Connect with the Braces Brigade!

At the office of Charles J. Ruff, DMD, our patients want to get as much out of their treatment as possible. That includes asking a lot of questions and making sure they take care of both their appliances and oral health.

Would you like to learn more about what to expect during orthodontic treatment, from someone with firsthand experience? Well, our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) recently developed the Braces Brigade blog, where past, present, as well as future orthodontic patients from coast to coast document their (or their child’s) orthodontic journeys. The blog will serve as a source of guidance for others as the patients undergo orthodontic care.

Our team at Charles J. Ruff, DMD encourages you to visit the Braces Brigade blog to read these great and informative blogs—who knows, maybe you’ll learn a thing or two! As always, don’t hesitate to give us a call if you have any questions about the Braces Brigade or your own orthodontic treatment with Dr. Ruff!

Regular checkups are essential in maintaining good oral health

Are you brushing and flossing daily properly during your orthodontic treatment? If yes, that’s great! But, don’t forget that it’s also important for you to visit your general dentist every 3-to-6 months in addition to brushing your teeth and flossing (and visiting Dr. Ruff, of course). Regular dental checkups are important for maintaining good oral health, especially during orthodontic treatment.

Your general dentist can check for problems that might not be seen or felt, detect cavities and early signs of decay, treat oral health problems early and show you how to properly brush and floss your teeth.

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 been to the dentist in the last six months, let us know during your next visit and we will provide a few great references in the Waterville, Dover-Foxcroft and Skowhegan areas!

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month

Each February for the past 61years, the American Dental Association (ADA) has sponsored National Children's Dental Health Month to raise awareness about the importance of oral health. Developing good habits at an early age and scheduling regular dental visits helps children get a good start on a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums.

For kids wearing braces, brushing and flossing can become more difficult, requiring extra time and vigilance to remove food particles that accumulate on and between the teeth and in braces. New options for braces such as Invisalign Teen, which is removable, make it easier for kids to maintain good oral health during orthodontic treatment.

If the health of your teeth is ignored during treatment with braces, the results can be significantly compromised. Dr. Ruff is available and happy to explain why effective brushing and flossing is one of the most critical actions needed from patients during orthodontic treatment. Have you visited us lately? Give us a call and schedule an appointment!

Dr. Ruff's Dental Health Month Contest

With February being National Children's Dental Health Month, Dr. Ruff and our team would like to introduce a fun patient contest. We encourage everyone to visit our website to print out the Word Find game. Take some time as a family to find dental related words. There are 30 words total, many of which you have probably heard us use in the office.

We will be giving away an Oral B Professional Series Automatic Toothbrush, 4 movie tickets to Flagship Cinemas, and a $25 Pizza Hut gift card to the three families who find the most words.

If there are more than three families who win, we will be holding a random drawing. As always, please give us a call if you have any questions!

Good Luck, and Happy Dental Health Month!