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THANKSGIVING RECALLS history and family memories.

My Family's Thanksgiving Heritage

My grandmother came to the U.S. with a third grade education. At sixteen, she sensed imminent war in Poland, a starving nation. When an American came to her village in the early 1900's and offered $3 a week for Wamsutta Mill workers in New Bedford, Massachusetts, she thought, "this is a pretty good deal."

The Wamsutta Mills

On the voyage to Ellis Island she met my grandfather. He became a loom fixer and together they bought a few tenement houses and started a farm. Intrigued by the November holiday which made everyone eat turkey, they decided to raise these birds on the farm. Coming from a religious nation, they named Thanksgiving "Holy Turkey Day."

In the 1950's, my Dad returned to New Bedford, Massachusetts from bootcamp in Pittsburg, California. He sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge on this way home from the Korean War. He went back to college on the GI Bill. He first saw my mother, a third grade teacher, playing piano in a dance band. He thought she looked cute and decided to visit her on the farm to buy one of her turkeys and ask her out on a date. They got married and had two daughters who grew up living on that old turkey farm.

In 1999, after I opened my new orthodontic office in Antioch, California, I decided to take my first real vacation. Eager to find my grandmother's village, I traveled to Poland and drove to an address where only factories now stand. That night, I returned to my Krakow hotel later and rejoined the Harvard Alumni tour with whom I was travelling. There, I ate dinner and shared my day with an older businessman. I described California and my life as an orthodontist. Curiously, I asked him "And what do you do?." He replied "My family owned the Wamsutta Mills in New Bedford Massachusetts."

Wishing you special memories for a Happy and Healthy "Holy Turkey Day."

Dr. Ann Marie Gorczyca

Antioch, CA

DOES YOUR CHILD have loud snoring and multiple pauses in breathing while asleep? If yes, your child my have sleep apnea caused by airway obstruction during sleeping.

Sleep Apnea Can Be Corrected

Sleep apnea is often caused by a small lower jaw. This cause can be corrected by an orthodontist and an oral surgeon working with your sleep study team to eliminate sleep apnea.

Sleep Apnea Can Affect Your Whole Day

Sleep disruption leads to daytime sleepiness. Children with sleep apnea may appear drowsy, irritable, or have difficulty staying awake or learning at school. This is a serious medical problem and warrants diagnosis and treatment by a qualified physician and sleep disorder team. A consultation with an orthodontist is critical and a sleep study of an overnight polysomnogram be needed to record the severity and number of sleep apnea episodes.

Osseous distraction, or lengthening of the lower jaw, is often a cure for severe sleep apnea. Ask your orthodontist or oral surgeon about this cure.

Permanent lengthening of the lower jaw will restore proper airway and bite function, make your child look and feel great, and be a cure for sleep apnea.

Your orthodontist and oral surgeon can correct your child's small lower jaw and cure their sleep apnea forever. A custom oral appliance is only for mild to moderate cases and is not a permanent cure. A CPAP machine is cumbersome and difficult to wear, especially for children.

We're Here To Help

This sleep apnea case was cured by orthodontist Dr. Ann Marie Gorczyca and the sleep apnea team of Gorczyca Orthodontics in Antioch, CA. Find us at www.clubbraces.com. To find an orthodontist near you, visit the American Association of Orthodontists at www.mylifemysmile.org.

Eliminate your child's sleep apnea. Osseous distraction for mandibular deficiency, small lower jaw, is a permanent cure.

Wishing you and your loved ones a good night's sleep.

CREATING A BEAUTIFUL, STRAIGHT SMILE through orthodontic treatment is a pretty amazing process! With braces, we can feel and see our teeth move over the course of treatment, but how does it happen?

Our Braces Contain A Few Key Components

To understand the science of braces, we first need to understand the components that make them up. First, there are the brackets, usually made of metal or ceramic. The bracket is the part of the braces attached to each tooth and is held in place by a bonding material that keeps the brackets firmly attached to your teeth over the course of treatment.

One of the most important pieces is the archwire. This thin piece of metal is placed over the brackets and puts pressure on the teeth, giving them the direction they need to become aligned and straight.

The ligature elastic (or “o-ring”) is a small, colored elastic that holds the bracket onto the archwire. These elastics are changed at each adjustment visit. Some types of brackets do not need elastic ligatures, however, and are actually self-ligating.

How Do Braces Straighten Our Teeth?

Anyone who has had braces knows that the process involves a bit of pressure. The component that exerts that gentle pressure on your teeth is the archwire. The light but constant force that is applied causes the teeth to move, slowly but surely, into their proper positions. But how, exactly?

The scientific word for what is actually happening to your teeth is called bone remodeling. Under the gumline, your teeth are surrounded by the periodontal membrane, sometimes called the periodontal ligament or PDL. When the archwire puts pressure on your teeth, the periodontal membrane stretches on one side and is compressed on the other. This loosens the tooth.

In response to this pressure and movement, the body sends cells called osteoclasts to break down the jaw bone. The body then sends in bone building cells, called osteoblasts, to rebuild the jaw bone into a new shape that lets the periodontal membrane hold teeth in the new position.

A Smile That You Can Be Proud Of

Having a perfectly aligned smile can affect the way you speak and chew, as well as your self-confidence. We care about you and know that a healthy, beautiful smile can make a big difference in your life. Our team provides specialized orthodontic treatment tailored to each of our patients, so that you can have a smile to be proud of!

Find us at www.clubbraces.com. To find an orthodontist in your area visit www.mylifemysmile.org.

Thank you for reading our blog and being a valued patient and friend!

Top image by Flickr user Melinda Seckington used under Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 4.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original.

The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

THERE IS NO NEED to be embarrassed about your smile. Orthodontic treatment and Lumineers® are a fast and easy way to give you the smile you always wanted.

Lumineers Can Do Wonders For Your Smile

Prior to Lumineers, your orthodontist will correct spacing and placement of your teeth to give you the best Lumineers smile makeover possible.

Chipped teeth can be fixed and instantly whitened with Lumineers. Small teeth can also be made the ideal size and shape. Stained teeth can be make to look young again.

Lumineers are strong. They are made from porcelain which maintains its radiance for over 20 years. Lumineers preserve your natural tooth structure and are relatively easy to get after your orthodontic treatment is completed.

We Can Help You Achieve A Beautiful Smile

Your orthodontist will work closely with your cosmetic dentist prepare your teeth for Lumineers. This case was prepared by Board Certified Orthodontist Dr. Ann Marie Gorczyca, Gorczyca Orthodontics, Antioch, California. Find us at www.clubbraces.com.

Ask your orthodontist today which dentists in your community offer Lumineers. To find an orthodontist in your area visit www.mylifemysmile.org.

Change your smile and change your life!