If you’ve spent time in our offices, you may have noticed that we have a tight-knit team. We sort of consider ourselves to be part of a large, extended family. We’re excited to announce that our GLO family is growing by one! Dr. La Rochelle and her husband Alex have announced that they are expecting a baby! Their baby GIRL is due around June 10th, and Birdie the pup can’t wait to meet the new sister. Please join us in congratulating them ..read more

If you’ve scheduled your free consultation with us, you’re already well on your way to achieving a new great smile. But visiting an orthodontist for the first time can be intimidating, and there are some things you might be unsure about. You should know that everyone at Gardner & La Rochelle Orthodontics has a great passion for creating beautiful smiles. You could say that “smiling” is the name of our game. We’re professional, we use the latest technologies, and we want your experience to be easy, fun, and convenient. No matter your needs, we can help you improve. We’ve been seeing happy p ..read more

Getting braces used to be quite the ordeal. The ancient Roman Aulus Celsus used to reach into people’s mouths and attempt to push their teeth into alignment. A thousand years later, archeologists found Roman remains with gold wires wrapped around the teeth. As braces evolved, dentists and orthodontists used lead, ivory, zinc, and gold to try and move teeth into place. More often than not, they started by removing a couple of teeth to give them room to work. Wires and clamps were wrapped around the teeth, as Superglue was not yet invented. Just kidding!  Braces did not necessarily start ou ..read more

For a long time, braces were considered a teenage rite of passage. Plus, when you think about the braces of even a few decades ago, bulky, shiny metal brackets are probably what come to mind. It’s no wonder that our adult patients often ask us, “Am I too old for braces?” The answer is, absolutely not!  Today’s braces, even metal braces, are smaller, more streamlined and much more attractive than they were in the past. And, there are options for every smile, including discreet clear braces and Invisalign®. If you’ve been considering getting braces as an adult, there has never been a better ..read more

All About Eating and Drinking With Invisalign While most people are aware they need to take their aligners out before eating a meal, it isn’t always as clear when it comes to sipping on a drink or chewing gum with Invisalign. The team at Gardner Orthodontics is here to help clarify! In this post, our Richmond orthodontists will answer some of the common questions we get from patients about eating and drinking with Invisalign.  Can You Chew Gum With Invisalign? Yes, you can chew gum with Invisalign if you remove your aligners first. But, be mindful of the fact that you should wear your ali ..read more

The Use of Invisalign Rubber Bands At Gardner Orthodontics, we’re not just a leading Richmond, VA Invisalign provider, we’re among the top 1% of Invisalign providers in the country. This means we’ve helped thousands of patients perfect their smiles with clear aligners. Of course, many people choose this treatment option because aligners are removable, comfortable and virtually invisible. So, it might come as a surprise if your orthodontist tells you that you’ll need rubber bands and attachments in addition to your aligners. Are Invisalign rubber bands really necessary? Does Invisalign work wit ..read more

What Are The Most Common Braces 101 Questions We Hear? At Gardner Orthodontics, so many of our Richmond braces patients begin treatment in July and August before school starts back up again. If you just kicked off your own treatment or it’s on the agenda in the coming weeks, congrats! You’re on your way to straight teeth, a healthy and aligned bite, and an amazing smile.  We promise, once you get used to having an appliance in your mouth, you’ll forget it’s even there and caring for your braces will become second nature. In the meantime, we thought a little braces education was in order t ..read more

Once you have that stellar Gardner grin, it might seem like your orthodontic treatment is over. However, there are actually several stages of braces and Invisalign treatment, including the planning stage, the active stage and, finally, the retention stage. Without the retention stage, which is when you wear a dental retainer (or retainers), you would experience shifting teeth and, eventually, you could need another round of orthodontic treatment. Wearing a retainer is the only way to maintain your braces or Invisalign results and lock your new smile in place so that it lasts a lifetime.  ..read more

Dr. Graham Gardner and Dr. Dana Tang are board-certified orthodontists. Aside from being your favorite doctors, this also means they have the training and expertise to diagnose, prevent and treat malocclusion, or a bad bite. Malocclusion is when there is an issue with the alignment of the teeth or jaw, which affects how the upper and lower dental arches come together when the mouth is closed. One of the most common types of malocclusion Dr. Gardner and Dr. Tang see at Gardner Orthodontics is an excessive overbite, also known as a deep bite.  In this post, we’ll cover: What is an Overbite ..read more

Tips To Prepare Your Child For Braces Or Invisalign Teen: So your child or teenager needs braces or Invisalign Teen treatment. Thankfully, today’s orthodontic treatment options are more comfortable, efficient and convenient than ever before, meaning your kiddo won’t need to change their entire lifestyle to get a fantastic smile. However, there are still steps they’ll have to take to care for their appliance and teeth for the best results. It’s also normal for some kids to feel a little apprehensive about kicking off treatment.  Knowing how to get kids ready for braces or clear aligners wi ..read more