Spring is in the air! As you probably know, you can always connect with us on our Facebook page, but we invite you to please contact our office with any updates to phone numbers and addresses, so that we may be able to reach you.
We also encourage you to call us and let us know if you have any new phone numbers or if your contact information has changed!
Thank you! Have a great week!
Visiting your dentist during your orthodontic treatment will not only help keep your teeth and mouth healthy while you have braces, but will also help keep the rest of your body healthy. The fact is, every hour of every day in the U.S., someone dies of oral cancer, which is the sixth-most common diagnosed form of the disease. The five-year survival rate is only 50 percent, and oral cancer is one of the few cancers whose survival rate has not improved. Since April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month, we would like to take this opportunity to remind all of our patients about the importance of maintaining good oral hygiene while you’re undergoing orthodontic treatment.
Your dentist is specifically trained to diagnose, treat, and prevent oral health problems. Please let us now if you have any questions about your oral health during your next adjustment appointment. Take care of your teeth!
When you visit Hughes Orthodontics for your orthodontic consultation, you’ll probably have a lot of questions. We want you to be prepared for your appointment and feel in charge of your orthodontic treatment decisions, so keep these questions in mind to ask when you come in for your appointment:
• How long will I have to wear braces?
• Will getting braces hurt?
• Will I have to wear additional appliances to correct jaw problems while I have braces?
• What can I eat when I have braces?
• Are there certain things, like playing sports or playing an instrument, which I won’t be able to do?
• How can I make sure my teeth stay clean and healthy while I have braces?
• How often will I need to come in for appointments?
• How much will my orthodontic treatment cost?
Dr. Herbert Hughes and team are here to answer all your questions and concerns, and we’re happy to explain all aspects of your treatment plan and expected outcome. We believe your orthodontic experience should be comfortable, hassle-free, and most importantly, leave you smiling! At your initial visit, Dr. Hughes will actively listen to your orthodontic needs and present several treatment options along with flexible payment plans. Our goal is to create healthy smiles as well as balanced faces that will last a lifetime.
Great question!
If you are brushing and flossing daily during your orthodontic treatment with Dr. Herbert Hughes, we think that’s great! But, don’t forget that it’s also important for you to visit your general dentist every 3-to-6 months in addition to brushing your teeth and flossing (and visiting Hughes Orthodontics, of course). Regular dental checkups are important for maintaining good oral health, especially during orthodontic treatment.
Tooth decay, which is caused by sugars left in your mouth, can turn into an acid, which in turn can break down your teeth. Children are at high risk for tooth decay because adolescents tend to be lax in their oral hygiene habits. Proper brushing and flossing routines, combined with regular dental visits, help keep tooth decay away.
If you have any questions, please be sure to keep ask Dr. Hughes or our team during your next adjustment appointment, or ask us on Facebook!
2012 is here, and it's a great time of year to get started on a lifetime of straight, dazzling and confident smiles. Here at Hughes Orthodontics, we offer some of today's most innovative orthodontic technologies that can straighten your smile in less time than you ever imagined. Not only do today’s braces and other orthodontic treatments straighten teeth quicker, they also offer greater comfort for the patient and require fewer visits to our office.
So if obtaining a healthy, beautiful smile is one of your New Year’s resolutions, we invite you to give us a call to schedule a complimentary orthodontic consultation with Dr. Hughes.
We love when patients ask us that question! Now that you’re wearing braces, it’s just as important to maintain a good oral hygiene regimen as you did before before orthodontic treatment began.
Braces are known to trap food particles and make it difficult to brush or remove plaque, which is why Dr. Herbert Hughes and our team at Hughes Orthodontics recommend that you brush and floss after every meal. We also encourage you to use a proxabrush to help with the smaller areas where your toothbrush doesn’t reach. We encourage the use of fluoride rinse as well; ask Dr. Hughes for a recommendation.
When your braces are initially placed, your teeth are likely to be very sensitive. You may experience discomfort for up to 3 or 5 days, which is why we encourage you to eat soft foods during that time. Remember, the less pressure you put on your teeth, the less discomfort you will have.
You may also be thinking, “Okay, so what can I eat?” We would encourage you to avoid eating sticky, hard, crunchy or chewy snacks that can stick to your teeth.
Dr. Hughes and team will tell you it’s crucial to regularly check your braces for bent or loose wires and brackets. In the event of a loose/broken wire or bracket, please call our Alexandria orthodontic office immediately to schedule an appointment for repair.
Lastly, in addition to visiting Dr. Hughes’ office during your orthodontic treatment for adjustments, you should visit your dentist for professional check-ups and teeth cleaning appointments about every six months, or as recommended by your dentist.
For moms and dads worried about kids going overboard on candies, sugar and other sweets, Halloween is a dreaded annual event.
All those sweet, sour and sticky candies may taste great, but these treats are known to damage teeth, as well as braces! Did you know sour candies can be acidic to your teeth, and actually wear down the enamel that protects them? This can cause tooth decay and cavities!
Sour and fruity candy, such as Starburst and Skittles, are the worst for your child’s teeth since these candies have a low pH value, which can ruin enamel. In addition, we also want your child to steer clear of sticky, chewy, gummy and nutty goodies.
Our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists recommend softer treats, such as soft chocolate or peanut butter cups, or melt-in-your-mouth foods. Trick-or-treaters who indulge should make sure they brush and floss between teeth, around brackets and at the gum line. If damage occurs, give Dr. Hughes a call as soon as possible.
We hope that everyone has a safe and scary Halloween!
Watch as Dr. Hughes interviews Leah, who just started her Invisalign treatment! Lots of our patients at Hughes Orthodontics choose Invisalign over traditional braces, and we can't say we blame them!
Dr. Herbert Hughes is a Premier Provider for Invisalign in Alexandria, and also proudly serves Mt. Vernon and Springfield, VA. Be sure to check back in December to see how Leah is doing with her aligners or how her treatment is progressing.
At Hughes Orthodontics, we know nobody likes getting plaque on their teeth. Here are five other ways you can avoid that dreaded enemy of the teeth during orthodontic treatment, courtesy of WebMD.
Let’s start with brushing regularly. Brushing your teeth twice a day with a fluoride-containing toothpaste is vital to a healthy mouth. Make sure you softly brush all the surfaces of your teeth.
Next on the list is flossing daily: a simple daily flossing between teeth clears away plaque before it can cause damage and can also clean plaque at the gum line. Plaque is known to reach the spaces between teeth.
Also, evading a trip to visit the dentist is probably not a great idea. Let’s say you brush and floss daily.
You’re still at risk for plaque. With time, the plaque hardens and turns into tartar. Consider visiting your general dentist at least twice a year or as recommended by your dentist, and you have a lower chance of getting cavities or losing your teeth while wearing braces.
You’ll also want to stop avoiding those fruits and veggies. Believe it or not, there are foods out there that play a key role in keeping plaque off our teeth. They include apples, carrots, cucumbers and other raw fruits and vegetables. You can still eat these types of fruits and veggies if you have braces, but be sure to cut them up into bite sized pieces to avoid breaking off brackets.
Finally, before you pick up that candy bar, remember to not give in to your sweet tooth. Consuming sugary drinks or eating candy or other junk food allows sugar to stick to our teeth. The bacteria, then, becomes plaque, which turns into acid and damages our teeth. Avoiding these five bad habits keeps your plaque in check and your mouth as healthy as can be during your orthodontic treatment with Dr. Hughes.
If you have any questions, visit our website’s oral hygiene page, give us a call or ask us on Facebook!
Great question! Besides Dr. Hughes’ website, which provides a plethora of information about all things braces and Invisalign, we would like to point you to a helpful website: Our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists, or AAO, have provided lots of important information about everything braces, including myths and facts of orthodontics, tips for a better orthodontic experience and cool webisodes about orthodontics.
We encourage you to check out AAO today and feel free to contact us if you have any questions here on our blog or on our interactive Facebook page.
Hope this helps,
Dr. Hughes & Team
At Hughes Orthodontics, our goal is to create healthy smiles, as well as balanced faces that will last a lifetime. Our mission is to be a happy, harmonious, efficient team of professionals who exceeds our patients’, parents’, referring dentists’ and teammates’ expectations.
Whether you’ve just come in for a consultation or your family has been visiting our convenient Alexandria office for years, we’d love to hear your feedback. You may write a review below, on our Facebook page or on our Google Places page!
Thank you in advance! We hope you all have a wonderful 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!
These days, Americans everywhere are putting greater emphasis on health, fitness and self-improvement, and more people are seeking orthodontic treatment to improve their smile. September happens to be Self-Improvement Month, and our team at Hughes Orthodontics know that orthodontic treatment is an investment in self-improvement that will reap benefits for a lifetime. And, recent advances in orthodontia, such as Invisalign and more effective brackets and wires, now make orthodontic treatment more palatable for many interested in obtaining that beautiful smile.
Not only does orthodontic treatment give you that beautiful smile, it can also benefit your dental and general health. If teeth are poorly aligned, removing plaque and tartar by brushing and flossing alone may be difficult. A poor bite may result in fractured or excessively worn tooth surfaces, and the extra stress caused by a poor bite may even result in problems with your jaw joints.
If you’ve been thinking about getting that perfect smile, Dr. Hughes would love to have you visit for a consultation. Please give us a call to set one up! At your initial visit, Dr. Hughes will actively listen to your orthodontic needs and present several treatment options along with flexible payment plans. Our goal is to create healthy smiles as well as balanced faces that will last a lifetime. We offer convenient hours Monday through Friday.
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.
With summer in full force, our staff at Hughes Orthodontics 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 – this summer.
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 with Dr. Herbert Hughes, we encourage you to ask us for a mouth guard! In addition, the American Association of Orthodontists has five quick tips for keeping kids safe during sport activities.
• 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!
"As soon as I realized my kids were in need of orthodontic services, Dr. Hughes was the natural choice as I was a patient of his father in the 70's.
Wow, how times have changed! No more white walls, white uniforms and quiet waiting rooms!
Shock and awe is the only way I can describe my experience at Dr. Hughes' office. It was an unexpected pleasing experience from making the appointment, to arriving at the office to our departure!
Upon entering the office, you can't help but feel at ease. One of the first things you see is the board announcing who is getting their braces on and off that day! The waiting room is cheery and accomodates all ages, from the "tooth" seats, to the toy area, to the tv, to the wide range of magazines. Not that all that is needed, as by the time my child finished brushing her teeth at the tooth brush station, she was personally greeted by one of Dr. Hughes' team members and walked back to see Dr. Hughes.
Dr. Hughes has surrounded himself with a great staff of friendly and caring people. He's consistently professional, friendly, informative and fun! Did I mention he has a great smile?!
I watched as he moved from one patient to the next, taking the time to talk and ask the kids their opinions and/or listening to their input regarding their care/treatment. He gives them so much respect and albility to be a part of their own oral care. Love his impromptu magic tricks!
He has created an environment where my kids look forward to their next appointment.
Thanks Dr. Hughes!!!!"
June is upon us, and for our team at Hughes Orthodontics, that means one thing: it's National Smile Month, and it's once again time to remind our patients to brush, floss, practice good nutrition at home (and over the summer) to avoid cavities and gum disease, among other dental health issues.
That means you too, parents! After all, there's more and more evidence that suggests folks with gum disease are more at risk for serious health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and strokes.
Here are a few easy steps you can improve your oral health at home:
* Brush at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste. Here's a helpful video showing you how to brush with your braces on.
* Floss everyday to clean between your teeth.
* Reduce your intake of sugary foods and drinks during treatment.
* Visit your dentist regularly (usually every six months apart).
If you have questions about any of these tips, we encourage you to give us a call at 703-360-8660! Enjoy the rest of the weekend!
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! End of the summer is a great time to come in!
At Hughes Orthodontics, we know image is everything. Especially for today’s teenagers. At an age when image is so important, the thought of having braces may intensify the already-delicate confidence of today’s teens. Well, May is National Teen Self-Esteem Month, and during this time, parents are encouraged to act as positive role models, help stop negative self-images, and improve confidence and security among teenagers.
Dr. Herbert Hughes, as well as our team, will tell you one of the great ways to improve your confidence is to improve your smile. And that begins with a complimentary consultation at our convenient Alexandria office. After all, what better time to avoid having crooked teeth in your adulthood than coming in for a consultation with Dr. Hughes?
We proudly provide traditional braces and Invisalign Teen for today’s image-conscious teens, and invite you to give us a call to schedule your free consultation or ask us on Facebook!
Wen, who just got her braces off, wrote in and told us all about it! Congrats, Wen, on your stunning smile! Here is our May featured patient review!
“Unforgettable Experience - After a year and two months, I got my braces off yesterday. I felt I got too much from my orthodontist Dr. Hughes and his team. I was thinking on my way home -- what kind of service can build up your confidence, make your outside look more pretty and make your inside more beautiful as well, and all while making many friends at the same time? That should be a psychological doctor, a plastic surgeon, even a social group. I went to Dr. Hughes and got all those services at a very reasonable price.
The office was so comfortable that I often could take a nap before, and even during the service. Rosa, Linda,Tammy, Darlene, Sandi, Rosita, Abdul, Anita and the others step by step gave me warm care and never made me feel stressful. Please know how sensitive they are and how wonderful everybody is!
I just want to say thanks to Dr. Hughes and his team, also I want to share my experience to everyone who already has or will have an orthodontist.”
Thanks, Wen! What a great testimonial! You may check out Wen's deband on our YouTube page.
Great question, and you are absolutely not "too old" for braces! At Hughes Orthodontics, nobody is “too old” for braces! In fact, we read a fascinating statistic recently: adults getting braces has actually jumped 24 percent since 1996! Also, one of every five patients in orthodontic treatment nowadays is over the age of 21. Of course, braces help make your teeth stay strong, healthy and become perfectly-aligned. But we’d like you to know orthodontic treatment with Dr. Herbert Hughes can be successful at any age, and adults especially appreciate the benefits of a beautiful smile.
In fact, we are proud to offer an adult-friendly option for straightening teeth called Invisalign, which uses a series of invisible, removable and comfortable aligners that no one can tell you're wearing. So, you can smile more during treatment as well as after.
If you’ve been thinking about getting that perfect smile, we would love to have you visit for a consultation at our Alexandria office. Please give us a call at (703) 360-8660 to set one up and have a wonderful rest of the week!
At Hughes Orthodontics, our goal is to create healthy smiles, as well as balanced faces that will last a lifetime. Our mission is to be a happy, harmonious, efficient team of professionals who exceeds our patients, parents, referring dentists and team mates expectations.
Whether you’ve just come in for a consultation or your family has been visiting our convenient Alexandria office for years, we’d love to hear your feedback. You can write a review here, on our Facebook page or on our Google listing!
Thank you in advance! We hope you all had a wonderful weekend!
At Hughes Orthodontics, we know everyone wants a beautiful smile; and everyone ought to have a healthy one! And speaking of smiling, in a new poll conducted by Glamour Magazine, people were asked, “If you had to pick between having perfect teeth, eyesight or hair, which would you choose?
Well, 44 percent of folks out there are choosing teeth! In addition, the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, or AACD, conducted a study and found that 99.7 percent of those polled believed a smile is an important social asset. Respondents said straightness, whiteness, cleanliness, as well as the sincerity and sparkle of a person’s smile were all important factors not only socially, but career-wise as well.
Contact us today to schedule a complimentary consultation with Dr. Hughes. We offer convenient hours Monday through Friday.
We've received some really great reviews lately, and thought we’d share a few with you today. Please feel free to contribute your own thoughts about our office! Dr. Hughes and team love getting patient testimonials!
"I saw you guys for my braces back in 2001-2003! I still have the card from when I had them removed. You guys are the best in the business! <3" ~ Crystal Cordova
"We are a military family and shortly after we arrived in VA, we learned our twins needed braces. A friend recommended Dr. Hughes. It was the best recommendation ever. Dr. Hughes and his staff are absolutely fabulous. They are professional, caring and definitely the friendliest group of people we have encountered in our 28 years of traveling. Give them a call today. I can't imagine a better doctor in the area than Dr. Hughes." ~ David C.
"We have been very pleased with our visits to your office. You are on-time and very efficient. Calvin enjoys going and is always entertained by Dr. Hughes. As parents we appreciate his professionalism. We feel that Dr. Hughes has found his niche with the young patients." ~ Sharon H.
"This has got to be the BEST Orthodontics Office I have ever been to. After taking my kids there I would recommend it to anyone. Everything was gone over with, from the care needed to the financial options. My son was so excited to get a consult on the braces on in the same day. Wonderful experience!!" ~ Chad S.
Trust us when we say Dr. Hughes knows there are a lot of myths and half-truths floating around these days when it comes to orthodontics. But, before you buy into those myths, we think you should get the facts first!
Our good friends at the American Association of Orthodontists have some excellent information on the myths and facts of orthodontics, and we encourage you to check them out before settling for rumors about braces!
If you have any questions about orthodontics or your treatment at Hughes Orthodontics, feel free to give us a call!
And the winner of our online Scavenger Hunt Contest is….. Michelle. Not only is her son a patient of ours, but Michelle is too! She is one of the many parents that has taken advantage of Invisalign treatment. Michelle received a $100 visa gift card. Thanks to all who participated and be on the lookout for our next contest.
It may still be a bit chilly out there, but the fact remains: we’re only a month away from spring! Dr. Hughes and our team at Hughes Orthodontics want to know: What are you doing in February? What have you accomplished so far this year? Are you keeping up with your New Year’s Resolution? Got any exciting spring break plans?
If you have any photos or videos that you would like to share with us, please send them our way or post on our Facebook page! Have a great rest of the week!
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!
Check out what a few of our patients are saying about Dr. Herbert Hughes and our staff at Hughes Orthodontics lately! Thanks for writing in, everyone!
"I actually hope my kids need braces!!! the experience we have had at Hughes Orthodontics is so positive, that i hope all my children will have braces. Dr Hughes and his staff are fun, professional, and very friendly. i know my children are getting the best possible care. the office and clinic are state of the art and Dr Hughes' bedside manner is the icing on the cake. i recommend him to everyone with children or adults needing braces or wanting simple adjustments."
"The Perfect Experience for the Perfect Smile - Since our first child in 1999 to our youngest presently, we have been thrilled with the orthodontic services of Dr. Hughes and his wonderful staff. Dr. Hughes does a fantastic job and his commitment to his patients remains consistent. Always staying current with the lasted technology, he makes the experience of wearing braces fun!"
"Very happy client Dr. Hughes has provided wonderful care to my daughters, each of whom had braces in during middle school. Their gorgeous smiles say it all! Years later Dr. Hughes introduced me to Invisalign, which straightened out my "aging teeth" and corrected a slight overbite. My relatives and friends are amazed at how simple the process was and how good the results have been. He is a true professional and totally state of the art. I would recommend Dr. Hughes to any family looking for great care."
By the way, Facebook is a great place to tell us how we're doing, but we also encourage you to head to our Google Places page and leave a short review there. Your generous reviews help Dr. Hughes build more beautiful smiles!
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!