Dr. Bernard and team want to know: What should we blog about?

At Bernard & Eimer Orthodontics, we strive to write about important topics related to braces, your treatment and your overall health on a weekly basis.

To help us continue blogging through the spring, we need your help: What would you like us to focus on our blog? Perhaps there’s something you’ve wanted to ask Drs. Bernard or Eimer for a while and just haven't found the opportunity? Give us your ideas by posting here or on our Facebook page!

We hope you have a great rest of your Easter weekend and a great upcoming week!

Ask Drs. Bernard & Eimer: What's the deal with retainers?

If you recently completed treatment at Bernard & Eimer Orthodontics, we’d like to congratulate you! Now that your braces have been removed, Drs. Bernard or Eimer will provide—or have provided you—with retainers. After braces are removed, teeth can shift out of position if they are not stabilized. Retainers, however, provide the stabilization needed. 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 Drs. Bernard or Eimer is the best insurance that the treatment improvements last for a lifetime. Here are some things to remember when you receive your retainers:

* Wear your retainers full time, until Drs. Bernard or Eimer instruct 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 contact our team by calling (330) 494-4310 if you have any questions!

Our vision at Bernard & Eimer Orthodontics

At Bernard & Eimer Orthodontics, we are a practice of enthusiastic, highly trained individuals using the latest technology and orthodontic techniques creating spectacular smiles in a compassionate and caring atmosphere.

Growth is assured through positive change and efficient practice management. Exceptional communication with our families and the community establishes us as the finest practice in the area.

We have a friendly, caring staff and a modern and comfortable facility in North Canton. We feature clear braces and removable aligners along with digital imaging and advanced computer graphics.

Your initial consultation is FREE! This includes a complimentary x-ray and digital photos. All observation visits prior to treatment are also at NO CHARGE so you can bring your child at age 7 and not be charged until treatment is necessary.

Give us a call and let us help you get started on the road to a beautiful, dazzling smile!

April is National Facial Protection Month!

With spring here, many of our patients at Bernard & Eimer Orthodontics will once again pick up the ball, bring the bat out of seasonal retirement, and lace up their cleats to hit the fields for the return of spring sports! April is National Facial Protection Month, and during this time, Drs. Bernard & Eimer both urge our young athletes to play it safe when out on the field. According to the National Youth Sports Safety Foundation, children, high-school athletes and adults will have more than 5,000,000 teeth knocked out in sporting events this year.

Here are a few ways to ensure your mouth’s safety this spring, courtesy of our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists:

1. Wear mouth guards for contact sports such as baseball, softball, soccer and lacrosse.
2. Wear a helmet
3. Wear protective eyewear
4. Wear a face shield to avoid scratched or bruised skin
5. Be alert, even as a spectator

We hope that helps. Protective gear is vital for anyone engaging in tooth or mouth-threatening activities. If you have any further questions about any of these tips, please contact our office). Stay safe and have fun!

Our 20th Annual Theatre Party

Because we appreciate our patient families, for the twentieth year, the practice of Drs. Bernard and Eimer held a Theatre Party on the Sunday before President’s day. We send each patient two tickets for a day at the movies at the famed Palace Theatre in downtown Canton.

The patients can use the extra ticket to bring a friend and often parents have been known to get into the party; even without a ticket.

The ticket entitles the patient and a guest to a recent movie, a soft drink, and a box of popcorn. It’s the one day our practice allows the patients to enjoy popcorn although we keep our fingers crossed that no one bites on an un-popped kernel and damages their braces.

This year we showed the movie: “Despicable Me” and had over 300 patients and family members enjoy the event. Before the movie, the giant organ rises up and serenades the attendees for 15 minutes and then descends back into the pit in front of the stage. In past years, we have had over 1000 in attendance although the winter weather sometimes holds the crowd down.

We hope our patients realize that we appreciate their loyalty to our practice and this party is our way of saying “thank you” to the families that have chosen us to provide their orthodontic treatment.

Get to know your braces!

Should you need to call Bernard & Eimer Orthodontics in case you sustain any damage to your braces, we can help you more effectively if you can tell us exactly which piece is in trouble! Here’s a handy diagram and corresponding list of all the parts that make up your braces.



Elastic Tie: Tiny rubber band that fits around the bracket to hold the archwire in place.

Archwire: The main wire that acts as a track to guide the teeth along. It's changed periodically throughout treatment, as teeth move to their new positions.

Loop in Archwire: Frequently used for closing space left by an extraction. Many archwires don't have a loop.

Bracket: Small attachment that holds the archwire in place. Most often, a bracket is cemented directly onto the tooth's surface, eliminating the need for a band.

Headgear Tube: Round, hollow attachment on the back bands. The inner bow of the headgear fits into it.

Coil Spring: Fits between brackets and over archwire to open space between teeth.

Tie Wire: Fine wire that is twisted around the bracket to hold the archwire in place.

Band: A thin ring of metal fitted around a tooth and cemented in place. The band provides a way to attach the brackets to the tooth.

Hook: Welded or removable arm to which elastics (rubber bands) are attached.

Elastic (Rubber Band): Small rubber band that is hooked between different points on the appliance to provide pressure to move the teeth.

Hope this helps! Give us a call if you have any questions!

--Drs. Bernard & Eimer and team

How will YOUR smile look after orthodontic treatment?

At Bernard & Eimer Orthodontics, we know it's sometimes hard to believe the transformation your smile undergoes during orthodontic treatment. Drs. Bernard & Eimer and team love to see our patients’ smiles light up when they see their new smile in the mirror for the first time. For those of you who haven’t yet started or finished your orthodontic treatment, have you ever wondered what your new smile might look like after treatment?

The American Association of Orthodontists recently launched a new tool called “Virtual Smiles,” which shows what your smile might look like after orthodontic treatment. Using the tool will also earn you a free orthodontic consultation coupon, which can be redeemed at our office by yourself, a family member or friend.

Check out the Virtual Smiles tool, and call us to get started on improving your smile today!