What is TMD?

The temporomandibular joint is a hinge that connects your jaw bone (mandible) to the temporal bones in your skull, in front of each ear.  A general term for any problem or issue with this joint is temporomandibular disorder, or TMD.  Dr. Gregory Ross can help patients prevent and recover from negative effects of TMD.

Patients that grind or clench their teeth often end up with a sore jaw.  Other patients experience injuries with facial trauma that cause jaw pain, or result in the patient feeling their jaw gets stuck or ‘locks’ in either an open or closed position.  A custom night guard keeps the jaw in a neutral position during sleep, and this helps many patients find relief from TMD symptoms.  For any pain, your dentist may recommend an over-the-counter painkiller or warm and cold compresses.  To prevent further discomfort, you may be assigned stretches for your jaw. 

Whatever your symptoms, you don’t have to suffer with discomfort in your jaw.  To learn more about TMD and the services we provide at the practice, visit www.smilesbyross.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Gregory Ross, DDS call our Forest Lake, MN location at 651-464-6988 or our Hudson, WI location at 715-808-8379.

Thank You For Your Testimonials

At the orthodontic practice of Dr. Gregory Ross, our staff appreciates feedback because it teaches us how to improve as a team. Our staff would not only like to thank Yezibel for this 5-star review, but would like to thank her for being an excellent patient. If you recently experienced exceptional service from our office, please let us know!  

“This is such a great place for you or your children to get their dental needs met. It is a friendly and safe place for all ages. Everyone that works there will take care of all of your satisfactions. They let you pick fun colors each and every time you visit them. They are so very gentle, and within a few months I was already seeing a major difference in my teeth! Highly recommended to anyone even thinking about getting their teeth straightened.” – Yezibel S.

If you would like to leave a testimonial or are interested in learning more about the services we provide at the practice, visit www.smilesbyross.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Gregory Ross, DDS call our Forest Lake, MN location at 651-464-6988 or our Hudson, WI location at 715-808-8379.

Overbite Complications

Overbites are identified when the upper teeth protrude over the lower teeth. Medically referred to as malocclusion, an overbite can often cause problems in the jaw joint, such as temporomandibular joint disorder, crooked teeth, and a crowded mouth. The most common treatment method for an overbite is orthodontics. Fortunately, Dr. Gregory Ross, DDS has a variety of teeth-straightening methods to choose from.

The most common cause of an overbite is the shape and/or size of the jaw or the teeth. Perhaps there is too much room in the jaw, or maybe there isn’t enough. Overbites can occur at any age. If left untreated, an overbite could cause significant health complications such as jaw pain, tooth decay, sleep apnea, difficulty speaking, and or trouble with fully opening or closing the mouth. If these symptoms sound all too familiar, consider orthodontic treatment.

If you have questions or concerns regarding orthodontic treatment, please give us a call. To learn about services we provide at the practice, visit www.smilesbyross.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Gregory Ross, DDS call our Forest Lake, MN location at 651-464-6988 or our Hudson, WI location at 715-808-8379.

Types of Retainers

Patients who desire to undergo orthodontic treatment have one goal in mind – a straighter smile. Whether you’ve decided to achieve this goal with traditional braces or Invisalign, Dr. Gregory Ross, DDS has several retainer options available to patients. It’s important to wear your retainer to not only protect your investment but to prevent teeth from shifting back to their prior state. The two most common choices that patients choose are the following.

• Removable Retainer – a removable retainer is the most common type, but depending on the individual, it may not always be the best choice. A removable retainer is crafted from a clear plastic that is formed by heat and a model of your teeth.  Removable retainers can be virtually invisible, and easy to wear.


• Fixed Retainer – also known as a bonded retainer, a fixed retainer consists of a wire being bonded to the back of the six bottom teeth. Bonded retainers tend to protect fewer teeth than removable retainers, but are ideal for the patient that may forget to wear his or her retainer at night.

If you have questions or concerns regarding orthodontic treatment or aftercare, please give us a call. To learn about services we provide at the practice, visit www.smilesbyross.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Gregory Ross, DDS call our Forest Lake, MN location at 651-464-6988 or our Hudson, WI location at 715-808-8379.

White Spot Lesions

When undergoing orthodontic treatment with traditional braces, patients must be vigilant against tooth decay. At Ross Orthodontics, we want patients to be fully informed about how to prevent this problem, which is why we’re spotlighting white spot lesions in this week’s blog post.

White spot lesions are what we call the dental infections when they are in their earliest stage. They have a chalkier appearance than the healthy enamel when an infection is active and take on a shiny appearance once the decay is stopped. They may also become stained, in which case they will look yellow or brown.

Because of the difficulty many patients have brushing around fixed brackets, white spot lesions commonly develop there. If left untreated, the result will be that when the brackets are removed, the patient will have hollow square-shaped discoloration patterns on their teeth. Good brushing is necessary to prevent this, but it also helps for patients to get fluoride treatments. The enamel regains minerals overtime, but there are therapies available to speed this process. White spots can form very quickly, so patients would do well to starve the bacteria by avoiding sugary foods and drinks.

To learn more about Ross Orthodontics, visit Smiles by Ross. Offices are located in Forest Lake, Minnesota and Hudson, Wisconsin.

 

Causes of Gap Teeth

Gap teeth are one of the most common reasons for people to seek orthodontic treatment. At Ross Orthodontics in Forest Lake and Hudson, we have a number of ways to provide treatment for this condition, but patients will need to understand what causes a gap to develop in the first place in order to get treatment that lasts.

If a gap (also called a diastema) between the front top incisors is the only problem, a general dentist may simply cover it up with veneers. However, it is often the case that the teeth are crooked or misaligned in some other way that would require repositioning. This can happen with the teeth are not large or numerous enough to take up space in the ridge of the mouth. Traditional braces and Invisalign can reposition the teeth, but it is necessary for the patient to wear a retainer afterward.

Gap teeth frequently occur along with overbites. When somebody is in the habit of sucking their thumb or pushing against their teeth with their tongue, the same forces that move the teeth outward also draw them apart. Tongue thrusting may be due to anxiety or difficulty swallowing, the latter of which requires attention from an ear, nose, and throat specialist. If the labial frenum, the strip of tissue connecting the inside of the upper lip to the jaw, is overly thick, it could also be pushing the top teeth apart.

To learn more about Ross Orthodontics, visit Smiles by Ross. Offices are located in Forest Lake, Minnesota and Hudson, Wisconsin.

 

Athletes and Mouth Guards

Wearing a mouth guard while playing a sport protects the teeth from dental damage, trauma, and may also prevent concussions. For optimal protection, the mouth guard should be comfortable, resistant to tearing and ripping, and ultimately resilient. Dr. Gregory Ross, DDS can fit patients for custom-fitted mouth guards so that you can finish the game without the worry of knocking out a tooth.  

Custom mouth guards are made from exact and precise models of an individual’s own teeth. They are also made of resilient and tear resistant materials ensuring a proper fit. A properly fitted mouth guard absolutely must be protective, comfortable, resilient, tear resistant, odorless, tasteless, and allow room for you to breathe. Because our custom-fitted mouth guards are made for your mouth and your mouth only, they are more reliable than over-the-counter mouth guards.

If you have questions or concerns regarding orthodontics, please give us a call. To learn about services we provide at the practice, visit www.smilesbyross.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Gregory Ross, DDS call our Forest Lake, MN location at 651-464-6988 or our Hudson, WI location at 715-808-8379.