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Dr. Byron Diehl and our team at Diehl Orthodontics are pleased to offer Damon Smile to our patients. This treatment is a faster and more comfortable way to straighten teeth and can improve your smile at any age, often without tooth extractions. Damon Smile braces not only help straighten your teeth, but their use can also lead to greater confidence, a better self-image, as well as personal and professional advancement.

Traditional orthodontic treatment often requires the removal of healthy teeth and/or the use of palatal expanders to make space for braces, which usually means treatment takes longer, is more uncomfortable for the patient and can leave a narrower arch and a flat profile.  

When using Damon Smile, however, straight teeth are achieved with light, biologically-sensible forces, and are specifically designed to improve each patient’s overall facial result. The system uses unique self-ligating braces, in which a specialized clip with a “door” replaces elastics or other ties. The “door” guides the archwire and allows the teeth to move gently into the proper position. Because of the increased flexibility of the self-ligating brace, it exerts less pressure on the individual tooth; this means you won’t have to get adjustments as frequently.

Another advantage is the gentler, low-friction force means you won’t experience the long-term discomfort from intense pressure on your teeth, or the tight wires that are so common with traditional braces.

If you have been thinking about an orthodontic procedure, come see us at Diehl Orthodontics for an assessment to see if Damon Smile is right for you! Give us a call today at our convenient Redlands, CA office!

After getting your braces, it is important to know how to take care of your teeth in order to ensure that your braces stay intact and do their job so that your teeth are in top-notch condition after you complete your orthodontic treatment. Today, our team at Diehl Orthodontics thought we would provide you with five tips you need to know to ensure you undergo successful treatment at our Redlands, CA office.

Flossing
Flossing twice a day or after every meal can help you clean areas between teeth and other places a toothbrush can miss. We also recommend using a floss threader, which can be used to help you navigate safely around your braces and brackets. It is vital to floss twice a day, preferably after lunch and before bedtime to keep gum disease and tooth decay at bay.

Brushing
Teeth and appliances should be brushed after every meal and before bedtime using fluoride toothpaste and gentle, soft strokes. We recommend using an interdental toothbrush, which can help you clean the hard-to-reach areas under wires better than an ordinary toothbrush.

Using Elastics
This phase of orthodontic treatment requires cooperation and consistency on your part. If your orthodontist has prescribed elastics, make sure they are worn at all times, except when eating meals or brushing teeth. It’s important that you wear the correct size elastics and have extras in case they are misplaced. By failing to wear your elastics for even one day, you run the risk your teeth moving back toward their original position.

Addressing Damage to Your Braces
In case your appliances are damaged, we ask that you call our team at Diehl Orthodontics immediately to set up an appointment.

Eat Friendly Foods
When undergoing treatment, there are certain foods you must avoid. Foods that are hard, sticky, chewy or sour can add months to your treatment time. These includes gum, caramels, taco shells, nuts, ice, chips or hard candies.

We hope that helps! If you have any questions, please give us a call at our Redlands, CA office or ask us during your next adjustment appointment!

During the early days of the environmental awareness movement, those who demonstrated against pollution, toxic chemicals, and the general public health were known as hippies. The early 1970s were a time of change, and assertions that we needed to pay more attention to the Earth's atmosphere were generally dismissed. But within a couple decades, it had become clear that the previous generation was right; the citizens of the world needed to become more environmentally conscious.

Many people feel that they can't make a difference if they don't do something big. But caring for the environment doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing concept. In fact, the little things you do can add up to make a great impact, especially in our community. Here are a few ways you can help the environment on Earth Day, April 22nd and all year around.

Four Small Ways to be Environmentally Friendly

• Recycle Your Textiles. Nearly 21 million tons of textiles are added to American landfills each year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Donating your unwanted clothing to a secondhand store or an organization that repurposes fabric helps cut down on solid waste and conserves natural resources.
• Reduce Usage of Disposables. Plastic bottles and bags, disposable diapers and other things we can use and toss out are convenient, but they're not necessary. Simply choosing to replace one of type of disposable with a reusable product can help you cut down on waste that has a large negative impact on our environment.
• Conserve Water. If everyone in the United States turned off the water while brushing their teeth, more than 1.5 million gallons of water could be conserved. Turn the water on long enough to wet your toothbrush for brushing and rinsing, and then immediately turn the water off again.
• Turn Off the Lights. Flip the light switch to "Off" if you're going to leave a particular room for 15 minutes or more. This will conserve energy on incandescent light bulbs and cut down on cooling costs.

It's not necessary to be an activist or install solar panels all over your home to help the environment. Although you can do these things, the little everyday measures make a big difference in helping to conserve energy and the environment, while reducing your carbon footprint. Our team at Diehl Orthodontics wants to remind you to celebrate Earth Day and help the environment, knowing that it will benefit your and your children's generation.

Dr. Byron Diehl and our dedicated team at Diehl Orthodontics are pleased to offer Damon Smile for our patients. Damon braces allow your teeth to move more comfortably and easily than do traditional braces. Thanks to these innovative new braces, achieving your perfect smile will be faster and easier than you ever thought possible.

You're probably saying, “Okay, how are Damon braces an advantage over regular braces?”

Time Saving

Damon's innovative technology of self-ligating braces saves you time in orthodontic treatment at Diehl Orthodontics. Damon Smile allows for fewer trips to our office, and faster movement of your teeth than do traditional braces. The light forces applied by Damon braces are “biologically compatible,” meaning that they work with your body for gentler and quicker tooth movement. Finally, Damon braces diminish the amount of food and moisture that can become trapped along the brackets, allowing for more efficient teeth cleaning.

Comfortable

Damon Smile braces have a unique slide mechanism that allows Dr. Byron Diehl to use lighter forces to move your teeth to their correct positions. That makes your treatment at Diehl Orthodontics not only shorter, but also far more comfortable. Because of its unique sliding door, the Damon Smile bracket allows us to use high-tech, light-force wires to achieve tooth movement. That means less pressure on your teeth for more comfortable treatment.

To learn more about Damon Smile, or to schedule an initial consultation with Dr. Byron Diehl, please give us a call.