More than a day off from school

In the 1950s and ’60s, civil rights champion Martin Luther King, Jr. recognized the need to bring about social justice, strengthen America’s communities and move the nation forward. This weekend, tens of thousands of people of all ages and races will spend their time building, giving and renovating our communities to help celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend. Do you have the day off on Monday? If so, what do you plan to do to help your local community?

We’d love to know about your activities and events this MLK Jr. Day. If you have any video or pictures you’d like to share, please pass them along! If you’re not sure how, give us a call!

Drs. Bernard & Eimer and our entire team are proud of your work in our community!

What is your New Year's Resolution?

The year is almost over, so our staff at Bernard & Eimer Orthodontics thought we’d ask: what was memorable about 2010 for you, and what are you most looking forward to in 2011? Do you have a new year's resolution, or any exciting plans for the coming year?

Have a safe and happy New Year, to all our patients, friends, family and all our dental and medical colleagues.

When to stop, from Bernard and Eimer Orthodontics

Most young children keep something in their mouth to soothe or comfort them. After breast feeding and the bottle, that something is usually a “pacifier”. There are even “orthodontic pacifiers” with a shape which is supposed to help in proper upper arch formation although this has never been proven.

The problem with a pacifier is that it will cause an openbite or prevent the upper and lower teeth from coming in contact which effects chewing and speech and can develop poor and harmful tongue posture. To prevent this condition permanently, the pacifier should be stopped at 18 months.

My daughter had a 5 mm openbite (measured from upper to lower front teeth) from her pacifier or “binky” at 22 months. The solution was to take it away and hide it! After one week of withdrawal (crying, restlessness), the habit was broken and after two weeks, the front teeth were touching!

Of course, a finger or thumb habit is harder to stop because you can’t take it away like a pacifier. More later on when to stop that harmful habit.

School is in session! (And we helped it get started)

For the third year, our practice traveled to a local school to help an art teacher get her room ready for the incoming students. This year, we chose the classroom of Heather Boxler, the art teacher at Lake Middle School.

Three of our staff; Lyn Common, Judi Hegarty and Grace Margaritakis worked with Mrs. Boxler to get the classroom ready. We also gave her a $400 gift card to Pat Catan’s to purchase more art supplies for some of her projects this school year.

The young art teacher was excited to have the help from our practice; especially since she had her braces with us as a teenager some years ago! She hopes to do an “orthodontic art project” sometime during the year.

Drs. Bernard and Eimer will be involved by giving Mrs. Boxler some orthodontic objects from the practice and some of our clinical staff will donate some of their time to help with the project. We will keep you posted as we learn more about this wonderful art teach, Heather Boxler!

Bernard & Eimer Orthodontics staff fun day!

Drs. Bernard, Eimer and staff had a fun day on October 12th! It was a scavenger hunt. The Drs. and staff were divided up into 3 teams - each doctor was a group driver and the third driver was staff member Anita. The scavenger hunt consisted of 17 clues. Each team was given a drawstring bag that included a pen, $3.00 and the clue sheet. They all had to wear a Drs. Bernard & Eimer t-shirt or hoodie and have at least one camera phone to take photos of the staff with a particular clue.

Everything was located in the North Canton area and the teams ended up at Washington Square for either Handels ice cream or Starbucks. Dr. Bernard's team came in first place, it consisted of Judi, Linda, Kriss and Grace. The second place team consisted of Terri, Angel, Renee and Anita. Third, and final place went to Dr. Eimer's team, which consisted of Colleen, Janet and Lyn. Rhonda and Kelly did not participate, they planned the fun day! Congrats to all of the teams everyone had fun!

For more photos, please head to our Facebook page!

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.

Congratulations, Tori!

Our final Pizza Party contest of this school year was won by TORI RICKETS, of Faircrest Middle School. Our Clinical Supervisor, Terri Cool (also from the Canton South area) brought Tori, her teacher Mrs. Pedone, and her classmates some pizza, cookies, and drinks.

The Pizza party will continue next school year. Make sure to look for it after summer ends. Enjoy your summer break!

Drs. Bernard & Eimer want to know: What are your summer plans?

Drs. Bernard, Eimer and staff would like to know: what your plans are for summer? Do you have any interesting plans for an exciting summer vacation or a great new camp for your favorite sport? Does your family have a vacation or family reunion planned that is a tradition? Please feel free to share your summer plans and experiences with us here or on our Facebook page! We would like to wish all of the families in our practice a safe and fun summer!

Tell us about your experience at Bernard & Eimer Orthodontics!

Bernard & Eimer Orthodontics are orthodontic specialists or dentists with many years of University training in growth and development and tooth movement. Braces is all we do! We have a friendly, caring staff and a modern and comfortable facility in North Canton.

Whether you have visited Drs. Bernard or Eimer for a week, months or years, we’d love to hear your feedback about your experience with our doctors and staff! Now with the Internet, it’s even easier to write your thoughts and share them with the world. We'd want to encourage you to write a review of us on our Google local listing. It only takes a moment!

You may write a review here.

Thank you in advance and have a great week everyone!

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!