Retainers, retainers, retainers...

If you recently completed treatment at the office of Dr. Charles Ruff, we’d like to congratulate you! Now that your braces have been removed, Dr. Ruff will provide—or has provided you—with retainers. After braces are removed, teeth may shift out of position if they are not stabilized. Retainers, however, provide that stabilization. They are designed to hold teeth in their corrected, ideal positions until the bones and gums adapt to the treatment changes. Wearing retainers exactly as instructed by Dr. Ruff is the best insurance that the treatment improvements last for a lifetime.

To learn more about the advantages of wearing retainers after your orthodontic treatment with Dr. Ruff, please read this helpful article about retainers from KidsHealth or give us a call at (207) 873-7425.

Today marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day! What are you up to?

Earth Day, designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment, marks its 40th anniversary today. Earth Day was founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson on April 22, 1970 and is observed every April 22nd on virtually every country on Earth.

Whether lending a helping hand to plant trees or getting out to volunteer in your community, today is your opportunity to get started in making your impact year-round. Are you making a difference today? Tell us, what are you up to? How long have you participated in helping our planet?

If you’d like to join the millions of people around the world who are making small but important changes to help sustain Mother Earth, try these helpful environmental tips, courtesy of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA.

Happy Earth Day!

Ask Dr. Ruff: Am I too old for orthodontic treatment?

Of course not. In fact, our staff recently read a fascinating statistic: the number of adults getting braces has climbed 24 percent since 1996! It's true that braces help make your pearly whites strong, healthy and perfectly-aligned, but perhaps another reason for the spike in adult braces is this: folks want to look and feel great.

In an age—and society—where looks matter as much as anything, and at a time when evenly-aligned teeth might be the difference between getting a job or a promotion, adults are choosing—wisely, we might add—to invest in orthodontics. Orthodontic treatment with Dr. Ruff can be successful at any age, and adults especially appreciate the benefits of a beautiful smile.

If you’ve been thinking about getting that perfect smile, Dr. Ruff would love to have you visit for a consultation. Please give us a call to set one up!

Dr. Ruff wants to know: What do you love about Waterville?

The office of Charles J. Ruff, located in Waterville and serving surrounding communities here in Maine, is situated around some pretty special neighborhoods. Each is unique with its own personality, created by the people and places (and our great young patients) living within.

Today, Dr. Ruff thought he'd ask: What are your favorite things about Waterville or your community? Is there a local event you attend every year? Do you have a favorite eatery? Perhaps you have a favorite Maine getaway (there are lots of them!).

Please feel free to share some information about your favorite local hang-outs in Burnaby, and everything you love best about “your neck of the woods.” And, who knows, we might just post your response on our social networks!

This April, play it safe! From Dr. Ruff

You may remember our team last week blogging about the advantage of wearing a mouth guard when participating in sports-related activities. Well, this week happens to be a great time for a follow-up. You see, April is National Facial Protection Month, and it’s a good time to remind our young athletes about staying safe on the field this spring. According to the National Youth Sports Safety Foundation, children, high-school athletes and adults will have more than 5,000,000 teeth knocked out in sporting events this year.

For Dr. Ruff and our staff, that's just not acceptable.

The above video contains five ways to ensure the safety of your mouth this spring, courtesy of our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists, or AAO. If you have any further questions about any of the tips offered in the video, please give us a call at (207) 873-7425. Have a great rest of the week and remember to protect your mouth!