"Hey Dr. Magness! What the heck is malocclusion?"

Good question! You hear it all the time, but what, exactly, is malocclusion?

Malocclusion, or what Dr. Marc Magness calls “bad bite,” is the improper alignment of teeth and/or jaws. When your teeth and jaws are not properly aligned, it may impact your bite, the ability to properly care for your teeth, your gum tissue health and even your appearance.

Most people experience some degree of malocclusion, but it generally is not severe enough to require corrective measures. If your malocclusion is serious enough, however, treatment may be necessary to correct the issue at Memorial Smiles.

Dr. Magness will tell you that untreated malocclusion can lead undesirable mouth problems, including tooth decay, gum disease, or chipped and cracked teeth. The most common solution for malocclusion, of course, is orthodontic treatment. The actual course of treatment, including the length of time you will require braces, will be determined by severity of your malocclusion. The goal of your treatment is to move your teeth into the proper position and correct any misalignment in the jaw.

At Houston's Memorial Smiles, we use the most advanced technology in the field in order to ensure that you receive the best possible results. If you have any questions about malocclusion, please give us a call and we’ll try to answer any questions you may have.

September is Childhood Injury Prevention Month! From Dr. Magness

With fall sports under way for a lot of our patients at Memorial Smiles, Dr. Magness thought today would be a good time to remind our young athletes wearing braces to take care of both their mouth and appliances while participating in contact sports (and non-contact sports) this fall.

You should ALWAYS be wearing a mouth guard when playing sports, but especially this month. Why? September is National Childhood Injury Prevention Month.

More than half of the seven million sports and recreation-related injuries that occur each year are sustained by youth between ages 5 and 24. Sixty-seven percent of parents say their child does not wear a mouth guard, yet, 70 percent say their biggest fear when their child plays is that they will get hurt. Despite the risks, many kids are still not wearing mouth guards and facial protection during games and practices.

Our staff encourage you to head over to the American Association of Orthodontists' website for a quick primer on the importance of mouth guards and facial protection.

We hope this helps you remember to always wear a mouth guard and other forms of protective gear when participating in fall sports! We encourage you to give us a call if you have any questions! Have a great rest of the week!

When should you call Dr. Marc Magness?

We hope you're having a wonderful and relaxing weekend! Our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists have put together a helpful list that outlines when you should call Dr. Marc Magness for an appointment. Here are some early warning signs indicating it’s time to check in at our convenient Houston office:

1. Early or late loss of baby teeth
2. Difficulty of chewing or biting
3. Mouth breathing
4. Finger sucking or other oral habits
5. Crowding, misplaced or blocked-out teeth
6. Jaws that shift, make sounds, protrude or retrude
7. Speech difficulty
8. Biting the cheek or biting into the roof of the mouth
9. Protruding teeth
10. Teeth that meet in an abnormal way or don’t meet at all
11. Facial imbalance or asymmetry
12. Grinding or clenching of teeth

Do any of these warning signs fit you? If so, please give us a call at 713-468-9669 as soon as possible!

Share your experience at Memorial Smiles with the world!

We are proud to have deep roots here in Houston and have been active in the Memorial area for over 40 years. Every day the doctors and staff strive to give our patients the best of our abilities in a friendly and caring environment – one that keeps our families coming back well into the second and third generations.

Whether you've visited Memorial Smiles for a week, months or even years, we'd love to hear your feedback about how our office has fared during your orthodontic treatment! There are lots of ways you can share your thoughts about our practice, but we encourage you to head to our Google Local page and write a review there.

After all, reviews help Dr. Marc Magness create more beautiful smiles in Houston and surrounding communities. Thanks in advance, and we hope you have a terrific Labor Day weekend!

You may write your review here.

Schedule your fall apointment!

Schools are back in session here in Houston, which means it's a great time for Dr. Marc Magness to remind all our patients about the importance of scheduling your fall appointment in advance. With school, clubs, sports and other activities to consider, we know that it can be challenging to find time to visit Memorial Smiles this fall. In order to accommodate all of our patients' busy schedules, it is important that you plan ahead for your appointments so that we are able to provide you with an appointment time that is convenient for you.

As always, please remember to give us advanced notice if you're unable to make your regularly-scheduled appointment. If Dr. Magness and staff receive enough notice, we might be able to schedule another patient for that appointment. Feel free to give us a call at 713-468-9669 if you have any questions, or if you would like to schedule your fall appointment.

See you soon!

Ask Dr. Magness: Why are regular checkups so important?

If you're brushing twice a day, as well as flossing during your treatment at Memorial Smiles, that's phenomenal. But, remember that it’s also important for you to visit the dentist every six months in addition to brushing their teeth a couple times a day (and visiting Dr. Magness during your treatment). Our staff will tell you regular dental checkups are vital for maintaining good oral health. Your dentist can:

• Check for problems that might not be seen or felt
• Detect cavities and signs of tooth decay
• Treat oral health problems early
• Show you how to properly brush and floss your teeth during your orthodontic treatment

During an oral exam, your dentist will check the health of your child’s mouth, teeth, gums, cheeks and tongue. Checkups also typically include a thorough teeth cleaning and polishing. If your child has not been to the dentist in the past six months, it’s time for you to schedule an appointment!

If you don't have a general dentist in Houston or nearby communities, please ask and Dr. Magness and our team will be happy to provide a reference or two!

Summer traveling tips from Memorial Smiles

It's still early August we know most folks - and most of our patients - here at Memorial Smiles take a vacation - or two - during the summer, and often forget to pack the most important of things. Recently, our staff came across an article from ParentsAsk.com that outlined five important tips for summer travel with children. We strongly encourage you to give this article a read if you’re heading out with the family this summer.

We hope you're having a fun summer! Happy (and safe) traveling everyone!

- Dr. Magness and the Memorial Smiles team