Ask Dr. Badalamenti: Who benefits from braces?

Braces aren’t just for pre-adolescents and teenagers anymore! Dr. Philip Badalamenti will tell you that anyone, at any age, can benefit from orthodontic treatment at our St. Clair Shores office, whether it’s correcting a problem not treated in your younger years, or catching a problem early.

To ensure the best overall treatment, the American Association of Orthodontists, or AAO, recommends that children receive an orthodontic consultation as early as age seven. If a problem is evident, taking action early can spare a lot of treatment and expense down the road.

If you never received orthodontic treatment when you were young, not to worry! You’re never too old for a beautiful smile. Set up an appointment for a FREE initial orthodontic consultation by calling 586-439-5494 and find out how orthodontics will transform your smile, as well as your life!

Dr. Philip Badalamenti, reminding you to wear your mouth guards

With the Dog Days summer here for just another four weeks, Dr. Philip Badalamenti and our staff would like to take this time to remind all our young athletes wearing braces to take care of both your mouth and appliances while participating in contact sports (and non-contact sports) this fall. After all, we know this is a busy time of year sports-wise, whether people are playing a friendly game of soccer in the park or practicing for high school football.

Remember, only by using a mouth guard can kids with and without braces avoid serious sports injuries. All you have to do? Just ask us. Dr. B will provide one for you!

Happy Wednesday!

Why start orthodontic treatment before school begins in September?

We can't tell you how many times Dr. Philip Badalamenti and our team have been asked:

What are the benefits of starting orthodontic treatment before school starts?

What are the inconveniences of getting braces during the school year, as opposed to the summer?

What advantages do kids have – if any – when starting in the summer?

The advantages of starting treatment before school starts are scheduling, comfort, and not missing any school.

Our schedule is pretty flexible during the summer, and we try to accommodate any patients that would like to start treatment during that time. Our patients have more time options to choose from for those long appointments, and that makes it easier for them and their schedules.

Starting treatment during the summer also allows our patients to get used to the braces or appliances easier. They don't have to go back to school right away, and can toughen up to the appliances without too much discomfort. They can practice talking and eating comfortably for a few days.

Once school starts, many of our patients not only have school schedules to consider, but they are active in after school activities as well. That creates a more narrow window of opportunity in which to schedule orthodontic appointments. Starting treatment in the summer helps alleviate many of these schedule conflicts.

We invite you to give us a call at 586-439-5494 to schedule an appointment!

Dr. Badalamenti and the "Super Cool Kids Club"

Dr. Badalamenti and our staff understand the choices our patients and their parents are faced with each day. We have found that our patients place a high priority on good oral health, including the orthodontic aspect of care in regard to that.

We are fortunate that the people living in our area regard orthodontic care as one of their top priorities in the care of their children and themselves.

Most of the time, when people contact our office, they are aware of the time and money investments they will be making. They are ready to make a commitment, and we do the best we can to make their orthodontic experience a great one-even if it is a shorter time investment due to our SureSmile technology! Sometimes they are ready for orthodontic treatment, and sometimes, they are still in the developmental stage, and seen as one of our "Super Cool Kids Club" members.

One of the nice aspects of our "Super Cool Kids Club" is that Dr. Badalamenti regularly charts the progress of each patients’ dental growth and development. He discusses his concerns and treatment evaluations and whether the patient will be a candidate for orthodontics in the future. With this aspect of our office the parents have an opportunity to be aware of future plans for orthodontic treatment.

We appreciate that our patients and their relatives and friends realize the importance of the investment they make in their oral health, and that they choose our office to help in that care.

Happy Monday!

What’s going on at Dr. B’s office?

Although we are still enjoying the summer weather around here, our scheduling has started to include time when school will be back in session. With the fall, we are planning on the continued success we have had with the SureSmile wires we are using on our patients. The shorter treatment time is a great bonus, along with the better smiles that are created. It has been a nice new technology to work with and only positive benefits for our patients.

We are hoping all our patients are having a fun, relaxing summer!