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LIVING WELL • SMOKE SIGNALS SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT


APRIL 2012 “My emphasis is to produce stable orthodontic results that will last a lifetime without the need to wear retainers.” L


ocated in downtown Jasper, Buhl Orthodontics is changing the world, one smile at a time, by creating


Changing the world one smile at a time B U H L O R T H O D O N T I C S


beautiful smiles that last a lifetime – without a lifetime of wearing retainers! Owner Dr. Richard Buhl, D.D.S. states


that the most important thing to ask your orthodontist before having your teeth straightened is whether or not you will need to wear a retainer for the rest of your life. “Responsible orthodontists don’t


need retainers,” laughs Dr. Buhl. “My emphasis is to produce stable orthodontic results that will last a lifetime without the need to wear retainers.” Buhl added that the type of braces is irrelevant as far as the final result goes. “The question is whether your teeth will be carefully placed into stable locations or merely straightened but left in unstable locations which will require lifetime retainers.” When specifically asked what


he does differently from other orthodontists, Buhl states that there is a standard ‘to do’ list that many orthodontists may not follow because they rely on the retainer to produce stability. The list includes suggestions, such as the early removal of wisdom teeth and snipping stretched gum fibers, which can cause tension that pull teeth back in the direction of their original position.


“While on occasion there may be conditions where we want to intervene early, it’s usually not necessary to go through the process twice,” says Buhl. “Most patients can have the work done once starting around the age of 11 to 12.” Buhl Orthodontics is dedicated


to honest and open communication and provides an environment that offers quality care for each individual patient. Each treatment room provides additional seating for a parent, spouse, or friend and Buhl encourages family and friends to stay during the procedure. With 25 percent of Dr. Buhl’s patients


being adults, it’s never too late to have your teeth straightened. Dr. Buhl recently fit a 70-year-old patient with braces that stated, “I always wanted my teeth straightened. Why not?” “We strive for excellence on every


level,” says Dr. Buhl. “Our commitment to our patients is to get their teeth straight and for them to stay straight.”


The friendly Team Of Specialists at Buhl Orthodontics. The orthodontic result will be tested


for stability prior to brace removal. After brace removal the bite will be meticulously adjusted to fit perfectly. The retainers will be used for only one year


until the teeth remain completely stable. Buhl noted that there is a strong


movement among orthodontists to straighten the teeth twice: once during childhood, and once in the early teens.


Buhl Orthodontics Address: 9 South Main St., Jasper, GA 30143 Services: Specialist in Orthodontics for Children and Adults Phone: 706-692-7989 Email: drb4smiles@hotmail.com Website: hellonorthgeorgia.com/ MedicalAndDental/Dentists/ BuhlOrthodontics.html


“No one can predict when, if, or what kind of care might be necessary.” E


ach of us will die someday. Thirty percent of us will die quickly while seventy percent of us will pass


Brenda Joiner — planning now for future care B R E N D A J O I N E R


away slowly and will need some form of assistance. The options for that care are limited whether a person needs care due to an accident, a disease or just because they are nearing the end of a long life. The first option is usually spending


our assets to pay for care until it is depleted and then Medicaid may be an option for skilled nursing care. Or we can look to our children to take care of us, or we can insure the risk. As the baby boom generation ages, more families are facing the question “what are we going to do about Momma?” And an increasing number of aging “boomers” are asking the question “how can I plan for a graceful process where I don’t have to be a burden on my children or deplete the assets I’ve worked a lifetime to accumulate?” Brenda Joiner, a Big Canoe


resident, specializes in helping people plan and prepare for the likelihood of a need, at some time in their lives, to cover the cost of extensive, and increasingly expensive long-term care. “No one can predict when, if, or what


kind of care might be necessary,” says Joiner. “Statistically, however, a degree of care will very likely be needed.”


Brenda Joiner Length of care, from weeks to


years, can’t be determined in advance, nor can the type of care, from in- home, assisted living to full skilled nursing in specialized facilities. Planning for the likelihood, however, is possible. Whether it’s which child will take care of you, where you will get your first $100,000 for care or if you are still healthy enough to transfer the risk to an insurance company, everyone needs to have discussed their plan with family members and have consensus for a plan. “It’s never too early to begin the


process of planning,” says Joiner. “Good health is unpredictable. And without a plan of some sort in place, when the unthinkable happens, family members do sit around the kitchen table asking, “What are we Gonna Do?” Brenda has helped more than 2000 people over the past twelve years plan for the unthinkable. She believes that people who have a plan don’t have to wonder “what child is going to have to take care of me?”


Brenda Joiner Address: 11121 Big Canoe, Jasper, GA 30143 Services: Long-term care planning Phone: 706-268-2076 Email: brendajoiner@tds.net


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