Dr. Dau wants to know: What do you love about our community?

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

Today, Dr. Dau and our team thought we'd ask: What are your favorite things about Tampa or Lutz? Is there a local event you attend every year? Do you have a favorite eatery? 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 or Lutz, and everything you love best about “your neck of the woods.” And, who knows, we might post your response on our social networks!

A few helpful Invisalign® tips, from Dau Orthodontics

Last week, the Dau Orthodontics team blogged about the advantage of Invisalign when performed by Dr. Dau. This week, we thought we'd follow-up and share a few Invisalign tips with you!

When wearing your Invisalign aligners, Dr. Dau 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 Dau Orthodontics, please don't hesitate to give us a call!

The advantage of Invisalign® at Dau Orthodontics

Part of what makes Invisalign "work" is that it's customizable for just about anybody, says Dr. Dau. To find out if you are the right candidate for Invisalign treatment, the first thing we do is to take an impression of your teeth as they are now and digitize it. Using special software, we look at the current positioning of your teeth and compare it to the way your teeth should look.

Next Dr. Dau and team use special software to map out the exact path your teeth will take from the beginning of your treatment to the end. Based on the results, a set of custom aligners are created just for your teeth. Throughout the course of treatment, you will be required to wear these clear, removable aligners one at a time; each one moving your teeth closer and closer to their final, perfectly aligned position. And since the aligners are virtually invisible, nobody around you will even know you are wearing braces!

Dr. Dau is a certified Invisalign provider. If you have questions about Invisalign, or would like to find out if you are a candidate for Invisalign treatment, give us a call! Have a great week!

Ask Dr. Dau: What's so special about an Orthodontist?

"Dentists, Orthodontists, they're all the same right?" Dr. Dau and our team hear our patients asking this question as they wonder about the difference between an orthodontist and a dentist. Before becoming an orthodontist Dr. Dau started out in dental school and earned a DDS (dental degree), just like your dentist. After dental school however, Dr. Dau decided he wanted to learn more about orthodontics, which is one of nine specialties within the dental field. So he stayed in school for a few more years and became an expert in orthodontics; which focuses on tooth and jaw alignment and bite problems like overbites and under bites.

Other dental specialties you may have heard of include endodontic (focusing on the soft tissue inside your teeth), periodontic (focusing on the gums and other tissues surrounding your teeth) and prosthodontic (focusing on restoring and replacing damaged teeth). Dr. Dau is committed to being a leader in his profession. He sets high treatment standards and continually attends seminars and courses to keep current with the latest advances in orthodontics such as self-ligating braces, orthodontic implants, ceramic braces and Invisalign.

Isn't it nice to know there's a dental expert here to help you through any type of treatment your teeth, jaw and gums might need?

Happy New Year from the entire team at Dau Orthodontics!