Q: I wanted to let you know how much my kids and I enjoy the fun, social setting of your clinic. It is amazing to me how many people visit and enjoy the fun atmosphere of the office. Your staff always seems in great spirits and glad to see us. Is this socializing atmosphere planned or did it just happen?

Dr. Herman's Answer: My staff and I wanted our orthodontic office to be a "cool" place to come and visit. We definitely never wanted it to be a boring and quiet health care facility. We are always excited to open up for the day to see our patients and get the "festivities" underway. While my clinical staff and I take the health care part of your visit very seriously we want the patient and visitors to have a fun experience. We really appreciate you letting us know you have noticed!!

Q: I am use to getting dental x-rays where they put the film in your mouth. My orthodontist took an x-ray with a machine that circled my head. It produced an x-ray of all of my teeth and jaw. Why take this x-ray?

Dr. Herman's Answer: The x-ray is called a panorex and is taken by most orthodontists and dentists. It is used to look for missing teeth, extra teeth and pathology in your jaw bone, like a tumor. As a screening x-ray it is taken by dentists every 2-3 years in non-adult patients and about every 5 years for adults. Orthodontists and your dentist find that the panorex is the best way to assess if wisdom teeth are coming in straight or are impacted. As an orthodontist, I also use the panorex to check for movement of stuck teeth, other than wisdom teeth, or to assess if the roots of teeth are getting straight or are still slanted.