Great question! When you first come in for your initial consultation, Dr. James Long will conduct a comprehensive examination to assess your oral health. This will better enable us to determine the best treatment method for you.

Your orthodontic evaluation will consist of an oral and facial examination to assess your oral health. We will have you take intraoral and facial photographs as well as panoramic and cephalometric X-rays to help determine the proper orthodontic treatment method. Then, an impression of your teeth and bite will be taken to construct a model of your mouth. (This will help us when examining your diagnostic records).

Then, we will discuss your options with you. Our team feels it’s important to take the time to carefully examine your diagnostic records after your consultation so that we can more thoroughly prepare for your treatment at Long Orthodontics. This additional preparation will ensure that you receive the best orthodontic care possible. At this time, we encourage you to ask us any questions you may have about your treatment.

If you are seeking orthodontic treatment for your child, our staff asks that both you and your child attend the initial consultation. We feel it is important that both you and your child completely understand the doctor’s recommendations before we proceed with treatment.

Give us a call today and schedule a consultation! We look forward to hearing from you!

At Dr. Long's office, we know image is everything. At an age when image is so important, the thought of having braces may intensify the already-delicate confidence of today's teens. Well, May, which is almost here, is National Teen Self-Esteem Month, and during this time, parents are encouraged to act as positive role models, help stop negative self-images, and improve confidence and security among teenagers.

One of the great ways to improve your confidence is to improve your smile. And that begins with a consultation with Dr. Long. After all, what better time to avoid having crooked teeth in your adulthood?

We invite you to give us a call to schedule a consultation or ask us on Facebook!

When you have braces, your wires will need to be replaced with new ones regularly. It is the slow, steady pressure placed on your teeth that move them into their desired positions, so these adjustments are a vital aspect of your treatment. We have set out a specific treatment plan to achieve your optimal results, and keeping up with your appointments will allow your treatment to be completed in the predicted amount of time.

Scheduling your adjustments sooner than planned may result in more pain and discomfort, because your teeth haven’t been allowed to settle into their new positions properly. Skipping appointments or scheduling them farther apart will result in a much longer treatment time. Visiting our office regularly will also allow us to answer any questions you may have, check for damaged appliances, and monitor your progress.

If you recently completed treatment at Long Orthodontics, congratulations! Now that your braces have been removed, Dr. Long will provide you with retainers. Here are some things to remember when you receiver your retainers:

* Wear your retainers full time, until the doctor instructs otherwise.

* 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.

* Initially, you may find it difficult to speak. Practice speaking, reading, or singing aloud to get used to them quicker.

* Retainers are breakable, so treat them with care. If retainers are lost or broken, give us a call immediately.

* Try to remember to bring your retainers to your appointments.

* Retainer replacement is expensive...with proper care they will last for years!

* 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, lacrosse, etc.).

* Keep retainers away from hot water, hot car dashboards, pockets, the washing machine, and napkins.

When you get braces at Long Orthodontics there are a few things you’ll have to adjust to get optimal results in the shortest amount of time. If you have any questions about the “do’s and don’ts” of living with braces, feel free to ask Dr. James Long or any member of our staff during your next adjustment!

Eating

When you have braces, there are a few types of food that can damage your brackets and bend your wires, leading to more appointments and longer treatment times. By simply avoiding sticky, chewy, crunchy, and hard foods, as well as foods that require biting into like corn on the cob, your orthodontic experience will be much easier.

Cleaning

You’ll never believe the amount of food that can get stuck between your braces when you eat. In addition to causing bad breath and tooth decay, it looks pretty gross, too. It’s so important to brush your teeth after every meal and floss every day, and even though it’s kind of a hassle, it’ll all be worth it in the end.

Sports

Protecting your smile if you play sports is essential when you have braces. Mouthguards help protect your teeth and gums from injury. Dr. James Long can create a custom mouthguard just for you if you plan on participating in any kind of contact sport or you can purchase an adjustable mouthguard at the front desk and the doctors will be happy to mold it to your mouth.

It’s almost February, which marks National Children’s Dental Health Month. Today, Dr. Long and team thought we’d promote good oral hygiene among our patients with a few tips and tricks, courtesy of the American Dental Association.

• Teeth brushing techniques: It takes only two minutes to properly brush using short, gentle strokes and devoting extra attention to the gumline, areas around fillings and hard-to-reach areas such as the back teeth.

• Flossing: hold the floss snugly between thumbs and index finger and insert it between each of the teeth, making sure to go beneath the gumline and curving the floss around the base of each tooth.

• Snack wisely: choose healthy snacks such as cheese, fruits and vegetables and avoid crunchy, sticky, chewy candies that can stick to the teeth. If you eat these snacks, be sure to brush after doing so.

• Carbonated or sugary drinks: these drinks create acids that can damage the teeth when mixed with saliva, so they should be avoided altogether. If you’re going to drink one of these beverages, don’t sip on it throughout the day. Rather, drink it and then brush your teeth.

• Regular dental visits: in addition to seeing Dr. Long during your orthodontic treatment, you should visit your dentist for professional check-ups and teeth cleaning appointments about every six months.

National Dental Health Month aims to increase awareness about the importance of our patients’ oral health. If you have any questions about keeping your mouth healthy, or about your treatment, please feel free to give us a call or ask us on Facebook!

Even if you brush and floss daily, as well as maintain your braces and visit our office during your orthodontic treatment it is still important to visit your local dentist every 6 months, or as recommended.

Why?

• Your dentist can detect and treat tooth and gum problems that you may have never felt or noticed.
• Even thorough daily oral care may not be enough to prevent cavities and oral decay.
• Frequent visits can allow your dentist to treat a problem early to prevent future complications.

During an oral exam your dentist can check the health of your mouth, teeth, gums, cheeks and tongue.  Checkups will also include a thorough teeth cleaning and polishing.

If you have not visited a dentist in the past six months, please let us know! Dr. James Long will be happy to provide a few great references here in the area!

-- Dr. James Long & Team

At Long Orthodontics!, we know maintaining a healthy diet over the holiday season can prove a difficult task. After all, who can resist the tasty treats of Christmas? With grandma and everybody else offering you candy, chocolate logs or Christmas pudding, you just can’t say “I’ll pass” each time. But trouble lurks: every time you chow down on that chocolate or candy, the bacteria in your mouth have a feast on the sugar—at your expense.  The sugar turns into acid, and the acid eats away at the enamel on your teeth and between your braces. Then, you start getting cavities.

Instead, try pumpkin pie, marvelous molasses cookies, wonderful waffles or other braces-friendly recipes, courtesy of the American Association of Orthodontics, or AAO, and “The Braces Cookbook” by Pamela Waterman.

If you must indulge in chocolaty goodness this Christmas or holiday season, remember to brush your teeth after eating sugary treats. Hope this helps! Give us a call if you have any questions!

Happy Holidays!

"Dentists, Orthodontists, they're all the same right?" We hear our patients asking this question as they wonder about the difference between an orthodontist and a dentist. Before becoming an orthodontist Dr. James Long started out in dental school and earned a DDS (dental degree), just like your dentist. After dental school however, Dr. Long decided he wanted to learn more about orthodontics, which is one of nine specialties within the dental field. So he stayed in school for a few more years and became an expert in orthodontics, which focuses on tooth and jaw alignment and bite problems like overbites and under bites.

Other dental specialties you may have heard of include endodontic (focusing on the soft tissue inside your teeth), periodontic (focusing on the gums and other tissues surrounding your teeth) and prosthodontic (focusing on restoring and replacing damaged teeth).

Isn't it nice to know there's a dental expert in Dr. Long to help you through any type of treatment your teeth, jaw and gums might need?

At Long Orthodontics, we love when patients ask us that question! Now that you’re wearing braces, it’s just as important to maintain a good oral hygiene regimen as you did before before orthodontic treatment began.

Braces are known to trap food particles and make it difficult to brush or remove plaque, which is why Dr. James Long and our team recommend that you brush and floss after every meal. We also encourage you use a proxabrush to help with the smaller areas where your toothbrush doesn’t reach. We encourage the use of fluoride rinse as well; ask us for a recommendation!

When your braces are initially placed, your teeth are likely to be very sensitive. You may experience discomfort for up to 3 or 5 days, which is why we encourage you to eat soft foods during that time. Remember, the less pressure you put on your teeth, the less discomfort you will have.

You may also be thinking, “Okay, so what can I eat?” We would encourage you to avoid eating sticky, hard, crunchy or chewy snacks that can stick to your teeth.

Dr. Long and team will tell you it’s crucial to regularly check your braces for bent or loose wires and brackets. In the event of a loose/broken wire or bracket, please call our Peachtree City, Douglasville or Newnan orthodontic office immediately to schedule an appointment for repair.

Lastly, in addition to visiting Long Orthodontics during your orthodontic treatment for adjustments, you should visit your dentist for professional check-ups and teeth cleaning appointments about every six months, or as recommended by your dentist.

Questions? Please let us know below, on our Facebook page or by giving us a call!

Happy Monday! Did you know National Orthodontic Health Month? Our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists have created a helpful website that provides important information on protecting your braces, including tips for trick-or-treaters, braces-friendly recipes, facts about braces and treats you should avoid while wearing braces.

Dr. James Long and our team recommend you check out the AAO's website as well for helpful tips on keeping your braces in tip-top shape. If you have any follow-up questions, please feel free to give us a call, ask us on Facebook or ask Dr. Long during your next visit!

Have a great week!