What to do to Relieve Invisalign Pain

Invisalign is awesome; it gives you an amazing smile without anyone ever noticing it doing its hard work. Mild soreness after switching your Invisalign trays is completely normal but uncomfortable. To help you manage any invisalign pain, here are a few tips from Dr. Laurie McNamara McClatchey and Dr. James A. McNamara at McNamara Orthodontics. Read More

What Should I Ask my Orthodontist Before Braces?

Getting braces, or any orthodontic appliance is a daunting life change. At the end of your appointment or evaluation, your orthodontists, such as the experienced team at McNamara Orthodontics, including Dr. Laurie McNamara McClatchey and Dr. James A. McNamara, will ask you if you have any questions, and as a new patient, it’s sometimes hard Read More

Vitamins for Healthy Teeth

If you read health blogs or follow a fitness influencer, you know vitamins and minerals are an essential part of your health. But vitamins are good for more than keeping your energy up or gut health, they are hugely important to good oral health as well. Vitamins are preventative measures for common oral health issues. Read More

Foods That Worsen Oral Health

Sugar, acid, and foods that stay in your mouth for longer than necessary are all guilty of worsening your oral health. From dissolving enamel and promoting negative bacteria growth to downright decay, there are some foods you should be sure to moderate or take out of your diet altogether. Keep reading to learn more from Read More

Invisalign on Vacation

There are so many things to make sure you have in your bags when you travel. It can be easy to forget about your teeth in the process. When traveling with Invisalign, it’s important to plan for time away from home adequately. Especially since Invisalign isn’t attached to your teeth!  When you’re somewhere unfamiliar and Read More

The Invisalign Process

Invisalign is a type of orthodontic treatment that uses clear, removable aligners to straighten teeth. Unlike traditional braces, Invisalign aligners are nearly invisible, so they are much less noticeable when you wear them. Invisalign treatment is custom-designed for each patient, so the aligners are precisely engineered to move your teeth into the correct position. Invisalign Read More

Why Do I Need a Retainer?

So, you’ve finally gotten your braces off, finished your Invisalign, and you’re done with the orthodontist. Not so fast – after treatment, you’ll be fitted with a retainer to keep that smile perfect for years to come. Get the answers to frequently asked questions about retainers and maintaining a healthy smile after receiving orthodontic treatment Read More

Why Mouthguards Are So Important

Many of our patients are student athletes or have a sport they love. After getting braces, many of these sports-enthusiasts wonder if they’ll have to take a break from their games and practices. We’ve all heard horror stories of sports injuries, even worse witnessed one ourselves. Playing sports during orthodontic treatment is 100% possible! The Read More

Can You Get Braces with Missing Teeth

For many children losing teeth is an exciting rite of passage. Another xciting rite of passage is starting orthodontic treatment. And, a question we get from parents bringing in children for s first evaluation is whether or not they can even get started with all of their missing teeth. It’s common to wonder if your Read More

Can I Get Invisalign?

Choosing your orthodontist, and by extension, what your options are for years of orthodontic treatment and appointments, is no small feat. One of the deciding factors in this decision is which types of tooth movement your orthodontist has available. Traditional braces, self-ligating braces, or even Invisalign are all options. With so much innovation in the Read More

How to Handle Orthodontic Emergencies

At some point during your treatment, something will go wrong with your braces. At home, on vacation, or running on a sports field, it can spark fear to feel your braces start to break. These orthodontic “emergencies” are actually relatively minor, even if they don’t seem that way at the moment! Your orthodontist is well Read More

How Long Do Braces Take?

“How long do braces take?” is the most common question we’re asked by patients. People want to know how long they’ll have to make room in their life for their braces – it’s understandable. Braces are hard to brush and floss around, they come with food restrictions, and they can be a source of embarrassment Read More

Your Habits and Your Teeth

As we know, it’s common for young children to put anything and everything into their mouths. This curiosity about the world around them is normal, and unless it carries into later childhood, is beneficial to development. Habits like nail-biting, thumb sucking, using a pacifier excessively, and tongue thrusting as you swallow all have negative long-term Read More

Flossing with Braces

Flossing can sometimes get forgotten or skipped in a nightly oral hygiene routine. But, flossing is actually essential to maintaining oral health, especially throughout orthodontic treatment. Before we get into how to become an expert braces flosser, here’s some more information about why flossing is so critical in the first place.    Flossing is just Read More

Everything You Need to Know about Your Expander

A common first step of orthodontic treatment is an expander. Expanders, or palatal expanders, are orthodontic appliances that increase the space between the halves of the upper jaw. While that sounds scary and painful, expanders are very common and relatively painless! Many young, growing orthodontic patients have expanders, and they can help make sure you Read More

Eating with Braces

One of our most common questions from patients is “What can I eat with my braces?” or “What foods do I have to give up?” and we have a few simple guidelines to share. Getting braces is a big change, and on top of the wires, brackets, or Invisalign trays, there’s a whole new set Read More

Early Treatment Orthodontics

Parents are usually well-versed in getting their child to the dentist early on. Establishing oral health routines for your toddlers is standard – but many parents have questions about getting their child set up with orthodontic treatment. What about their first visit to the orthodontist? When should they go? Is my child too young for Read More

Gum Disease

What is gum disease?  Our mouths are full of bacteria. These bacteria help to form plaque on our teeth. Brushing and flossing help to get rid of plaque. The plaque that is not removed by these practices hardens and forms “tartar” that brushing doesn’t clean. This tartar can only be removed by a dentist or Read More