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I Don’t Have Any Dental Problem: Should I Still Visit and Orthodontist

You’ve gotten a clean bill of health from your dentist, but does that mean there are no more oral health issues that can trip you up? No. Even if your teeth are strong, it is a good idea to check with a specialist to ensure that that your teeth are aligned correctly.

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Life is too short not to smile. Smile as much as you can. ― Steve Imig 1

Life is too short not to smile. Smile as much as you can. ― Steve Imig

smile

Life is too short not to smile. Smile as much as you can. ― Steve Imig

Modern life may seem to come with its fair share of disappointments and negative scenarios. No one is ever going to live a perfect life that is void of any sadness; however, that doesn’t mean they must constantly express sorrow on their faces. Teaching your children the power of smiling can help them to live more fulfilling lives starting from the nascent stages of their existence.

Self Pride

Sometimes, kids want to hide their smiles once they have braces. However, modern braces are different. Whether your children have Invisalign or another type, the orthodontist can select a set that is right for them. Kids do not need to feel as though they must shirk away from their friends once they have these devices on their teeth. Instead, they can wear them with pride. When they walk around with a sense of pride, this positive vibe can start to spill into their work.

Emulating Joy

In a world where many negative scenarios happen on a regular basis, some people find it hard to find joy. Even kids can feel affected from the negative happenings around them. When you teach your kids how to smile, however, their entire beings can start to feel happier. Even when something negative has happened, feeling entirely bad with a huge grin on is a difficult task. Your kids can use their new smiles from Invisalign to boost their own moods.

Inspiring Others

Your kids might generally feel happy and pleased with their lives, and they may not smile because they are content with how they feel on the inside. In addition to encouraging them to display the progress their teeth have made from their orthodontist appointments, you can also tell the that a smile might make someone else feel better.

Fix Your Smile Today

Contact Gorton & Schmohl Orthodontics today to set up your consultation. There’s no reason to put off a visit to our helpful team of professionals. It is our goal to help you make the most of your smile.

Dr. Jasmine Gorton

Dr. Bill Schmohl

When your teeth are aligned properly and your jaw is flowing smoothly, you will find more reasons to flash those pearly whites every day. Let Gorton & Schmohl Orthodontics be your partner in good oral hygiene.

Gorton & Schmohl Orthodontics
900 Larkspur Landing Circle, Suite 200, Larkspur, California 94939 415-459-8006

A Smile is a Powerful Weapon; You can Break Ice with it! 2

A Smile is a Powerful Weapon; You can Break Ice with it!

smiles

A Smile is a Powerful Weapon; You can Break Ice with it!

Have you ever seen one of those magicians that can tell if you are lying or not? They line up a bunch of people on stage and one of them is randomly selected to tell a lie. The magician then goes down the line asking very simple questions and he picks out the liar 100% of the time.

The magician can do this because he is trained in spotting “tells”. Everybody has tells and they can be so powerful that the FBI and border security agents are trained to spot them. But there is one social tell that is incredibly important, especially to a teenager’s confidence. And that tell is a genuine smile.

Everyone Can Tell The Difference Between A Real Smile And A Fake One

A long time ago, a French physician by the name of Guillaume Duchenne studied the smile. He found that a fake smile had a tell — the person did not smile with their eyes. A genuine smile is marked by the outside corners of the eyes raising along with the outside corners of the lips. And genuine smiles are only smiled by confident teenagers.

Genuine Smiles Make All The Difference

It’s no secret that a genuine smile is much more attractive than a fake one. In fact, a genuine smile can have an attractive power and even serve to as an icebreaker in making friends. But if a teenager is ashamed of his or her teeth, it’s going to be difficult to let out a real smile. And everyone can intrinsically spot a fake smile from across the room. This can have deleterious effects on a teenager’s social life.

Schedule an Orthodontic Examination in Larkspur Today

In Marin County, Calif., you can visit Gorton & Schmohl Orthodontics to have an examination and treatment from these professionals:

• Dr. Jasmine Gorton
• Dr. Bill Schmohl

An orthodontist will discuss orthodontic options with you to repair problems such as crowded teeth, crossbites or overbites. Depending on your malocclusions, you can wear one of these devices:

• Retainers
• Invisalign
• WildSmiles
• Braces with colors
• Traditional or Damon Clear

We also offer WowSmiles and Acceledent options to our orthodontic patients. Schedule an appointmentby calling 415-459-8006 today.

Gorton & Schmohl Orthodontics
900 Larkspur Landing Circle,Suite 200 Larkspur CA 94939 Tel: (415)-459-8006

A smile is a light in the window of your face that lets people know you’re at home.

A smile can brighten the darkest day! 3

A smile can brighten the darkest day!

smile

A smile can brighten the darkest day!

A smile can be just what some people need to see to bring some happiness to their day. When people in helping professions such as medicine and teaching greet their patients and students with smiles, those people instantly feel more at ease. But studies also show that a good smile can lead to more success in life.

Smile Research

A 2012 study found that when more than 1,000 Americans were shown photos of people with straight and crooked teeth, the study participants perceived the people with straighter teeth to be wealthier and more successful. They also said they were more likely to go on a date with them. Almost 75 percent of the participants said that a good smile made them trust a person more than if that person were well-dressed or had a nice car.

Smiling is Contagious

A smile can make both the smile”r” and the people they are smiling at happier. Unfortunately, crooked teeth might make a person feel self-conscious about their smile. They might try to smile without showing their teeth or avoid smiling altogether.

Schedule an Orthodontic Examination in Larkspur Today

In Marin County, Calif., you can visit Gorton & Schmohl Orthodontics to have an examination and treatment from these professionals:

• Dr. Jasmine Gorton
• Dr. Bill Schmohl
• Dr. Jeff Nichelini

An orthodontist will discuss orthodontic options with you to repair problems such as crowded teeth, crossbites or overbites. Depending on your malocclusions, you can wear one of these devices:

• Retainers
• Invisalign
• WildSmiles
• Braces with colors
• Traditional or Damon Clear

We also offer WowSmiles and Acceledent options to our orthodontic patients. Schedule an appointment by calling 415-459-8006 today.

Gorton & Schmohl Orthodontics
900 Larkspur Landing Circle,Suite 200 Larkspur CA 94939 Tel: (415)-459-8006

A smile can brighten the darkest day!

A Kind Heart is a Foundation of Gladness, Making Everything in it's Vicinity Freshen Into Smiles 4

A Kind Heart is a Foundation of Gladness, Making Everything in it’s Vicinity Freshen Into Smiles

smile

A Kind Heart is a Foundation of Gladness, Making Everything in it’s Vicinity Freshen Into Smiles

Smiling is a common gesture that lets other people know that you’re in a good mood, but what happens if you’re too self-conscious to do so? Being able to smile can help you feel happier overall. When you don’t smile, it can affect your mood and give other people the wrong impression about you.

Why Do You Avoid Smiling?

People who are shy might not smile due to embarrassment. They might not want to draw attention to themselves or have other people approach them. You don’t necessarily have to be shy to avoid smiling. Some people do so because they don’t want others to see that they have crooked teeth. These people might only smile slightly without showing teeth. They might avoid smiling altogether, which can make them feel unhappy. If you refuse to smile due to crooked teeth, our orthodontist can fix that with braces of Invisalign.

How Can You Smile Comfortably?

When crooked teeth are the reason for not smiling, having them straightened can ease your self-consciousness and boost your mood. You’ll be able to smile more and do so with confidence. Wearing Invisalign or braces helps make your teeth straighter, which allows you to flash a big smile to others. If you’re worried about how you’ll look while having your teeth straightened, keep in mind that modern orthodontic treatments are designed to look as natural as possible. This means that other people won’t be staring at your teeth while you’re wearing an orthodontic device. Once your teeth are fixed, you’ll have the added benefits of having an easier time cleaning them regularly and not having problems biting down. These treatments help improve your quality of life overall.

Schedule an Orthodontic Examination in Larkspur Today

In Marin County, Calif., you can visit Gorton & Schmohl Orthodontics to have an examination and treatment from these professionals:

• Dr. Jasmine Gorton
• Dr. Bill Schmohl
• Dr. Jeff Nichelini

An orthodontist will discuss orthodontic options with you to repair problems such as crowded teeth, crossbites or overbites. Depending on your malocclusions, you can wear one of these devices:

• Retainers
• Invisalign
• WildSmiles
• Braces with colors
• Traditional or Damon Clear

We also offer WowSmiles and Acceledent options to our orthodontic patients. Schedule an appointment by calling 415-459-8006 today.

Gorton & Schmohl Orthodontics
900 Larkspur Landing Circle,Suite 200 Larkspur CA 94939 Tel: (415)-459-8006

A Kind Heart is a Foundation of Gladness, Making Everything in it’s Vicinity Freshen Into Smiles

Don't cry because it's over; smile because it happened 5

Don’t cry because it’s over; smile because it happened

smiles

We smile when recalling pleasant memories associated with good feelings. Birthdays, graduations, marriages, and anniversaries are just of the more popular events that bring smiles to every face. Watching a child grow up, graduate from college, get married, and celebrate wedding anniversaries are all good reasons to smile.

Celebrations and other events are the perfect occasions to share happiness with others. Getting together with family and friends, often while dressed in our finest, helps us to look and feel our best. A beautiful smile can be captured in photos and memories that will last a lifetime.

If you’re concerned that your smile could be better, contact an orthodontist for a complete evaluation of your dental structures. The teeth, gums, and other soft tissues will be examined and x-rayed to determine an effective treatment plan for improving your smile.

Invisalign

Invisalign treatment may be recommended. Braces are the most common treatment for aligning teeth and making the mouth healthier by preventing bacteria buildup in gum pockets or in hard-to-reach places between tilted teeth. Bacteria leads to decay, which then becomes cavities that can lead to tooth damage and loss. A qualified orthodontist can prescribe an Invisalign treatment plan using braces that will be hardly noticeable and work quickly to move your teeth into proper position.

Get Started

Make your smile even more beautiful by consulting Gorton & Schmohl Orthodontics for detailed information on how they can help. After a thorough examination, a treatment plan will be discussed to give you ideas on how your dental structures can be improved for better dental health and a prettier smile. They can answer questions to help you make an informed decision about getting your most memorable smile yet.

emma 1

How to Maintain Your Braces

Metal Braces

How to Maintain Your Braces

Braces are something that many people use to get a more beautiful, straighter smile. But while braces are designed to provide minimal hassle to the wearer on their journey to the smile of their dreams, you can’t exactly continue to live your life as you did before your braces went on. Braces require upkeep and care if you want them to perform to their highest efficiency.

But what exactly do you need to do differently when wearing braces? What is the correct way to maintain your braces?

Oral Hygiene and Your Braces

We all know that oral hygiene is important. Proper brushing and flossing keeps bacteria in the mouth to a minimum and can prevent tooth decay or gum disease. But when you have braces, the need for proper oral hygiene habits can increase.

Braces provide more spaces and crevices for food to get stuck in. They can make it more difficult for our toothbrush to reach the area around or gums and flossing can be a hassle with the metal bars in the way. Furthermore, the metal of the braces can cause a bleaching reaction on the teeth if not properly taken care of. If you want your braces to be removed to reveal a beautiful smile, you’ll need to properly clean your teeth, the area between your braces, and the gaps between your teeth.

Although proper oral hygiene habits can be slightly difficult with braces, they are still incredibly important – possibly even more so. Talk with your orthodontist about the best way to clean between your braces or if they have special tools to help remove all the unwanted food and bacteria.

Listen to Your Orthodontist

With each visit to your orthodontist, you will probably be given more or a new set of instructions on how to maintain your braces. This may include the use of rubber bands or other additional items created to help give you the results you’re after.

Take your orthodontist’s instructions seriously and follow through with everything you are told. While the extra step of care may seem unnecessary to you, it is a crucial step to ensuring your braces are doing their job and that they are staying on schedule.

Your orthodontist may also give you advice on how to better take care of your braces, such as new ways to clean them or recommendations for getting in hard to reach areas. While you may think your orthodontist is just being overly precautious because it is their job, they do know best.

Follow a Braces-Friendly Diet

Maintaining your braces can also come from eating a diet that won’t do damage to your teeth or the braces themselves. This usually means avoiding things that are high in sugar, high in acidity, or extremely sticky or tacky items that may pull some of your braces right from your teeth – a problem that is a hassle for everyone involved.

High sugar foods, such as sodas and candy, increase your risk of developing tooth decay. While sugar should be avoided with or without braces, because your braces make it more difficult to efficiently clean your teeth, you’re more likely to leave bits of sugar behind. If the sugar is not properly removed, your teeth may experience the consequences.

Highly acidic foods can damage your tooth enamel. Like sugar, your braces can make it difficult to remove the food completely from your teeth. While you have your braces on, it is best to stick to foods with low acidity, including bananas, milk, water, and eggs.

Choose a Mouth Guard

Playing a high contact sport with braces can cause damage to your braces, teeth, and mouth if you’re not properly protected. If you should be hit in the mouth by a ball or other player, you could break your braces, cut your mouth on the metal of the braces, or even cause damage to your teeth.

The use of a mouth guard can help protect you and your braces from any flying balls or flailing limbs. While a mouth guard purchased at a sports store would be better than nothing, a custom made mouth guard from your orthodontist can provide the best level of protection and comfort.

Not all sports would require a mouth guard. If you are involved in low contact sports such as swimming, cross country, or certain track events, you may not need a mouth guard even if you have braces. However, players of high impact sports, including football, soccer, and hockey should definitely use a mouth guard for protection.

Your braces are there to give you the smile you’ve always dreamed of having, but in order to get there, you need to put in the work to maintain them and keep your teeth healthy. With proper cleaning, protection, and care, you can have your braces removed on time to reveal a beautiful and healthy smile underneath.

Fix Your Smile Today

Contact Gorton & Schmohl Orthodontics today to set up your consultation. There’s no reason to put off a visit to our helpful team of professionals. It is our goal to help you make the most of your smile.

Dr. Jasmine Gorton

Dr. Bill Schmohl

When your teeth are aligned properly and your jaw is flowing smoothly, you will find more reasons to flash those pearly whites every day. Let Gorton & Schmohl Orthodontics be your partner in good oral hygiene.

Gorton & Schmohl Orthodontics
900 Larkspur Landing Circle, Suite 200, Larkspur, California 94939 415-459-8006

Summer Toothbrush Contest

Beyond Differences

beyond differences

An Orthodontist Who Cares about Preventing Social Isolation

Social isolation often begins in middle school and continues in high school because adolescents are prone to developing cliques that exclude others. While teachers may combat this behavior in classrooms with group activities that require cooperative teamwork, students still exclude others in locations such as the school cafeteria or activities after school. Beyond Differences located in San Francisco is a nonprofit organization that is devoted to educating the public about the detrimental effects of social isolation and offer ways to stop the behavior during the sensitive adolescent years. Anyone can donate to Beyond Differences, and the organization already has an important sponsor located in Larkspur, Calif. Gorton & Schmohl Orthodontics has two orthodontists who want to promote including others in all activities to create a feeling of camaraderie.

Beyond Differences Focuses on Stopping Social Isolation

Beyond Differences has three ways to prevent social isolation in middle and high school environments, including:

• No One Eats Alone – designed to encourage socializing during lunch
• Be Kind Online – discouraging unkind behavior online
• Be the One – a pledge and commitment to not exclude others

Beyond Difference dispenses its important message with an online website, videos and publications that are suitable for teachers, students and parents who want to implement and follow the suggestions made by the organization. Anyone interested in preventing social isolation in schools can request curriculum designed for teaching lessons or newsletters for parents and the general public. All lessons begin by helping people understand what social isolation is and how it affects anyone who is perceived as different from others. Some of the issues covered concern including classmates who have mental or physical challenges.

The orthodontists working at Gorton & Schmohl Orthodontics are happy to sponsor Beyond Differences because many of their patients are teenagers struggling with social isolation. The adolescent patients visiting this orthodontic facility frequently need to wear headgear, retainers or braces to correct abnormalities of their facial or mouth’s structure. Conditions such as cleft lip or palate can cause deformities of the mouth that require many years of orthodontic treatment in order to repair the positions of teeth so that an individual can speak properly, chew food and have a beautiful smile. In many cases, an individual undergoing orthodontic treatment is ostracized by their peers because they look different.

 

When life gives you a hundred reasons to cry, show life you have a thousand reasons to smile 6

When life gives you a hundred reasons to cry, show life you have a thousand reasons to smile

smile quotes

Life is hard. Why make it more difficult by being ashamed to smile because of crooked teeth? Science has shown that simply the act of smiling can trigger the release of endorphins, serotonin and dopamine, the “feel good” neurotransmitters. That’s powerful. On the contrary, your negative thoughts about your own smile and appearance will depress your mood and suppress positive emotions.

Dentist vs. Orthodontist

Maybe you’ve never considered that an orthodontist could help you with your emotions. In contrast to a dentist, an orthodontist is a specialist in the realignment of teeth. The thought of braces may call to mind the embarrassing, clunky design of the past, but technology has advanced. Invisalign braces are virtually invisible since they are made of clear plastic.

Health Benefits

Other reasons to consider Invisalign are the health benefits. Crooked teeth can be difficult to floss, making them more prone to decay, not to mention that lack of flossing can affect both your oral and your heart health. As the years go by, misaligned teeth can cause other difficulties since the teeth may not meet together properly as you bite and can become damaged. Your jaw can also be adversely affected by your bite.

Confident Demeanor

Aside from the health benefits, you may simply long for a great smile. When you feel confident about your teeth, you will smile more and your mood will be lifted. Even a job interview can be affected if you’re presenting a happy, confident demeanor. Your children will gain confidence from a positive, smiling parent.

The reasons you’ve given yourself for not investing in braces just don’t apply anymore when you consider Invisalign. They are truly a revolution in the industry. Contact Gorton & Schmohl Orthodontics for more information about changing your smile and your life so that you truly have a thousand reasons to smile.

Why a Smile is More than Just a Universal Welcome 7

Why a Smile is More than Just a Universal Welcome

SQ4-Gorton-&-Schmohl-Orthodontics

It has been said throughout the ages that the eyes are windows to the soul. If they are, then your smile is the universal greeting that transcends languages and customs — as everyone can understand what a smile is, when they see one.

That is why it is important to treat your smile with the utmost care. It affects everything, from your chances of acquiring a new job to what your friends and family think of you, but most importantly it influences how you think about yourself.

Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why you should consult with your local Marin County orthodontist about beautifying your smile.

1. Your Smile Makes You Feel Better About Yourself

The process of smiling has numerous outcomes that affect how you think about yourself. The simple act of smiling releases dopamine into the brain and increases the amount of blood that flows to your brain, both of which support that fluttery feeling of feel-good happiness.

The effect of smiling goes past that. By being able and willing to smile, you’ll feel better about your own self-image. This can simply be the cure to prevent things like depression.

2. Your Smile Affects How Others See You

Smiling is considered the trait of a happy individual. People feel more open when they’re interacting with someone who smiles.

If you are in a position where you need to greet people, it gives the feeling that you are cordial and friendly to talk to. This is a great advantage for you if you are trying to do everything, from acing that job interview or to doing something like selling a used car.

3. Smiling Helps to Cheer Up Those Around You

Another popular proverb holds that smiling is contagious. While laughing is known as the best way to cheer people up, it is evident that a simple smile is the next best way to make a person happy.

This means that smiling can soothe a troubling day. A great tool to have and flaunt.

Don’t Let Your Smile Be Something You Have to Hide

Your smile is an invaluable part of both your health and your social well-being. It’s not something that you should neglect, as even orthodontic costs can be negotiated so that whatever needs your smile has, can be met.

Contact Gorton & Schmohl Orthodontics today to get in touch with a local, friendly Larkspur orthodontist.

Gorton & Schmohl Orthodontics 900 Larkspur Landing Circle, Suite 200, Larkspur, California
94939 415-459-8006