AAO Sport Safety Advocate Emmitt Smith Inducted into Football Hall of Fame

The AAO congratulates Emmitt Smith, who was one of seven football greats inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday in Canton, Ohio. Smith is a spokesperson for the AAO on sport safety and the use of mouth guards.

The NFL's all-time leading rusher, Smith is a three-time Super Bowl champion and the only player in the NFL to win the Super Bowl and the Super Bowl MVP and NFL MVP awards in the same year (1993). Smith, who played for the Dallas Cowboys and the Arizona Cardinals, also was a 2006 winning contestant on the ABC show, "Dancing with the Stars."

In conjunction with the 2010 Super Bowl in February, Smith helped launch the AAO’s “Play It Safe” program, speaking at a Miami school and appearing in more than 20 local and national media interviews. Smith has helped the AAO spread the message that sports gear such as mouth guards can make a big difference in reducing or preventing sports injuries. Smith also appears on the AAO Sport Safety/Play It Safe Web site, designed to educate parents about the importance of sport safety and facial protection. The site includes a poster featuring Smith, free for download by AAO members and the public. (Scroll to the bottom of the page to download the poster).

The poster can be useful for increasing awareness of an orthodontic practice. Send copies to local dental offices, pediatricians and youth sports organizations. Link the AAO Sport Safety/Play It Safe Web site to your practice Web site and/or Facebook fan page (the URL is http://www.braces.org/sportsafety/). Do the same with the AAO sport safety "Bubble Wrap" video. The video can be accessed along with many other AAO members' sport safety promotional ideas and tools at http://www.aaoinfo.org/MyPractice/Marketing/April-is-National-Facial-Protection-Month.cfm (log-in will be required).

American Association of Orthodontists First "Smile" Teen Fashion Show

AAO "Style-n-Smile" Teen Fashion Show Gets National Media Attention

Jennie Garth, best known for acting in the 1990s television series "Beverly Hills, 90210" hosted the AAO's first-ever Style-n-Smile Fashion Show in New York City on Thursday, August 5 and appeared on "Today" on NBC yesterday morning. Reporters from Parents Magazine, OK! Weekly, The Wall Street Journal, Seventeen and Teen Vogue also covered the fashion show.

Garth, whose daughter has had orthodontic treatment, is promoting healthy, confident smiles as the must-have accessories of the back-to-school season.

The Web sites Examiner.com, Babycenter.com and Babble.com top the list of online media represented at the fashion show. The show was also attended by popular mom bloggers including BareFootMommies.com, CosmoGirl.com, ClassyMommy.com and MomsNeedToKnow.com. The blogger attendees include some of the most influential mom bloggers in the country with audiences that range from hundreds to hundreds of thousands

Why Mouth Gurads?

The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) is encouraging kids to “play it safe” and consistently wear mouth guards and other protective gear during competitions and practices.

Football, soccer and basketball can all be hard hitting sports and the members of the AAO want to ensure that orthodontic patients, and their teammates, are properly protected from sports related injuries to the jaw and mouth. These injuries can include a lifetime of maintenance to repair and maintain.

Despite the risks, many kids are still not wearing mouth guards and facial protection during sporting competitions and practices. Parents, coaches and kids need to understand the prevalence of sports injuries and know that many sports injuries can be reduced or prevented by wearing the proper protective gear.

Facts About Kids and Sports Safety

Former football great and father of four, Emmitt Smith has teamed up with the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) to provide tips and information on how to best protect athlete’s smiles during recreational and organized sports.

Injuries can happen at any age or skill level – More than half of the seven million sports and recreation-related injuries that occur each year are sustained by youth between ages 5 and 24. *
Collision and contact sports have higher injury rates. Baseball, soccer, basketball and football account for about 80% of all sports-related emergency room visits for children between 5 and 14 years of age.*
Mouth guard use is very low – 67% of parents say their child does not wear a mouth guard – yet, 70% say their biggest fear when their child plays is that they will get hurt.**
One out of every four (27%) parents say their child has sustained an injury during an organized sport resulting in a trip to the emergency room.**
Most coaches and leagues are not advising the use of mouth guards – Of the parents whose children do not wear a mouth guard, 84% say it's because the league or coach does not require it.**
Hard hits occur no matter what the sport – The average high school baseball pitcher can throw a fast ball between 75-85 miles per hour. This compares to being hit in the mouth by a speeding car.***
Cheerleading is one of the most dangerous sports, accounting for 65% of all injuries in high school girls' athletics.****
Children with braces need to wear mouth guards – One out of every three (31%) parents say their child has orthodontic treatment or braces while playing an organized sport.*
Lacerations can occur if an orthodontic patient´s mouth is not properly protected.

* Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
** American Association of Orthodontists
*** eFastball.com
**** MSNBC.com

Simple Changes Can Help Prevent Tooth Erosion

Teeth grinding, acidic foods and harsh brushing can all pose a threat to tooth enamel. Recent studies have reported that acid reflux is also a factor. Fortunately, simple diet changes like reducing your intake of sodas, sports drinks and energy drinks can help you to cut down the acid pH in your mouths, helping to prevent demineralization. Brushing with a fluoride toothpaste also can make the outer surface of your enamel harder thus less susceptible to erosion.

MYTHS AND FACTS, as published by the American Association of Orthodontists

MYTH:Orthodontists are appropriate only for the most challenging and complex orthodontic cases.
FACT:Orthodontists recognize the difference between a simple case and a complex one. And when a case is challenging, orthodontists know what to do.

MYTH:My family dentist says he can straighten my teeth.
FACT:An orthodontist has 2-3 years of specialized training beyond dental school and is a specialist at straightening teeth and insuring proper form and function. A dentist may see a handful of cases a year amid drilling and filling. An orthodontist only practices orthodontics and treats hundreds of patients.

MYTH:Braces are for kids.
FACT:One in five orthodontic patients is an adult.

MYTH:If there was a giant, overhead magnet and someone flipped a switch, people wearing braces would fly out of their chairs and stick to the ceiling.
FACT:Unlikely, as braces are made from non-magnetic materials.


MYTH:Orthodontists charge more than general dentists for orthodontic treatment.
FACT:It's not the same work. The value in seeing an orthodontist for treatment is that the orthodontist is an expert, highly experienced and understands form, function and a wonderful smile.


MYTH::Braces are painful and take two years or more for the desired result.
FACT:After the adjustment period, like breaking in a new pair of shoes, braces are comfortable. Some may be worn for months, not years.


MYTH:Any dentist may join the American Association of Orthodontists
FACT:Only orthodontists may become members of the American Association of Orthodontists

Everyone of our OrthoWorks Team Orthodontists is a member of the American Association of Orthodontists

New Kodak 9000 Digital X Ray Machine

To serve our patients better, OrthoWorks is happy to announce the addition of the latest state of the art Kodak 9000 Digital X Ray Machine to our San Bruno office. The advantages of this technology mean that a darkroom and chemicals are no longer required to process x-rays and images can be stored digitally. Computed radiography rarely requires retake due to wider exposure latitude, which results in lower radiation to the patient. Image acquisition is much faster - image previews can be available in less than 15 seconds. Images can be enhanced digitally to aid in interpretation. Images can be stored on disk or transmitted for off-site review. The Kodak 9000 Machine is capable of taking 3-D X-Ray images as well as traditional Panoramic and Head X-Rays.

Panoramic Imaging
Providing twelve different anatomical settings, the KODAK 9000 System is an ideal solution for panoramic shots. The focal trough easily adapts to each patient, adjusting to fit his or her jaw morphology and incisor orientation—with clear, detailed images that can be easily diagnosed.


Cephalometric Imaging
Improve productivity and reduce retakes with the innovative "one-shot" technology that allows clear, sharp cranial images be taken in less than a second. Offering the broadest range of image formats, including full cranial option as well as standard formats.

Focused-Field 3D Imaging
3D Imaging provides more accurately and detailed, anatomically correct images. The focused field-of-view makes it simple to generate high-resolution images for each tooth and easily view all angles and slices you need within an acquired volume.