth and braces with your brush angled down toward where they meet. Brush the bottoms of your teeth and braces with your brush angled up.

3. The tooth, the whole tooth, nothing but the tooth. While the front surface of your teeth may seem like the most logical to clean, it’s equally important to clean the inner surface of your teeth (tongue side) as well as the chewing surface. And be sure to clean along your gum line – a key spot for plaque buildup.

4. Step 1: eat, step 2: clean. While you’re in treatment, it’s important to brush after every meal. Bits of food can easily get caught between braces and teeth, and these food bits interact with bacteria in your mouth to cause decay. The longer food is in contact with your teeth, the greater opportunity for plaque to form. If you are eating somewhere that you can’t brush, thoroughly rinse your mouth with water.

5. Like a Boy Scout, always be prepared. The easiest way to be sure you can brush after every meal is to get in the habit of taking a toothbrush, toothpaste and floss with you wherever you go. Designate a special container just for your teeth-cleaning tools and keep it in your purse, backpack, or laptop case.

6. Remove the moving parts. If you have elastic bands or headgear, remove these parts before you brush or floss.

7. Fluoride is your friend. Fluoride helps prevent cavities. Be sure to brush with fluoride toothpaste, and rinse with fluoride mouthwash.

8. Pointy brushes reach tiny places. Interproximal brushes (sometimes called proxa brushes or interdental brushes) are cone-shaped and come in very handy for reaching spots around your braces that standard brushes can’t.

9. Find the floss for you. Regular floss works for some patients, but others find it easier to work with a floss threader, which helps you get the floss into tight places. Other patients like an all-in-one product called Superfloss, which comes with a stiff end for easy threading, a spongy section for cleaning wide spaces, and regular floss for narrow spaces.

10. Make time for the pros. It’s your job to take care of the everyday cleaning. But make sure to visit your dentist regularly while in treatment, to get the deep, thorough cleaning that only a professional can provide. If you need help finding the right Dentist for you, feel free to contact our office - we’d love to help!

Hope this helps!

Main Street Orthodontics

Thanks to Invisalign® with Dr. Guyer, mom and dad can also have a perfect smile!

Hey parents! Focusing on your kids' teeth and oral health so much that you're neglecting your own? If you've been thinking wistfully about having your own set of perfect teeth, our staff at Main Street Orthodontics can help! We are specially trained to offer an adult-friendly option for straightening teeth called Invisalign.

This course of treatment consists of a set of clear aligners that are molded to fit your teeth using a proprietary technology. You wear them all day and night, except for meals, brushing, and flossing – when you can easily slip them out to make eating and cleaning a snap!

Because they're clear, your teeth will be steadily straightening – and no one will know it but you!

Please give us a call to set up a consultation, so we can discuss the specifics of your treatment.

What puts you at ease at Main Street Orthodontics?

Dr. Guyer and team understand not everyone enjoys visiting their orthodontist. But we strive to bring you the best and most comforting experience at each visit. We’d like to know: What is it about Main Street Orthodontics that makes you comfortable or puts you at ease? Is it something about our pleasant office environment? Our friendly staff or Dr. Guyer?

Let us know by posting here or by giving us a call!

Are you wearing your mouth guard?

Can you believe we're halfway through summer? As the weather gets - and stays - hot here in Michigan, the chances for athletes to sustain a mouth injury get likelier and likelier because of all the sports they play over the summer. Dr. Guyer would like to remind you to always take care of both your mouth and appliances while participating in contact sports.

That includes wearing a mouth guard at all times when you're out on the field. Only by using a mouth guard can kids with and without braces avoid serious sports injuries. And don't forget to ask us for a mouth guard - Dr. Guyer will provide a mouth guard for anyone in active treatment! We hope you're having a GREAT summer!

Invisalign: How, exactly, does it work? [Video]

Perhaps you've thought about how Invisalign treatment at Main Street Orthodontics manages to straighten your teeth without using metallic traditional braces? Invisalign is a state-of-the-art system of clear, removable aligners that we proudly offer at our convenient locations in Niles and St. Joseph.

Not only are the aligners invisible, they're also removable, so you can eat and drink what you want while in treatment. Plus, brushing and flossing are no problem. They are also comfortable, with no metal to cause mouth abrasions during treatment. And no metal and wires usually means you spend less time in your doctor's office getting adjustments. Invisalign also allows you to view your own virtual treatment plan when you start so you can see how your straight teeth will look when your treatment is complete.

Dr. Ed Guyer, who happens to be a certified Invisalign provider, also provides plenty of resources on our website about Invisalign, or give us a call to learn if this revolutionary new treatment option is right for you!

Enjoy the rest of the week everyone!

Dr. Guyer and Main Street Orthodontics want to know: What do you love about summer?

With summer finally here, Dr. Guyer and our staff at Main Street Orthodontics thought we’d ask: What’s your favorite part about summer? The warm weather we get? The free time you get? Less homework? Spending quality time with friends and family? Grilling barbecue in the backyard?

We'd like to know what makes summer truly special for you. Let us know by posting on our Facebook page!

Enjoy your weekend everyone!!

More happy patients at Main Street Orthodontics!

Our team at Main Street Orthodontics (as well as Dr. Guyer) love getting patient testimonials from current and former patients at our Niles and St. Joseph offices. Here are a few reviews we received recently - our patients like us and we love our patients!

"The personable environment of the entire office." ~ Danyzk T.

"The way Dr. Guyer takes his time. Plus he does a good job." ~ Greg D.

"We really liked Dr. Guyer and we feel very confident in the treatment plan that he recommended would be best." ~ Connor F.

"Dr. Guyer is very polite. I have the impression that he has his patients' best interests at heart. He's an excellent orthodontist, and loves what he does!" ~ Carlos N.

"He is very friendly and was very informative when I had questions and the office has a very friendly atmosphere." ~ Cynthia S.

"What I like best is that they work with your schedules." ~ Elizabeth M.

Please feel free to contribute your own thoughts about our office!

Fun facts with Dr. Guyer and Main Street Orthodontics!

At Main Street Orthodontics, we know our patients love fun facts - LOVE THEM. The American Association of Orthodontists, or AAO, has come up with some fun facts about orthodontics that our team thought you would enjoy. Have a great rest of Memorial Day weekend!

• There are nearly 4 million people in orthodontic treatment throughout the United States. Three out of four are younger than 18.

• The first mechanical treatment for correcting irregular teeth was suggested by Gaius Plinius Secundus (A.D 23-79).The American Association of Orthodontists is comprised of more than 12,000 members in the United States, Canada and abroad.

• The time required to complete orthodontic treatment ranges from 12 to 36 months depending on the nature and severity of the problem.

• Of the 160,000 dentists in the United States and Canada, 8,000 are practicing orthodontists.

• The cement that attaches the braces to the teeth is now made with a special fluoride-releasing substance.

• Wires activated by body heat used in today's braces originally were developed by NASA for use in the space program.

• In addition to alleviating or preventing physical health problems, orthodontics can boost self-esteem as treatment aligns teeth, jaws and lips.

• Famous orthodontic patients include: Dr. Joyce Brothers, Hale Irwin, Cher, Diana Ross, Phyllis Diller, Chelsea Clinton, Whoopi Goldberg, Daisy Fuentes and Brandi.

At Main Street Orthodontics, easy access to your account information!

Access to your account any time you wish sounds pretty great, doesn't it? At Main Street Orthodontics, our wonderful patients may access their accounts 24/7, thanks to a helpful tool called OrthoSesame. You can look up your appointments and all of your account details at your convenience, all from the comfort of your own home! You can even receive appointment reminders through email or text messages!

You, too, may sign up for this convenient service on our web site by clicking on the "Patient Login" button at the top of our homepage. Please give us a call if you have any questions about getting started, and enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Share your experience at Main Street Orthodontics with the world!

Dr. Ed Guyer has been practicing orthodontics in Michigan for over 20 years. He understands the needs and expectations of his patients, and is dedicated to working with you and your family to achieve the healthy, beautiful smile you want!

We cater to people, not teeth! Our practice works hard to make your experience as comfortable, convenient, and rewarding as possible.

Whether you have visited Main Street Orthodontics for weeks or months, we'd love to hear your feedback about Dr. Guyer and our team. Now with the Internet, it’s even easier to write your thoughts and share them with the world. We'd want to encourage you to write a review of us on our Google Local page. It only takes a moment!

You may write a review here.

Thank you and have a great weekend! We really look forward to reading your reviews!