The dog days of summer are almost upon us, and what better time for us to ask our patients’ summer plans!

Whether you’re going camping, hitting America’s great open roads, visiting our nation’s capitol, or just staying in town and hanging out, we want to know how you’re all going to spending your summer! Please feel free to share your summer plans and experiences with us below or on our Facebook page!

We look forward to reading all about your summer adventures!

As the summer rapidly approaches, Dr. Hughes and staff strive to continue writing about important topics related to orthodontics and your treatment at our office.

To help us continue doing that through the course of the spring and summer, we would like to ask you, our readers: what’s on your mind? What would you like to know about the always-changing and exciting field of orthodontics? What would you like us to focus on our blog in the spring and summer months? Perhaps there’s something you’ve wanted to ask Dr. Hughes for a while? Let us know by posting here, on our Facebook page, or during your next adjustment appointment.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Great question! Many parents in Alexandria and surrounding areas believe they must wait until their child has all of his or her permanent teeth to visit Dr. Herbert Hughes for a consultation, only to discover treatment would have been much easier if started earlier. When, exactly? Age seven, according to our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists, who recommend that every child have an orthodontic check-up no later than age seven.

That’s right—seven.

You might be thinking: "What’s so great about age seven?" Enough permanent teeth have arrived for Dr. Hughes to make a determination about whether any problems are present. The first molars have come in, providing an opportunity to check for malocclusion, or “bad bite.” Also, the incisors have begun to come in, and problems such as crowding, deep bites and open bites can be detected.

Orthodontic evaluation at an early age provides one of two positive outcomes: For some, early identification or problems will lead to easier or shorter orthodontic treatment in the future. For others, a healthy prognosis will provide immediate peace of mind.

Early evaluation, of course, may signal a need for early treatment. For some children, early treatment can prevent physical and emotional trauma. Aside from spurring on years of harmful teasing, misaligned teeth are also prone to injury and are detrimental to good oral hygiene. So, if your child is nearing his or her seventh birthday, give us a call at Hughes Orthodontics to schedule a consultation!

We will be rolling out our new Facebook Timeline page soon and would love for you to check it out! You’ll find all the useful information that was there before, but now in a fun, new layout. When you Like us on Facebook, you’ll be able to check out photos of our office, find out about new events and contests, or you can even leave a note about how much you enjoyed your visit at our office. We love hearing your feedback to make our practice serve you and your family even better. To make life even easier, if you “Like” us on Facebook, you’ll automatically receive updates from our office right on your own news feed!

See you on Facebook!

From Dr. Hughes and team

Today marks Presidents’ Day, a day known for celebrating of both George Washington’s and Abraham Lincoln’s combined Birthdays. Presidents’ Day was created in 1971, when President Richard Nixon combined the birthdays of two of our most well-known presidents into one single federal holiday. Presidents’ Day also marks a hard-earned day off from work and school for a lot of our patients at Hughes Orthodontics.

Here are a few fun facts about our nation’s presidents:

*Abraham Lincoln, our 16th president, carried letters, bills and notes in his tall stovepipe hat.

*George Washington is the first president to be featured on a postage stamp.

*Ronald Reagan, our 40th president, broke the so-called “20-year curse,” in which every president elected in a year ending in 0 died in office.

*Harry S. Truman was the first president to have his Inauguration and speeches televised.

*Abraham Lincoln was the tallest of the U.S. presidents measuring 6’ 4” tall.

*Virginia is the birthplace of more United States presidents than any other state, followed by Ohio and Massachusetts.

At Hughes Orthodontics, February is National Children's Dental Health Month, and we thought we’d promote good oral hygiene among our patients with a few tips and tricks, courtesy of the American Dental Association.

• Teeth brushing techniques: It takes only two minutes to properly brush using short, gentle strokes and devoting extra attention to the gumline, areas around fillings and hard-to-reach areas such as the back teeth.

• Regular dental visits: in addition to seeing our team at Hughes Orthodontics during your orthodontic treatment, you should visit your dentist for professional check-ups and teeth cleaning appointments about every six months.

National Dental Health Month aims to increase awareness about the importance of our patients' oral health. If you have any questions about keeping your mouth healthy, or about your treatment with Hughes Orthodontics, please feel free to give us a call or ask us on Facebook!

At Hughes Orthodontics, the New Year is a time to look back to the past, and more importantly, forward to the coming year. Our wish is that our patients continue to keep their teeth healthy, as well as wear their rubber bands, headgear and appliances as prescribed during their treatment.

We look forward to meeting those patients who are planning to begin their orthodontic treatment this year - we think it's a great resolution!

Happy New Year from all of us at Hughes Orthodontics.

At Hughes Orthodontics, we value the relationships we have developed with our patients in Alexandria and surrounding communities. Even if you only see us for your appointment on a regular basis, did you know that you can now connect with Dr. Hughes and staff on our Facebook page?

We invite you to “like” Hughes Orthodontics on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HughesOrthodontics. We share office news and updates on our Fan Page, so check it out! By Liking our page, you will receive updates from our office automatically in your news feed!

Also, we've been posting photos of our patients and Dr. Hughes' Tricks of the Month! You don't want to miss out on any of it!!

See you on Facebook! Happy Holidays!

- Dr. Hughes and staff

In this season given to tidings of comfort and joy, and as Dr. Hughes and his team at Hughes Orthodontics reflect on the year that was, we’d like to ask you, our anazing patients: What did you love about the holidays this year? Being with your loved ones? Getting a clean slate for 2012? Opening presents by the fireplace? All the delicious food you ate? Also, what gift did you cherish the most?

We’d love if you shared with us all the things you love about the holidays. Stay warm, and don’t forget to stay away from those sweets!

Remember, you can submit your photos for our Smiles Contest by Jan. 31. We will then have a voting stage from Feb. 1 - 8th, and the staff will make their picks from Feb 9-13. We will announce the winner of the $500 VISA gift card on Valentine's Day. Stay tuned!! In the meantime, get those entries in!

At Hughes Orthodontics, we love to see our patients smile! Are you fun loving? Are you quirky? Are you unique like no other? Show us your creativity!! Submit a smile photo in our Facebook contest and have your friends and family vote for your entry for a chance to win a $500 VISA Gift Card!

Here’s how you enter: LIKE the Hughes Orthodontics Facebook page and then submit your best smile photo by clicking on the "Show Us Your Best Smile" Contest Tab on the left hand side of our Facebook page. This contest will be running from December 13, 2011 to January 31, 2012.

We can’t wait to see what you come up with!

Happy Monday! We are proud to announce our Invisalign Special Event starting today and going through December 20th. During this time, Dr. Herbert Hughes will be providing FREE consultations for those interested! Space is limited to the first 20 appointments – call us today!

Happy Holidays! Each new friend that you have ‘Like’ us on Facebook generates an entry for you into our Visa Gift Card Drawing. After your friend ‘Likes’ us, please go to our wall and post the name of your referral so that we can keep an accurate record to submit your entries. There is no limit on the number of friends you can refer.

Additionally, for every new ‘Like’ we receive, our team at Hughes Orthodontics will make a $2 donation to New Hope Housing. New Hope Housing serves people in our community as it “provides homeless families and individuals shelter and the tools to build a better life.”

Our drawing will be held on Valentine’s Day. Please help us help those who are less fortunate this holiday season.

With Thanksgiving almost upon us, it's a great time to ask ourselves what we're thankful for. With our friends and family around us, we celebrate the blessings given to us in the past year. Dr. Hughes and our staff at Hughes Orthodontics thought we'd ask: What are you thankful for this holiday season? Do you have any Thanksgiving wishes you would like to share?

Dr. Hughes and our entire team would like to wish you a safe and happy Thanksgiving. It’s a big food holiday, so be careful what you eat with those braces! If you have any stories or photos to share with us, we’d encourage you to send them along or post them on our Facebook page!

Gobble Gobble!

Are you having a great Monday so far? Well, if you've seen the news, you probably know there is nasty weather ahead this fall and winter in Alexandria and across the entire eastern seaboard.

Please help Dr. Herbert Hughes and our staff at Hughes Orthodontics get prepared by calling us and letting us know if you have any new phone numbers or if your contact information has changed!

At times of power outages and inclement weather, we need to be able to get a hold of you. Please call us with any updates to phone numbers and addresses, so we may be able to reach you. Thank you and Happy Holidays from Dr. Hughes and our entire staff!

The Hughes Ortho Team went to Hershey, PA to enjoy a little R&R. In addition to tasting many different types of Chocolate we had the opportunity to custom make our own chocolate bar! Check out more of the photos on our Facebook page!

For those who don't know, October marks National Orthodontic Health Month, and our friends at the AAO put together a helpful website that provides important information on protecting your braces, including tips for trick-or-treaters, braces-friendly recipes, facts about braces and treats you should avoid while undergoing orthodontic treatment.

Our entire team at Hughes Orthodontics also recommend you check out the AAO’s website. If you have any follow-up questions about keeping your braces in tip-top shape, please feel free to give us a call, ask us on Facebook or ask us during your visit at our office in Alexandria!

Have a great rest of the week!

With most schools back in session, our team at Hughes Orthodontics know getting kids and teens to eat healthy isn’t always an easy task, especially when they’re busy with school and other school- and social-related activities. At the school cafeteria, it’s just too easy for kids to nosh on French fries, chicken nuggets and other fried foods and unhealthy snacks, so Dr. Hughes and our team thought we’d pass along five delicious and nutritious snacks we know your child will love at the lunch table or after football practice.

1. Cheese – Cheese is one of the healthiest snacks for your child’s teeth. In addition to providing large amounts of much-needed calcium, cheese also does its part to fight cavities. Cheese stimulates the body’s salivary glands to clear the mouth of debris and protect them from acids that weaken them, according to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. This means cheese disrupts the development of cavities, especially when eaten as a snack or at the end of a meal. Calcium and phosphorous found in cheese reduce or prevent decreases in the plaque’s ph level and work to re-mineralize the enamel of your child’s teeth.

2. Blueberries - These tiny nutritional powerhouses are loaded with Vitamin C, as well as folic acid, minerals, fiber and disease-fighting phytochemicals, which have shown to help prevent cancer and diabetes. Kids love them sprinkled with a bit of sugar, topped with whipped cream, added to muffins and pancakes.

3. Whole wheat bread or cereal – With bread, kids get their iron, vitamins, magnesium, and zinc. With vitamins, calcium, and fiber, a bowl of enriched whole grain cereal with milk—and even fruit—is a power-packed snack or healthy start to the day.

4. Oatmeal - Instead of high-sugar, high-fat options from the grocery store, try baking a batch of low-fat oatmeal cookies or oatmeal to-go. Raisins, cranberries, dried apricots and nuts can be a great addition because of their nutritional value & taste.

5. Yogurt - Eating dairy is not just healthy for building strong bones, but is essential for maintaining a strong, healthy mouth. Low-fat yogurt is an excellent source of calcium, especially when whipped up in a parfait with berries and granola. Homemade fruity yogurt pop sure beats sugary store-bought frozen treats!

We encourage you to check out the other 15 healthy snacks your child can enjoy at any time of the day! For more information about which foods are best for keeping your teeth healthy, please post your question here on our blog, give us a call or ask us on Facebook!

Now that many of our fantastic patients are back in school (or are getting ready to head back), Dr. Hughes and our team want to remind all of our patients about the importance of scheduling appointments in advance. With school, clubs, sports and family functions to consider in the fall, we know that it can be challenging to find time to visit Hughes Orthodontics. 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 Dr. Hughes and our team advance notice if you are unable to make an appointment. If we receive enough notice, we might be able to schedule another patient for that time. Feel free to give us a call at 703.360.8660 if you have any questions, or if you would like to schedule your fall appointment.

Happy learning,

Dr. Hughes and staff

With fall sports almost here for a lot of our patients at Hughes Orthodontics, we thought today would be a great time to remind all our young athletes in treatment to take care of both their mouth and appliances while participating in sports – especially contact sports such as soccer and football – this fall.

One of the most important pieces of sports equipment you can wear on the field is a mouthguard. A well-fitted mouthguard, which we’re happy to provide, allows you to breathe and speak more clearly, in addition to protecting your mouth and braces. Only by using a mouth guard can kids with and without braces avoid serious sports injuries. The next time you’re in for a visit at our Alexandria office, we encourage you to ask us for a mouthguard! In addition, the American Association of Orthodontists has five quick tips for keeping kids safe during sport activities this fall.

• Wear a helmet
• Stretch before and after a game or practice
• Wear protective eyewear
• Wear a face shield to avoid scratched or bruised skin
• Be observant, even as a spectator

We hope you’re enjoying your summer, and invite you all to share your summer photos on our Facebook page!

The dog days of summer are upon us, and what better time for Dr. Hughes and our team at Hughes Orthodontics to ask our patients about their summer!

Whether you visited our nation’s capitol, went on a camping trip, visited the state fair or just stayed in town and hung out with friends, we want to know how you’re all spending your summer! Please feel free to share your summer plans and experiences with us below or on our Facebook page as the summer comes to an end soon for a lot of our patients at Hughes Orthodontics!

We look forward to reading all about your adventures! Enjoy the rest of your summer!

We hope you had a great weekend! At Hughes Orthodontics, we know orthodontic emergencies are never convenient nor timely. If you are a patient of record, Dr. Herbert Hughes and our team are committed to your dental health and are more than willing to see you after hours or over the weekend. As a general rule, you should call the office when you experience severe pain or when you have a painful appliance problem that you can’t take care of yourself. We’ll be able to schedule an appointment to resolve the problem. If you have a orthodontic emergency after regular office hours, please give us a call. If you are calling us after hours, please follow the emergency prompts to contact Dr. Hughes and team.

Common issues include:

*Broken Brace
*Broken Wires
Tie has come off of a Brace
*Loose Expander
*Poking Wire Tie
*Sharpness Felt on the Tongue Side of a Brace
*Loss of a Separator
*Initial Soreness
*Wire Poking

You might be surprised to learn that you may be able to temporarily solve many problems yourself until you visit our office. We proudly serve patients from Alexandria, Mt. Vernon and Springfield.

We hope you’re all enjoying your summer.

There’s nothing more we love seeing than a patient getting their braces off! In fact, Dr. Hughes and team keep a running album of new patient smile on our Facebook page, and we encourage you to check them out! While you’re there, we’d love it if you “Liked” our page! Happy Tuesday!

700 CLUB! Congratulations to Sara, who was our 700th “Like” on our Facebook page. We invite you to connect with Hughes Orthodontics on Facebook!

It's summer here at Hughes Orthodontics, which means a season full of vacations, adventures and great memories is here for a couple of months. Whether you are headed to a barbeque, a camping trip, or just having fun in the sun, we want to hear about it! Leave a comment on our blog or Facebook page and tell us about your summer!

Happy Travels,

-From Hughes Orthodontics

We hope you’re having a great week and a great summer so far! If you are planning on traveling with family this summer or think you might not be able to make it to your scheduled appointment with Dr. Hughes, please let us know ahead of time so that we may be able to accommodate you, as well as schedule another patient at that appointment time.

Also, we ask that you give us a call and and let us know if you have any new phone numbers or if your contact information has changed! Please call us with any updates to phone numbers and addresses, so we may be able to reach you. Thank you! Happy Fourth of July!

Dr. Hughes celebrated 25 years in orthodontic practice last week! Dr. Hughes Sr. and Mom came up for the big occasion.

With summer almost here, Dr. Hughes and our staff wanted to remind all our patients about the importance of reading. With school out, we know it’s easy to keep putting off reading and learning this time of year, but reading during the summer is actually a vital step in brain development and helps ward off the dreaded “summer slide.” Plus, grabbing a book you just can't put down is always fun!

Today, we thought we’d ask: What's on YOUR summer reading list? What are some of your all-time favorite reads?

Out of ideas for great summer reads? Then check out these summer reading lists for the entire family that we came across this morning, from Barnes & Noble.

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

Gabrielle is competing for America’s Miss Teen in June. We wish her the best luck and continue to show off your awesome smile.

If you've recently completed treatment at Hughes Orthodontics, we’d like to congratulate you! Now that your braces have been removed, Dr. Hughes will provide—or has provided you—with retainers. After braces are removed, teeth can shift out of position if they are not stabilized. Retainers, however, provide that stabilization. They are designed to hold teeth in their corrected, ideal positions until the bones and gums adapt to the treatment changes. Wearing retainers exactly as instructed by Dr. Hughes is the best insurance that the treatment improvements last for a lifetime. Here are some things to remember when you receive your retainers:

* Wear your retainers full time, until the doctor instructs otherwise. Wearing your retainers at night ensures that your pearly whites won’t relapse.

* Remove retainers when swimming or during any sporting activity in which the retainers could fall out and get broken or lost (cheerleading, basketball, etc.) or when you should be wearing a mouth guard (football, soccer, etc.).

We hope this helps! You can always contact our team by calling 703-360-8660 if you have any questions!

Access to your account, 24/7. Sounds convenient, doesn’t it?

Patients at Hughes Orthodontics enjoy access to their account, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, on our web site. You can look up your appointments and all of your account details at your convenience, all from the comfort of your own home! You can even receive appointment reminders through email or text messages!

You, too, may sign up for this convenient service on our web site by clicking the "Patient Login" button on our homepage. Please call the team at Hughes Orthodontics if you have any questions!

At Hughes Orthodontics, February is National Children's Dental Health Month, and we thought we’d promote good oral hygiene among our patients with a few tips and tricks, courtesy of the American Dental Association.

• Teeth brushing techniques: It takes only two minutes to properly brush using short, gentle strokes and devoting extra attention to the gumline, areas around fillings and hard-to-reach areas such as the back teeth.

• Flossing: hold the floss snugly between thumbs and index finger and insert it between each of the teeth, making sure to go beneath the gumline and curving the floss around the base of each tooth.

• Snack wisely: choose healthy snacks such as cheese, fruits and vegetables and avoid crunchy, sticky, chewy candies that can stick to the teeth. If you eat these snacks, be sure to brush after doing so.

• Carbonated or sugary drinks: these drinks create acids that can damage the teeth when mixed with saliva, so they should be avoided altogether. If you’re going to drink one of these beverages, don’t sip on it throughout the day. Rather, drink it and then brush your teeth.

• Regular dental visits: in addition to seeing our team at Hughes Orthodontics during your orthodontic treatment, you should visit your dentist for professional check-ups and teeth cleaning appointments about every six months.

National Dental Health Month aims to increase awareness about the importance of our patients' oral health. If you have any questions about keeping your mouth healthy, or about your treatment with HughesOrthodontics, please feel free to give us a call or ask us on Facebook!

Jonathan Kincaid - Movie Star! Watch as Jonathan gets his braces on at Hughes Orthodontics! Everyone wants a beautiful smile; and everyone ought to have a healthy one! Contact us today at our convenient Alexandria office to schedule an appointment. We offer convenient hours Monday through Friday.

Head to our YouTube page to watch more videos, including Dr. Hughes' famous magic tricks!

We are proud to announce our online Scavenger Hunt Contest! Each Monday for the next 5 weeks, we will post a different question here. The answer can be found here on our new website. Entries with all five correct answers will be eligible to win a $100 Visa gift card. Please wait until you have all five answers and send them to generalinfo@hughesortho.com prior to our deadline on February 14th.

Head to our Facebook page to see our first question!

BEST OF LUCK!

Many of our patients and folks here in Alexandria consider the beginning of a new year a time to not only reflect on the year that was, but also to set personal goals for the upcoming year. How are you planning to improve your health and happiness in 2011? Dr. Herbert Hughes and our team recommend that you make a New Year’s resolution to benefit your oral health!

It’s important that New Year’s resolutions are reasonable and attainable, and that they improve your overall quality of life—for example, did you know that flossing every day is the very best way to prevent periodontal, or gum disease during your orthodontic treatment? Using a straw when drinking sugary beverages can also help prevent cavities while you’re wearing braces. There are many small steps that you can take to prevent cavities, oral infections and bad breath.

Be sure to give us a call if you need a few suggestions on ways to improve your oral health, or visit this helpful article from our friends at the Academy of General Dentistry. After all, we know at Hughes Orthodontics that your oral health is about more than just a beautiful smile.

If your resolution is to attain a great-looking smile, we’d love to help! Please contact Hughes Orthodontics and schedule your complimentary initial consultation. We look forward to working with you, your family and all of your wonderful smiles!

Happy New Year from all of us at Hughes Orthodontics!

2010 is almost over—and what a year it was at Hughes Orthodontics! Dr. Hughes and our staff thought we’d ask: what was memorable about 2010 for you, and what are you most looking forward to in 2011? Do you have a new year's resolution, or any exciting plans for the coming year?

Have a safe and happy New Year, to all our patients, friends, family and all our dental and medical colleagues in Alexandria and surrounding communities.

See you all in 2011!

With Thanksgiving almost upon us, it's a great time to ask ourselves what we're thankful for. With our friends and family around us, we celebrate the blessings given to us in the past year. Dr. Hughes and our staff at Hughes Orthodontics thought we'd ask: What are you thankful for this holiday season? Do you have any Thanksgiving wishes you would like to share?

Dr. Hughes and our entire team would like to wish you a safe and happy Thanksgiving. It’s a big food holiday, so be careful what you eat with those braces! If you have any stories or photos to share with us, we’d encourage you to send them along or post them on our Facebook page!

Gobble Gobble!