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!

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.

Reminder! Mouth guards are important!

April is National Facial Protection Month and we urge all athletes to protect their teeth whether wearing braces or not. The National Youth Sports Safety Foundation indicates more than 5,000,000 teeth are knocked out each year in organized sports or other activities.

Our Practice will provide you with a special orthodontic mouth guard while braces are in place. This type covers the braces on top and bottom to protect the lips and cheeks as well as the braces and teeth. It is more loose fitting than a regular mouth guard because the teeth are constantly moving and a form-fitted mouth guard would prevent tooth movement or would not fit from day to day unless re-made. You are much less likely to lose a tooth while in braces because they are wired together but they can still be fractured or the lips and cheeks can be lacerated by the braces or impaled on them.

Once your braces have been removed, you should ask us or your dentist for a custom mouth guard which not only protects your teeth and jaws but serves as a retainer to hold the teeth in the proper position. Then remember to wear it for all contact sports, including those played in the playground or backyard. One quick blow to the mouth can spoil a smile and a few years of braces.

Ask Dr. Bernard: Why did you become an orthodontist?

It was the middle of the dark ages. I was 13 and my mother did not like my front teeth which were spaced and sticking out a bit.

The closest orthodontist was in downtown Cleveland; an hour and a bus transfer away. He was at least 80 years old and was on the 10th floor of an inner-city high rise. He used metal rings on all my teeth, which he fitted over the teeth by “driving” them on with a mallet and chisel. I’ll never forget the chisel slipping off the band just as he swung the mallet, this puncturing the roof of my mouth.

After each appointment, I would run for the elevator which would deliver me to the drug store on the first floor. My drug of choice was a chocolate ice cream soda which temporarily relieved the tightening of the heavy, steel wires until the bus delivered me home for some Bayer aspirin.

My decision to be an orthodontist was not fostered during my treatment years. Dentistry was the furthest thing from my mind as a teen. But 15 years after my brace experience, I decided to become an orthodontist because of the young people whose lives I could positively affect with the resultant healthy, happy smile.

Ask Dr. Bernard: What makes a great patient?

All orthodontists have an image of the ideal orthodontic patient. The first quality that we look for in the initial exam is a patient that wants the treatment for a specific reason. People who have a goal of a better bite or smile generally cooperate better with the orthodontist and staff. Many patients are having treatment because it is their parents’ wishes; not theirs.

The second quality is great brushing habits and a concern about the health of their teeth and gums. Teeth do not move well when the gums are puffy and the final result never looks good; even though the teeth are straight. The teeth have white patches and are covered by fat, red gum tissue.

The next quality that makes a great patient is compliance with wearing rubber bands or removable appliances. Patients who wear rubber bands 24 hours a day get done faster with an ideal result.

Of course, a positive attitude and a pleasant demeanor makes the orthodontist day more satisfying and in turn, encourages him or her to spend more time with the patient encouraging them to continue progressing toward the final, ideal bite and smile.