Blog

Getting braces on is a momentous occasion! It means you’ve officially kicked off your journey to a fantastic new smile. At Jeffrey Kwong Orthodontics, my team and I will fill you in on everything you need to know about the braces experience so you feel informed and prepared to take on the teeth-straightening process. However, the first week with braces is always kind of strange. After all, you suddenly have brackets and wires in your mouth and, truthfully, it does take getting used to. I promise you’ll acclimate to your hardware quickly and forget you even have braces most of the time. To help ease the transition, even more, I’m sharing some of the best tips for your first week with braces.

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As fun and exciting as Jeffrey Kwong Orthodontics is, I know most patients want to breeze through treatment because they’re excited to see their brand new smile. Thankfully, with cutting-edge treatment planning and the advanced teeth-straightening options available today, the time patients spend in braces or Invisalign is a lot shorter. If you’re wondering how to get braces off faster or finish Invisalign sooner, here are four ways you can do just that:

Protect Your Appliance – If you wear braces, this tip is especially important for you. Damaging your hardware can set back your orthodontic treatment time. Stay away from hard, sticky or really chewy foods like caramel, toffee, nuts and anything that could break your brackets or wires. Don’t bite directly into food with your front teeth and cut things like raw apples, carrots (pre-cut waffle style instead of baby carrots are easier) and tough breads/pizza into small, bite-sized pieces. Read More

It’s no secret my team and I take Halloween pretty seriously here at Jeffrey Kwong Orthodontics. Of course, I do it for my kids and patients. Actually, who am I kidding? I love any excuse to have a blast and be silly. Plus, it falls in the middle of pumpkin spice season, so Halloween is kind of my holiday. Every year, we dress up at the office and in the weeks leading up to it, we hold a contest. This year, we’ll be challenging local dental practices to a skull decorating contest. Our patients will vote on their favorites and the winning office will score an Escape Room gift card. Things are always lively at JKO but we really turn it up a notch for holidays.
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The community has been so supportive of our El Dorado Hills, CA orthodontic office and it’s only right we spread the love in return. That’s why the team and I are always dreaming up ways to help those in need like creating awesome t-shirts to support CASA El Dorado or challenging area dental offices to our annual pumpkin carving contest to benefit local charities. Read More

When should a child see an orthodontist? The American Association of Orthodontists recommends kids have their first orthodontic screening when parents notice signs of an orthodontic problem or, as you probably guessed from the title of the post, no later than age 7.  A referral from your dentist can help with specific concerns, but a referral isn’t necessary.

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It’s a thrilling moment when our El Dorado Hills, CA Invisalign patients remove their last set of aligners and check out their straight, sparkling new smiles in the mirror. Okay, so they could see their smile all throughout treatment since the aligners are clear but, hey, it’s still an auspicious occasion and we love to be a part of it here at Jeffrey Kwong Orthodontics.
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By day, Dr. Jeff is your friendly El Dorado Hills orthodontist but by night, well, actually by day too just on the weekends, he can be quite the thrill seeker – maybe it’s the superhero movies he watches with his kids. He might not dive out of planes or go volcano boarding, but he’ll hop on any roller coaster, log flume or Tilt-A-Whirl in his path. Thankfully, there’s no shortage of Sacramento amusement parks (and some in the vicinity too) that cater to children and adults of all ages.
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You may know Dr. Jeff as your favorite El Dorado Hills orthodontist, however, to gain the title of certified specialist in orthodontics, he had to graduate from dental school first. This means that in addition to having the know-how to straighten teeth and align bites, he’s well versed in all aspects of oral health. To say he’s a proponent of healthy teeth and gums is an understatement. Since braces can make it a little more challenging to keep teeth squeaky clean, he’s all about minimizing the chances of tooth decay among his patients at Jeffrey Kwong Orthodontics. One way to do this is with a healthy diet. Yet, while many parents worry a lot about avoiding candy and other sweets, the beverages children drink can also help or harm their pearly whites. With food, at least you can see the debris left behind allowing for effective brushing and flossing, but liquids can be sneakier. That’s why we’ve put together a primer on drinks and teeth ranking them from the best drinks for kids’ teeth to the worst drinks for kids’ teeth with a few for the grownups to consider too.

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Helping my sons build things with their LEGO sets was basically the extent of my handiness but then came the do-it-yourself explosion. Recently, I even got in on the trend. I queued up some DIY YouTube videos, broke out a power drill and leveler and installed a hanging entertainment unit as deftly as an amateur could possibly do on the first try. Chip and Joanna Gaines would have been proud (maybe). Thanks to HGTV, Facebook, YouTube, blogs and Pinterest, there’s a hack for everything and we can do it all from the comfort of our living room! Well, not so fast…there are some limits, particularly when it involves your health.

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So, you’ve decided you want straight teeth, a healthy bite and, of course, a fantastic smile. Yet, before you kick off the teeth-straightening process, the first step is finding the right orthodontist. Remember, any treatment is only as good as the doctor performing it. You can’t just put on braces or wear Invisalign and call it a day. It takes a lot of behind-the-scenes planning, expertise, and skill to achieve lasting, stunning results. You want to make sure your orthodontist is on the same page as you and has the necessary training to give you the new smile you deserve. At Jeffrey Kwong Orthodontics, we’re all about ensuring our patients feel comfortable and confident about their treatment and our office in general, which is why we encourage and welcome any and all questions. Are you unsure of where to start and wondering, “What should I ask my orthodontist?” Here are some basic questions to get the ball rolling at your initial consultation.

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