This summer, wear your “Hunter Orthodontics” T-Shirt to win great prizes!

Remember, wherever you go for your summer adventures, wear your “Hunter Orthodontics” T-Shirt for a chance to win some great prizes! Now, through August 12, you may take your photo anywhere and send them to danielle@hunterortho.com, bring the photo to the office or post them here on Facebook! Hurry, because we've already had many entrants! Check out our Facebook page for more info!

Hope you're all having a GREAT summer so far!

Orthodontic Emergency Care with Dr. Hunter

At Hunter Orthodontics, we know true orthodontic emergencies are rare, but when they do occur we are available to you. As a general rule, you should call the office when you experience severe pain or when you have a painful appliance problem that you can't take care of yourself. We’ll be able to schedule an appointment with Dr. Hunter.

You might be surprised to learn that you may be able to temporarily solve many problems yourself until you schedule an appointment with Dr. Hunter.

The following solutions may help you relieve your discomfort:

Poking Wire: Using a pencil eraser, push the poking wire down or place wax on it to alleviate the discomfort.

Loose Bracket or Band: If your bracket or band is still attached to the wire, you should leave it in place and put wax on it. If the wire comes out entirely, wrap the bracket with a tissue.

Loose Wire: Using a tweezers, try to place your wire back into place. If doing this and using wax does not help, as a last resort use a small fingernail clipper to clip the wire behind the last tooth to which it is securely fastened. If your discomfort continues, place wax on it.

Loose Appliance: If your appliance is poking you, place wax on the offending part of your appliance.

Headgear Does Not Fit: Sometimes headgear discomfort is caused by not wearing the headgear as instructed by Dr. Hunter. Please refer to the instructions provided by your orthodontist. If the facebow is bent, please call our office for assistance. Surprisingly, headgear becomes more comfortable the more it's worn, so be sure you’re getting in the prescribed hours.

General Soreness: When you get your braces on, you may feel general soreness in your mouth and teeth may be tender to biting pressures for three to five days. This can be relieved by rinsing your mouth with a warm salt water mouthwash. Dissolve one teaspoonful of salt in 8 ounces of warm water, and rinse your mouth vigorously. If the tenderness is severe, take aspirin or whatever you normally take for headache or similar pain.

Remember, after alleviating your discomfort, it is still very important that you call our Glendale office as soon as possible to schedule a time for Dr. Hunter to repair the problem.

Share your summer adventures with Dr. Hunter!

At Hunter Orthodontics, we just can't believe it's already June. As the school year comes to an end for a lot of our patients, the days get longer and the temperatures begin to climb, there’s no better way to beat the heat than jump into a pool or cool off from the hot Arizona sun under the shade with a beverage. For a lot of our patients, summer brings a chance to get away from it all and escape every-day life, if only for a week or two. For others, it means a season of relaxation and relief from homework and other duties.

What about you?

What are your plans for summer? Do you have any interesting plans for a summer vacation? Does your family have a vacation or family reunion planned? We want to see when and how you are all spending your summer vacations. If you’re going somewhere exotic, fantastic! If you're going camping, awesome! Even if you're staying at home, that can be fun, too.

Please feel free to share your summer plans and experiences with Dr. Hunter and team on our Facebook page as the summer rolls along!

Smile! June is National Smile Month!

Now that June is here, our team at Hunter Orthodontics thought we’d tell you June is National Smile Month, and a good time to remind all our patients to practice good oral hygiene between your visits to our Glendale office, as well as your general dentist.

Below are a few simple steps you can take to improve your oral health so that you may celebrate National Smile Month for many, many years to come:

* Brush at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste.
* Floss everyday to clean between your teeth and braces.
* Reduce your intake of sugary foods and drinks during your orthodontic treatment
* Visit your dentist regularly (every 6 months or as recommended by your dentist)!

If you have questions about any of these tips, we encourage you to give us a call, ask Dr. Hunter during your next visit or ask us on Facebook!