Braces without Embarrassment

Adults who need orthodontic care often share the misconception that they are too old for braces and would rather not deal with the embarrassment. You are probably familiar with horror stories about rubber bands snapping, mishaps with kissing, and unsightly food sticking in metal braces. Many adults believe that braces are just for children, but they are neglecting all the benefits of correcting misaligned teeth. Braces may cause you to feel self-conscious, but they are temporary. Along with straightening your teeth, braces also provide the following benefits:

• Better oral hygiene
• Easier to clean aligned teeth
• Less complicated dental procedures
• Eliminate the embarrassment of crooked teeth

One common reason for not correcting misaligned teeth is the appearance of metal braces. Adults do not want to face co-workers and friends with colored rubber bands and metal laced throughout their mouths. The expert healthcare professionals at SingHealth suggest several alternatives that are just as effective as metal braces. You have three options for correcting your misaligned teeth without the embarrassment, and they include:

• Ceramic braces
• Lingual braces
• Invisalign®

Ceramic braces are like metal ones except that they match the natural color of your teeth. This option is less noticeable and will usually not show up in photographs. Lingual braces are attached to your back teeth only, so no one will know that you have a corrective device. Invisalign consists of clear plastic coverings that you can remove for eating and teeth brushing. All of these options lead to a more attractive smile that you do not have to feel embarrassed about.

If you do choose metal braces to correct your teeth, you should consider the following suggestions for limiting embarrassing moments. The rubber bands holding the brackets in place come in silver, which will draw less attention to your mouth. Changing the removable rubber bands on a regular basis will help prevent the material from wearing down and snapping. If you chew with your back molars and cut your food into manageable bites, you are less likely to get particles stuck in your braces. Following our treatment advice and instructions will limit the time you have to wear corrective devices. Focus on the end result of straighter teeth whenever you feel particularly self-conscious about your braces.

How did you celebrate your 4th of July?

In Honor of America's birthday, we'd like to hear about how you spent The 4th of July. We'd love to see your fun photos and how you spent the day. Our team thought it would be fun to share some facts about the history of our 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.

Making Your Life Better with Orthodontics

The number one goal of orthodontic treatment is to give you or your child a good bite, meaning straight teeth that work well with the teeth in the opposite jaw. A good bite makes it easier for you to eat, chew and speak. It can enhance your dental health and your overall health, and may well improve your self-esteem. As a part of your comprehensive dental health care plan, orthodontic treatment can help you retain your teeth—and your smile—for a lifetime.

Let your smile express yourself! Nothing can show the world how happy you are quite like a beautiful smile. In fact, it’s one of the first things others notice about you, too. With orthodontics, you can be proud to flash your smile, because you’ll know that your smile truly represents your positive attitude.

Make your mouth healthy! Straight teeth aren’t just pretty, they’re healthy as well. Teeth that are properly aligned are easier to clean, reducing the amount of plaque buildup and risk for gingivitis. The cleaner you keep your teeth, the longer they’ll last!

Feel free to live your life! Orthodontics is easier today than ever before, with treatment options that fit your lifestyle and schedule. We can personalize your treatment to suit all of your needs!

Love your or your child's new smile? Tell us about it!

At Cottingham Orthodontics, we are dedicated to helping you achieve a healthy beautiful smile that gives you the comfort and confidence you deserve! Dr. Karen Cottingham and our staff are committed to making your orthodontic experience a positive one.

Whether you've visited our Indianapolis or Avon offices for a week, months or even years, we'd love to hear your feedback about how our office is faring! There are lots of ways you can share your thoughts about our practice with the rest of the world, but we encourage you to head to our Google Places page and write a review there.

If you wish, you may also review Dr. Cottingham and team on our Yelp page.

Thank you in advance, and we hope you had a wonderful weekend! We look forward to reading your reviews!

Ask Dr. Cottingham: When should my child come in for a consultation?

Great question! Dr. Karen Cottingham and our staff know that sometimes, parents assume they must wait until their child has all of his or her permanent teeth to visit Cottingham Orthodontics for a complimentary consultation, only to discover treatment would have been much easier if started sooner. In fact, our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists recommend that every child has an orthodontic check-up no later than age seven.

You’re probably thinking: “Ok, so what’s so great about age seven? Enough permanent teeth have arrived for Dr. Cottingham to make a determination about whether there are any problems. At that age, the first molars have come in, providing an opportunity for Dr. Cottingham to check for malocclusion, or what we call “bad bite.”

Orthodontic evaluation at an early age provides one of two positive outcomes for people: For some, early identification or problems will lead to easier or shorter orthodontic treatment in the future, as well as fewer expenses. For others, a healthy prognosis provides people a peace of mind.

We want to assure you that Dr. Cottingham gives very realistic evaluations at that age, and in fact, most cases can wait. At our office, parents will always get a fair evaluation and only the most necessary of cases will require treatment.

If your child is nearing his or her seventh birthday, we encourage you to visit our office for a consultation. Please give us a call at our convenient offices in Indianapolis or Avon to schedule an appointment.

How important is your smile? From Cottingham Orthodontics

At Cottingham Orthodontics, we strive to give you and your family the total orthodontic experience you expect, with the amazing smiles you deserve!
And speaking of smiling, in a poll conducted by Glamour Magazine earlier this year, people were asked, “If you had to pick between having perfect teeth, eyesight or hair, which would you choose?”

Well, 44 percent of folks out there chose teeth! In addition, the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, or AACD, conducted a study and found that 99.7 percent of those polled believed a smile is an important social asset. Respondents said straightness, whiteness, cleanliness, as well as the sincerity and sparkle of one’s smile were all important factors not only socially, but career-wise as well.

Please contact Cottingham Orthodontics at (317) 299-0576 and schedule your complimentary initial consultation. We look forward to working with you, your family, and all of your wonderful smiles!

20 things that can ruin your smile, from Cottingham Orthodontics

At Cottingham Orthodontics, we know your smile is important. And we know you want to keep it sparkling and looking its very best during your orthodontic treatment. Recently, we came across an article that suggests at least 20 things that can ruin that perfect smile you havhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gife.

These include:

- Sports drinks
- Tobacco
- Coffee
- Soft drinks
- Citrus and acidic foods

Dr. Cottingham and our team encourage you to read the rest of the article and ask us here on our blog or during your next visit to our convenient Indianapolis or Avon office. For more tips or for general questions about your ongoing dental treatment, we invite you to ask us during your next visit! We also invite you to ask us on Facebook!

"Celebration of Caring" Fundraising Gala

Last Friday, Dr. Cottingham attended the Peyton Manning Children's Hospital at St.Vincent "Celebration of Caring" Fundraising Gala on March 4th. In its fourth year, the event helped benefit programs and services at Peyton Manning's Children's Hospital at St. Vincent here in Indianapolis.

Check out more photos from the event on Dr. Cottingham's official Facebook page!

A season of thanks

Dr. Cottingham and all of us at Cottingham Orthodontics extend our best wishes to you, our patients and referring doctors, for a wonderful Thanksgiving.

We appreciate the opportunity to work together with you in the creation of your ideal smile. We'd like to know, what are you most thankful for this year? Leave us a comment, or if you have any photos or stories to share with us, we encourage you to post them on our Facebook page.

Happy Thanksgiving

What are happy patients saying about Cottingham Orthodontics lately?

At Cottingham Orthodontics, we are always happy to receive testimonials and feedback from past and current patients who are in love with their smiles! Check out what some of them are saying about our office!

“I love her staff, especially the ladies at the front desk.” ~ Michelle W.

“Dr. Cottingham is very nice, and always complements my braces!” ~ Nuri M.

“Her personality.” ~ Daniel G.

“Everything is very convenient and the staff is so professional.” ~ Sebastian H.

“I feel the office is helping me like I am a human, not just a number.” ~ Julie E.

“Her great personality & the way she works with the children.” ~ James K.

“Dr. Cottingham is simply awesome and she has such a friendly, professional and very knowledgeable staff assisting her!! I have always experienced great service.” ~ Randy R.

If you’re IN LOVE with your smile, we want to hear from you! Please send us your feedback about your experience on our Google Places page or on our Facebook page! Your generous testimonials help us build more beautiful smiles in Indianapolis, Avon and surrounding communities!

Lastly, our Evening with the Stars gala was a big success that raised $385,000! One lucky fan went home with a package that includes dinner for 8 with Dallas Clark and his wife, Karen. Dr. Cottingham and her husband, Gene, enjoyed the event with four of her referring dentists and their spouses. For photos from the gala, head to our Facebook page!

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!

What's going on at Cottingham Orthodontics?

This week, Dr. Karen Cottingham and our team thought we'd give you a quick update about our office! Most schools started recently here in Indiana, and our staff delivered baskets of travel-sized hand sanitizers to area school teachers to promote good health and hygiene.

And, football season is right around the corner (Sunday, as a matter of fact). As always, we will be cheering on the Colts this season, and this week, as the Colts open their regular season on the road against division opponent Houston. Look for our staff to wear our Colts jerseys in support of the team. We wear them on Thursdays, unless the team is playing on Monday. Go Colts!!!

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!!

Dr. Cottingham wants to know: Do you know where your retainer is?

If you’ve recently completed treatment at Cottingham Orthodontics, we’d like to congratulate you again! Now that your braces have been removed, Dr. Karen Cottingham will provide—or has provided you—with retainers. After your braces come off, teeth can shift out of position if they are not stabilized. Retainers, however, 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. Cottingham is the best insurance that the treatment improvements last for a lifetime. Here are a few things to remember when you receive your retainers:

* Wear your retainers full time, until Dr. Cottingham instructs otherwise. Wearing your retainers at night ensures that your pearly whites won’t relapse.

* Take your retainers out when eating...and always put retainers in their case! (Most appliances are lost in school lunch rooms or restaurants.)

* Clean retainers thoroughly once a day with a toothbrush and only a small amount of toothpaste. Use warm but not hot water.

* When retainers are not in your mouth they should ALWAYS be in a retainer case.

* Retainers are breakable, so treat them with care. If retainers are lost or broken, give us a call immediately.

* Remove retainers when swimming or during any sporting activity in which the retainers could fall out and get broken or lost (cheerleading, basketball, etc.) or when you should be wearing a mouth guard (football, soccer, etc.).

We hope this helps! You can always give us a call if you have any questions!

August featured patient reviews for Dr. Cottingham!

Dr. Karen Cottingham recently received a few nice reviews from past patients, and thought we thought we'd share them today! We are always happy to receive testimonials from our patients who are in love with their smile! Have a great weekend everyone!

“Dr. Cottingham was very sweet and wanted to help with every problem I had. The staff is wonderful and made sure I was comfortable the whole time.”

"Everyone at the office is very nice and easy to talk to."

"Always on time."

“Dr. Cottingham is great, the best in the business! Very easy to work with and quick to get you in. They have payment plans … and are very professional and understanding with everything they do! They have two offices and are a sure bet for anyone living on the Westside!”

Thanks for writing in! If you'd like to be featured in September, please send us your feedback about your experience at Cottingham Orthodontics! Or, feel free to post your reviews on our Google Places page or on Yelp!

The importance of regular checkups, from Dr. Cottingham

Our staff at Cottingham Orthodontics want to know: Are you brushing your teeth twice a day during your orthodontic treatment? If yes, that’s what we want to hear! But, don’t forget that it’s also important for you to visit your general dentist every six months in addition to brushing your teeth and flossing (and visiting our office, of course). An oral checkup is vital for maintaining good oral health for kids with and without braces.

Your general dentist can check for problems that might not be seen or felt, detect cavities and early signs of decay, treat oral health problems early and show you how to properly brush and floss your teeth during your treatment.

During an oral exam, the dentist can check the health of your mouth, teeth, gums, cheeks and tongue. Checkups will also include a thorough teeth cleaning and polishing. If you have not been to the dentist in the last six months, let Dr. Cottingham or one of our staff members know during your next visit with us, and we will provide a few great references in the greater Indianapolis area!

Summer plans?

Summer is only halfway through, which means another seven weeks of vacations, adventures and great memories are ahead of us. Whether you’re headed to a barbecue, a camping trip, hitting the open road with family, watching the Colts practice or just having fun in the sun, Dr. Karen Cottingham and our staff want to hear all about it! We encourage you to leave a comment on our Facebook fan page and tell us about your summer adventures!

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

Happy (and safe) travels,

The Cottingham Orthodontics team

Ask Dr. Cottingham: When should my child come in for a consultation?

Indianapolis orthodontist Dr. Karen Cottingham and our staff know that sometimes, parents assume they must wait until their child has all of his or her permanent teeth to visit Cottingham Orthodontics for a complimentary consultation, only to discover treatment would have been much easier if started sooner. In fact, our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists recommend that every child has an orthodontic check-up no later than age seven.

You’re probably thinking: “Ok, so what’s so great about age seven? Enough permanent teeth have arrived for Dr. Cottingham to make a determination about whether there are any problems. At that age, the first molars have come in, providing an opportunity for Dr. Cottingham to check for malocclusion, or what we call “bad bite.”

Orthodontic evaluation at an early age provides one of two positive outcomes for people: For some, early identification or problems will lead to easier or shorter orthodontic treatment in the future, as well as fewer expenses. For others, a healthy prognosis provides people a peace of mind.

We want to assure you that Dr. Cottingham gives very realistic evaluations at that age, and in fact, most cases can wait. At our office, parents will always get a fair evaluation and only the most necessary of cases will require treatment.

If your child is nearing his or her seventh birthday, we encourage you to visit our office for a consultation. Please give us a call at our convenient offices in Indianapolis or Avon to schedule an appointment.

At Cottingham Orthodontics, 24/7 access to your account

Access to your account, any time you’d like. Sounds simple, nice and convenient, doesn’t it?

Patients at Cottingham Orthodontics enjoy access to their account 24 hours a day, seven days a week—all through our website. You can look up your appointment times 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! Take a look at what some of our patients are saying about this service:

"I love the option for the text and email reminders for appts. Other doctors just call home phone number to remind you of appts."

"I am able to better keep track of my appointments and review (if needed) information pertaining to my visits."

"Making payments online is much easier. Especially when using my health savings account."

"I do not have this function available with my other healthcare providers."

"This is a big difference because in order to get information from other healthcare offices, you have to call and usually leave a message with the inevitable "phone-tag" that follows. Sesame offers information in one convenient place."

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