Ask Dr. Catania: Am I too old for orthodontic treatment?

Absolutely not. At the office of Dr. Joseph Catania, nobody is "too old" for braces. In fact, our staff recently read an statistic: the number of adults getting braces has actually jumped 24 percent from just 14 years ago! Yes, braces help make your pearly whites strong, healthy and perfectly-aligned, but perhaps another reason for the spike in adult braces is that people want to look and feel great. In an age—and culture—where looks matter as much as anything, and at a time when evenly-aligned and sparkling teeth might be the difference between getting a job or a promotion, adults are choosing—wisely, we might add—to invest in orthodontics. Orthodontic treatment with Dr. Catania can be successful at any age, and adults especially appreciate the benefits of a beautiful smile.

If you’ve been thinking about getting that perfect smile, Dr. Catania would love to have you visit for a complimentary consultation. Please give us a call to set one up!

SureSmile at work on the Science Channel! From Dr. Catania

This is cool - SureSmile treatment was recently featured on the Science Channel! You've probably heard from friends or family members that wearing braces is a long-term commitment, taking two years on average. While that may be true of traditional orthodontic treatments, it's not true for SureSmile. Through the use of SureSmile's sophisticated 3-D imaging, treatment planning, and customized precision archwires, Dr. Catania can reduce treatment time compared to that of conventional braces.

At the orthodontic office of Dr. Joseph Catania, we love working with SureSmile technology. Take a look at the video, and be sure to let us know what you think.

Happy Wednesday!

Fun facts with the Joseph Catania DDS team

Everyone loves fun facts. Fun, fun, fun! The American Association of Orthodontists, or AAO, has come up with some fun facts about orthodontics that our team at Joseph Catania DDS thought you might enjoy.

• There are nearly 4 million people in orthodontic treatment throughout the United States. Three out of four are younger than 18.

• The first mechanical treatment for correcting irregular teeth was suggested by Gaius Plinius Secundus (A.D 23-79).The American Association of Orthodontists is comprised of more than 12,000 members in the United States, Canada and abroad.

• The time required to complete orthodontic treatment ranges from 12 to 36 months depending on the nature and severity of the problem.

• Of the 160,000 dentists in the United States and Canada, 8,000 are practicing orthodontists.

• The cement that attaches the braces to the teeth is now made with a special fluoride-releasing substance.

• Wires activated by body heat used in today's braces originally were developed by NASA for use in the space program.

• In addition to alleviating or preventing physical health problems, orthodontics can boost self-esteem as treatment aligns teeth, jaws and lips.

• Famous orthodontic patients include: Dr. Joyce Brothers, Hale Irwin, Cher, Diana Ross, Phyllis Diller, Chelsea Clinton, Whoopi Goldberg, Daisy Fuentes and Brandi.

Benefits of smiling, from Dr. Catania

People with big, happy smiles may live than those who don’t, after all. That, according to a new study at Wayne State University.

Dr. Catania has known for a long time that positive emotion has been linked to both physical and mental health, but researchers there used information from the Baseball Register to look at photos of 230 ball-players who began their careers in baseball before 1950. The players' photos were enlarged, and researchers studied their smile intensity (ranging from big smile, no smile or partial smile).

The players' smile ratings were then compared with data from deaths that occurred from 2006 through 2009. The researchers then corrected their analysis to account for other factors associated with longevity, such as body mass index, or BMI, career length and college attendance. The researchers found that players who weren't smiling 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 79.9 years old.

The take-away from the new study? Smile now, smile often and you might just live longer! Have you been perfecting your smile by visiting the office of Joseph Catania regularly? If not, give us a call!