This Season’s Quote, from Bernard & Eimer Orthodontics

A smile is nature’s best antidote for discouragement. It brings rest to the weary, sunshine to those who are frowning, and hope to those who are hopeless and defeated. A smile is so valuable that it can’t be bought, begged, borrowed, or taken away against your will. You have to be willing to give a smile away before it can do anyone else any good. So if someone is too tired or grumpy to flash you a smile, let him have one of yours anyway. Nobody needs a smile as much as the person who has none to give.

~Anonymous

Dr. Bernard at the Schulman Study Group meeting in St. Louis!

This weekend, Dr. Michael Bernard, Lyn and Kelly are in St. Louis for the annual Schulman Study Group meeting. Drs. Bernard and Eimer are both members of The Schulman Study Group (SSG), a nationally-recognized association of prominent—among the top 1 percent—orthodontic practices, and is comprised of 125 orthodontic practices in the U.S. and Canada.

The Schulman Study Group meeting is a time for Dr. Bernard to consult with some of the top orthodontists and stay up-to-date on all the latest technologies and orthodontic treatment options available. This, of course, allows our staff at Bernard and Eimer Orthodontics to give you, our phenomenal patients, the best treatment experience possible.

Happy Friday and enjoy the weekend! :)

National Smile Week at Bernard & Eimer Orthodontics!

It’s National Smile Week, and a GREAT time to remind our patients at Bernard and Eimer Orthodontics to practice good oral hygiene to keep those teeth shining during your orthodontic treatment! This includes brushing and flossing regularly, avoiding foods that can stain your teeth such as tea and coffee (and many others) and visiting your general dentist on a regular basis.

And remember to smile at people you come across throughout the week, whether you know them or not. Smiles are contagious, and are a good thing to give and to get. In addition, smiling can actually help you live longer, according to a recent study! We hope you're having a relaxing and wonderful summer!

From the Bernard and Eimer Orthodontics staff

Patient survey!

We had a great outreach from our moms that helped with our patient phone survey. We would like to give all of them a standing ovation for all the time and efforts put into this project. A wonderful job done by all of them!!

KELLY HARTER
LYNN VERNIER
PAULA TREFF
CATHLEEN TURNER
DENISE ICKES
STACY BAKER
TIFFANI BROCK
SUSAN DI PIETRO
YVETTE BLANDFORD
JILL BUSKEN
JILL CHENOWITH
SUSAN HAMMOND
LINDA JARKA

We are still putting together all the information from the surveys and will discuss it in a future article. We just wanted to share some of your great comments: “kid friendly, excellent service, completely satisfied, appreciates the friendly staff and well organized.”

Thank you for all of your kind words! Have a GREAT weekend everyone!

Dr. Bernard's Q&A with Bizymoms.com

Dr. Michael Bernard was recently interviewed by Bizymoms.com and answered some of the common questions Bizymoms visitors have about braces and orthodontic treatment. Check out what Dr. Bernard had to say!

Q. Can one be too old for braces?

A. We see patients of all ages! I have examined children as young as 6 months old and we have treated 5 year old children with braces who had a severe functional problem. The oldest patient I have treated is 72, but we can treat anyone who has sound dental health. No patient is too old for tooth movement as long as their dental health is good enough to accept the minimum force necessary for movement.

Q. How much do braces cost?

A. Braces cost from $300 for simple passive arches to over $6000 for comprehensive adult treatment. Adult treatment is more difficult than child treatment, so the cost is from $500 to $1000 more. The average full treatment fee for a child is between $5000 and $6000 and the adult treatment is between $6200 and $6800.

Q. When will one begin to see changes in his/her teeth after the braces are put on?

A. Depending on the severity of the malocclusion, changes can be seen in one day to 3 days. The initial wires are very gentle and work over a long period of time, so adjustments only have to be made every 8 weeks.

Q. Will one need to have teeth extracted for braces?

A. Only about 10 to 20% of children will need to have permanent teeth extracted. These would be children who had front teeth that were very protruding or teeth that were extremely crowded. You can only move crooked teeth within the limits of the jaw bone. If moved to far off the bone, gum problems could result or the teeth would get crooked again when the retainers were not worn. Adults have to have teeth removed more often because they have no growth left and the bone is more rigid and difficult to move teeth in.

Q. How long will it take to complete the treatment?

A. Minor treatment can be accomplished in 6 months. Most full orthodontic treatment takes from 12 to 24 months to complete. This treatment requires about 12 to 18 visits to the orthodontist for adjustments and wire changes. We then follow all patients for 12 months with retainers to make sure the teeth remain in the proper alignment. This requires 2 to 3 visits and then the patients are not scheduled to return but are encouraged to call if they are having trouble with their retainer. We tell all patients that teeth can move all throughout life, so they should wear their retainers as long as possible even though we do not need to see them back in our office unless they have a problem.

Q. Can a person wear braces even though that person may have crowns and missing teeth?

A. A person can wear braces with crowns and missing teeth. These are usually adult patients and we can place brackets on porcelein, metal, or plastic crowns or fillings. We can sometimes use baby teeth in kids who have missing teeth and they will move with braces just like permanent teeth. We can also move other teeth into the missing tooth space to correct crowding or protruding teeth or move teeth into an ideal alignment for future dental implants.

Q. How can I prevent my child from being embarrassed by wearing braces?

A. Very few children are embarrassed by braces because all of their friends have them. In fact, most kids from 8 to 12 want braces! Some kids that are going into high school can be embarrassed by needing to wear braces but they are usually more embarrassed by having crooked teeth in a society that features an ideal smile and they are motivated to achieve that perfect bite and smile. Many of our adult patients say: "I only wish my parents would have made me wear braces when I was in middle school," and all those who had braces concur that it was one of the best things their parents did for them as a child.

Q. How to contact Dr. Bernard if we have further questions?

A. You may call our office or email him at mbernard1@neo.rr.com.

Where to?

Many of our patients plan on traveling this summer. Here is where some are going:

Savannah Strouse is going to West Palm Beach
Coty Rosier Lemon is going to North Carolina
Lauren Massolini is going to the Outer Banks
...so is Halle Gates-Duncan
Jenessa Woodrich is going to Rhode Island
Jaclyn Anderson is going to Mexico
Molly Anderson is also going to Mexico
Ryan Slivka is going to Myrtle Beach
Madison Schaff is going to Yellowstone
Stephen Mottice is going to Ocean City
Tess Hamilton is going to North Carolina
...so is Stacy Dorsey
Caitlin Hopkins is going to California ...so is Jenna Hopkins
Joshua Conant is going to Myrtle Beach
Quinn Blackledge is going to camp in Pennsylvania
Kelsey Simpson is going to Myrtle Beach
...so is Megan Moody
Courtney Justice is going on a mission trip
Chase Lash is going to Fort Myers
...so is John Barnett
Elisha Cavella is going to Dayton, FL
Emily Janowski is going to Tennessee
Brooke Hinchcliff is going camping with Branch
Alexa Baker and Christian Baker are headed to Virginia Beach
...and Trey and Jacob Belzer are headed to Colorado

Happy and safe travels everybody! From our entire team at Bernard & Eimer Orthodontics!

Bernard & Eimer Orthodontics featured on FOX 8 News!

In February, Bernard and Eimer Orthodontics were featured on FOX 8 News for their involvement with the Smile for a Lifetime Foundation, a charitable non-profit organization that provides orthodontic treatment to people who may not otherwise have the opportunity to acquire assistance.

Drs. Bernard and Eimer, as well as our entire team, are proud to work with such an outstanding organization and give back to our Canton community. Giving kids a beautiful smile and confidence doesn't hurt, either!

To become a candidate for the Smile for a Lifetime Foundation at Bernard & Eimer Orthodontics, interested families must be at or below poverty level and must complete a one-page application for their child or candidate. Local Smile for a Lifetime Foundation applications can be picked up at school guidance offices, Stark County YMCA branches, or downloaded online from our website. Or, you may give us a call!

Happy Tuesday!

Mercy Hospital dentists visit Bernard & Eimer Orthodontics!

In April, four of the five dental residents from Mercy Hospital spent an afternoon at Bernard & Eimer Orthodontics to learn principles of orthodontic diagnosis. Nine patients were scheduled who were in observation prior to braces and Dr. Bernard and the four young dentists evaluated the patients for current and future orthodontic needs.

The General Practice Residency at Mercy Hospital is a year long program for dentists who want additional training in all phases of dentistry. They also rotate through some of the medical fields like anesthesia, surgery and emergency medicine. Some of the residents will stay for a second year, some will go into private general practice and some may apply to specialty programs that they become interested in during their residency at Mercy.

Dr. Bernard is the teaching orthodontist on the staff at Mercy Hospital and spends one afternoon each month lecturing the residents at Mercy or working with them in our office. Dr. Bernard became interested in orthodontics when he was a resident at Montefiore Hospital in Pittsburgh and it is his hope that he can return the favor for one of these bright, young dentists.