OUR Blog

Mar
31
THIS APRIL, LET’S CELEBRATE NATIONAL FACIAL PROTECTION MONTH!


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Poor April. While other months celebrate romance, or giving thanks, or costumes and candy, April has—April Fool’s Day and a tax deadline. We might be forgiven for thinking these two dates seem more like warnings than celebrations.


So here’s a new topic for the April calendar: National Facial Protection Month! Take the opportunity this month to review your safety practices while you’re enjoying your favorite activities.


Mouthguards


If you have a mouthguard for sports or athletic activities, wear it! In any activity or sport where humans come into contact with solid objects (including other humans) tooth injury is possible. A mouthguard will help protect you from dental...


Jan
15
HOW ARE IN-OVATION® SELF-LIGATING BRACES DIFFERENT?


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In-Ovation self-ligating braces are becoming a favorite for those who are faced with having to get braces. There are many differences that are making them increasingly popular among dental patients.


What sets In-Ovation apart from the rest?


There are many reasons why patients are choosing In-Ovation when deciding which braces will work best for them. One of the main reasons is that there is a significantly shorter amount of time that you have to wear them. There are also fewer appointments at our Palos Hills office, since there are no rubber bands to be replaced.


Since there are no rubber bands, In-Ovation makes brushing and flossing much easier. The brackets are low-profile, making them mor...


Jan
07
THE MANY BENEFITS OF BRACES


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It’s true that orthodontic braces can give you a beautiful smile. But did you know there are other benefits of having braces than just getting perfectly straight teeth? Drs. Tushar and Keyur Shah and our team want you to understand the other positives that can come out of having braces and relate to your oral health.


When teeth are crooked or crowded, it’s hard to brush and floss effectively. When there isn’t enough space in your mouth, bacteria and plaque can build up between these teeth. This can lead to serious issues like tooth decay and gum disease. When braces correct the spacing between teeth, and get rid of the tight spaces, patients are able to brush and floss mo...


Jan
01
IT’S A WRAP: ENDING THE YEAR WITH A SMILE!


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People have been ushering in the New Year for centuries but it became an official holiday in 1582 when Pope George XIII declared January 1st to be the day on which everyone would celebrate the New Year. At midnight people would yell, holler, and blow horns to scare away the evil spirits of the previous year so the New Year would be joyous and filled with opportunity. Nearly 500 years later, we still greet the New Year by whooping and hollering, but in a celebratory manner instead. Whether you intend to ring in the New Year quietly at home in the Palos Hills area or have plans to join the countdown at a gala extravaganza, these tips can help you ring out the old and usher in the new with a...


Dec
24
HOW DO TEETH MOVE WITH BRACES?


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Although teeth seem to be solidly fixed in their sockets (at least they don’t wobble when we chew!), all teeth can easily be moved if Drs. Tushar and Keyur Shah and our staff attach brackets and wires to them called braces. In the past, all braces were made of stainless steel, but today’s advanced dental technology gives people the option of wearing transparent, acrylic mouth trays called Invisalign®, or relying on traditional metal braces for correcting malocclusions.


Brackets, Slots, and Arch Wires – Oh My!


When light pressure is consistently exerted on teeth, they will gradually move in the direction of the force. For example, affixing brackets to front teeth and thr...


Dec
17
ADULTS AND BRACES


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Braces aren’t just for kids. Many grownups are taking advantage of orthodontic treatment and having their teeth straightened at a later age.


Sometimes, patients include adults who already had braces in the past, but their teeth shifted over time once they stopped wearing their retainers. In other cases, adults who have never had braces are tired of having crooked teeth and ready to invest in a beautiful smile.


Whatever the case may be, if you’re looking to straighten your teeth with braces, Drs. Tushar and Keyur Shah would love to help you with this process. Having a dazzling smile can increase your confidence in all areas of your life!


Depending on what you’re willing to s...


Dec
10
CARING FOR YOUR INVISALIGN® ALIGNERS


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You’ve selected the Invisalign system because of the many benefits Invisalign offers: comfort, convenience, appearance, and even potentially shorter treatment time! And to add to the good news, caring for your Invisalign aligners is easy and uncomplicated. Follow these simple tips to keep your aligners in the best possible shape as you move through the stages of your treatment.


Stay Clean



  • Always brush and floss your teeth before using your aligners so that bacteria and food particles will not have a chance to collect around your teeth while you wear them.

  • When you brush your teeth, be sure to brush your aligners with a separate soft toothbrush and lukewarm water as well.

  • Rinse your alig...

Dec
03
ADULTS AND BRACES: NOT JUST FOR KIDS ANYMORE


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Just hearing the word “braces” can take many of us back to junior high — that painful era when we wore unattractive glasses, endured unflattering haircuts, and carried a mouthful of braces to complete the awkward adolescent look. Despite the common assumption that braces are for kids, more and more adults are choosing to pursue orthodontics to correct their smiles.


Braces for Adults


Perhaps you never had braces as a kid and you are embarrassed by your crooked teeth. Or you went through a round of braces a decade ago and stopped wearing your retainer, which allowed your teeth to shift. Whatever your personal history, wearing braces in adulthood is an excellent way to create...


Nov
26
THANKSGIVING


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At Palos Orthodontics, we love to celebrate the holidays with vigor! Drs. Tushar and Keyur Shah would love to share some unique ways of celebrating Thanksgiving from beyond the Palos Hills area to the national level!


When Americans sit down to dinner on the last Thursday of November, the day that Abraham Lincoln designated as the day on which Thanksgiving would be celebrated, they do so thinking that the first Thanksgiving feast was held at Plymouth in 1621. According to National Geographic, the Spanish explorer Francisco Vásquez Coronado and his men celebrated a feast of Thanksgiving in Texas in 1541, giving Texas the distinction of being the first place where Thanksgiving was cele...


Nov
19
HOW A HIGH-TECH OFFICE HELPS YOUR ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT


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Our office strives to bring you the latest and greatest in orthodontic techniques and technologies. Being on the cutting edge of the industry is important—it ensures you, as our patient, are getting the best orthodontic treatment you possibly can while keeping costs down!


The goal of a high-tech office is three fold: to have effective treatment, to have efficient treatment, and to make the whole process easy, painless, and cost-effective for you.


Here are some of the technologies being implemented by Drs. Tushar and Keyur Shah to do just that:


3D oral scanners: If you’ve ever experienced getting impressions the traditional way, it isn’t very fun! Having a gag reflex is comm...