Dr. Ehrmantrout & team, supporting National Children's Dental Health Month

Each February for the past 62 years, the American Dental Association (ADA) has sponsored National Children's Dental Health Month to raise awareness about the importance of oral health. Developing good habits at an early age and scheduling regular dental visits helps children get a good start on a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums.

For kids wearing braces, brushing and flossing can become more difficult, requiring extra time and vigilance to remove food particles that accumulate on and between the teeth and in braces. If the health of your teeth is ignored during treatment with braces, the results can be significantly compromised. Dr. Ehrmantrout is available and happy to explain why effective brushing and flossing is one of the most critical actions needed from patients during orthodontic treatment. Have you visited our Lacey or Olympia, WA office? Give us a call and schedule a free initial consultation!

We also invite you to connect with us on Facebook!

Does Dr. Ehrmantrout have your current contact info?

We hope you’re off to a great summer so far! If you are planning on traveling with family this summer or think you might not be able to make it to your scheduled adjustment appointment at our Lacey or Olympia office, please let us know ahead of time so that we may be able to accommodate you, as well as schedule another patient with Dr. Ehrmantrout at that appointment time.

Also, we ask that you give us a call and let us know if you have any new phone numbers or if your contact information has changed! Please call us with any updates to phone numbers and addresses, so we may be able to reach you. Thank you! Enjoy the rest of your week!

Season's greetings from Dr. Ehrmantrout & team!

The holidays are here, and as Dr. Ehrmantrout and our team reflect on the year that was, we’d like to ask you, our wonderful patients: What do you love about the holidays? Being with your loved ones? A clean slate for 2011? Opening presents by the fireplace? All the delicious food? Also, what gift are you most looking forward to getting this year?

We’d love if you shared with us all the things you love about the holidays on our Facebook page. Stay warm, and don’t forget to stay away from those sweets!

Happy Holidays!

What are we thankful for at Hawks Prairie Orthodontics this holiday season?

With Thanksgiving almost upon us, it’s a great time to ask ourselves what we’re thankful for. With our friends and family around us.

We here in the office are thankful to each other, always a positive, fun environment, Doctor Ehrmantrout and all of your patients! :) We want to share the love and are hosting a food drive for Thurston County Food Bank, we want everyone to enjoy the holidays!

Give us a call for more info, or ask us on Facebook!

What do you enjoy most about fall in Lacey and Olympia?

It’s fall here in the Pacific Northwest, a time when the leaves change colors, the air becomes crisp, and families begin to make plans for Thanksgiving and the holidays.

Today we wanted to ask you, our amazing patients, how are you spending your time this fall? Dr. Ehrmantrout and our team would love to hear about your favorite places for eating, shopping, and entertainment within our Olympia and Lacey communities. We are interested in learning about what makes our unique community “yours.”

Feel free to post your responses on our Facebook page, or give us a call!

Ask Dr. Ehrmantrout: What's the deal with Halloween treats?

For parents in Olympia and Lacey worried about their kids going overboard on candies, sugar and other sweets, Halloween is a dreaded annual event (no pun intended).

All those sweet, sour and sticky candies may taste great, but these treats are known to damage teeth, as well as braces! Did you know sour candies can be acidic to your teeth, and actually wear down the enamel that protects them? This can cause tooth decay and cavities! Sour and fruity candy, such as Starburst and Skittles, are the worst for your child’s teeth since these candies have a low pH value, which can ruin enamel. In addition, we also want your child to steer clear of sticky, chewy, gummy and nutty goodies.

As Halloween draws nearer, try to limit the amount of these candies that your child eats, and when your child does eat them, either have him or her rinse their mouth with water afterward or have them drink a glass of milk or eat a slice of cheese. Our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists recommend softer treats, such as soft chocolate or peanut butter cups, or melt-in-your-mouth foods. Trick-or-treaters who indulge should make sure they brush and floss between teeth, around brackets and at the gum line. If damage occurs, call Dr. Ehrmantrout and team as soon as possible.

We hope that everyone has a safe and scary Halloween!

At Hawks Prairie Orthodontics, easy and reliable access to your account any day, any time!

Access to your account, 24/7. Sounds simple and convenient, doesn’t it?

Patients at Hawks Prairie Orthodontics enjoy access to their account 24 hours a day, seven days a week—all through our website. 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 website by clicking on the "Patient Login" button on our homepage. Please give us a call at 360-491-4884 if you have any questions about getting started! Or, you may ask us on Facebook!

Dr. Ehrmantrout and staff, supporting National Orthodontic Health Month

October is National Orthodontic Health Month, and we always appreciate it when it comes around! This year we have created Pumpkin carving kits with our Ortho health month in mind for all of our patients. Also, our office has a Halloween Dress up week!

Lastly, our staff is using the month of October to encourage more adults who want a perfect smile to consider orthodontic treatment with Dr. Zach Ehrmantrout at our convenient offices in Lacey or Olympia.

Dr. Zach Ehrmantrout, reminding you September is National Childhood Injury Prevention Month

Fall is almost upon us, which means it's a great time for Dr. Zach Ehrmantrout and our staff to remind our patients (especially you athletes) to take care of both your mouth and appliances while participating in contact sports, as well as leisure sports this fall. Let's face it: this is a busy time of year sports-wise, whether you're playing soccer in the local park or preparing for high school football.

With September being National Childhood Injury Prevention Month, our entire staff at Dr. Ehrmantrout's office want you to know that only by using a mouth guard can athletes with and without braces avoid serious sports injuries. So, the next time you're in for a visit at our convenient offices in Lacey or Olympia, we encourage you to ask Dr. Ehrmantrout for a mouth guard, and we will provide one! For more info on sports injuries and how to avoid them, check out this helpful article.

We hope you're having a wonderful and safe Labor Day weekend!

Love your smile? Then we invite you to review us on Google!

Happy Friday! Whether you've visited Dr. Zach Ehrmantrout for a week, months or even years, we'd love to hear your feedback about how our Olympia or Lacey office has fared during your orthodontic treatment. There are lots of places on the Web where you may share your reviews, but we'd like to direct you to our Google Local Page to write a review of us - it only takes a moment!

You may write your review here.

Thanks in advance and have a joyous and relaxing weekend!

Ask Dr. Ehrmantrout: Why start orthodontic treatment before school begins in September?

With the dog days of summer close to wrapping up, most kids are getting ready – albeit reluctantly – to head back to class for another school year. For many kids and teens, starting orthodontic treatment before school commences in September can give teens (and their parents) a peace of mind.

Starting treatment during the summer or right before school is convenient, and allows patients to come at times of the day where school would interfere. Dr. Zach Ehrmantrout and our team do all of our long bonding appointments in the morning time, so doing so during summer is great for our patients! Also, it allows kids and adults to get used to having appliances in their mouths, therefore dealing with it at school is less of a problem. Summer is a great time to start treatment!

Have you been thinking about straightening your pearly whites? We encourage you to give us a call at 360-491-4884 for a complimentary consultation! Happy Friday!

Play the Trout Dollar Game at our office!

This is exciting.

If you refer five people who start treatment (braces or Invisalign) with Dr. Ehrmantrout, you could win an iPad! There are prizes for each referral who starts along the way! All you have to do is tell your friends to tell us YOU referred them and you could be the lucky owner of an iPad, iPod, a $100 Visa gift card and more!

Make sure you let us know when you refer a friend! Have a great friend!

Invisalign and your oral health

At Hawks Prairie Orthodontics, we see smart patients who often ask Dr. Ehrmantrout how Invisalign treatment is so different than getting traditional braces. Well, there are more reasons to smile about Invisalign than you may know. Invisalign, which is a series of removable aligners that are nearly invisible, manages to straighten your teeth just as effectively as traditional braces, all while improving your oral health. Here’s how Invisalign can help improve your health, while shaping your healthy, beautiful smile:

Healthy gums: Straight teeth allow a close fit for gums. This lessens the gum stress that is caused by crowded or widely spaced teeth, thus also reducing red and swollen gums.

Easy cleaning: Invisalign is removable, therefore brushing and flossing is easier and you are able to maintain a healthy mouth. These habits are vital to avoiding tooth decay, plaque, and gum disease.

Improved speech and chewing: Properly-aligned teeth don’t have the discomfort or compound speech impediments that can be caused by crowded teeth or a deteriorating jawbone.

If you have any questions about Invisalign, just ask Dr. Ehrmantrout the next time you’re in for a visit. Or, you may post your question on our Facebook page!

Patient question: What should I avoid doing during my treatment?"

Most times, when our patients get their braces on, they know it's time to part with some unhealthy habits. One of those habits is biting their nails. Fingernail biting and chewing on lips and pencils can be very damaging to the enamel on your teeth also changes how you are biting down on a day to day basis. Nail biting can be harmful to your braces and cause you to break brackets, hence delaying your treatment with Dr. Zach Ehrmantrout. Kicking that habit can be the best thing you can do for yourself.

Also, hard candies and mints can damage your teeth and give you cavities. Especially if you chew those candies. The pure sugar can get crunched into your teeth and linger there for a long time. Avoiding these are the best thing you can do.

If you feel the need to chew mint. Choose sugar free mint gum. Which you can also chew with braces as long as it is sugar free.

What are people saying about Dr. Ehrmantrout and Hawks Prairie Orthodontics?

Dr. Zach Ehrmantrout loves getting patient reviews. And lately, our team at Hawks Prairie Orthodontics, serving Olympia, Lacey and surrounding communities, have been getting some pretty great patient testimonials from current and former patients! We thought we'd share some with you today! Happy Monday!

"The whole office was nice, and Dr. Ehrmantrout is really easy going, and patient." ~ Stephanie M.

"It is a nice, comfortable, friendly atmosphere. Staff seem to be very happy and enjoy their jobs." ~ Terra H.

"I am very impressed! The office is very nice. Kelli was not only extremely friendly, but also didn't mind conversing about unrelated things!! She is truly wonderful and full of great ideas! Anyone that takes this much time to "DO IT RIGHT" and has an amazing staff as he does...MUST BE ON TOP OF HIS GAME!"
~ Ramona P.

"The kindness and patience of everyone. Dr. Zach knew my name which made me feel like I was important. I was able to carry on a conversation with my "helper" and they answered any questions I had. There have been a couple of occasions where I did something to my brackets or wire and they were able to fix it right away without any hesitance." ~ Erica M.

Dr. Ehrmantrout and team, wishing you a safe and relaxing Memorial Day weekend!

Memorial Day is a time to pay tribute to the servicemen and women who died protecting our country. It’s also the unofficial start of summer, and for many kids in Olympia and Lacey, getting out of town for three days with parents after being in school for nine months spells sweet, sweet relief.

At Hawks Prairie Orthodontics, we know Memorial Day weekend is ripe for travel. After all, it’s unofficially the start of summer 2010 and time for a season full of vacations, adventures and great memories with parents or friends. What are you up to this Memorial Day weekend? What will you be doing on your day off from school or work?

Whether you are headed to a barbecue, a camping trip, or hitting the open road with your family, we’d like to hear all about it! Enjoy the long weekend if you're not scheduled for an appointment this week!!

Dr. Ehrmantrout and team want to know: What did you do in November?

Believe it or not, we’re almost in December – and in full holiday mode! But before you go celebrating, Dr. Ehrmantrout and team want to know: Did you do anything exciting this month? Do you have plans for Thanksgiving? If so, we'd love to hear all about it!

You may share your stories with us here, on our social networks or by giving us a call!
--The team at Hawks Prairie Orthodontics

Braces 101 From Hawks Prairie & Olympia Orthodontics

Should you need to call Dr. Ehrmantrout in case you sustain any damage to your braces, we can help you more effectively if you can tell us exactly which piece is in trouble! Here’s a handy diagram and corresponding list of all the parts that make up your braces.



Elastic Tie: Tiny rubber band that fits around the bracket to hold the archwire in place.


Archwire: The main wire that acts as a track to guide the teeth along. It's changed periodically throughout treatment, as teeth move to their new positions.

Loop in Archwire: Frequently used for closing space left by an extraction. Many archwires don't have a loop.

Bracket: Small attachment that holds the archwire in place. Most often, a bracket is cemented directly onto the tooth's surface, eliminating the need for a band.

Headgear Tube: Round, hollow attachment on the back bands. The inner bow of the headgear fits into it.

Coil Spring: Fits between brackets and over archwire to open space between teeth.

Tie Wire: Fine wire that is twisted around the bracket to hold the archwire in place.

Band: A thin ring of metal fitted around a tooth and cemented in place. The band provides a way to attach the brackets to the tooth.

Hook: Welded or removable arm to which elastics (rubber bands) are attached.

Elastic (Rubber Band): Small rubber band that is hooked between different points on the appliance to provide pressure to move the teeth.

--Hawks Prairie & Olympia Orthodontics

The Myths and Facts of Orthodontics From Hawks Prairie & Olympia Orthodontics

There are quite a few myths about orthodontists circulating around. Before you buy into those myths, you should get the facts! We came across a great site that helps set the record straight. Our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists have some excellent information on the myths and facts of orthodontists, check them out today!

Hope this helps,

--Dr. Ehrmantrout

Hawks Prairie Orthodontics Around the Web

If you've ever visited us at Hawks Prairie & Olympia Orthodontics, you already know that Dr. Ehrmantrout and the rest of the team love connecting with their patients. We love the ability to communicate with all of you online too! Besides our web site and our blog, Hawks Prairie & Olympia Orthodontics are on several other networks too!

* Share a video with us, or watch one of ours on YouTube

* Become a "fan" of Hawks Prairie & Olympia Orthodontics on Facebook

* View and comment on our photos on MySpace

See you around the web!

--Hawks Prairie & Olympia Orthodontics