Flossing with Braces 101

Dr. Ehrmantrout will tell you that 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 could possibly reduce your treatment time.

Here is a very concise video explaining the proper way to floss your teeth with braces. Give Hawks Prairie Orthodontics a call if you have more questions about flossing. Enjoy!

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!

Dr. Ehrmantrout and team Relay for Life

This weekend, our staff at Dr. Ehrmantrout's office participated in the Relay for Life, a 24-hour event to raise money for cancer research. Each of our staff members walked around the track of Black Hills High School in two hour shifts and sold raffle tickets and took donations. Some of our staff members even camped out. We had a blast!

You can find more photos from Relay for Life on our Facebook fan page! Happy Monday!

Dr. Ehrmantrout wants to know: what's on your summer reading list?

Two weeks ago, Olympia and Lacey orthodontist Dr. Zach Ehrmantrout and team asked you, our amazing patients, about your summer plans.

With summer only a week away, some of us at Hawks Prairie Orthodontics have been thinking increasingly about the importance of reading.

Sure it’s easier to go play ball or kick back and watch television this summer, but our team will tell you that summer reading is a key step in being prepared for classes in the fall, as well as maintaining your skill level. Out of ideas for great summer reads? Ask us for suggestions, and our staff (as well as Dr. Ehrmantrout) would be happy to provide a few titles. You may also ask a local librarian in Lacey or Olympia for some ideas or check out some summer reading lists that we came across recently.

Happy reading!

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!!

Join us on Facebook!

At Hawks Prairie Orthodontics, we truly value the relationships we have developed with our patients in Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, Shelton, Centralia, Yelm, Dupont, Lakewood, University Place, Fort Lewis and surrounding communities. Even if you only see us for your appointment every three- to four months, did you know that you can now connect with Dr. Ehrmantrout and team on our Facebook page?

We invite you to “like” Hawks Prairie Orthodontics on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/HawksPrairieOrtho. We share office news and updates on our Fan Page, so, please, check it out! By Liking our page, you will receive updates from our office automatically on Facebook!

See you online! Enjoy your week!

- Dr. Ehrmantrout and team

Write a review of Dr. Ehrmantrout and Hawks Prairie Orthodontics!

As a native of Olympia Washington, Dr. Zach Ehrmantrout is an orthodontist dedicated to providing beautiful smiles in a comfortable, caring, and convenient environment. Wev use the newest technologies in orthodontic treatment including Damon® System Braces, Invisalign® (clear or invisible braces), Invisalign Teen™, iBraces™ and non-extraction treatment for both children and adults.

Whether your family has visited Hawks Prairie Orthodontics for a week or for years, we'd love to hear your feedback about Hawks Prairie Orthodontics. Now with the Internet, it is even easier to write your thoughts and share them with the world. We'd want to encourage you to write a review of us. It only takes a moment!

You may write a review here.

Thank you and we hope you have a great weekend!

Hawks Prairie Orthodontics, wishing you a Happy Mother's Day!

Dr. Zach Ehrmantrout and the team at Hawks Prairie Orthodontics would like to take this moment and thank all the wonderful moms out there who bring their kids - and who've brought their kids over the years - to our office. We want to let you know we appreciate you all!

Happy Mother’s Day from our entire team! You all work very hard and deserve more than just a day of acknowledgment and praise!

Hawks Prairie Orthodontics present: Mr. Bean goes to the dentist

How about a treat today? Here's a little classic dental humor for you to enjoy, from the lovable British spy, Mr. Bean. Our staff at Hawks Prairie Orthodontics enjoyed it, and know you'll get a laugh as well. Enjoy "Mr. Bean Goes to the Dentist”!

If you have any other dental- or orthodontic-related video suggestions you think we should share with other patients, please let us know!

Quarterly contest winners at Hawks Prairie Orthodontics!

Congratulations to Jeremy and Angela, our quarterly contest winners! They received four movie passes and dinner at The Rock. For those of our wonderful patients interested in our quarterly contest, here are the following four rules:

1. You must not have anything broken or loose.
2. You must have exceptional oral health (brushing & flossing)
3. You must be on time for your appointments
4. You must wear your elastics as directed

Our next quarterly contest is starting soon! Give us a call for more info or ask us at your next appointment!

Smile now, smile later, smile often! From Hawks Prairie Orthodontics

Great news to report this Friday morning! People with big smiles may actually live than those who don’t! That, according to a March 2010 study at Wayne State University. Researchers there looked at photos of 230 baseball players who began their careers prior to 1950 - and studied their smile intensity (ranging from big smile, no smile or partial smile). The players' smile ratings were compared with data from deaths that occurred from 2006 through 2009. The researchers then took into account other factors that impact life longevity, including body mass index, career length and, yes, even college attendance.

The results? Researchers found that players who weren't smiling in the photos died at the average age of 72.9 years. Players with partial smiles lived to be 75. Those with big smiles, however, lived on average to be almost 80 years old! So smile now, smile often and you might just live longer! Have you been perfecting your smile by visiting Hawks Prairie Orthodontics?

Talking retainers with Dr. Ehrmantrout

If you recently completed treatment at Hawks Prairie Orthodontics, our entire staff would like to congratulate you! Now that your braces have been removed, Dr. Ehrmantrout will provide—or has provided you—with retainers. After braces are removed, teeth can shift out of position if they are not stabilized. Retainers provide that stabilization. They are designed to hold teeth in their corrected, ideal positions until the bones and gums adapt to the treatment changes. Wearing retainers exactly as instructed by Dr. Ehrmantrout is the best insurance that the treatment improvements last for a lifetime.

To learn more about the advantages of wearing retainers after your orthodontic treatment with Dr. Ehrmantrout, please read this helpful article about retainers from KidsHealth or give us a call!

Your turn! From Hawks Prairie Orthodontics

You know the drill: Week after week, Dr. Zach Ehrmantrout and our staff blog about important topics pertinent to orthodontic care and your well-being, including innovative orthodontic techniques offered at Hawks Prairie Orthodontics.

This week, we thought we’d step back and ask you, our wonderful patients: what’s on your mind? What would you like to know about the always-changing field of orthodontics? What would you like us to focus on our blog? Perhaps there’s something you’ve been wanting to ask us for a while now? Let us know by posting here or on our interactive Facebook fan page!

So… give us your best shot and we’ll try to answer any questions you may have!

Getting social with Dr. Ehrmantrout

At Hawks Prairie Orthodontics, we love and embrace technology, whether it’s through the innovative orthodontic treatments we offer, our high-tech and patient-friendly web site or our Facebook fan page. Dr. Zach Ehrmantrout and team love connecting with our patients online, whether it’s by sharing news on our blog or communicating ideas on our fan page.

For social media to work, Dr. Ehrmantrout understands that conversation is vital, and that’s why we invite you to join in and tell us what’s on your mind. Although social networks are hugely popular these days, we know they’re unpredictable and ever-changing.

While Dr. Ehrmantrout and our staff take a little time to research how to best use social media, we thought we’d ask you, our loyal patients: How would you like us to use our social networks? What would you like us to share on our blog? Please post your thoughts or give us a call!

Orthodontic fun facts with Dr. Ehrmantrout!

Everyone loves fun facts. Fun, fun, fun. The American Association of Orthodontists, or AAO, has come up with some fun facts about orthodontics that Dr. Ehrmantrout and our team at Hawks Prairie Orthodontics thought you might enjoy.

• 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.

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

Congratulations to Lydia, our contest winner!

Here is Lydia, a recent contest winner at our office. She won a limousine ride from school to the mall in west Olympia, as well as shopping and dining out at the mall with her friends. Olympic Limousine provided the services.

Here is the criteria for entering the drawing:
1. Excellent oral hygiene
2. No broken brackets, appliances, or wires
3. On time for the appointment
4. Excellent elastic wear if wearing elastics

We also have daily points awarded, called "Trout Dollars" based on the same criteria, in which the patient can accumulate dollars to purchase prizes from our "Trout Store," such as gift cards to restaurants. Remember, every quarter we have a drawing for a prize. You could be our next winner. Call us and ask about upcoming contests!

Tackling sports injuries with Dr. Ehrmantrout

At Hawks Prairie Orthodontics, we know how important it is to protect your face. The spring months bring an increase in outdoor activities and a greater chance of damaging your mouth and pearly whites. Dr. Ehrmantrout and our team also know sports-related injuries are common among children. According to the American Association of Orthodontists, 70 percent of parents said their biggest worry is that their child will get hurt while playing sports. That’s why the team at Hawks Prairie Orthodontics are doing our part to spread the word that facial sports injuries can be avoided simply by reminding your kids to wear mouth guards. Ask us—Dr. Ehrmantrout may recommend the best mouth guard for you.

In addition, the AAO has provided the following tips for keeping your kids safe on the field. Please remind them to:

• Wear mouth guards during contact sports
• Wear a helmet
• Stretch before and after a game or practice
• Wear protective eye wear
• Wear a face shield to avoid scratched or bruised skin
• Be observant—even as a spectator

All of these can reduce injuries. Only by using a mouth guard and other forms of facial protection can kids with and without braces avoid serious sports injuries. Be sure to avoid mouth guards that custom form to your teeth as these will resist any tooth movements Dr. Ehrmantrout is trying to achieve. Lastly, please give us a call if you have any questions about mouth guards or your treatment at Hawks Prairie Orthodontics.

The Damon System at Hawks Prairie Orthodontics: What's the advantage?

We've blogged about The Damon System in the past, and today thought we'd remind you about this revolutionary new braces system that can give you better results in less time! We did this partly because a lot of our patients, (especially you parents!) come to Dr. Ehrmantrout thinking traditional braces are the only answer to straight teeth.

Are you a candidate for the Damon System? Dr. Ehrmantrout will evaluate your eligibility for the Damon System, and the procedure can be performed for children and adults alike!

What makes Damon braces better? Probably the biggest advantage of Damon braces over traditional brackets is the amount of time and effort involved. Dr. Ehrmantrout and our team at Hawks Prairie Orthodontics can often cut months off of the total treatment time for patients using the Damon System, and less visits to our office are necessary to make adjustments.

In addition, the Damon System brackets are:

• Cleaner- Damon brackets don’t have the elastic of traditional brackets, and are less prone to all the plaque buildup that your dentist warns you about!
• Discreet- Damon braces are smaller and have fewer parts than traditional brackets, making them less noticeable and more comfortable.
• No tightening- With the Damon system, Dr. Ehrmantrout can position your teeth and avoid frequent adjustments. This also reduces the need for complicated tooth extractions or surgery.

If you have been thinking about an orthodontic procedure, come see us in our Olympia or Lacey locations for an assessment to see if the Damon System is right for you!

Hawks Prairie Ortho wants to know: What puts you at ease?

Dr. Ehrmantrout understands not everyone is thrilled to see their orthodontist. But, the team at Hawks Prairie Orthodontics strive to bring you the best and most comforting experience at every visit. Tell us: What is it about our office that makes you comfortable or puts you at ease? Is it something about our amiable environment or our friendly staff? Dr. Ehrmantrout himself?

Let us know by posting here or by giving us a call! Have a great week everyone!