Duffin Adams Gimlen Orthodontics, supporting National Physical Fitness and Sports Month

Did you know the month of May is observed as National Physical Fitness and Sports Month? In 1983, President Reagan encouraged people to incorporate more activity into their lives, and the reminder is even more important today as kids are distracted more and more by television, social networking and video games. Kids living an active lifestyle can - and do - improve their health, productivity and overall well being, and best of all? It doesn’t have to take a lot of time!

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has provided some public health guidelines for your reference. The guidelines call for children and teenagers to exercise one hour every day of moderate intensity physical activity (such as playing sports or brisk walking) or one hour and 15 minutes of vigorous activity (jogging, dancing and jumping rope).

At Duffin Adams Gimlen Orthodontics, we encourage our patients to stay fit by exercising or participate in sports. However, we want to remind you to always wear a mouth guard or other forms of facial protection when playing sports. To learn more about how often you should exercise, we recommend you check out this series of helpful articles about kids and exercise, courtesy of our friends at KidsHealth.org.

Ask Duffin Adams Gimlen: What, exactly, is malocclusion?

Malocclusion, or what Drs. Adams, Gimlen and Duffin call “bad bite,” is the improper alignment of teeth and/or jaws. When your teeth and jaws are not properly aligned, it may impact your bite, the ability to properly care for your teeth, your gum tissue health and, yes, even your appearance.

Drs. Adams, Gimlen and Duffin will tell you that untreated malocclusion can lead undesirable mouth problems, including tooth decay, gum disease, or chipped and cracked teeth. The most common solution for malocclusion, of course, is orthodontic treatment. The actual course of treatment, including the length of time you will require braces, will be determined by severity of your malocclusion. The goal of your treatment is to move your teeth into the proper position and correct any misalignment in the jaw.

At Duffin Adams Gimlen Orthodontics, we use the most advanced technology in the field in order to ensure that you receive the best possible results. If you have any questions about malocclusion, please give us a call and we’ll try to answer any questions you may have.

Smile now, smile later, smile often!

Great news! People with big smiles may actually live than those who don’t, according to a March 2010 study at Michigan’s Wayne State University. Researchers there looked at photos of 230 baseball players who began their careers prior to 1950 - and studied their smile intensity (ranging from big smile, no smile or partial smile). The players' smile ratings were compared with data from deaths that occurred from 2006 through 2009. The researchers of course then took into account other factors that impact life longevity, including body mass index, career length and, YES, even college attendance.

The results? Researchers found that players who weren't smiling in the photos died at the average age of 72.9 years. Players with partial smiles lived to be 75. Those with big smiles, however, lived on average to be almost 80 years old!

So smile now, smile often and you might just live longer! Have you been perfecting your smile by visiting Duffin Adams Gimlen Orthodontics on a regular basis? If not, give us a call and schedule an appointment!

Celebs get braces, too! From Duffin Adams Gimlen Orthodontics

Yep, it's true. Back in 2002, Hollywood megastar Tom Cruise had braces, and during this time he was 40 years old! During this time, Cruise filmed the films Minority Report, Austin Powers in Goldmember and the Last Samurai. Check out Cruise's smile in Jerry Maguire, The Firm or Rain Man and compare to the post-braces Tom Cruise in Valkyrie or Tropic Thunder. The fact is, movie stars need to look their best for the silver screen, and it wouldn't be possible without El Segundo and Manhattan Beach orthodontists Drs. Adams, Gimlen and Duffin!

In fact, lots of Hollywood stars have had orthodontic treatment. Check out this list of famous names, courtesy of ABC News. If you’ve thought about getting the perfect smile you’ve always wanted, please call Duffin Adams Gimlen Orthodontics. We're waiting to hear from you!

Drs. Duffin, Adams and Gimlen, reminding you to play it safe this spring

With spring here, many children, teens and adults will once again pick up the ball, bring the bat out of seasonal retirement, and lace up their cleats to hit the fields for the return of spring sports! Not so fast: April is National Facial Protection Month, and during this time, Drs. Duffin Adams and Gimlen urge our young athletes to play it safe when out on the field. Above is a helpful video from our friends at the AAO about staying safe on the ball field this spring.

If you have any further questions about any of the tips offered in the video, please contact our staff at Duffin Adams Gimlen Orthodontics. And remember to have fun and stay safe on the field!

Retainers and YOU, from Duffin Adams Gimlen Orthodontics

If you recently completed treatment at Duffin Adams Gimlen Orthodontics, we’d like to congratulate you! Now that your braces have been removed, Drs. Gimlen, Adams or Duffin will provide—or have provided you—with retainers.

After braces are removed, teeth have the ability to shift out of position if they are not stabilized. Retainers provide that stabilization. They are designed to hold teeth in their corrected, ideal positions until the bones and gums adapt to the treatment changes. Wearing retainers exactly as instructed by Drs. Gimlen, Adams or Duffin is the best insurance that the treatment improvements last for a lifetime. Here are some things to remember when you receive your retainers:

* Wear your retainers full time, until the doctor instructs otherwise. Wearing your retainers at night ensures that your pearly whites won’t relapse.
* Take your retainers out when eating...and always put retainers in their case! (Most appliances are lost in school lunch rooms or restaurants.)
* Clean retainers thoroughly once a day with a toothbrush and only a small amount of toothpaste. Use warm but not hot water.
* When retainers are not in your mouth they should ALWAYS be in a retainer case.
* Retainers are breakable, so treat them with care. If retainers are lost or broken, give us a call immediately.
* Remove retainers when swimming or during any sporting activity in which the retainers could fall out and get broken or lost (cheerleading, basketball, etc.) or when you should be wearing a mouth guard (football, soccer, etc.).

We hope this helps! You can always contact our team if you have any questions!

Ask Duffin Adams Gimlen: Am I too old for orthodontic treatment?

No one is "too old" for treatment. A few weeks ago, we blogged about who benefits from braces and thought we'd get a bit more specific and discuss adult orthodontics. Recently, there was an article that reported adults getting braces has jumped 24 percent from just 14 years ago! In fact, did you know one of every five patients in orthodontic treatment is over the age of 21?

In an age—and society—where looks matter as much as anything, and at a time when evenly-aligned teeth might be the difference between getting a job or a promotion, adults are choosing to invest—rather wisely—in orthodontics. While orthodontic treatment is often associated with teens, adult orthodontics and braces at our Manhattan Beach and El Segundo offices can achieve amazing results for adult patients. With treatments such as Invisalign, you can have your teeth straightened less noticeably. Orthodontic treatment at Duffin Adams Gimlen Orthodontics can be successful at any age, and our staff knows adults especially appreciate the benefits of a beautiful smile.

If you’ve been thinking about getting that perfect smile, Drs. Duffin Adams and Gimlen would love to have you visit for a consultation. Please give us a call to set one up!