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It’s only natural when you’re waiting for something good—you count down the weeks until your birthday, or until the summer holidays, or until your braces come off. But while your birthday and your vacation won’t come any faster no matter what you do, you can help determine just how fast that happy day arrives when you’re done with your orthodontic treatment.

When you first got your appliance, Dr. Kathleen Chan and Dr. Ivy Chen gave you an estimate of how long your treatment would take. Of course, that estimate is based on everything going according to plan. What are some detours that can delay your progress?

• Missing Appointments

With every adjustment at our Andover office, you are moving closer to the ideal positioning for your teeth. If you miss or postpone appointments, it can take just that much longer to complete your orthodontic work.

• Eating the Wrong Foods

You have a list of foods that are on the do-not-eat list. Hard, chewy, sticky bites are famous braces-breakers, but don’t forget that size also matters! Biting into a juicy apple or a buttery ear of corn can damage your brackets and wires just as much as chewy candy can. Be sure everything you eat is size-appropriate and braces-friendly. Obviously, damaged braces can’t straighten teeth as effectively as intact appliances!

• Sticking with Bad Habits

Pressure from nail biting, chewing pencils, or crunching on ice can cause chips and cracks in your teeth, so just think what they can do to your appliance. Ask us for tips for quitting if you’ve picked up any of these habits. We know habits can be hard to break, but they are harder on your teeth and braces. If you bend or break a wire or loosen a bracket, you might be delaying your orthodontic progress. Which leads us to . . .

• Ignoring Appliance Accidents

Accidents happen. Brackets or metal bands can become loose; wires can bend or break; spacers can fall out. If you notice a problem, call our office right away. Sometimes a minor problem can wait, but if your appliance is damaged, your teeth aren’t moving into position on schedule.

• Blowing Off Bands

If you have bands to help correct your bite, be sure that you wear them as directed. If you skip hours or days of band-wear, you are adding to the time it will take to correct the bite problems they are meant to fix. And don’t double band to speed things up—that might put too much pressure on your teeth. Just follow our recommendations, and you will be done with those bands—and those braces—as soon as possible.

But, wait! We promised you one sure way to keep your orthodontic progress on track:

• Follow Your Treatment Plan

If you keep your appointments, take care of your braces, call us promptly if they are damaged, and wear your appliance as directed, you will be doing your part to keep your treatment on track. And that happy day when your braces come off? It will arrive right on schedule!

Thanks for asking! It really depends on the dental age of the patient rather than their chronological age. Usually a good time to have your child evaluated by an orthodontist is after the front permanent teeth have erupted into the mouth or if there appears to be extreme crowding of the teeth.

The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that children between the ages of seven and nine should be evaluated by an orthodontist. There are times when an early developmental treatment is indicated to correct situations before they become major problems. In these circumstances the patient will most likely benefit from a second phase of orthodontics when all of their permanent teeth have erupted.

Most full orthodontic treatment begins between ages nine and 14, and lasts from one to three years, with two years being the average. It’s important, however, that children be screened at an early age for Dr. Kathleen Chan and Dr. Ivy Chen and our staff to assess if your child can benefit from orthodontic treatment and when treatment should begin.

We hope this helps, and invite you to give us a call if you have any questions about your child’s treatment at Chan & Chen Orthodontics.

Clear aligners like Invisalign® have become increasingly popular over the past several years and rightly so. They’re removable, easier to clean than braces, and hardly anyone knows you're wearing them. They are great in treating many cases, but they aren't for everyone.

Below, Dr. Kathleen Chan and Dr. Ivy Chen and our team cover some of the instances where clear aligners just aren't the answer:

• If drastic tooth movement is required – Fixed appliances deliver much more significant tooth movement. So if your case is a drastic one, clear aligners may not be the best choice.
• If you need to move molars – Molars have much stronger roots than your other teeth and would require significantly longer to move with clear aligners. A fixed appliance is the best choice in this instance, especially if you have a substantial overbite or underbite that needs to be dealt with.
• If you're the type who often forgets or loses things –If you would forget to wear your aligners for the prescribed amount of time (usually at least 22 hours per day), clear aligners are probably not the best choice for you. Forgetting to wear them can delay treatment and even make it so you need to regress to the previous set of aligners to be able to move forward with treatment. And let's face it, if you're not careful, removable aligners are easy to lose. Losing aligners delays treatment and is expensive since you need to buy replacements to stay on course. Replacing a lost set of aligners usually takes between seven and ten days—a definite setback in treatment.
• If you're looking for the fastest treatment possible – Clear aligners usually can't move teeth as quickly as fixed appliances. So if you're looking for the fastest way to achieve your desired result, clear aligners may not be the best bet.

Feel free to talk with Dr. Kathleen Chan and Dr. Ivy Chen about your options regarding braces and clear aligners. We know there are pros and cons to both, so let’s find the option that works best in your life and for your specific needs in terms of treatment. Schedule an appointment at our Andover office today!

Happy October from Chan & Chen Orthodontics! We love an opportunity to get festive and the start of the fall season is no exception.

There is a lot going on in the month of October. First of all, it’s National Orthodontic Health Month! We are embracing the power of healthy smiles and how orthodontic treatment can help you perfect your smile at any age. A beautiful smile is one of your best assets, boosting your self-esteem and giving you the confidence to present yourself in any environment. Orthodontic treatment helps to align both the teeth and the jaws, creating a healthy balance of esthetics and function. With many advances in technology, today we have more choices than ever to achieve a healthy smile.

October also means Halloween! Halloween may be rather different this year, but when it comes to indulging in sweet treats, Dr. Kathleen & Dr. Ivy recommend avoiding hard or chewy candy for those with braces or appliances. Usually chocolate is an acceptable treat since it can melt in your mouth. With Invisalign, there are no food restrictions so you can enjoy what you like. Whether you have braces or Invisalign, be sure to brush and floss your teeth after eating treats!

In our office, we diligently continue with our usual protocols as outlined on our website under the coronavirus tab. Our usual highest standards of infection control have been further enhanced with several medical-grade air purifiers and an upgraded HVAC system. We are totally obsessed with clean air and keeping everyone safe and healthy!
The 8th annual Andover Coalition for Education Scarecrow Festival is on from October 17-31st in downtown Andover. Come check out our scarecrow at the corner of Main and Chestnut Streets. This year we are paying tribute to the frontline heroes battling the pandemic. Our hearts and gratitude go out to our frontline workers.

We are currently holding a pumpkin decorating contest. You can decorate your pumpkin at home and send a photo to us at info@ccorthodontics.com. We will post the photos @chanchenortho on Facebook and Instagram, and have a vote for the prize-winning pumpkin. We look forward to seeing how creative everyone can be!

We hope everyone has a wonderful start to Fall and a safe Halloween.