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Our patients at Harte Orthodontics hate the thought of delaying their treatments and often ask us what they can do in between their adjustment visits to help. Today, Dr. Douglas and Larry Harte and our team thought we would provide some tips on how you can stay on track in regards to your treatment plan time.

The first thing we want you to do is keep your adjustment appointments. Each visit with Dr. Douglas and Larry Harte is carefully planned to move your teeth a specific way in a certain time frame. It’s important to note that missing an appointment can add weeks or months to your treatment time.

Next, we want you to let Dr. Douglas and Larry Harte and our team know right away if your experience any problems with your braces or appliances. A missing wire, rubber band, or broken bracket can delay treatment time, so we ask that you please give us a call right away to report any issues rather than waiting until your next visit.

Make sure you wear your rubber bands as prescribed by Dr. Douglas and Larry Harte. Most, if not all, of our patients will need to wear elastics or rubber bands at some point during their treatment. Not wearing the bands or elastics, or not wearing them enough, can slow down your treatment time. Rubber bands are critical in aligning your bite and are important for the bite-fixing phase of your treatment.

Finally, we want you to maintain good oral hygiene, just as you did before your treatment began. In addition to flossing regularly, we encourage you to brush your teeth several times a day. Not brushing will allow sugar to wear away the cement on the braces, making them less effective in moving your teeth, as well as elevate your risk of developing cavities or tooth decay, which will inevitably delay treatment time.

If you have any questions about any of these tips, or if you have any general questions about your treatment, please give us a call at our convenient Sparta or Livingston, NJ office, or ask Dr. Douglas and Larry Harte during your next adjustment visit!

Harte Orthodontics celebrated our holiday luncheon at McLoone's Boathouse restaurant in Livingston!

It was our first visit to the restaurant, and we had a great time!

Happy Holidays everyone!

Dr. Douglas and Larry Harte and our team hear this question a lot. Some of the common reasons for crooked teeth include:

• Thumb-sucking
• Tongue thrusting or improper use of the tongue during speaking and swallowing
• Premature loss of baby teeth, which causes teeth to drift and shift
• Poor breathing airway caused by enlarged adenoids or tonsils

There are also hereditary factors we get from our parents, like:

• Extra teeth
• Large teeth
• Missing teeth
• Wide spaces between teeth
• Small jaws

Dr. Douglas and Larry Harte and our team know that having crooked teeth isn’t just a cosmetic issue; it can lead to serious health problems as well. Crooked teeth can:

• Interfere with proper chewing
• Make keeping teeth clean more of a challenge, increasing the risk of tooth decay, cavities, and gingivitis
• Strain the teeth, jaws, and muscles, increasing the risk of breaking a tooth

There are several treatment options we offer at Harte Orthodontics that can help correct crooked teeth. Please give us a call at our convenient Sparta or Livingston, NJ office to learn more or to schedule an initial consultation.

A popular option for straightening teeth at Harte Orthodontics, Invisalign can be a great method for improving your smile, and can help patients with crowded teeth, crossbites, overbites, underbites, and more.

Invisalign, which is different from traditional braces, works by applying a series of clear, retainer-like aligners in order to eventually move your teeth into their ideal positions. Patients typically swap aligners approximately every couple of weeks.

At Harte Orthodontics, we have lots of experience using this technology to give our patients the beautiful and healthy smile they’ve always wanted. During your initial visit at our Sparta or Livingston, NJ office, the first thing we do is 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.

Not only are the aligners invisible, they are also removable, so you can eat and drink what you want, and brushing and flossing are easier. Invisalign’s aligners are also comfortable, with no metal to cause mouth abrasions during your treatment. And, no metal and wires usually means you spend less time at our office getting adjustments. With Invisalign, you can view your own virtual treatment plan when you start, so you can see how your straight teeth will look when your treatment is complete!

Depending on the severity of the problem, Invisalign treatment may take anywhere from three to 18 months to complete. You should be aware that Invisalign is not as effective as traditional braces in treating bite problems, teeth that are lower or higher than others, or severely overcrowded teeth. Both teens and adults are now great candidates for Invisalign, so we invite you to contact our Sparta or Livingston, NJ office to set up an initial consultation and learn more on how Invisalign can give you the smile you’ve always wanted!