Here comes the Braces Brigade!

At Cottingham Orthodontics, we know our patients want to get as much out of their treatment as possible. That includes asking a lot of questions and making sure they take care of both their appliances and oral health.

Would you like to learn more about what to expect during orthodontic treatment, from someone with firsthand experience? Well, our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) recently developed the Braces Brigade blog, where past, present, as well as future orthodontic patients from coast to coast document their (or their child’s) orthodontic journeys. Check out this week’s post from Whitney!

Our team at Cottingham Orthodontics encourages you to visit the Braces Brigade blog to read these great and informative blogs—who knows, maybe you’ll learn a thing or two! As always, don’t hesitate to give us a call at our Indianapolis or Avon office if you have any questions about the Braces Brigade or your own orthodontic treatment with Dr. Cottingham!

Dr. Karen Cottingham and team support National Orthodontic Health Month!

Happy Wednesday! October is National Orthodontic Health Month, and our staff at Cottingham Orthodontics wanted to remind our patients to be careful when they bite into their treats this Halloween season. Dr. Cottingham wants you to remember that caramels, taffy, nuts, bubble gum, popcorn kernels and suckers (among others) are some of the foods you should be avoiding while you’re wearing braces! Indulging in these foods can break your braces and lengthen your treatment time!

Of course, National Orthodontic Health Month and the Halloween season don’t have to be completely treat-less. Check out these delicious braces-friendly recipes, courtesy of our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists.

If you have any questions, please feel free to give us a call, ask us on Facebook or ask Dr. Cottingham during your next visit at our convenient offices in Indianapolis or Avon!

Dr. Cottingham wants to know: Are you wearing your mouth guard?

With fall sports under way for a lot of our patients, Dr. Cottingham thought today would be a good time to once again remind our young athletes in braces to take care of both their mouth and appliances while participating in sports this fall.

You should ALWAYS wear a mouth guard when playing sports, but especially this month. Why? September is National Childhood Injury Prevention Month. The month may almost be over, but it’s still important to bring that mouth guard whenever you’re headed to practice or to the big game this fall.

Here’s why:

More than half of the seven million sports and recreation-related injuries that occur each year are sustained by youth between ages 5 and 24. Sixty-seven percent of parents say their child does not wear a mouth guard, yet 70 percent say their biggest fear when their child plays is that they will get hurt. Despite the risks, many kids are still not wearing mouth guards and facial protection during games and practices.

Dr. Cottingham and our entire staff at Cottingham Orthodontics encourage you to head over to the American Association of Orthodontists' website for a quick primer on the importance of mouth guards and protecting your mouth.

We hope this helps you remember to always wear a mouth guard and other forms of protective gear when participating in fall sports! We encourage you to give us a call if you have any questions! Have a great rest of the week!

When should you call Cottingham Orthodontics?

Great question! Our good friends at the American Association of Orthodontists have put together a helpful list that outlines when you should call Dr. Karen Cottingham. Here are some early warning signs indicating it’s time to check in with us at either our Indianapolis or Avon office this fall:

1. Early or late loss of baby teeth
2. Difficulty of chewing or biting
3. Mouth breathing
4. Finger sucking or other oral habits
5. Crowding, misplaced or blocked-out teeth

6. Jaws that shift, make sounds, protrude or retrude
7. Speech difficulty
8. Biting the cheek or biting into the roof of the mouth
9. Protruding teeth
10. Teeth that meet in an abnormal way or don’t meet at all
11. Facial imbalance or asymmetry
12. Grinding or clenching of teeth

Do any of these warning signs fit you? If so, give us a call as soon as possible! Have a wonderful and relaxing Labor Day weekend!!