Making Your Life Better with Orthodontics

The number one goal of orthodontic treatment is to give you or your child a good bite, meaning straight teeth that work well with the teeth in the opposite jaw. A good bite makes it easier for you to eat, chew, and speak. It can enhance your dental health and your overall health, and may well improve your self-esteem. As a part of your comprehensive dental health care plan, orthodontic treatment can help you retain you teeth—and your smile—for a lifetime.

Let your smile express yourself! Nothing can show the world how happy you are quite like a beautiful smile. In fact, it’s one of the first things others notice about you, too. With orthodontics, you can be proud to flash your smile, because you’ll know that your smile truly represents your positive attitude.

Make your mouth healthy! Straight teeth aren’t just pretty, they’re healthy as well. Teeth that are properly aligned are easier to clean, reducing the amount of plaque buildup and risk for gingivitis. The cleaner you keep your teeth, the longer they’ll last!

Feel free to live your life! Orthodontics is easier today than ever before, with treatment options that fit your lifestyle and schedule. From clear braces to removable aligners and totally invisible lingual (behind the teeth) braces, we can personalize your treatment to suit all your needs.

Am I Too Old for Braces?

Orthodontic treatment for adults is becoming more and more common. In fact, the number of adults getting braces has actually climbed 24 percent since 1996! More adults than ever are realizing that orthodontic treatment is not just for kids, and can help improve the aesthetics and health of a smile of any age! In society where appearance matters and can help make the difference between getting a job or a promotion, adults are choosing wisely to invest in orthodontic treatment.

Some of the most common reasons our adult patients come to us considering orthodontic treatment include:

·         Teeth that are crowded or spaced apart, sometimes as a result of tooth decay or gum disease

·         Pain or pressure from crooked teeth or a misaligned jaw

·         A bad bite or malocclusion, causing teeth to fit together incorrectly

Most of all though, adult patients come to our office seeking a healthier mouth and a more confident smile! Orthodontic treatment at our office can be successful at any age, and adults especially can appreciate the benefits of a beautiful smile.

As an adult patient, we recognize that you have different needs than our younger patients, and we will work with you to ensure you receive the most appropriate treatment and that your needs are met with understanding and respect from us.

If you’ve been thinking about getting that perfect smile, we would love to have you visit for a consultation. We understand you have a busy schedule, and will work with you to find a time that is convenient for you. Please visit our website or give our office a call to schedule your appointment today!

For Dr. Charles J. Ruff, a pursuit of excellence

Dr. Charles J. Ruff makes every effort to provide you with the best orthodontic treatment. For us that means achieving consistently great results. There are many things that help Dr. Ruff do that. Some of them are: 1. Using the most up to date and proven technologies available 2. Spending time and resources on continuing education to stay current and relevant 3. Training our entire team on new techniques 4. Educating our patients about the pursuit of excellence If you or a family member has been thinking about orthodontic treatment, please give us a call. We look forward to seeing you.

Need a New Year’s Resolution? How about a healthier, more beautiful smile?

2012 is here, and it's a great time of year to get started on a lifetime of straight, dazzling and confident smiles. Dr. Charles Ruff offers some of today's most innovative orthodontic technologies that can straighten your smile in less time than you ever imagined. Not only do today’s braces and other orthodontic treatments straighten teeth quicker, they also offer greater comfort for the patient and require fewer visits to our office. 

So if obtaining a healthy, beautiful smile is one of your New Year’s resolutions, we invite you to give us a call to schedule an orthodontic consultation with Dr. Ruff.

Regular checkups and your oral health

Are you brushing and flossing daily 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 our office, 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 our area!

- Dr. Charles J. Ruff and team

Happy Thanksgiving from Dr. Ruff and team!

Dr. Charles J. Ruff and team would like to wish you a safe and happy Thanksgiving. It's a big food holiday, so be careful what you eat!

If you have any stories or pictures to share with us, we'd encourage you to post them to our Facebook page or call our office and ask how.

Gobble Gobble!

Softly brushing your way to clean teeth, from Dr. Charles Ruff

Just as there are so many different types of toothbrushes to choose from, each brush also has a different type of bristle! There are generally three different types of bristles; hard, medium, and soft. Dr. Charles Ruff always recommend that our patients, especially children and seniors, use a soft bristled toothbrush.

Using a hard and medium bristled brush can actually harm your teeth and gums by stripping the enamel from the teeth and irritating the gums so that they become red and sore, and can even cause gum recession. If you do use a hard or medium bristled brush as a personal preference, we recommend using an electric toothbrush.

Soft bristles are much gentler on your teeth and gums, and while patients of all ages are recommended to use soft bristled brushes, they are particularly great for children, seniors, patients recovering from a dental procedure, and patients wearing braces.

Soft bristles, and even extra-soft bristles are every bit as effective when it comes to cleaning your teeth; in fact, if you currently use a hard or medium bristled brush, try a soft bristled brush next time you buy a toothbrush and we bet you won’t even notice a difference!

Happy brushing!

The importance of retainers, from Dr. Ruff

If you recently completed treatment with Dr. Charles J. 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 can shift out of position if they are not stabilized. Retainers 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. Here are some things to remember when you receive your retainers:

* Wear your retainers full time, until the doctor instructs otherwise. Wearing your retainers at night ensures that your pearly whites won’t relapse.

* Take your retainers out when eating...and always put retainers in theirhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif 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.

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

* 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, soccer, etc.).

We hope this helps! You can always contact our team on if you have any questions!

At Charles J. Ruff, DMD, your comfort is our priority!

From convenient appointments to offering contests and other forms of entertainment in the waiting room, there are so many things our Waterville, Skowhegan and Dover–Foxcroft orthodontic offices do to help put our patients at ease. For example, at each appointment, patients receive Ruff Bucks that can later be turned in for prizes like gift cards, water bottles and t-shirts! As an added benefit for our patients and any moms and dads who spend time in our waiting room, Dr. Ruff also offers FREE wireless internet.

We’d like to know: What is it about Dr. Ruff and our team that makes you comfortable or puts you at ease? Is it something about our pleasant office environment or friendly staff? Let us know by posting here, on our Facebook page or by giving us a call!

Dr. Ruff and team, wishing you a relaxing and memorable Memorial Day weekend

Memorial Day weekend is a time when Americans everywhere stop and remember all those men and women who bravely gave their lives for our country.

Memorial Day also marks the unofficial start of summer 2011, and for many folks in Waterville, Skowhegan and Dover–Foxcroft, getting out of town for three days after being cooped up in the office or in the classroom means sweet, sweet relief. At Charles J. Ruff, DMD, we also know Memorial Day weekend is ripe for travel. After all, it’s a season of vacations, adventures and great memories. Whether you are headed to a barbecue, a camping trip, hitting the great open roads or hanging out in your backyard this weekend, we want to know about it!

Have a nice and relaxing Memorial Day weekend!

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!

Share your experience with Dr. Ruff with the world!

Whether you've visited Dr. Ruff for a week, months or even years, we'd love to hear your feedback about how our office is faring! There are lots of ways you can share your thoughts about our practice with the rest of the world, but we encourage you to head to our Google Local page and write a review there.

After all, reviews help Dr. Ruff create more beautiful smiles in Waterville, Skowhegan, Foxcroft and surrounding communities.

You may write a review here.

Thank you and enjoy your week! We look forward to reading your reviews!

Ask Dr. Ruff: Who benefits from braces?

Braces aren’t just for pre-adolescents and teenagers anymore! Dr. Ruff will tell you that anyone, at any age, can benefit from orthodontic care; whether it’s correcting a problem not treated in your younger years, or catching a problem early.

To ensure the best overall treatment, the American Association of Orthodontists, or AAO, recommends that children receive an orthodontic consultation as early as age seven. If a problem is evident, taking action early can spare a lot of treatment and expense down the road. If you never received orthodontic treatment when you were young, don’t worry! You’re never too old for a beautiful smile. Set up an appointment at (207) 873-7425 for a consultation and find out how adult orthodontics will transform your smile, and your life!

Imagining your life with Invisalign®

Are you wondering what Invisalign treatment is really like, and what effect it will have on your day-to-day activities? Will it slur your speech? Will people know you're in treatment? You're not alone in your concerns! Dr. Charles Ruff and our team thought we’d share this list of questions and answers for anyone pondering Invisalign treatment with Dr. Ruff.

How exactly does Invisalign work?

Using 3-D computer imaging technology, Invisalign creates a series of custom-made, clear aligners exclusively for your teeth, based on the treatment plan that we specify for you. Each aligner moves teeth incrementally and is worn for about two weeks, then replaced by the next in the series until the final position is achieved.

Will I experience pain during treatment?

Most people experience temporary discomfort for a few days after a new aligner is placed. This feeling of pressure is normal and is a sign that Invisalign is working by sequentially moving your teeth to their final destination.

Can other people see that I'm in treatment?

One of the benefits of Invisalign is that the aligners are clear. You can straighten your teeth without anyone knowing.

Can I smoke during treatment?

We discourage smoking while wearing the aligners as they may become discolored.

Are there any foods I cannot eat while in treatment?

You can eat normally during the entire course of treatment. One of the advantages of Invisalign is that the aligners are removable. Simply take the aligners out before each meal, brush when you're finished eating, then reinsert the aligners afterward.

What about chewing gum?

We recommend removing your aligners for all meals and snacks, as gum and other chewy substances can stick to the aligners.

How often must I wear my aligners?

Aligners should be worn all day, except when eating, brushing, and flossing.

Will my speech be affected by the aligners?

As with any orthodontic treatment, aligners may temporarily affect your speech. If this does happen, your tongue will adjust within a day or two and your speech should return to normal.

How can I clean my aligners?

The best way to clean your aligners is by brushing and rinsing them in lukewarm water.

How often must I visit your office during treatment?

For most patients, visits every 4-6 weeks are frequent enough for us to determine that your treatment is progressing properly. Dr. Ruff will provide you with a specific schedule that supports your individual treatment plan.

What are patients saying about Dr. Ruff?

Dr. Charles Ruff and our team just love getting patient reviews. And lately, our office, serving Waterville, Dover Foxcroft, Skowhegan and surrounding communities, has been getting some pretty great patient testimonials! We thought we'd share some with you today! If you have any reviews you'd like to share with us, please pass them along!

"EVERYONE in the office is friendly, professional, and makes you feel welcome and special for coming to the office." ~ Kevin S.

"Dr. Ruff definitely has the best reputation in our area. He is honest and his care is outstanding." ~ Brian S.

"Professional, friendly, polite, helpful, responsive, give me plenty of reminders about appointments, pleasant office . . . can't imagine a better place." ~ Melora N.

"We like the friendly staff and Dr. Ruff is very pleasant. He really cares about the kids teeth and has a wonderful way of working with the kids." ~ Andrew C.

"He is thorough and a perfectionist." ~ Donald H.

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

From your very first visit to our office, Dr. Ruff and our team strive to provide superior treatment in a pleasant, friendly atmosphere. Have you been especially impressed by Dr. Ruff? Did our team go out of their way to make your day? Do you love your new smile?

Whether you’ve just come in for a consultation or your family has been visiting our office for years, we’d love to hear your feedback on our networks. Or, you can tell us by giving us a call!

Ask Dr. Ruff: Is Invisalign® really customized for each patient?

Yes, it is, and that’s part of what makes it work, Dr. Ruff says. To find out if you are the right candidate for Invisalign treatment, the first thing Dr. Ruff and his team does is take an impression of your teeth as they are now and digitize it. Using special software, we look at the current positioning of your teeth and compare it to the way your teeth should look.

Next we use special software to map out the exact path your teeth will take from the beginning of your treatment to the end. Based on the results, a set of custom aligners are created just for your teeth. Throughout the course of treatment, you will be required to wear these clear, removable aligners one at a time; each one moving your teeth closer and closer to their final, perfectly aligned position. And since the aligners are virtually invisible, nobody around you will even know you are wearing braces!

Dr. Ruff is a certified Invisalign provider. If you have questions about Invisalign, or would like to find out if you are a candidate for Invisalign treatment, give us a call! Happy New Year!