The Braces Brigade - be a part of it this summer! From Dr. Scott

Calling all past and current patients of Dr. Scott's! Have you ever thought about sharing your experience in braces in writing, then we've got the perfect opportunity for you! This summer, the American Association of Orthodontists is proud to offer its first annual Braces Brigade campaign, where you can blog about your experience in orthodontic treatment with millions of people and come away with a $100 American Express gift card!

To complete your Braces Brigade application, you'll need to provide the AAO with your:

* Name
* Age – Must be 14 years of age or older
* E-mail
* Phone number
* Stage of orthodontic treatment
* A photo of your braces/smile
* A sample blog post – picture yourself as a member of Braces Brigade and show off your writing skills! (100-word minimum)

In your blog, you may answer questions such as:

• Why did you decide to get orthodontic treatment at Scott Orthodontic Associates?
• What advice would you share with other orthodontic patients?
• What does it feel like to get braces on?
• What foods do you miss the most?
• What new foods have you discovered?
• Do your friends have braces or retainers?
• Where is the first place you’re going to show off your new, beautiful smile?
• How has your new smile changed your life?

All applicants must either be an orthodontic patient at Scott Orthodontic Associates or the parent of a patient (pre- and post- treatment stages are fine). If you happen to be under 18, your parents must fill out a consent form along with your official entry, giving you permission to enter the contest.

We encourage you to apply for the Braces Brigade today! GOOD LUCK and have a GREAT weekend!

Ask Dr. Scott: How do I know when I have an emergency?

Dr. Gregory Scott will tell you true orthodontic emergencies are very rare, but they do occur - especially during the summer when patients are out and about more frequently. When they do happen, we want you to know our dedicated staff at Scott Orthodontic Associates are always available to you. As a general rule, you should call our office when you experience severe pain or when you have a painful appliance problem that you can't take care of yourself. We'll be able to schedule an appointment to resolve the problem.

Here are some early warning signs indicating it’s time to check in with Dr. Scott and staff:

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, please give us a call as soon as possible! We hope you're having a GREAT summer so far!

Ask Dr. Scott: How, exactly, does Invisalign work? [Video]

Perhaps you've wondered recently how Dr. Gregory Scott's use of Invisalign treatment at our convenient Lakeland office manages to straighten teeth without using traditional metallic braces at all? The Invisalign system is a state-of-the-art system of clear, removable aligners that we proudly offer at Scott Orthodontic Associates.

We also have plenty of resources on our website to check out about Invisalign, or give our office a call at (863) 709-1941 to learn if this revolutionary new treatment option is right for you!

Have a GREAT Fourth of July weekend!

Dr. Scott and Scott Orthodontic Associates, easing your child's fear of the dentist (and orthodontist)

Lakeland orthodontist Dr. Gregory Scott knows that many children have fear when it comes to visiting the dentist or orthodontist. Our staff at Scott Orthodontic Associates found a great article on how to help kids overcome fears of the dentist, courtesy of our friends at WebMD.

Making your child feel comfortable when they visit our office is a priority for us, and our team excels at making children feel comfortable during their treatment. Dr. Scott and our highly trained staff are committed to providing you with the best orthodontic experience in a friendly, fun, and high-tech atmosphere. In fact, most of our patients look forward to their next visit!

Are regular checkups important? You bet.

Have you been brushing your teeth twice a day during your treatment? You have? That’s awesome. But, don’t forget that it’s also important for you to visit your dentist every six months in addition to your treatments here at Scott Orthodontic Associates. Brushing your teeth a couple times a day is vital to maintaining good oral health as well.

The advantage of seeing your dentist regularly is that they 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 an oral exam, dentists are able to check the health of your mouth, teeth, gums, cheeks and tongue. Regular checkups will also include a thorough teeth cleaning and polishing.

And, as always, if you have any questions about your treatment with Lakeland orthodontist Dr. Gregory Scott, feel free to give us a call at (863) 808-0126 or visit our web site.

Scott Orthodontic Associates want to know: what are your summer plans?

As the school year wraps up for a lot of our patients at Scott Orthodontic Associates, the days get longer and the sun begins to heat up in Lakeland and surrounding Polk County, there’s no better way to beat the heat than jump into a pool or cool off under the shade with a nice beverage (non-sugary, of course). For most of our patients, the summer brings a chance to get away from it all and escape everyday life, if only for a week or two (or three). For others, it means a season of relaxation and relief from homework and studying.

How about you?

What are your summer plans? Do you have any interesting plans for a summer vacation? Does your family have a reunion planned? Our staff would be interested in how you are all spending your summer vacations. If you’re going somewhere exotic, let us know! If you're going camping, we'd like to hear about it! Even if you're staying at home here in Lakeland, let us know!

Please feel free to share your summer plans on our Facebook page as the summer rolls on!

Dr. Scott and team, supporting National Smile Month!

At Scott Orthodontic Associates, we can't believe it's already June! As it turns out, today is a great day for Dr. Scott and team to remind our patients that June is National Smile Month, which means it's not a bad time to get serious about practicing good oral hygiene between your visits to our office.

Here are a few simple steps you can take to improve your oral health so that you may celebrate National Smile Month for many, many years:

* Brush at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste. Here's a helpful video showing you how to brush with your braces on.
* Floss everyday to clean between your teeth.
* Reduce your intake of sugary foods and drinks during your orthodontic treatment.
* Visit your dentist regularly (usually every six months apart) in addition to visiting Dr. Scott.

We hope these tips help! We hope you have yourself a great rest of the week!