Treat yourself to a new smile, no matter what your age!

Did you know one in every five orthodontic patients is an adult? We’re living longer and technology is improving, making orthodontic treatment an appealing and safe option for patients of all ages. As the trend toward treatment later in life grows, we’re seeing braces on parents as well as children – and even adult celebrities such as Tom Cruise, Gwen Stefani and Nicholas Cage have shown off their braces. It’s never too late to look and feel your best!

Can Braces Work for Adults?
People of all ages can benefit from orthodontic treatment. The physical process for moving teeth is the same, young or old, which means it’s never too late to address issues such as an overbite or underbite, crooked or crowded teeth, or jaw disorders.

How Do I Get Started?
If you’re considering orthodontic treatment, we’ll make a consultation appointment with you. During this meeting we will perform a general assessment of your oral health, discuss options for treatment, and answer any questions you may have. We will also discuss matters of cost and insurance. The next step is an orthodontic records appointment in which we take x-rays, photos, and an impression of your teeth. This information drives your unique treatment plan.

What Are the Benefits?
Straightening your teeth can improve your smile, your self-esteem, and your dental health. Technologically advanced new treatments make it easier to identify the option that best fits your lifestyle. Modern techniques and materials have made braces and aligners more effective, comfortable and unobtrusive than ever.
If you think you might benefit from orthodontic treatment, give our team a call, so we may set up a consultation to determine what type of treatment best meets your needs.

Orthodontic Emergency? We can help!

True orthodontic emergencies are very rare, but when they do occur we are available to you. As a general rule, you should call the office when you experience severe pain or when you have a painful appliance problem that you can't take care of yourself. We’ll be able to schedule an appointment with our office.


You might be surprised to learn that you may be able to temporarily solve many problems yourself until you get in to see us…


The following solutions may help you relieve your discomfort:


Poking Wire: Using a pencil eraser, push the poking wire down or place wax on it to alleviate the discomfort.


Loose Bracket or Band: If your bracket or band is still attached to the wire, you should leave it in place and put wax on it. If the wire comes out entirely, wrap the bracket with a tissue.


Loose Wire: Using a tweezers, try to place your wire back into place. If doing this and using wax does not help, as a last resort use a small fingernail clipper to clip the wire behind the last tooth to which it is securely fastened. If your discomfort continues, place wax on it.


Loose Appliance: If your appliance is poking you, place wax on the offending part of your appliance.


Headgear Does Not Fit: Sometimes headgear discomfort is caused by not wearing the headgear as instructed by your orthodontist. Please refer to the instructions provided by your orthodontist. If the facebow is bent, please call our office for assistance. Surprisingly, headgear becomes more comfortable the more it's worn, so be sure you’re getting in the prescribed hours.


General Soreness: When you get your braces on, you may feel general soreness in your mouth and teeth may be tender to biting pressures for three to five days. This can be relieved by rinsing your mouth with a warm salt water mouthwash. Dissolve one teaspoonful of salt in 8 ounces of warm water, and rinse your mouth vigorously. If the tenderness is severe, take aspirin or whatever you normally take for headache or similar pain.


Remember, after alleviating your discomfort, it is still very important that you call our office as soon as possible to schedule a time to repair the problem.

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 your 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. We can personalize your treatment to suit all of your needs!

Ask Dr. White: “I’m 35 – am I too old for braces?”

No! Absolutely not! At the orthodontic office of Dr. John C. White, no one is "too old" for braces. Orthodontic treatment can be successful at any age, and adults especially appreciate the benefits of a beautiful smile. In fact, one of every five patients in orthodontic treatment is over 21 and - not only that - but our staff recently read a statistic that the number of adults getting orthodontic treatment has actually climbed 24 percent since 1996!

Yes, braces help make your pearly whites strong, healthy and perfectly-aligned, but perhaps another reason for the spike in adult braces is this: people 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.

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

Ask Dr. White: “I’m 35 – am I too old for braces?”

No - absolutely not. At the orthodontic office of Dr. John C. White, no one is "too old" for braces. Orthodontic treatment can be successful at any age, and adults especially appreciate the benefits of a beautiful smile. In fact, one of every five patients in orthodontic treatment is over 21 and - not only that - but our staff recently read a statistic that the number of adults getting orthodontic treatment has actually climbed 24 percent since 1996!

Yes, braces help make your pearly whites strong, healthy and perfectly-aligned, but perhaps another reason for the spike in adult braces is this: people 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.

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

Ask Dr. White: Am I too old for treatment?

No - absolutely not. At the orthodontic office of Dr. John C. White, no one is "too old" for braces. Orthodontic treatment can be successful at any age, and adults especially appreciate the benefits of a beautiful smile. In fact, one of every five patients in orthodontic treatment is over 21 and - not only that - but our staff recently read a statistic that the number of adults getting orthodontic treatment has actually climbed 24 percent since 1996!

Yes, braces help make your pearly whites strong, healthy and perfectly-aligned, but perhaps another reason for the spike in adult braces is this: people 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.

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

Now Mom and Dad Can Have Perfect Too from Dr. John White

Focusing on your kids' teeth so much that you're neglecting your own? If you've been thinking wistfully about having your own set of perfect teeth, let Dr. White know! We are specially trained to offer an adult-friendly option for straightening teeth called Invisalign.

This course of treatment consists of a set of clear aligners that are molded to fit your teeth using a proprietary technology. You wear them all day and night, except for meals, brushing, and flossing – when you can easily slip them out to make eating and cleaning a snap!

Because they're clear, your teeth will be steadily straightening – and no one will know it but you!

Time and expense

Your teeth are unique, and the cost of Invisalign varies according to the complexity of your treatment plan. The time involved in treatment varies as well, and with new Invisalign Express, designed specifically for common problems like minor crowding and spacing, you could have your new perfect smile in less than six months!

Thinking ahead

If your health care plan covers orthodontics, it most likely covers Invisalign treatment to the same extent as conventional braces. Check your benefits, then give us a call at Dr. White's office to set up a consultation, so we can discuss the specifics of your treatment.

Gummy Tummy -- Dr. White

We know the rumors going around – mostly among young people – that once you swallow a piece of chewing gum it will stake a claim and take up residency in your stomach for at least seven years! We really hate to take all the fun out of the mystery, but the truth is that chewing gum, when swallowed, will enter the stomach and move through the digestive system just like any other piece of food and leave the body long before seven years! So, if you ever have accidentally swallowed a piece of gum, there is no need to worry!

This being said, gum does not have any dietary benefits, so while it’s not harmful to swallow, you still want to avoid swallowing it. If you are a gum-chewer, make sure you chew sugarless gum, because gum with sugar can lead to cavities. Sugarless gum still has the same amount of flavor, but with less cavity causing ingredients. You see, when the bacterium in your mouth breaks down sugar, what’s left behind is acid. This acid eats away at the enamel coating of your teeth, causing holes that we call cavities. Cavities can lead to other long term mouth problems if they are not treated in time, so it is best to try and avoid overexposing your teeth to too many harmful substances!

Happy (sugar-free) gum chewing from Dr. White!

Smoke Screen with Dr. John White

Everybody knows that smoking causes lung cancer, but did you also know that smokers and tobacco are susceptible to a variety of oral health problems at a faster rate than non-smokers?

It’s true! Smoking is responsible for almost 75% of gum disease in adults; and, similar to smokers, adults who smoke pipes and cigars, as well as those using smokeless tobacco, are just as susceptible to gum disease and other tobacco related health problems.

As soon as you use tobacco products, you become more likely to experience any of these oral-health problems:

--Oral cancer
--Gum disease
--Tooth loss
--Loss of bone in the jaw
--Gum recession
--Delayed/impaired healing process after oral surgery or any other treatment
--Decreased success rate of dental implant (tooth replacement) procedures
--Mouth sores
--Loss of your sense of taste and smell
--Bad breath
--Tooth and tongue stains

If you are interested in protecting your oral health we strongly recommend you quit using tobacco products! The following steps are recommended by the Surgeon General to help you quit smoking and using tobacco:

--Get ready – set a quitting date and remove all materials from your home, car and office
--Get support
--Learn new skills and behaviors
--Get medication and use it correctly
--Be prepared for relapse or difficult situations

For support, start with Dr. John White! We can help by recommending different options to help you quit, and above all we will support you throughout the quitting process. We are dedicated to helping you protect your oral health – and quitting smoking is significant step in the right direction.

Is Invisalign Really Customized for Each Patient? - Dr. John White

Yes, it is, and that’s part of what makes it work. To find out if you are the right candidate for Invisalign treatment, the first thing we do is to 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. John White 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 at 440-792-5670 in Northfield or 330-931-4232 in Hudson.