Dr. Farina wants to know: What do you love about Tampa?

Farina Orthodontics, located in Tampa and serving surrounding communities, is situated around some pretty special neighborhoods. Each is unique with its own personality, created by the people and places (and our great patients) living within.

Today, Dr. Farina and our team thought we'd ask: What are your favorite things about Tampa or western Florida? Is there a local event you attend every year? Do you have a favorite eatery? Perhaps a favorite getaway? Do you love the nice weather we get year-round?

Please feel free to share some information about your favorite local hang-outs in Tampa, and everything you love best about “your neck of the woods.” And, who knows, Dr. Farina and team just might post your response on our social networks! Enjoy the rest of your week!

Farina Orthodontics shares a few helpful Invisalign® tips

Last week, the Farina team blogged about the advantage of Invisalign Teen treatment at our office. Today, we thought we might provide you with a few helpful Invisalign tips. When wearing your Invisalign aligners, Dr. Farina wants you to ask yourself the following questions:

1. Am I eating with my aligners on? - These aligners are removable and should be taken out when you eat.
2. Am I drinking anything other than water with my aligners on? - Though it's not a necessity for you to take out your aligners while you drink, think about how sticky a soda is. If you take out your aligners when drinking a soda, you have a better chance of keeping your aligners clean.
3. Am I brushing before putting the trays on? - The aligners have both an inside and outside. Keeping the outside clean is easy. Keeping the inside clean is also easy: just make sure you've brushed your teeth before putting the trays on.

These are all very simple steps, and ultimately, they help to keep you building good oral habits. If you have any questions about Invisalign or your treatment here at Farina Orthodontics, please ... give us a call!

Invisalign Teen™ at Farina Orthodontics

We've blogged about our Invisalign service in the past, but today we thought we'd remind you that Dr. Farina is a certified Invisalign Teen provider.

Dr. Farina knows that for teens, image is everything. At an age when image is so important, the thought of having metal brackets and wires constantly attached to teeth may intensify the already-delicate self-esteem of today's teens. But... not to worry! There is a clear alternative to traditional braces! The team at Farina Orthodontics thought we'd remind you that Invisalign Teen™ gives you a whole new way to wear braces for a "clearly" amazing smile!

So how does Invisalign Teen work? Invisalign Teen works in the same way as Invisalign, but with a few added characteristics tailored specifically to teenagers’ lifestyles. For instance, Invisalign Teen is designed with “compliance indicators” that fade from dark to light during the two week period that particular tray is used and once it has faded teens know to change trays. Each aligner comes with up to six free individual replacement aligners in case the original aligner ends up lost or broken. Another big benefit for the patient!

The treatment period for Invisalign Teen varies from nine to 18 months. If your teen is considering orthodontic treatment, please contact us and we’ll answer any questions you may have about Invisalign Teen.

When should you call Farina Orthodontics?

Our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) have put together a helpful list that outlines when you should call Farina Orthodontics. Here are some early warning signs indicating it’s time to check in with Dr. Farina:

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, give us a call as soon as possible!