Orthodontic Trivia

When were Braces invented?

• Mummies have been discovered by archaeologists with crude metal bands wrapped around individual teeth. It has been surmised that catgut was used to close the gaps.
• Pierre Fouchard first constructed braces in 1728. They were made of a flat metal strip connected to the teeth by pieces of thread.
• Delabarre introduced the wire crib in 1819 which marked the birth of contemporary orthodontics.
• In 1841 Schange invented the 1st bands which consisted of metal strips with screws to adjust the size.
• Maynard was the first to use gum elastics in 1843.
• In 1850 Tucker started cutting rubber bands from rubber tubing.
• Eugene Solomon Talbot was the first person to use x-rays for orthodontic diagnosis in the late 1800's.
• Edward Angle invented brackets in 1915. The Brackets were attached to the bands that went around the teeth. Today brackets are bonded directly to the teeth.
• Tooth colored brackets were invented in 1976.
• SureSmile technology was made available in 2004.

Where does the term Orthodontics dome from?

• The term orthodontia was coined by Joachim Lafoulon in 1841.
• According to Wikipedia, Orthodontics is derived from the Greek work orthos "straight or proper" and odus "tooth". Orthodontics is the specialty of dentistry that is concerned with the study and treatment of malocclusions (improper bites).

What is the difference between an Orthodontist and a Dentist?

• An orthodontist needs four years of college, four years of dental school, and two years of postgraduate study in orthodontics before they can practice orthodontics.
• All orthodontists are also board certified dentists.

At what age should Orthodontic Treatment begin?

• Orthodontic treatment can be started at any age however the American Association of Orthodontists recommends that every child see an orthodontist by age seven. Many Orthodontic problems are easier to correct before the jaw growth has slowed.

What is SureSmile?

• SureSmile is an advanced technology that makes it possible for the orthodontist to use 3D computer images to create customized archwires. The customized archwires are bent by a robot using heat-activated shape-memory wires. In order to bend these wires the robot has to heat the wire to 1000 degrees Fahrenheit.
• The SureSmile technology enables the orthodontist to achieve better orthodontic results. And because teeth are moved more efficiently, treatment time is reduced by about 40%.
• Orthodontic Partners is the world's most experienced provider of SureSmile.

What do retainers do and how long should they be worn?

• Retainers are worn to keep the teeth from moving after braces are removed.
• Retainers should be work 24 hours a day for the first month after braces are removed and nightly there after.

Snow Shoeing at Lake Tahoe

This weekend two of our staff members, Debra and Ann spent the day snow shoeing at the meadows overlooking Lake Tahoe. If you go, be sure to take a little bird seed. The chickadees will love you. It's a trip that will definately make you smile.

Orthodontic Partners on the Today Show

Two of our staff members, Amy & Jeanette, recently visited New York and surprised us by holding up a sign with Orthodontic Partners' name on it at the Today show on November 30th. You guys are the best... We loved it!

By the way, the 30th just happened to be Amy's 30th birthday. Please join us in wishing her a Happy Birthday.

OP is Cooking

You already know we make beautiful smiles but did you know Orthodontic Partners can cook? You've got to check out our cooking video at http://www.youtube.com/user/OrthodonticPartners. It's great to work and play with such an amazing team.

Bennett Wallace Wins iPod

All of us at Orthodontic Partners take great pride in providing the very best orthodontic care, so it means a lot to us when our patients recommend our office to their friends and family. That's why we are so excited to announce that Bennett Wallace is our most recent winner of an iPod Shuffle. Bennett recommended our office to a friend. When Bennett's friend came in for an orthodontic evaluation, we sent Bennett two movie tickets and entered his name into our drawing for an iPod. This is our way of saying "Thank You!"


We hope you are our next iPod winner.

Orthodontic Partners visits Double Diamond to teach 2nd Graders good Oral Hygiene Habits

Orthodontic Partners and their bear O.P. recently visited 5 of the 2nd grade classes at Double Diamond Elementary to teach the students good brushing and flossing habits. This is a fun presentation where students can interact with O.P. the bear (whose voice is done by Katherine hidden behind the bear). The students also share their knowledge of which foods are good and bad for their teeth and learn a little dental trivia. Did you know there are 20 baby teeth and 32 adult teeth? The reason we like to visit the 2nd grade is because the American Association of Orthodontists recommends that all children see an orthodontist by the age of 7 and this gives us a chance to address any concerns the students may have about braces. We were fortunate that one of the students in this class, Connor, is a patient of ours and not only helped us with the flossing demonstration but also shared his orthodontic experience.

If you would like us to do presentation for your classroom, please call Ann at 823-5200 x106 or if you would like to schedule a complimentary orthodontic evaluation, please call our office at 825-4804.

October is National Orthodontic Health Month

All of us at Orthodontic Partners love October and not just because we get to dress up...it's also National Orthodontic Health Month. In honor of this special time of year, part of our staff dressed up as teeth in braces with Dr. Corbridge playing the part of the proxy brush. Some of the other staff members dressed up as Star Wars characters with Dr. Bruntz playing the part of Darth Vader and his son, Landon, playing the part of young Anakin Skywalker.

Many of the Halloween treats can not be eaten if you have braces. Here's a link to a web page from the American Association of Orthodontists that has some braces friendly recipes for treats and more information about National Orthodontic Health Month http://www.braces.org/NOHM/Press-Releases.cfm

We hope you have a safe and happy Halloween!

Junior League of Reno - Pumpkin Festival

The Junior League of Reno held it's first annual Pumpkin Festival at the Arlington Gardens Mall and Orthodontic Partners was there to support them by hosting the bean bag toss for young and old alike. "The Junior League of Reno is an organization of women committed to promoting volunteerism, developing the potential of women and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable."

Since 1980 the Junior League of Reno has owned the Arlington Gardens Mall located at 606 West Plumb Lane in Reno, leasing the shops and running the Country Gardens restaurant. "The functions of the Arlington Gardens Mall include financially supporting the efforts of the Junior League of Reno and providing the community with a special and unique place to shop and dine." The Pumpkin Festival was a fun way to raise money for the Junior League's community projects and increase awareness of what the mall has to offer. The festival was a combination of games and activities for the kids and great shopping the adults. Be sure to join us for next year's Pumpkin Festival.

Orthodontic Partners helping Brides to have Straight Teeth by their Wedding

This weekend we attended the Bridal Fair at the Reno Sparks Convention Center. A bridal fair may seem like a strange place to find Orthodontic Partners but it's really not. All brides want to have everything perfect for their wedding day and that includes a beautiful smile that will be captured in photos to be enjoyed for years to come. Because the SureSmile technology we use in our office reduces treatment time by about 40% we have been able to help many brides have the smile of their dreams in time for the big day. Orthodontic Partners has completed over 2000 cases using this amazing technology making us the world's most experienced provider of SureSmile. For more information on SureSmile or our office visit us at www.orthodonticpartners.net.

Orthodontic Partners at Kids Fair

Dr Bruntz and two of our staff members, Jessica E. and Jeanette, recently attended the Kids Fair at the Sparks Marina. We hosted a bean bag toss with prizes and fun for everyone. It was a beautiful day to get out and enjoy the lake.

Orthodontic Partners Congratulates Amy McKillip

Hip Hip Hooray for our very own Amy McKillip. This weekend Amy completed the Urban Cow Half Marathon in Sacramento, Ca. Out of 3,120 runners, Amy finished 1,925th and in her age bracket she was 174th out of 308, averaging 10:53 minutes per mile. Way to go Amy!!!

Second Annual Food Drive for Animals

Help feed our furry friends and earn extra wooden nickels. Orthodontic Partners is collecting dog and cat food to be donated to the Nevada Humane Society at the Tips for Pets event at Claim Jumpers on November 11th, 2010. Your donations can be dropped off at any of the following offices during normal business hours:

3605 Grant Dr., Reno

10645 Double R. Blvd., Reno

1205 Baring Blvd., Sparks

For business hours, call (775) 825-4804.

Girl Scout Troop 602 Earns Badge for Visiting Orthodontic Partners

Our very own patient, Emma Crump and the rest of her Girl Scout Troop 602 visited the Sparks office of Orthodontic Partners to earn their healthy habits badge. As part of their visit we talked about what foods are good and bad for their teeth, the proper way to brush and floss, how braces straighten teeth, and what it's like to get an impression. An impression was taken of each of the girls thumbs and poured in plaster for them to take home. Dr. Corbridge spent some time with the girls talking about their teeth. We were very impressed with the questions the girls had for us and it's hard to say who had more fun, the girls or all of us at Orthodontic Partners. Afterwards, we all enjoyed some snacks and each of the girls left with a goody bag that included a tooth brush, tooth paste, floss and other fun stuff.

If you have a group that would like to visit our office, please call Ann at (775) 825-4804 x106.

Tips for Scheduling your Orthodontic Appointments

During the summer it was easy to get a 3pm appointment... now that school is back in session those appointments are like gold so here's the inside scoop to help you out.

Most of your appointments will be relatively short, about 30 minutes. That's why our schedule is set up to have the longer, more involved appointments during school hours, reserving the before and after school times for the shorter easier appointments. That way we can accommodate as many patients as possible during the most desirable times. It also allows us to focus on your more involved appointments during a quieter time.

Even with all this careful planning we still can't always get you in after school. That's why we ask you to rotate every other appointment between school time and non-school time hours. That way everyone gets their fair share. And since most of your appointments will be six to eight weeks apart you should normally only miss school about once every three months.

Here are a few tips...

1. Bring your calendar with you to your appointments and schedule your next appointment as you leave. The longer you wait to schedule, the fewer choices you will have of available appointments.
2. When you do have to take your turn at school time appointments, rotate them around so you don't always miss the same class.
3. Our lunch hour changes so it's possible we could have an available appointment during your lunch hour.
4. We work a lot of the minor holidays, so that may be an option for you. Just don't plan a ski trip and forget about us.
5. Keep an eye on your school calendar and take advantage of days you'll be getting off early.
6. Please don't miss your appointments. This will extend your treatment time and we know you want to get your braces off as soon as possible.

You may be asking "what if I have a bracket come off or a wire poking". We do reserve time for these types of appointments during the less busy school hours.

One last item we thought you would like to know... the Washoe County School District Board of Trustees adopted a policy that considers a medical absence as an approved/excused absence if the student completes the make-up work. To see the entire policy visit http://www.washoe.k12.nv.us/school-sites/corbett-es/attendance-policy

We know your schedule is busy so we hope this information has been helpful.

M&M Contest Winners

Orthodontic Partners is pleased to announce the winners of our M&M contest. Cole had the closest guess of 1577 in our Reno office, Rachel had the closest guess in our Sparks office of 1569 and Roger had the closest guess in our South Meadows office of 1567. The actual number of M&Ms in the jar was 1587. We hope you enjoy your M&Ms.

Orthodontic Partners Congratulates Pattie on the Birth of her Daughter

Orthodontic Partners is pleased to congratulate our very own staff member, Pattie, on the birth of her beautiful new daughter, Hope Elizabeth, who was born on 8-9-10 at 4:56pm, 7lbs 8 oz, 18 inches. She's adorable!

New York Times talks about SureSmile

We know we have been telling you about the benefits of SureSmile but did you know that Dr. Lee W. Graber, president of the American Association of Orthodontists, uses SureSmile for his patients. Follow this link http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/08/fashion/08skin.html?_r=3 to view an article recently printed in the New York Times that highlights some of the current technologies in orthodontics including SureSmile. For more information on SureSmile, visit our website at http://www.orthodonticpartners.net/suresmile.html.

Hunter Helwig is Orthodontic Partners most recent recipient of an I-Pod

Dr Lohse, Dr. Corbridge & Dr. Bruntz are proud to announce Hunter Helwig is our most recent recipient of an I-Pod. Hunter's name was drawn from all of our patients over the last 6 weeks who have referred their friends and family to come to see Orthodontic Partners for a complimentary orthodontic exam. We take it as a compliment when our patients recommend our office and this is just one of the ways we like to say Thank You.

Orthodontic Partners celebrates Debra's 25th Anniversary

Dr. Lohse, Dr. Corbridge & Dr. Bruntz took Debra to lunch at Mario's Portofino to celebrate her 25th year with Orthodontic Partners. Debra is one of our friendly Treatment Coordinators who helps our new patients through the process of getting started with braces. She brings so much to the practice and we are so lucky to have her.

National Smile Month

In the United States, National Smile Month is May 1st through May 31st. In the UK, National Smile Month is May 16th through June 16th. It’s strange our months don’t coincide but we thought we would take advantage of their June 16th date and celebrate this great event by finding out what makes everyone smile. On June 16th we’ll post a list of everyone’s responses. So help us out by telling us …what makes you Smile?

So...What is SureSmile?

SureSmile is the amazing technology we use at Orthodontic Partners to help you achieve the smile of your dreams in the shortest time possible. With SureSmile we are able to generate a 3D image of your teeth. From that, the Drs are able to move and align each tooth to give you the perfect bite relationship. Because the computer knows exactly where your teeth are when the 3D scan is taken, and exactly where the Drs want to move them, it's able to design a custom made archwire. The wire is actually made of a Shape Memory Alloy that can only be bent by a robot so it's extremely accurate. With traditional treatment, wires have to be manually bent with pliers making small adjustments over months, over correcting and under correcting, until finally your teeth are where they need to be. With SureSmile we avoid all that and your teeth move in a direct path to their final destination thereby reducing treatment up to 40%. This means not only shorter treatment time for you but less time away from school and work. Orthodontic Partners is actually the world's most experienced provider of SureSmile and the great thing is you can receive the SureSmile treatment in any of our four offices in Reno, Sparks, South Meadows or Fernley.

For more information, visit our website at http://www.orthodonticpartners.net/suresmile.html or call our office at (775) 825-4804.

MS Walk 2010

Hip Hip Hooray for the team from Orthodontic Partners (Jeanette, Joyce & Jessica) who participated in this year's MS Walk. The smallest member of the team (Bryleigh) came along to cheer them on.

Dr. Corbridge's Certificate of Achievement

Dr Corbridge was recently awarded a certificate of achievement for his participation in Van Gorder Elementary School's Reading Week.

Oral Hygiene Field Trip

Orthodontic Partners hosted a field trip today in our Sparks office for nine of the most adorable pre-school children. The children practiced how to brush and floss. They also learned what foods are good and bad for their teeth and learned a little bit about orthodontics from Dr. Corbridge. An impression was taken of each child's thumb and poured in plaster for them to take home. If your organization is interested in a field trip to our office, please contact Ann at (775) 825-4804

Brushing with Braces

If you've ever worn braces you know there are more places for food to get caught making brushing, flossing and regular visits to your general dentist more important than ever. Fortunately, Oral-B has made a brush head designed just for patients with braces. The orthodontic brush head works with the Oral-B SmartSeries 5000 electric brush. We have noticed a definite improvement in the oral hygiene of our patients who use the brush. Because of this, Orthodontic Partners is now giving an Oral-B SmartSeries 5000 brush with the orthodontic brush head to all of our patients when they get braces. We've found that patients with good oral hygiene have fewer broken appliances and that leads to shorter treatment times. Nothing makes us happier than for our patients to get the Beautiful Healthy Smile of their dreams.

Dr. Lohse attending Anderson School's Appreciation Dessert Party

Dr. Lohse was invited to attend Anderson School's Volunteer Appreciation Dessert Party. Dr. Lohse and Orthodontic Partners have been Partners in Education with Anderson Elementary School since 1991. Today's event stressed how important it is for children to read out loud to an adult. Anderson School can always use more volunteers who would like to listen to children read.

Orthodontic Partners Baby Photo Contest

This is your chance to win a Digital Picture Frame. Just match the Dr and Staff photos to their baby photos. If you have the most correct answers YOU WIN. In the event of a tie, the winner will be drawn. Just stop by any of our offices in Reno, Sparks or South Meadows to enter. For office hours call (775) 825-4804. Contest ends April 31st, 2010.

Dr. Lohse, Dr. Corbridge and Dr. Bruntz would like to congratulate the winners of our Celebrity with Braces contest...Regan C, Taylor T, and Abby A.
We hope you enjoy your tickets to the movies so you can see your favorite celebrity smiles on the big screen.

Braces Off for Kenny Calder & Robby Davis

We think the day braces come off is reason for celebration. Congratulations to Kenny and Robby. Check out our video of their big day posted on You Tube.

Go to our website, click on Contact Us and then click on the You Tube icon.

Latest Photo of Dr Bruntz's Little Girl

It's amazing how at just 5 1/2 weeks old Carrigan already has Daddy 100% wrapped around her little finger. The photo was taken in our Reno office last week when Carrigan came to visit.

The Reno Office of Orthodontic Partners: Drs Lohse, Corbridge and Bruntz

This week we wanted to do a feature on our Reno Office, one of the four convenient locations of Orthodontic Partners in Nevada.

Our Reno office is located just off of Moana Lane at 3605 Grant Drive, Reno, NV 89509.

As you come in you will instantly notice our Reno Office has a great music theme. If you play the guitar you are going to love looking at all our music memorabilia. And if you just want to relax, we have a nice coffee bar complete with tea, hot chocolate and fresh brewed coffee. Many of our patients love to see how many names they know from our Hall of Fame. And of course we have video games for the young at heart.

We think orthodontics should be a positive experience. Our goal is to have all our patients look forward to their visits. Great Doctors, friendly staff and a fun atmosphere. Visit us on the web at www.orthodonticpartners.net or call (775) 825-4804.

Dr. Bruntz and Tracy's Beautiful New Daughter is Here!

Congratulations to Dr. Bruntz and Tracy on the birth of their beautiful new daughter, Carrigan Audrey-Mae Bruntz. Carrigan was born Saturday, January 2^nd at 9:12pm, starting her new life off at a whopping 6lbs 1 ½ oz and was 18 ¼”. From what we hear, Landon is very pleased with his new role as big brother.