Blog

Here is some surprising yet worthwhile advice you might be hearing for the first time: Brushing after a meal can be incredibly bad for your teeth if you do it after eating certain foods. Enamel is an extremely hard mineral [...]

First, let’s clarify what we mean about clear braces. We’re not talking about clear aligners, which can be a great option if you want treatment that is a) removable and b) almost invisible. But sometimes only traditional brackets-and-wires braces will [...]

Contrary to popular belief, orthodontic treatment is not just for older children and teens who have alignment and spacing issues. At our Chicago, IL office, orthodontic treatment offers many benefits for children at a young age. Drs. Adrienne Barnes, David [...]

By no stretch is it rare for your gums to hurt during and after flossing. Even some bleeding is to be expected. This is especially true if you have not flossed in a long time. However, if your gums do [...]

The number one goal of orthodontic treatment is to give you or your child a beautiful, healthy smile that will last a lifetime. One of the first things people notice about others is their smiles so take the first step [...]

The month of May has the unique distinction of being National Teen Self-Esteem Month. What does that mean? National Teen Self-Esteem Month was created to raise public awareness about how low self-esteem can negatively affect teens. Especially during May, parents [...]

So you’re about to get braces. Congratulations! You are taking a very smart step to improve the health of your teeth as well as get that killer smile in shape. But, as with anything that is good for you, there [...]

Now that you’ve graduated from your braces or aligners, you might think you’re finished with orthodontic cleaning tips. Not quite yet! Your retainer needs love, too—not just because it can look or smell “less than appealing” without your help, but [...]

Congratulations! You have made the decision to get orthodontic treatment at our Chicago, IL office. Now it’s time to choose among your various appliance options. Traditional metal brackets and wires, lingual braces, a series of aligners—they all have positives to [...]

Orthodontists and dentists both help patients improve their oral health, but in different ways. Dentistry is a broad medical specialty that deals with the teeth, gum, nerves, and jaw, while orthodontics is a specialty within dentistry that focuses on correcting [...]

When we think orthodontics, we commonly think teeth. Naturally! Straight teeth and a beaming smile are everyone’s orthodontic goal. But orthodontics is a field which specializes in more than misaligned teeth. While your beautifully aligned teeth are the visible outcome [...]

Halitosis is the fancy, scientific word for “bad breath.” Drs. Adrienne Barnes, David N. Maclin & Naana Mensah and our team know there are several reasons why you may have halitosis; let’s look at a few: Gum disease (also known [...]