With Invisalign®, Drs. Erkis and Hickman can help mom and dad get a perfect smile!

Hey parents! Have you been focusing so much on your kids' teeth and oral health that you're neglecting your own? If you've been thinking wistfully about having your own set of perfect teeth, our staff at Dr. Ron Erkis & Dr. Lynnsay Hickman can help! We are specially trained to offer an adult-friendly option for straightening teeth called Invisalign.

This course of treatment consists of a set of clear aligners that are molded to fit your teeth using a proprietary technology. You wear them all day and night, except for meals, brushing, and flossing – when you can easily slip them out to make eating and cleaning a snap!

Because they're clear, your teeth will be steadily straightening – and no one will know it but you!

Please give us a call to set up a consultation, so we can discuss the specifics of your treatment.

Drs. Erkis & Hickman ask: What are you reading this summer?

Now that summer is finally here in Reynoldsburg, OH and surrounding areas, our team at Erkis & Hickman Orthodontics wanted to remind all our patients about the importance of reading. Summer is the perfect time to catch up on your reading list, while improving your vocabulary and critical thinking skills. Plus, it's fun!

Today, we thought we’d ask: What's on YOUR summer reading list? What are some of your all-time favorites? Are you in search of a great summer read? Ask us for suggestions, and our staff would be happy to provide a few suggestions. You may also ask a local librarian for some ideas or check out these summer reading ideas that we came across today, courtesy of Barnes & Noble.

Happy reading! Be sure to share with us your summer picks or your all-time favorites on our Facebook page!

Smile, you might just live longer!

Big smiles may be the key to a long happy life, according to a March, 2010 study at Michigan’s Wayne State University. The study gave evidence that folks with big smiles may actually live longer than those who don't smile wide.

Dr. Erkis and Dr. Hickman have known for quite some time that positive emotion has been linked to both physical and mental health, but researchers at the university did something quite interesting: they looked at photos of 230 ball-players who began their careers in baseball prior to 1950 and studied their smile intensity (ranging from big smile, no smile or partial smile). The players' smile ratings were compared with data from deaths that occurred from 2006 through 2009. The researchers then took into account other factors that impact life longevity, including body mass index, career length and even college attendance.

The results? Researchers found that players who weren't smiling in the photos died at the average age of 72.9 years. Players with partial smiles lived to be 75. Those with big smiles, however, lived on average to be 79.9 years old.

The take-away from the new study? Smile now, smile often and you might just live longer! Have you been perfecting your smile by visiting Dr. Ron Erkis and Dr. Lynnsay Hickman on a regular basis? If not, give us a call!

Hey, Moms! Have you signed the Moms for Mouth Guards Pledge?

At Erkis & Hickman Orthodontics, we value your pearly whites, and we want to help keep you protected from sports injuries that can be detrimental to your beautiful smile. As a way of ensuring that children are using proper facial protection equipment the American Association of Orthodontics (AAO) has introduced the Moms for Mouth Guards Pledge.

Mouth guards are vital to protecting your teeth from sports related injuries while participating in sports, such as football, soccer, baseball, hockey, and basketball, to name a few. The Moms for Mouth Guards Pledge is a way for moms nationwide to make a commitment to protecting their child’s smile from facial injuries.
In past entries, we’ve discussed the importance of using facial protection when exercising to prevent injury. Today, we at at Erkis & Hickman Orthodontics we are inviting moms to take action by visiting the Moms for Mouth Guards website and taking the Moms for Mouth Guards Pledge.

Have a safe week everyone!

- Your friends at at Erkis & Hickman Orthodontics