Creating smiles is our specialty. Building relationships is our passion.

 

Hatcher Orthodontics is a tight-knit family practice. With the exception of a few new faces, most of our employees have been working together for close to 10 years, or more. Dr. Hatcher opened his practice on June 28, 1998 and our team member, Nancy, joined him in November of that year. Nancy says, “I know that this group of friends is always here for me. They are a complete joy! There is never a day that I wish I didn’t have to go to work. As soon as you walk in, there are beautiful smiles that make you feel welcomed and loved.”

Our team members Stephanie, Jasmine, and Lindsay were all patients before they joined Hatcher Orthodontics. Lindsay says, “My twin sister, Lacey, and I started our orthodontic treatment together. Immediately, I became intrigued with orthodontics and basically fell in love with the field. Dr. Hatcher was a huge inspiration in our lives. I actually started working with Dr. Hatcher in 2008 with my twin sister by my side. Now, my sister is a nurse, but, even without her here, I feel that our office is my second home– I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Some of our Hatcher family are mom’s of patients. Cyndi, our office manager of 12 years, joined us during her daughter’s, treatment.. Gilda, a part of our resident mother-daughter team, became one of our scheduling coordinators during Jasmine’s treatment. She shares, “As a mom, when I was bringing my girls to the office, I felt the compassion and warmth of the team. So, naturally, I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to be a part of this.”

Our friendly team is truly what makes Hatcher Orthodontics unique. Kelly reflects, “I have been with Hatcher Orthodontics for 13 years this July. The years have brought a lot of life changes, professionally and personally. I am very fortunate to have a group of people that I not only work with, but can call friends.”

Our Hatcher family takes pride in each stunning smile that we create. Behind every smile is a relationship between us and our patients and their families. We welcome you to join our family at Hatcher Orthodontics and experience the difference.

Newsletter

You don’t have to brace yourself for wearing braces

Braces are impressive little gadgets and over time, they move your teeth.  But, how do they do it?  Great question!  The teeth move when light pressure is applied by the braces over a period of time.  For this to occur, there are several different tools that are needed.

Each of your teeth has a different size and shape to them, as do the brackets.  Each bracket is custom-made for the particular tooth on which it’s supposed to fit.  The bracket holds the wire in place.   It is the wire that actually moves your teeth into position.  Many of the new high-tech wires are made from a material that has “memory”.  When the wire is distorted from its natural U shape, the memory in the wire restores itself allowing the wire to return to its natural state, moving your teeth with it.  Initially, when your braces are placed, the first few wires will typically be this very flexible memory wire.  Although the wire is small, it is strong enough to apply a constant and gentle force to move your teeth.  With these memory wires, most of your appointments can be scheduled six to ten weeks apart.  As your teeth straighten, your wires will get progressively thicker and firmer to help continue to move your teeth for an ideal bite.  In most cases, additional tools like rubber bands, appliances, and springs are needed to achieve the perfect result.

With the modern technology available today, Invisalign® takes a different approach to straightening teeth. It uses a series of clear aligners created just for you, as designed by our doctors. These aligner trays are made of smooth, comfortable, and virtually invisible plastic that you wear over your teeth. Your teeth will gradually shift into place while wearing the aligners.  You just pop in a new set of aligners approximately every two weeks, until your treatment is complete. Dr. Hatcher and Dr. Jones will be able to discuss which type of treatment is relevant for you during your initial complimentary consultation.

Your experience with Hatcher Orthodontics will be memorable not only from the first visit, but throughout your entire treatment.

 

Mother’s Day is a celebration honoring mothers and motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society.  The modern American holiday of Mother’s Day was first celebrated in 1908, when Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother in Grafton, West Virginia.  Her campaign to make “Mother’s Day” a recognized holiday in the United States began in 1905, the year her beloved mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, died. Anna’s mother, Ann Jarvis, was a peace activist who had cared for wounded soldiers on both sides of the Civil War and created Mother’s Day Work Clubs to address public health issues.  Anna’s mission was to honor her own mother by continuing the work she had started and to set aside a day to honor mothers.  In 1914 Woodrow Wilson signed the proclamation creating Mother’s Day, the second Sunday in May, as a national holiday to honor mothers.  Jarvis’ holiday was adopted by other countries and it is now celebrated all over the world.  By the early 1920’s, Hallmark and other companies had started selling Mother’s Day cards.  Mother’s Day continues to be one of the most commercially successful U.S. occasions.  It is possible that the holiday would have withered over time without the support and continuous promotion of the florist industries and other commercial industries.

 

For some of the last minute gift givers here are some thoughtful gift ideas that mom will love:

★     Your Favorite Childhood Book- Buy mom a copy of your favorite childhood book and write a thank you note inside to mom thanking her for always reading to you as a child.  If you don’t have a favorite and want a real tear jerker try “Love You Forever” by Robert Munsch she will love it!!

★     Make Mom A Playlist- Burn mom a CD or make a spotify playlist of music that you know she will love, it’s a great way to show her how much you pay attention to her interests.

★     Plan A Movie Night- Whether you head out to dinner and the movie theater or rent a DVD and cook mom her favorite meal at home, a special movie night with just the two of you is sure to make mom happy. 

★     Ten Things I Love About You- Start by taking cardstock and cutting it into 2”x3.5” pieces and punch a hole in the top left corner of all of them.  On each card write one thing you love about mom.  You may want to add old photos, magazine cut-outs, letters, thank you notes and other things that remind you of mom as fillers.  Loop the cards onto a binder ring.  Now you have a beautiful keepsake book that mom will love.

★     Last But Not Least- Survey after survey reveals what moms really wish for is a little R&R, ideally an entire day off from all responsibilities and to spend some quality time with their kids.  So this Mother’s Day show that special lady in your life how much she means to you in your own special way. 

 

 

 

Chesapeake Restaurant Week

Lets eat out and support Chesapeake restaurants while supporting Chesapeake Schools.  A donation from each meal will go to the Chesapeake Public Schools Educational Foundation to help with scholarships and enhance our classroom technology.

 

Home is the place where we smile the most

Most of us would agree that home is not just the place you live. A home is a place that you gather with family and friends. It stays with you always. Billy Joel’s song, “You’re my home”, says it perfectly, “Wherever we’re together, that’s my home.” That’s the way we feel at Hatcher Orthodontics. We strive to make each of our patients and their families feel welcomed and at home and a part of the family that we have here.

Our Hatcher family is a tight-knit group. Every day, we meet as a team to discuss our schedule, our patients, and our own lives. We do this not only to make sure that our patients are getting top-notch care but also stay connected with each other. We end each meeting with an inspiring quote or story to set the tone for a positive day. We love having fun at the office and especially enjoy seeing our patients smile! Our team dresses up for Wacky Wednesdays, we’ve created a dancing video for YouTube©, and we are always coming up with braces-friendly recipes for our Pinterest© page. We also love getting our patients involved in the fun with contests.

Another huge focus here at Hatcher Orthodontics is how our family can help our home community. Hatcher Orthodontics has been a name in the Western Branch area of Chesapeake for many years. Whether its collecting non-perishables to fill the Portsmouth Social Services food pantry or our Halloween candy buy back to support our troops– we are always looking for ways to be a leader in the community. Now, with the help of Dr. Jones, we are reaching out into our new community of Great Bridge. Dr. Hatcher and Dr. Jones enjoy spending time in our area’s schools speaking to kids about motivational topics like teamwork and leadership. We have recently been invited to join with the Great Bridge/Hickory YMCA to promote healthy living to children in our community.

Just like a home stays with you always, so does a smile. A smile is a simple act; it can cause boundaries to melt, hearts to warm up, and distances to reduce. We take pride in each stunning smile that we create. Behind every smile is a relationship between us and our patients and their families. We welcome you to join our family at Hatcher Orthodontics and experience the difference. Anonymous writes, “A smile is the light in the window of your face that tells people you’re at home.”

YMCA Healthy Kids Day

Summertime is almost here and in preparation the YMCA’s across Hampton Roads are holding their annual Healthy Kids Day.   Summer is the time for kids to get up, get out and grow. But for some kids, exposure to activities that stimulate the body and mind ends with the school year. In fact, research shows that kids are prone to gain more weight and fall behind in studies. So make this summer a time to get up and be active.

Come out and join our Hatcher Orthodontics team today as we support our community  YMCA of Great Bridge/Hickory. Activities are planned from 9am-12pm  and are free and open to all.

 

The Importance of Using Mouth Guards

We’ve all heard the old English Proverb, “An ounce of Prevention is worth a Pound of cure.”  Well in this case, when it comes to mouth guards during sports, that couldn’t be more true.

The American Association of Orthodontics (AAO) found that 84% of children do not wear mouth guards while playing sports because they are not required to, even though they may be required to wear other protective equipment. Mouth guards not only help save teeth, they protect jaws, as well. Individuals wearing braces have slightly higher risk of oral injuries,  if their braces are hit by a ball or other player. The America Dental Association estimates that mouth guards prevent more than 200,000 oral injuries a year.

Who needs a mouth guard? Mouth guards should be used by anyone, both children and adults, who play contact sports such as football, soccer, hockey, and baseball.  However, even those participating in non-contact sports and recreational activities (skateboarding, biking, etc.) would benefit from wearing a protective mouth guard.

There are different types of mouth guards available– stock mouth protectors, boil and bite, or custom fit. Custom fit mouth guards are considered to be the most protective and effective. However, when individuals are wearing braces, a custom mouth guard is not an option.  The reason is a custom mouth guard is made to fit a bite that does not change.  When braces are on, teeth are moving and the bite is in a constant state of change.   There are mouth guards specifically for braces which will not only protect your teeth, but also allow the braces to continue to do their job.  One of the such mouth guard is Shock Doctor for Braces. This mouth guard is adaptable to changes in the mouth structure as teeth adjust. The boil and bite mouth guards can get stuck around the braces and pull them off when they are being removed. Protecting your teeth while wearing braces are essential.

Generally, mouth guards cover you upper teeth only.  If you are wearing braces or other fixed dental appliances, your orthodontist may suggest wearing a mouth guard that covers your lower teeth as well. Your orthodontist can suggest the best mouth guard for you.  An effective mouth guard should be comfortable, durable, and easy to clean.  It should not restrict your breathing or speech.

Like any other protective sports equipment, a mouth guard will wear out and make it less effective. If your mouth guard has holes or becomes too loose, it can irritate the teeth and oral tissues. In any of these cases, the mouth guard should be replaced.

Mouth guards are one of the most important parts of any uniform!!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day

Saint Patrick’s Day is a cultural and religious holiday celebrated annually on March 17th, the death date of the most commonly-recognized patron saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick.  The day commemorates Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, as well as celebrating the heritage and culture of the Irish in general.  Saint Patrick’s Day, although not a legal holiday is nonetheless widely recognized and celebrated throughout the Untied States.  It is primarily celebrated as a recognition of Irish and Irish American culture.  Celebrations generally involve public parades and festivals and the wearing of green attire or shamrocks.  Saint Patrick is said to have used the shamrock, a three-leaved plant, to explain the Holy Trinity to the pagan Irish.  Green ribbons and shamrocks have been worn on Saint Patrick’s Day since at least the 1680s.  Traditionally, those who are caught not wearing green are pinched “affectionately”.  The holiday has been celebrated on the North American continent since the late 18th century.  In every year since 1991, March has been proclaimed Irish-American Heritage Month by the US Congress or President due to the date of Saint Patrick’s Day.  Today in the United States Saint Patrick’s Day is widely celebrated by Irish and non-Irish alike.  For most Irish-Americans, this holiday is both religious and festive.  So make sure you wear your green and have a wonderful day!!

Braces in Half the Time

One of the most common questions asked to any orthodontics is “how long will my treatment take?”  On average, traditional braces can take up to two years or more to straighten the teeth.  Though the outcome is always worth the duration of tretment, many patients would prefer to shed their braces faster than traditional treatment allows.  Here at Hatcher Orthodontics we are proud to offer the latest technology in orthodontics to help your smile finish even faster.  It’s called AcceleDent.

AcceleDent is a light, comfortable, hands free appliance used 20 minutes per day as a complement to braces or invisalign to accelerate tooth movement.  AcceleDent can be worn while watching TV, working on the computer, reading, or doing many other tasks.  AcceleDent works by generating small vibrations, or micropulses, enhancing the movements directed by Dr. Hatcher or Dr. Jones, allowing for faster tooth movement.  Research has shown that tooth movement can be accelerated 50% faster than with traditional orthodontics alone.  Results that used to require 2-3 years of treatment can often now be achieved in a little over a year!

We belive everyone deserves a great smile, and you should be able to achieve it as quickly as possible.  Ask our orthodontists, Dr. Hatcher and Dr Jones, whether AcceleDent is the right choice for you!