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Time really goes by fast when you are having fun and love what you do.  It makes the days not even seem like work.  Another year has passed and the Canton Repository held their annual Best of the Best competition.  This is a competition in which the community votes on various local businesses, such as best pizza, best auto repair, and best family physician in the area.

There are two different rounds of voting.  The first round is the nomination round.  This is when the community votes to nominate their pick of business for the best in whichever category.  After a set amount of time, the votes are tallied and the top five businesses of each category are selected and move on to round two.  During round two, the community will cast their votes again in the various categories for the top five to determine a winner!

The Best of the Best contest has recently ended and the votes were tallied.  I am pleased to announce that Dr. Morgan and the team at Perennial Smiles have been voted as Best Orthodontist in town!  This is also the 6th year in a row that our office has won and defended the title from other great nominees.

It is such a great and humbling honor for Dr. Morgan and our office to be voted as Best Orthodontist again.  We truly appreciate all the love and support that our past and current patients and family members give, as well as all the support from the other community members and businesses in general.   We value each and every one of you and realize we would not have this honor without you.  Thank you all.

We are excited and optimistic about what the next year will bring and all the new faces we will meet!  Dr. Morgan and our wonderful team will continue to uphold our values and keep serving this great community because we are all in this together.

With the ever changing world of technology, it is crucial to stay ahead of the curve.  Perennial Smiles is always looking for ways to improve our practice, techniques, and treatment we provide to our patients for the best possible outcomes.  This is one reason why we have been scanning our patients with a CBCT (Cone beam computed tomography) instead of a standard x-ray that many offices use, and we have been using this technology for years!

The old standard through dental and orthodontic offices was scanning patients with x-rays for intraoral, extraoral, and panoramic images to treat and diagnose patients.  Now, with improving technology, the CBCT is the gold standard in dental scans.  What is a CBCT you ask?  Essentially it is a better scan used in dentistry to provide the doctor a 3D image of the jaws, teeth, and facial structures, rather than a 2D image of a general x-ray.  This helps the doctor with diagnosis, treatment planning, and evaluation of other conditions that may arise.

You may have also heard of a CT scan.  This is different from the CBCT that dental offices use.  What are some of the differences?  The CT scan uses a fan beam in which the radiation is transmitted in the form of a helix/spiral.  The CBCT scanner transmits radiation in the form of a cone.  Due to the spiral motion of the CT scan, this produces more radiation than the CBCT scan.  One other major difference is in how the scan is taken.  In the conventional CT scans, the patient must be laying down.  This is not the case for all CBCT scanners.  At Perennial Smiles, you may either sit or stand for our CBCT scans.

So what are some of the specifics that a CBCT can help diagnose?  Some diseases and complications may include:

• Infections
• TMJ disorder
• Sleep Apnea and other airway sleep disorders
• Tumors and cysts
• Fractures
• Complications with gum tissue
• Issues with nasal anatomy, such as sinuses

Orthodontically, the CBCT is a great diagnostic tool that provides a more accurate representation of the teeth, jaw, roots, and generalized bone structure of the individual over a standard x-ray.  It helps show the orientation and placement of teeth and roots compared to the roots of the surrounding teeth.  This is critical when a patient may have extra teeth, or impacted teeth that are just erupting in the wrong direction.

This technology helps Dr. Morgan recognize a multitude of potential abnormalities that may arise.  Early treatment of these complications will help the patient achieve better outcomes and reach their best smile faster.  This is just one piece of the modern technology equipment we have at Perennial Smiles that help produce better treatment outcomes for our patients.

What a wild ride the pandemic of COVID-19 has been over the past year.  There has been so much uncertainty and emotions in fighting this invisible enemy.  Just know that Dr. Morgan and the team at Perennial Smiles have been doing our part throughout to try and keep everyone as safe as possible.

In the beginning, the unknown of this pandemic really flipped this country upside down.  Watching governor Mike DeWine's daily announcements about COVID-19, or the Coronavirus, and what to do was tedious, but necessary.  Wearing masks, social distancing, limiting exposure by staying home were just a few of the ways to keep everyone safe.  We then received the news that guidelines from Governor DeWine, the American Dental Association, American Association of Orthodontists, Ohio Dental Association, and all the various dental boards had decided to close businesses, including dental offices to slow the spread.  As sad as we were, it makes sense because patients are not wearing masks while in the dental chairs, and there are many aerosolized procedures which would spread the virus faster.

In mid March of 2020, our office announced that we had to close to in-office appointments, except for emergencies.  With no patients, we also had to temporarily lay off the majority of our staff.  It was a very sad and difficult time.  However, Dr. Morgan's commitment to safely treating our patients and keeping our office safe remains high.

There was much planning needed during the shut down, and Dr. Morgan really came through.  Every day, Dr. Morgan and two staff members came into the office to make adjustments with the office, patient appointments, policies, answer phones, and see any emergency that may arise.  Going through the daily schedule and weekly schedules to have to cancel and reschedule patients was very difficult.  On a positive note, this created the opportunity for virtual visits!  Dr. Morgan was able to still see many patients virtually to monitor them and keep their treatment progressing.  It really seemed to work out well!

Keeping the office safe was another priority during this time.  We knew we would reopen eventually and needed to make some changes.  Thorough cleanings were done in the office during this time.  Per recommendations from the dental boards, we also removed our coffee station, magazines, closed our playroom, among other changes.  Our office even had an air filtration system installed inside our HVAC units that has been proven to kill the Coronavirus.  With performing aerosolized procedures, we felt this was an absolute must for our office.

Next on the list of safety was protection with PPE.  With the whole country scrambling for PPE, it was difficult to come by initially.  Our office decided to use scrub caps, face shields, N95 and KN95 masks with a surgical mask overtop, and gowns for our clinical staff.  We also purchased plexiglass shields for our staff behind desks with everyone in the office wearing at least a level 2 or level 3 surgical mask.  Things were coming together and we were feeling like we could safely reopen when allowed, however the schedule still needed reworked.

During the temporary shut-down, Dr. Morgan and staff reworked the schedule so we could safely reopen when the time came.  Measurements were taken so we could ensure safe distancing between chairs for patients.  We also decided to keep aerosolized procedures separate from other patients and regular adjustments for increased protection.  Per guidelines, we would have to limit the amount of patients and visitors allowed in our building for safety.  Because of this, our waiting room area would need to remain closed.  Luckily, our patient communication software allows texting for easy communication.  Patients were to wait in their vehicle and text in when they arrived, and our office would text back when we were ready to see them.  All staff and patients were to be screened when entering the office as well by taking temperatures and filling out a questionnaire regarding symptoms and exposures.

May 2020 came and we received the news that we were allowed to reopen!  All of our staff came back and were very receptive to the new policies and procedures.  Our amazing staff also agreed to work an extra day every week for weeks so we could see all the patients we had to reschedule!  It was a new way of life for our office for patients to see, but slowly and safely we were getting back to normal.

As the months have gone by, we have been fortunate to have all our staff members remain healthy throughout this pandemic.  Dr. Morgan and the entire team have done a wonderful job in protecting ourselves and our patients while continuing to create spectacular smiles for our community.  We will still follow the recommended guidelines set by the state and dental boards as they continue.  With the vaccine slowly and safely being rolled out now, hopefully life will start returning to normal and the pandemic will fade away.  Stay safe everyone!

Everyone wants what is best for their child.  Oral health and a great smile are no exceptions.  To ensure great oral health for your child, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) recommends a first dental check up when the first tooth erupts, or no later than his or her first birthday.  This will help to provide the best preventative oral care possible for a healthy smile.

Fast forward a few years in your child's life, you may be asking yourself when is the right time for my child to see an orthodontist?  The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) recommends that all children be screened by an AAO orthodontist by age 7. By this time, your child has enough permanent teeth that an orthodontist can evaluate before any future problems occur.

Some of these potential problems may seem obvious, such as misaligned teeth or spacing issues.  However, a trained orthodontist can better evaluate other potential problems with your child's teeth, bite, growth, among other issues.  Visiting an orthodontist by age 7 is a solution to these issues that will benefit your child's growth and development through life, setting them up for success!

When visiting Perennial Smiles, you will be evaluated by Dr. Stephanie Morgan.  She is a highly trained orthodontic specialist who will evaluate your child so they can be set up to showcase their best smile.  With your child's initial exam, Dr. Morgan will be able to assess items such as:

• Underbites/overbites
• Crossbites
• Open bites/deep bites
• Crowding
• Spacing
• Extra or missing teeth
• Jaw issues and growth
• Oral habits, such as thumb sucking
• Tooth eruption

Not all early visits for your child will result in orthodontic treatment.  There may be no need at the time for any intervention and your child may be observed periodically by Dr. Morgan as their jaws and face continue to grow and develop.  If a problem is found to exist that will benefit from early treatment, Perennial Smiles is the right place to get started!

While seeing an orthodontist by age 7 is great for kids, there is actually no age limit in achieving that spectacular smile for yourself!  At Perennial Smiles, we have patients of all ages, even in their 70s and 80s!  It is never too late to attain the smile you've always wanted!

You do not need to wait for a dentist referral to see an orthodontist.  Call today to schedule a Free Consultation with Dr. Morgan at Perennial Smiles to see how you or your child may benefit from orthodontic treatment to achieve your best smiles!