There are a couple things to keep in mind when it comes to thumb sucking.  First, the habit does not cause any real “damage” until the permanent incisors start to erupt (usually age 6-7).  So thumb sucking with baby teeth is fairly harmless.

Second, thumb sucking either as the permanent teeth erupt, or once the permanent teeth are in, can cause serious damage to the teeth and the bite, often requiring a lot of treatment to correct.  I usually see it manifested with flared upper teeth, an openbite, and a narrow palate (upper jaw).

So what’s the moral of the story?  STOP THE HABIT BEFORE THE PERMANENT TEETH COME IN! Now, how do we do that?

I’ll tell you this – the older the child, the harder it is to correct because they can “undo” what we do to try and interfere.  For example, I’ve used the 3^rd birthday as the perfect time to stop my children from thumb sucking, and I’ve had great success doing it in a one-month period of time without even needing to put anything in their mouth.

I don’t like cementing habit reminders in a child’s mouth because it’s there all the time (when they talk, when they eat), and although it’s effective, it’s extremely bothersome to the child and it has to be in place for upwards of 6 months.

The better alternative is to place something on the thumb itself.  I’ve had a perfect track record with an appliance called the THUMB GUARD, manufactured by medetal.  It costs about $75, and you can order it directly from the internet (you don’t even have to come see me or pay me anything!).  You will receive 2 clear rubber thumb guards, 60 plastic hospital bracelets for securing them, and a DVD demonstrating how they work and how to properly secure them.  The great thing about the thumb guard is that the child can eat and talk normally, but they can’t suck their thumb.  As the parent, you have to be very diligent to keep the thumb guards on your child for an entire month without fail, but after that the habit will be beat!

And getting back to age … An older child will be able to take the guards off, so if you can do it by the time your child is 3, they won’t be able to figure out how to get it off!  It will make it much easier to beat the habit!

Another good method is a polish that you can paint on the thumb called Mavala Stop. You can also order this product on the internet.  It tastes HORRIBLE!!  (Yes, as your fearless leader I’ve actually tried it myself!).  And it will last 2 days.  It’s clear (and thus less noticeable than the thumb guards), but what I’ve found is that if your child sucks his/her thumb while sleeping, they may suck the thumb despite the Mavala, and then wake up crying and spitting from the bad taste in their mouth.  So even though they won’t suck when they are awake enough to taste it, they still may suck in their sleep.

I hope these tips give you some ideas for beating the thumb habit while it’s still manageable.  Believe me, I see teens and adults who haven’t beat the habit, and it’s a lot harder to stop the older you get!

Let me know if you have any questions about thumb sucking (you can post in the comments section below) or if I can be of assistance to you in any way!  Thanks!

–Dr. Wyatt

And what bothers me about the over-abundance of early treatment is that it isn’t helping anyone.  Parents end up paying more money.  Kids end up in braces a lot longer (they get to wear them twice instead of just once).  And the child’s teeth are at a much higher risk of being permanently damaged, since the oral hygiene of a 9 year old is usually marginal at best.  Yet parents are made to feel like they are neglecting their child if they don’t have them in braces by the third grade!  It’s crazy!

So what’s a parent to do?  How do they know if their child really needs braces early, or if they are just being talked into something unnecessary?  Here’s some good rules of thumb that I use:

Problems that DO require early treatment:

1)      Anterior crossbites (upper front teeth that bite behind the lower front teeth) = If not corrected, excessive gingival recession will occur on the front surface of the lower teeth, and chipping of the teeth can occur.

2)      Unilateral posterior crossbites (the upper back teeth on one side bite inside the lower teeth, but not on the other side) = If left untreated, the mandible (lower jaw) can grow asymmetrically, and asymmetry is bad!

Problems that DO NOT require early treatment:

1)      Crowding = Crowding can be corrected just as easily in a single phase of treatment as a teenager.  Treating crowding early in the name of “making phase 2 easier” or “to avoid extracting teeth later” isn’t backed up by the research.  Unless the child is really bothered by the appearance (social issues relating to the appearance of the teeth), let it go until they get all the permanent teeth in.

2)      Bilateral posterior crossbite = Since the lower jaw isnt’ shifting to either side (like the above scenario of a unilateral crossbite), this problem can wait until comprehensive treatment begins as a teen.

3)      Overjet (excess “overbite” where the top teeth are out in front of the lower teeth) = Early treatment leads to no improvement in final outcome vs. waiting and correcting the protrusion in a single comprehensive phase of treatment as a teen.  The only exception to this is if the upper front teeth are “in harm’s way” and the child is at a high risk of traumatizing the upper front teeth due to an active / injury-prone lifestyle.  In that case, we might consider treating early just to minimize the chance of injuring those teeth.  Otherwise, the child is much better off waiting.

I hope these rules of thumb help you determine what can and can’t wait when it comes to your child’s teeth.   But it’s always best to have a consultation from an orthodontist you trust, who can talk to you about the specifics of your situation.

Let me know if you have any questions about early treatment (you can post in the comments section below) or if I can be of assistance to you in any way!  Thanks!

–Dr. Wyatt

At Wyatt Orthodontics, we pride ourselves on giving you the personal service and attention you deserve. When you place your trust in our office, we make it our mission to exceed all of your expectations. We want to make you say “Wow!”, not only because of your gorgeous new smile, but because of our commitment to world-class customer service.

Dr. Wyatt feels strongly that the results you look forward to and the excellence he expects can only be achieved with the full attention of the orthodontist. For this reason, Dr. Wyatt personally performs all orthodontic procedures in our office at each and every visit.

Dr. Wyatt was the chief resident of his orthodontic residency program, and he is a distinguished diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics, so isn’t he the person you want working on your teeth?

Dr. Wyatt’s personal attention ensures that treatment is progressing with the most effectiveness and quality towards an ideal result in the ideal time.

At Wyatt Orthodontics, we’re interested in more than just teeth … we care about the person those teeth are attached to!

Value to SMILE About!  

You might think that the unmatched personal attention and quality that you receive in our office will mean a higher fee. In fact, the opposite is true. Being smart about our overhead costs allows us to pass the savings on to our patients. We are proud to provide the very best in treatment and results at a value that is unmatched by our competitors.

Furthermore, we also offer flexible financial options to make orthodontics affordable for almost any budget. Please read more about our unique no-down-payment and no-interest plan, our low monthly payment option, and our discount for pre-payment of the full fee. Our office is happy to make financial arrangements that are easy, convenient, and comfortable for you.

We gladly work with your insurance company to ensure that you receive your maximum orthodontic benefit, and we are preferred providers for many of Oklahoma’s largest dental plans, including Delta Dental, Met Life, Aetna, Blue Cross / Blue Shield, Health Choice, Guardian, and SoonerCare.

Quality to SMILE About!  

Orthodontics is much more than simply aligning the front teeth. We are committed to establishing a functional and stable occlusion (bite) that will ensure the long-term oral health of our patients.

Our advanced brackets and space-aged wires move teeth faster, with less discomfort, and in less time than traditional braces.

We are also dedicated to working synergistically with your family dentist during treatment to coordinate your cleanings, checkups, and plan for any restorative, whitening, or cosmetic work to be done by your dentist after your orthodontic treatment.

Dr. Wyatt has extensive training and experience with the most advanced treatment techniques in the orthodontic field. We will customize your treatment with our full compliment of appliances, including:

• • Low-Profile (Colored or Silver)
  • Radiance™ (Clear)
  • TruGold™ 24K (Gold)
  • Damon™ and Time™ ( Frictionless)
  • iBraces™ (Lingual)
  • Invisalign™
  • Functional / Orthopedic treatment.

Fees to SMILE About!  

In our office, you will be quoted the total fee for the entire orthodontic case upfront, as soon as you have been examined by the doctor. We want you to know exactly how much you will be paying from the day we start your treatment until the day we give you your retainers. You won’t be surprised by hidden charges and extra fees. We always offer complimentary exams, records, x-rays, and models at no charge to our patients.

The value and affordability we offer sets us apart, and we are proud to make understanding your total fee simple, like it should be.

Everyone knows that brushing is important.  If we don’t brush our teeth, they will rot out.  It’s not rocket science.  But for some reason, many teens think I’m kidding when I emphasize the importance of brushing (or more likely, they know I’m serious but they simply don’t care!).

Look at the picture above.  You can see exactly where the braces were (which ironically protected a small square on the teeth from the damage that was occuring everwhere else around them). It’s a frustrating thing as an orthodontist to spend 1 ½ to 2 years making someone’s teeth perfectly straight, making their bite fit beautifully, and then having the “privilege” of revealing a rather ugly smile to their parents because those perfectly straight teeth are marked, stained, and permanently damaged.  It happens.  I do everything I can to stress the importance of brushing, but I only see my patients once every 6 -8 weeks.  So that’s just 1 brushing session that I can control, vs. 150+ that are up to the patient to do.

I talk about the damage, show them pictures, and usually it seems like I’m talking to a brick wall because they don’t want to hear it.  Then, when the braces come off, all of a sudden they care!  They ask about how to get rid of the marks and cavities (as if a cavity were simply something that can be rinsed away with a magic potion).  It doesn’t work that way.  When the enamel is destroyed, it doesn’t repair itself.

The biggest culprits in permanent tooth damage are failure to brush the area between the braces and the gums (which happens when patients do a super-quick brush rather than spend the necessary 2 minutes doing a good cleaning), and excessive sugar intake.

I can pretty much guarantee you that if a patient drinks pop daily, they will permanently damage their teeth (whether they have braces or not).  I know I’m out of fashion for saying so, but it’s the truth.  Pop destroys teeth!  I’m just shooting you straight!  It’s up to you to determine if you care enough about your teeth to make the wise choice.

And parents, if your kids aren’t willing to be mature enough to take care of their own teeth, there’s no law against you doing it for them!  Remember when they were 3 years old and you’d brush those teeth yourself.  Do it again!  Do it every day if you have to!  These teeth have to last the rest of their life!  And they will thank you for it later.

Let me know if you have any questions about hygiene / tooth damage (you can post in the comments section below) or if I can be of assistance to you in any way!  Thanks!

–Dr. Wyatt

This video shows the tips and techniques to be an A+ brusher!

Well, I’m here to tell you that it definitely DOES NOT HURT to get braces on.  We don’t give shots.  We don’t poke you.  We don’t drill on the teeth (can you believe some mean siblings will tell their younger siblings that I’m going to drill a hole in their tooth to attach the braces!  Shame on them!).

The technology has gotten so good that all you have to do is hang out, relax in the chair with your mouth open, and I will do the rest.  I don’t have to prop you whole mouth open like they used to.  I don’t have to wedge anything between your teeth like they used to.  Everything now simply bonds to the front of the teeth (think of it like gluing the braces to the front of the teeth).  So it’s completely comfortable. 

….But …. Like glue, it doesn’t taste good!  That’s the worst part!  The composite that holds the braces on has a sour taste, but we let you rinse out with mouthwash to get rid of the taste. 

And the whole process only takes about 30 minutes, from the time we call your name to the time you are walking out the door.  We really try to make it easy and comfortable for you!

Then, what you’ll notice is that over the course of the first 3-4 days, your teeth will be sore because they aren’t used to the pressure we are putting on them to get them to start moving.  You’ll want to eat soft foods (soup, mac and cheese, milkshakes, etc.) for those first 3 or 4 days, but after that you’ll be back to your same old self!

So don’t get nervous.  It’s not hard!

Let me know if you have any questions about getting your braces on (you can post in the comments section below) or if I can be of assistance to you in any way!  Thanks!

 –Dr. Wyatt

Well, I can guarantee you that I have structured our schedule so that I can get you in and out and on with your day in an efficient and timely manner.  My pledge to you is this — if you are on time for your appointment, I will see you on time, and you won’t be left waiting.  I often get feedback from parents that they can’t believe how quickly we see them and how they love never having to wait past their appointment time.  They are able to schedule other things in their day because they don’t have to build in a huge margin of time in case they have to wait at the orthodontist’s office, because we respect your time enough to run on time, all the time!

However, if you are late, all bets are off!!!! Because chances are, if you walk in 15 minutes late, someone else will be walking in at the same time (since our appointments are in 15 minute intervals).  And guess who gets the priority?  You guessed it!  The person who made the effort to be on time!

So if you are in a hurry, if you have a tight schedule, and if you hate to wait, I think you’ll really appreciate the way we run our schedule here at Wyatt Orthodontics. 

Respect our time, and we will respect yours!

From childhood, Dr. Wyatt had a dream of becoming an orthodontist. This dream took him first to the University Of Oklahoma College Of Dentistry where he earned his dental degree in 2001. While at OU, Dr. Wyatt graduated #1 in his class and scored in the top 2% on the National Dental Board Exam.

After dental school, Dr. Wyatt began his residency in orthodontics at the University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston. He served as chief resident, and it was there that he received a Certificate of Orthodontics and a Master of Science degree.

In 2007 Dr. Wyatt was named a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics.

In addition to practicing orthodontics since 2003, Dr. Wyatt also regularly volunteers at a local dental clinic and is blessed to be on a medical and dental mission team that serves each summer in Nicaragua.

Dr. Wyatt and his wife, Anita, have been blessed with five children, Olivia, Emily, Luke, Ainsley, and Will.

What makes Dr. Wyatt tick? Dr. Wyatt is passionate about his faith, his family, health and fitness, and helping others.  He is a volunteer coach for the Regent Rams junior high/high school football team.  He teaches Sunday School at their church.  He enjoys exercise, fitness, and sports.  He most treasures time with his wife and kids, and considers himself a big kid at heart!

Wyatt Orthodontics is committed to giving you the absolute best in service, value, and quality. Our goal is to give you such a wonderful experience that you’ll tell your friends and family about us. We will achieve this by exceeding your expectations in all that we do.

We’re in the business of creating beautiful, healthy smiles to enjoy for life … but that’s only the beginning of what we offer. At Wyatt Orthodontics, we will give you “More to SMILE about”!

What makes Dr. Wyatt tick?  Meet him by clicking HERE.

Message from Dr. Wyatt:

“On behalf of my dental team, I would like to extend to you a warm welcome to our practice. Wyatt Orthodontics provides the highest level of personal attention and care to each of our valued customers and their families using the latest in orthodontic technology.

We pride ourselves on creating beautiful smiles in a friendly and relaxing environment.

Our commitment is to give you customer care, value, and quality that will go far beyond your expectations. To learn more, please read what sets us apart.

Thanks for visiting, and I look forward to helping you any way I can.

–Dr. Wyatt”

Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics

Member American Association of Orthodontists

Member Southwest Society of Orthodontists

Member American Dental Association

Member Oklahoma Dental Association