We are accepting artwork for the October page of the 2011 desktop calendar!

Our staff at Village ORTHOdontics is looking for the next picture to grace the pages of our 2011 desktop calendar! The theme is Fall and/or Halloween. Happy Drawing everyone =)

* We are looking for one fabulous work of art for the October page of our 2011 desktop calendar

* Drawings must be related to ORTHODONTICS and the theme of "Fall" OR "Halloween"

* Please use 8.5" x 11" plain-white paper

* Draw your picture horizontally on the page

* You may use any materials you like to create your picture - crayons, markers, paints, pencil crayons, etc

* Your first name and age must be visible on the bottom, right corner of your drawing

* Only one picture will be chosen for the 2011 Calendar

Back to school with Village ORTHOdontics

Now that many schools are back in session, Drs. Kalbfleisch and Murrell would like to remind all of our patients about the importance of scheduling appointments in advance. With school, clubs, sports and family duties to consider this fall, we know that it can be challenging to find time to visit Village ORTHOdontics. In order to accommodate all of our patients' busy schedules, it is important that you plan ahead for your appointments so that we are able to provide you with an appointment time that is convenient for you.

As always, please remember to give us advanced notice if you're unable to make your regularly-scheduled appointment. If we receive enough notice, we might be able to schedule another patient for that time. Feel free to give us a call at (905) 275-8501 if you have any questions, or if you would like to schedule your fall appointment.

We'll see you soon and we hope summer is winding down well for you all!

Ask Village ORTHOdontics: What’s so bad about nail biting?

We’ve all heard that biting your nails is an awful habit, but many of you wonder: what’s so bad about it? Recently, our team at Village ORTHOdontics found an interesting article that discusses how biting your nails affects your teeth and oral health.

Nail biting is a common habit among various age groups, including primarily children, teens and young adults. Nail biting is generally triggered by stress and most often decreases with age. That being said, nail biting is unsanitary, unattractive, as well as unhealthy for your teeth!

Here’s why:

• It’s unsanitary. Your nails are dirty, almost twice as dirty as your fingers! Hence, biting your nails is just asking for germs and bacteria.

• No good things come to your teeth. Nail biting causes your teeth to constantly be chewing, which is not good for them. This excessive motion wears your teeth down faster than a non-nail biter’s and puts a large amount of stress on your front teeth- contributing to teeth misalignment.

• Braces don’t love it either. Braces already put pressure on teeth, nail biting ads unnecessary pressure, further stressing your teeth and weakening their roots.

• It can be costly. Nail biting can result in up to $4,000 in additional dental bills over one lifetime, according to the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD). Yikes!

Now that you know how harmful nail biting can be, it’s time to take action to break your nail biting habit. Try to be conscious of your fingernails and to keep them looking good- this will help you resist the temptation!

We hope you're having an amazing summer!

Thanks to Invisalign at Village ORTHOdontics, parents can have a great smile, too!

Attention parents! Focusing on your kids' teeth and oral health so much that you've been neglecting your own? If you've been thinking about having your own set of perfect teeth lately, our staff at Village ORTHOdontics can help! We are specially trained to offer an adult-friendly option for straightening teeth: Invisalign.

This course of treatment consists of a set of clear aligners that are molded to fit your teeth using a proprietary technology. You wear them all day and night, except for meals, brushing, and flossing – when you can easily slip them out to make eating and cleaning a snap!

Because they're clear, your teeth will be steadily straightening – and no one will know it but you! Drs. Kalbfleisch, Murrell and Doucet are Certified Invisalign® Providers with Elite Status denoting Top 1 percent in North America.

Please give us a call at (905) 275-8501 to set up a consultation, so we can discuss the specifics of your treatment. We hope you're having a wonderful summer!