Question: My baby just got his first tooth. Can he get cavities?

Dr. Herman's Answer: Yes, cavities can develop in your baby's teeth. For this reason, you should limit the time teeth are exposed to liquid containing sugar. Juice, formula and milk all contain sugar and can encourage the development of cavities. You should never put your child to bed with a bottle or “sippy cup” that is filled with any liquids containing sugar—only warm water is acceptable. This applies to pacifiers as well and I would strongly advise against dipping your child’s pacifier in honey or any sweetener. You may have the urge to reward your child with sweets, but remember that high-levels of sugar exposure at a young age can be disastrous to your child’s oral health.

Question: My son had very crooked teeth, so he started braces. He looks good, but there are still a few things that could be improved. However, he has been in treatment for four years—when is enough, enough?

Dr. Herman's Answer: The question of when to conclude treatment is based on the ethical principle of beneficence. This means comparing the benefits of more treatment to the risk of longer treatment. You and your son entrust the orthodontist to exercise his/her best judgment to provide your son with the best possible results. At four years into treatment your orthodontist needs to have a risk versus benefit discussion with you and your son. Some questions to discuss are: How much better of a result can we reasonably expect? How long will that take to achieve? What are the risks of staying in braces longer?

Question: Why do you check for cavities at every orthodontic appointment? How do you determine if a tooth has a cavity?

Dr. Herman's Answer: I check for cavities at every orthodontic appointment because healthy teeth and gums are necessary for successful orthodontic treatments. I want my patients to have great results—that’s why I take the extra time to check for cavities. I use the "International Caries Detection and Assessment System." This system is based on visual inspection of a tooth and involves checking color, translucency, and dental hardness. When doing a 6 month dental exam, I also use X-ray images to assess for cavities. If a patient does have a cavity we discuss treatment options as well as ways to improve at home care to prevent future cavities.

Question: My son fell off his bike and hit the side of his face. His right jaw hurts and his bite has moved over to the right. What happened?

Dr. Herman's Answer: He most likely fractured the right condoyle of his lower jaw bone (mandible). This type of accident is the most common type of broken jaw. The severity of the break dictates the treatment needed to stabilize the bone while it heals. Treatment can be as simple as a maintaining a diet of soft foods or more intense such as placing braces on his teeth for several weeks. If left untreated, the jaw could heal crooked leaving not only an asymmetric bite, but his face will also look longer on the left side compared to the right. Surgery would be required if left untreated to correct the asymmetry. Only in rare circumstances does a broken condoyle cause growth problems. You should schedule an appointment with your child’s dentist or orthodontist for an evaluation.

Question: My orthodontist just took my braces off and my smile looks good. My girlfriend was treated by you and her smile is much wider than mine. We both had the same type of problem, so why is her smile so much wider?

Dr. Herman's Answer: Your doctor treated you with traditional braces and I treated your girlfriend with the Damon® System of braces. Traditional braces do a great job of straightening teeth but do little to widen the bone holding your teeth. Traditional treatment often requires removal of healthy teeth to make space—this approach is often uncomfortable and can leave a narrower arch and a flat profile. The Damon System of Braces straightens teeth and widens the bone resulting in full, natural, wide smiles. If a wide smile is important to you call my office for your free consultation. Please visit herman4braces.com for before and after photos of my patients.

Question: I love your "Real People Real Results" pictures in the newspaper. How do you find those people?

Dr. Herman's Answer: They are my patients from all over the Four Corners area! When I finish a patient’s treatment, I ask them or they ask me if they can have their new smile featured in the newspaper. I am excited with how well the patient's face and smile appear and the patient is pleased with what we accomplished together. I have even been asked if the happy patients are models! We are proud of our patients and their special talents, accomplishments and stories—that’s why we enjoy featuring them in our monthly promotions. We hope you take pleasure in seeing your friends and neighbors featured in the ads too!

Question: When I finished braces, you placed a wired retainer on the back of my front upper and lower teeth. I also received a clear removable retainer to wear at night. Why two types of retainers?

Dr. Herman's Answer: Multiple retainers are provided to make it easier on you to maintain your newly straightened smile. Retainer wear is extremely important. If retainers are not worn as directed teeth will move. The glued on retainers allow you to wear the clear removable retainer only at night. This combination makes retainer wear more convenient and also helps you from losing your retainer. If you only have one type of retainer, glued on or removable, you have no backup. No backup is bad because teeth without retainers, can and will move!

Soul Surfer’ Bethany Hamilton endorses the Damon® System of Braces to promote fast, high-tech, comfortable orthodontic treatment! Here’s more information from Bethany and the makers of the Damon System…

Pro Surfer, Bethany Hamilton began orthodontic treatment at age 14 for a severe underbite with significant crowding and a narrow arch. She also had an open bite, which means there was open space between her upper and lower teeth when her jaw was closed. These types of cases are typically among the most difficult to treat and often require surgery. Hamilton relied on the Damon System instead of traditional braces for her treatment.

The light pressure used in the Damon System stimulates broad, natural arch development and typically delivers results up to 25 percent faster than traditional braces, according to clinical studies. While traditional braces require elastic ties to hold wires in place, these ties can accumulate bacteria and often require "tightening" that can hinder tooth movement and prolong treatment.

In contrast, the Damon System combines "tieless" braces with high-tech memory-shaped wires that don't need to be "tightened." Damon System braces are easier to keep clean, which promotes better patient hygiene throughout treatment. Additionally, treatment with the Damon System rarely requires tooth extractions and frees patients from the use of headgear, rapid palatal expanders and other invasive appliances. The cost of treatment with the Damon System is comparable to that of traditional braces.

"Smiles are a blessing and an infectious tool for spreading happiness and bringing joy to others. "The Damon System transformed my smile, allowing me to confidently share my story of perseverance and encourage others undergoing adversity,” said Bethany Hamilton.

To learn more visit, damonbraces.com

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.