Dr. Van Vliet, reminding you to wear your mouth guard this summer

At Van Vliet Orthodontics, we just can't believe we're already halfway through summer! As the weather stays hot through September here in the Northeast, the chances for you athletes to sustain a mouth injury get likelier and likelier (because most of you are spending so much time outdoors or participating in more sports-related activities). Dr. Van Vliet and our staff would like to remind our athletes in orthodontic treatment to always take care of both your mouth and appliances while participating in contact- and non-contact sports.

That includes wearing a mouth guard at all times when you're out on the field or court. Only by using a mouth guard can people with and without braces avoid serious sports injuries. And don't forget to ask us for a mouth guard - Dr. Van Vliet will provide a mouth guard for anyone in active treatment!

We hope you're all having a great summer! See you soon!

SureSmile and Invisalign in the New York Times

Two weeks ago, the New York Times had a very interesting article, titled "Taking the Guesswork Out of Braces," which discussed the different types of new treatment the world of orthodontic has to offer. At Van Vliet Orthodontics, we embrace all forms of new technology, and especially high-tech treatments such as SureSmile, In-Ovation, Invisalign and 3D imaging.

Dr. Martin Van Vliet and staff encourage you to read the article, which explains the treatments we offer at our convenient Highland, New York (NY) and Ramsey, New Jersey offices very well. For more information on these innovative treatments, we encourage you to visit our website or ask Dr. Van Vliet during your next visit.

Happy Friday!

Ask Dr. Van Vliet: What's the deal with retainers?

If you've recently completed treatment at Van Vliet Orthodontics, we’d like to congratulate you! Now that your braces have been removed, Dr. Martin Van Vliet will provide—or has provided you—with retainers.

After braces are removed, Dr. Van Vliet will tell you that teeth may shift out of position if they are not stabilized. Retainers, however, always 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 Dr. Van Vliet is the best insurance that the treatment improvements last for a lifetime.

To learn more about the advantages of wearing retainers after your orthodontic treatment at Memorial Smiles, please read this helpful article about retainers from KidsHealth or give us a call! We hope you're enjoying your summer!

Van Vliet Orthodontics present: Patriotic fun facts!

Tomorrow night, Dr. Martin Van Vliet and team will help celebrate our nation's 234th birthday. And because we know most of our patients love fun facts, we thought we'd provide you with some patriotic fun facts about Independence Day! Enjoy!

- Independence Day was first celebrated in Philadelphia on July 8, 1776.

- An estimated 2.5 million people lived in America in July 1776. Today, an estimated 309 million people reside in the United States.

- The major objection to being ruled by Britain was taxation without representation, which meant that people didn't want to be taxed by a government that did not represent them.

- In 1941, Congress declared 4th of July a federal legal holiday. It is one of the few federal holidays that have not been moved to the nearest Friday or Monday.

- The stars on the original American flag were arranged in a circle to ensure that all colonies were equal.

- America's mascot, the bald eagle, can achieve speeds of up to 200 miles per hour when making a predatory dive. During a normal flight, bald eagles can travel up to 30 miles per hour.

- The American flag patch is backwards on U.S. Army uniforms. The reason? The blue field on the flag (the part with the stars) faces forward to symbolize carrying the American flag into battle.

- Someone who specializes in the history of flags is called a vexillologist.

- The word ‘patriotism’ comes from the Latin patria, which means ‘homeland’ or ‘fatherland.’

- According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, Americans consume over 150 million hot dogs during their Independence Day festivities.

- Speaking of food, there's a 1-in-6 chance the beef on your backyard this Independence Day weekend grill came from Texas. The Lone Star State is America's leader in the production of cattle and calves.

Have a great Fourth of July weekend everyone! Please be careful with your fireworks!!