Share your story with us! Why did you choose Orchin Orthodontics?

At Orchin Orthodontics, our patients always come first. During your first appointment, Drs. Andrew and Jerry Orchin will spend time discussing all of your options, and getting to know exactly what you expect from your orthodontic treatment. After all, your smile is often the first thing people notice about you, and at Orchin Orthodontics, we want to help you make a lasting first impression.

Whether you’ve just come in for a consultation with Dr. Andrew Orchin or your family has been visiting our convenient Washington D.C. office for years, we’d love to know: What made you choose us for your orthodontic treatment? You can write a review on our Facebook page or on our Google listing!

Lastly, Dr. Andrew, Whitney and Ellen are in St. Louis this weekend for an annual meeting of orthodontists and their fabulous team members, and our very own Whitney gave a presentation this afternoon about social media. She did a great job, and we're lucky to have her!

"Hey, Dr. Orchin! Which foods should I avoid?"

There are a variety of foods Dr. Andrew Orchin wants you to avoid while you're wearing braces. Some foods can occasionally damage braces, but certain foods can bend the wires or even break the brackets on your braces. If you’re wearing braces, you should avoid starch, sugar and gummy foods, as these foods can be difficult to remove during brushing. Foods that are high in sugar and starch tend to cause plaque, cavities and even tooth decay.

Avoid tough meats, hard breads and raw vegetables such as carrots and celery. Before long, you'll be able to bite a cucumber again. But you'll need to protect your orthodontic appliances when you eat for as long as you're wearing braces.

Foods you should avoid
• Chewy foods: bagels, hard rolls, licorice
• Crunchy foods: popcorn, ice, chips
• Sticky foods: caramels, gum
• Hard foods: nuts, candy
• Foods you have to bite into: corn on the cob, apples, carrots
• Chewing on hard things (for example, pens, pencils or fingernails) can damage the braces. Damaged braces will cause treatment to take longer.

If you have any questions on which foods you should be avoiding and why during your treatment at Orchin Orthodontics, we invite you to give us a call at (202) 686-5100 or ask our staff during your next visit! We also encourage you to check out this helpful article about eating with braces, courtesy of Parenthood.com.

Ask Dr. Orchin: What's sooooo cool about braces?

Braces today are “cool” and—many would say—even “fun.” These were among the findings of a 2010 nationwide survey of moms whose children are going through or have had orthodontic treatment. New technologies such as SureSmile, Invisalign and SPEED braces, advanced computer software, color options, and even popular celebrities—Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning and Serena Williams, to name a few—sporting stylish braces are making orthodontic treatment more comfortable, fashionable and cool for today’s teens.

The study, conducted on behalf of our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists, found 86 percent of moms reporting that braces are cooler today than when they were children. Sixty-nine percent of moms also said wearing braces makes their children feel cool, and 81 percent reported their children’s experience with orthodontic treatment as either positive or extremely positive.

Different color options and the ability to change colors, for example, provide exciting ways for young patients to customize appearances. That enthusiasm helps them to feel good about their orthodontic treatment with Dr. Andrew Orchin, and may contribute to the success of treatment.

Has your child or teen visited Orchin Orthodontics for a consultation? If not, please give us a call at (202) 686-5100 and let Dr. Orchin and our staff help your child begin the journey to a gorgeous smile!

Win 2 Club Level Redskins tickets at Orchin Orthodontics!

Dr. Orchin wants to know: Are you ready for some football?

Starting tomorrow, September 1st, become a fan of Orchin Orthodontics on Facebook by November 12th and you’ll be automatically entered for a chance to win two Club Level tickets to the Redskins vs. Tampa Bay game at FedEx Field on Sunday, December 12th at 1 p.m. (the prize includes an orange parking pass).

BUT WAIT! There are more ways to qualify for the tickets!!

* Refer a friend to Orchin Orthodontics, and you'll get ONE ENTRY

* Write a short testimonial on our Facebook wall, and you'll get ONE ENTRY

* Post a VIDEO testimonial to our Facebook wall, and you'll get TWO ENTRIES

* Write a short review on our Google Local page, Yahoo page or Bing listing, and you'll get TWO ENTRIES

* Update your Facebook status when you visit our office, and you'll get ONE ENTRY

GOOD LUCK everyone! Let us know id you have any questions! Go Redskins!

Dr. Andrew Orchin, reminding you to wear your mouth guards

With the hot and sultry Dog Days summer here for another four weeks, our staff at Orchin Orthodontics would like to take this time to remind all our young athletes wearing braces to take care of both your mouth and appliances while participating in contact sports (and non-contact sports) this fall. After all, we know this is a busy time of year sports-wise, whether kids are playing soccer in the park or practicing for high school football.

Remember, only by using a mouth guard can kids with and without braces avoid serious sports injuries. All you have to do? Ask us. Dr. Orchin will provide one for you (at no additional charge). It is important that you do not use one of the fitted “boil at home” mouth guards while you are in orthodontic treatment. We are working hard to move your teeth, which means that any fitted mouth guard will work against us and slow down or halt your orthodontic progress.

Happy Wednesday and don't forget about our "Lost Retainer" contest! We are looking for the funniest/most unusual story about how your retainer was lost, and will award the person who gets the most votes "likes" on our Facebook page with a $50 Visa gift card!

Play the "Lost Retainer" Contest on our Facebook page!

Retainers come in pretty handy after you’re done with your orthodontic treatment. But we also know they aren’t hard to lose. With our new patient contest, we’re asking you to share your story with lost retainers!

We are looking for the funniest/most unusual story about how your retainer was lost, and will award the person who gets the most votes "likes" on our Facebook page with a $50 Visa gift card!

Head to Facebook.com/OrchinOrthodontics and share your story! Good luck!

What are our SureSmile patients saying?

Now that we are well underway with SureSmile treatment at Orchin Orthodontics, we have some additional information from our SureSmile patients that will be beneficial to our patients who are getting ready for their scans to start the SureSmile process.

All of our patients agree that they are very impressed with the movement created by their SureSmile wire. Most patients reported being fairly sore the first day or two after having their first wire inserted. The discomfort was soothed by taking Advil® or Tylenol® and keeping foods on the softer side (fish, meatloaf, pasta and shredded chicken are among the favorites).

Cold temperatures relax the wires, so SureSmile recommends eating cold food and beverages to ease the ache. The flip side is to eat hot food and beverages to speed up the movement of the wires to push through the ache faster.

We have had patients try both and they report each method works so you decide which you would like to try. All SureSmile patients agree that any discomfort was well-worth it to see great results in such a brief time period. A patient just left our office and is so excited to get his braces off three months early due to SureSmile! Most patients need two-to-three wires and have told us that the subsequent wire changes are similar to traditional wire changes here. It is the first wire that packs a punch!

For more information on SureSmile and to find out if you're a candidate, please give us a call at (202) 686-5100! Happy Monday!