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You are never too old for braces! I had a conversation with one of my patient’s mom about how she is so happy that her daughter is in braces. She told me that she never had braces and it was something she real wished she had as a child. I asked her if she had ever thought about getting braces as an adult. She kinda just chuckled and said ” I am way too old for braces!”
As parents, we do everything for our children. We will bend over backward to give them a great quality of life. We often never take a time for ourselves, especially as parents. Don’t you think it is time for us to do something for ourselves?

Many adults don’t realize how many different types of braces they have to choose from. Recent advances in the field of orthodontics allows you to wear braces that no one can see! Here are a few options that Dr. Jeff Shao of Showtime Orthodontic Arts in The Woodlands offer.

The #1 choice is Lingual Braces

Why is this our # 1 choice is because you can’t see it (well, unless you are walking on your hands with your mouth open but come on, who really does that). Lingual braces are placed behind your teeth facing your tongue.
The definition of lingual is, relating to, near, or on the side toward the tongue.

Here are a few celebrities who’ve had lingual braces:
Catherine Duchess of Cambridge
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge
Miley Cyrus
Chances are you have had a conversation with someone with lingual braces and didn’t even know it!

Our #2 choice is Invisalign:

Invisalign is a series of clear trays that you use to straighten your teeth. The key to invisalign is compliance (you have to wear your trays in order for it to work).

Celebrities who have been treated with invisalign:
Khole Kardashian
Eva Longoria
Zac Efron
Serena Williams
and yup even Oprah

The 3rd is ceramic braces:

These are the braces that are the same color as your teeth!

Celebrities who have had Ceramic Braces:

Faith Hill
Tom Cruise
Niall Horan (of One Direction) you can insert teenage girl scream here_____!

If you are interested in esthetic options, please call us for a complimentary consultation for more in depth information. We have very convenient hours to fit your busy schedule.

Thursday- 8am- 7pm
Friday- 7am- 6pm
We are open on weekends too!
Saturday- 8am- 7pm
Sunday- 12pm- 5pm

Monday-Wednesday Our receptionist will be available by phone to schedule your appointment or answer question you might have.

We feel very privileged and honored to have Mario on our team. As far as assistants go, he is the best. Not only is Mario a very skilled and efficient Assistant, he is an awesome guy. Having a male orthodontic assistant might be rare, but we wouldn’t have it any other way.

So I sat down with Mario and asked him, “What do you want our patients to know about you?”

Mario: The first thing I would like everybody to know is that I really enjoy my job. I work for the best Orthodontist in The Woodlands. Dr. Jeff Shao is so funny, we are always laughing! It is so refreshing to wake up and go into work with people I enjoy being with. We are not just a team, we are a family.  It is so awesome interacting with our patients. I have meet some of the coolest kids who are really involved in our Community.  I love all Sports. I have been the biggest fan of the Texas Longhorns ever since my Grandfather took me to my first game when I was 12 years old. The second I stepped into the stadium and looked down on the field, it truly took my breath away.  At that moment, I knew I was a fan for life. Growing up in San Antonio, one of favorite things to do was go to the San Antonio Spurs games. I have been watching the Spurs ever since Tim Duncan was drafted in 1998.

My family is everything to me. I have two older sisters and a brother who is a senior in high school. I also have a little nephew who is 2 years old that I am very close with.

[caption id="attachment_15" align="alignnone" width="360" caption="Fun in The Woodlands"][/caption]

I am very excited to be living in The Woodlands, for may reasons. First, the people here are so kind and welcoming. There are so many things to do here! I have already been to a few Houston Astros games and hope to see a Houston Texans game in the near future.  I have already attended my first concert at the Cynthia Mitchell Woods pavilion and it definitely won’t be the last.

It is that time of year again: back to school!

Here are some tips to help you out:

1. Keep your retainers in your retainer case during lunch. If you have a locker, that would be a safe place for you to keep it or you can zip it up in your book bag. As Dr. Jeff Shao would say, ”Face or Case!”

2. Brush and floss your teeth after lunch. You wouldn’t want to walk around with peas stuck in your teeth!

3. Don’t forget about scheduling your orthodontic appointments in advance. Keep in mind that we are open early mornings, late afternoons and on Saturdays and Sundays.

4. Wear your elastics (it will make a difference in your treatment time).

5. We hope everyone has a great year at school! A special request to all parents of kids returning to school: Please encourage your child to say ‘hi’ or smile if they see another child struggling to make friends or being bullied. A little kindness goes a long way.

Remember to keep us updated on your great achievements this year whether it is sports related, academic achievements, or if you have done something great within our community.
We truly believe that we have the best patients ever and know each and everyone of you are going to have a wonderful year!

Fred Couples Pro golfer once said “ When you’re prepared you’re more confident. When you have a strategy you’re more comfortable.” This is a great philosophy to go by for getting your braces.

A couple days before the big day..

Get it out of your system
One of my patients mothers had a great idea. She planned a family movie night at their house where she order pizza, had a veggie tray with carrots and celery, and then served popcorn, and a little bowl of gummy bears. As you can tell these are a lot of the foods on the “avoid with braces list”.

Things to add to grocery list

Braces can cause some discomfort. Soft foods will be ideal for a couple days afterwards.
Below I listed some items that you might want to pick up.

soup
applesauce
mashed potatoes
lots of liquids
sugar free pudding
eggs
pancakes
rice
Tylenol - not Advil- (Aspirin, Ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) and Naproxen Sodium (Aleve, Anaprox) actually slow the tooth movement, so it is not advisable to use them frequently while wearing braces.)
yogurt
salt (for warm saltwater rinse) Dissolve one teaspoonful of salt in eight ounces of warm water, and rinse your mouth vigorously.
ora-gel
and my favorite: SMOOTHIES!!!!

Here is a great recipe to get you started:

Superstar Banana Smoothie

1 banana
1 cup of milk you can use skim ok soy if you choose
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
4 or 5 ice cubes

Now you just blend it up in a blender and enjoy!!!

tip -the riper the banana the sweeter it will be

Keep up the brushing and flossing

This no time to relax on brushing and flossing. It is VERY important to brush and floss everyday, especially now that you are getting braces. If you have never been a strong flosser, you might want to invest into a type of water flosser (i.e. Waterpic). This will definitely help you get the job done.

The day you get your braces

-Wake up with a positive attitude because today is going to be a great day!

-Have a good breakfast

-Take the recommended dosage of Tylenol an hour before your appointment

-After your braces are placed, we will give you a patient kit with a toothbrush, floss , floss threader and some Ortho wax. Our assistant will teach you the proper way to use all these items.

The night after you get your braces

So by this point the discomfort has set in, but have no fear, here are some more tips on how to get through the night:

-Continue taking your tylenol as recommended, this will help a lot.

-Try out that smoothie recipe! The cold will feel good.

-A salt and water rinse will help ease the discomfort. Dissolve one teaspoonful of salt in eight ounces of warm water, and rinse your mouth vigorously.

-Get some sleep, you’ve had a busy day!

Just remember the discomfort that you are feeling is your teeth moving!!!! You are on your way to beautiful smile!!!