Independence Day Facts, Tips, and Party Invitations!

It’s hard to believe, but July is already here and half of 2012 has already passed! As July 4th approaches, our team thought it would be fun to share some facts and safety tips for celebrating our country’s independence day.

Fun Facts:
• Betsy Ross, according to legend, sewed the first American flag in May or June 1776, as commissioned by the Congressional Committee.
• The major objection to being ruled by Britain was taxation without representation. The colonists had no say in the decisions of English Parliament.
• The word ‘patriotism’ comes from the Latin patria, which means ‘homeland’ or ‘fatherland.’
• The first public Fourth of July event at the White House occurred in 1804.
• And what could be more fitting than spending the day in a place called “America”? There are five such places in the country, with the most populous being American Fork, Utah, with 21,941 residents. Check out American Fact Finder.

Safety Tips:
• Avoid buying fireworks that are packaged in brown paper because this is often a sign that the fireworks were made for professional displays and that they could pose a danger to consumers.
• Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose handy in case of fire or other mishap.
• Never carry fireworks in a pocket or shoot them off in metal or glass containers.
• To prevent a trash fire, be sure to douse the spent fireworks with plenty of water from a bucket or hose after fireworks complete their burning and before discarding them.
• Make sure fireworks are legal before buying or using them.

What are your plans this 4th of July? Share them with us! We’d love to hear what you and the rest of the community will be doing to celebrate! (Don’t forget to make sure there are no restrictions on fireworks! Check out this link to see if fireworks might be an issue for you this year.)

Also, check out these 4th of July party invitations, eGreeting cards, and delicious recipes!
July 4th eCard invitations!
Happy Independence Day eCards
Independence Day Recipes



Photo by shawnajean

Orthodontic Emergency? We can help!

True orthodontic emergencies are very rare, but when they do occur we are available to you. As a general rule, you should call the office when you experience severe pain or when you have a painful appliance problem that you can’t take care of yourself. We’ll be able to schedule an appointment with our office.

You might be surprised to learn that you may be able to temporarily solve many problems yourself until you get in to see us…

The following solutions may help you relieve your discomfort:

Poking Wire: Using a pencil eraser, push the poking wire down or place wax on it to alleviate the discomfort.

Loose Bracket or Band: If your bracket or band is still attached to the wire, you should leave it in place and put wax on it. If the wire comes out entirely, wrap the bracket with a tissue.

Loose Wire: Using a tweezers, try to place your wire back into place. If doing this and using wax does not help, as a last resort use a small fingernail clipper to clip the wire behind the last tooth to which it is securely fastened. If your discomfort continues, place wax on it.

Loose Appliance: If your appliance is poking you, place wax on the offending part of your appliance.

Headgear Does Not Fit: Sometimes headgear discomfort is caused by not wearing the headgear as instructed by your orthodontist. Please refer to the instructions provided by your orthodontist. If the facebow is bent, please call our office for assistance. Surprisingly, headgear becomes more comfortable the more it’s worn, so be sure you’re getting in the prescribed hours.

General Soreness: When you get your braces on, you may feel general soreness in your mouth and teeth may be tender to biting pressures for three to five days. This can be relieved by rinsing your mouth with a warm salt water mouthwash. Dissolve one teaspoonful of salt in 8 ounces of warm water, and rinse your mouth vigorously. If the tenderness is severe, take aspirin or whatever you normally take for headache or similar pain.

Remember, after alleviating your discomfort, it is still very important that you call our office as soon as possible to schedule a time to repair the problem.

When Are Two Phases of Treatment Necessary? Dr. Martin Explains...

Thanks for the question. Phase I, or early interceptive treatment, is limited orthodontic treatment (i.e. expander or partial braces) before all of the permanent teeth have erupted. Such treatment can occur between the ages of six and ten.

This treatment is sometimes recommended to make more space for developing teeth, correction of crossbites, overbites, underbites, or harmful oral habits. Phase II treatment is also called comprehensive treatment, because it involves full braces when all of the permanent teeth have erupted, usually between the ages of eleven and thirteen.

When we at Crofton Orthodontics have patients with clear developmental problems at an early age, it’s best to start work when they are young, before the problems get bigger and more difficult to treat.

Examples include:
•An upper or lower jaw that is not growing correctly
•A mouth growing in a way that doesn’t leave enough room for all the permanent teeth to come in
•A severe malocclusion, or bad bite, which means the jaw doesn’t fit together correctly

Has your child visited our Crofton, MD office for a complimentary consultation? If not, please give us a call and let Dr. Robert Martin help your child begin the journey to a gorgeous smile.

"Hey Dr. Martin! What's the deal with retainers?"

Have you recently completed treatment at Crofton Orthodontics? Our staff would like to congratulate you again! Now that your braces have been removed, Dr. Robert Martin will provide—or has provided you—with retainers. You see, after braces come off, your teeth may shift out of position if they're not stabilized.

Retainers, however, provide that stabilization, and are designed to hold your teeth in their corrected, ideal positions until your bones and gums adapt to treatment changes. Wearing retainers exactly as instructed by Dr. Martin and our staff is the best insurance that the treatment improvements last for your lifetime!

It is absolutely crucial that you wear your retainer at all times. The only time you should remove your retainer should be when you're eating or brushing/flossing. Your retainer will not work as well as it should if it is not worn consistently. If you have additional questions about retainers or your treatment at Crofton Orthodontics, please give us a call at (410) 774-4809 and we'll try to answer any question you may have.

Have a great upcoming week!

At Crofton Orthodontics, access your account—any day, any time, anywhere

Access to your account, 24/7. Sounds simple and convenient, doesn’t it?

Patients at Crofton Orthodontics enjoy access to their account 24 hours a day, seven days a week—all through our website. You can look up your appointments and all of your account details at your convenience, all from the comfort of your own home! You can even receive appointment reminders through email or text messages!

You, too, may sign up for this convenient service on our website by clicking on the "Patient Login" button on our homepage. Please give us a call if you have any questions about getting started!

- Dr. Martin and team

Welcome to the Crofton Orthodontics blog!

For those who are new to our social networks, Dr. Robert Martin and our staff would like to welcome you to the official Crofton Orthodontic Associates blog! We've recently installed new ways to stay connected to our patients, including our Facebook page, YouTube channel and our very own blog, which we’ll be updating every week!

Feel free to leave a comment or question for our doctors and staff – we hope this will be a valuable resource for our patients, their families, and friends!

We hope you're having a fantastic rest of the summer!

Summer fun with Crofton Orthodontics!

It's still officially summer here at Crofton Orthodontics, which means a season full of vacations, adventures and great memories is here for another six weeks. Whether you're headed to a barbecue, an Orioles game, a camping trip, hitting the great American open road or just having fun in the sun, Dr. Robert Martin and our staff want to hear all about it! Leave a comment on our Facebook fan page and tell us about your summer!

We also encourage you to post any photos from your adventures to our Facebook wall!

Happy and safe travels. Enjoy summer while it's still here!