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There are many exciting things the Kennell Ortho team accomplished during the year 2024. Now it is already coming to an end! Let us do a quick recap for you on some of our favorite highlights!

The first thing that comes to mind is our trip to the AAO meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana. This was a great experience for the KO team to bond and to learn how to become a better office collectively. We learned communication skills, how to use our materials effectively, how to keep our ourselves and our patients safe, and got up to speed on what's new in the orthodontic world.

After the trip to the AAO conference, we were influenced to buy the latest i-Tero scanner which is much faster and much more efficient!

We updated our Rewards Program by adding a $10 Walmart gift card as one of our prizes.

We tried our first Invisalign Palate Expander that went very well (read more in our blog from November, "What is an Invisalign Palate Expander"). We have also had lots of our patients starting Phase I Invisalign treatment in general. We have had great results and have been impressed by how responsible our younger patients are.

Along with the Phase I Invisalign, there are now stickers that patients can stick on their aligners to add some fun!

We now offer Croc charms to any of our patients that come into our offices wearing their Crocs. We just got new ones in for the Holiday season!

Dr. Kennell attended the Invisalign Study Club in Costa Rica. He got to see how they actually create the Invisalign aligners and so much more!

Dr. Kennell took the KO team to see Mamma Mia Live in Boston! Then we enjoyed a delicious dinner at Nico Ristorante!

The whole KO team celebrated Halloween by dressing up as the different emotions from the movie Inside Out 2! So fun! The KO team also attended the annual Lakes Region Dental and Oral Surgery Halloween Party!

We delivered yummy pies to our referring dental offices to show our appreciation!

The front porch at the Laconia office was completely redone with new steps and railings! We hope you like it as much as we do!

Before we are off for the holidays, the KO team got together for a Christmas party at Gusto. Dr. Kennell bought personalized tote bags for everyone. Katie made personalized ornaments. All of us swapped gifts and played fun games! Good times had by all!

We hope you all have safe, happy, and healthy holidays. We can't wait to see what this New Year brings!

The newest appliance we have tried at Kennell Orthodontics is the the Invisalign Palatal Expander. The expander does the same kind of expanding that a regular Hyrax or Quad Helix, metal appliances, would do. It is just a new type of system made by Invisalign.

***Unfortunately not every patient qualifies for the Invisalign Palatal Expander***

But for those who might be eligible for this kind of expander. Let us tell you about it!

First of all, the Invisalign Palatal Expanders are 3D-printed, this makes for a custom fit to our patients teeth and palate. There are a series of multiple expanders that are to be changed everyday that slightly widen the palate creating room for adult teeth to come in.

The expander is easy enough for patients of any age to insert and remove on their own. This also makes it easier for patients to brush and floss because they can remove the appliance. There are no food restrictions because it is removable.

Here is the before, during, and after of our first patient to try the Invisalign Palatal Expander. She had great results and gave us great feedback on the experience.

Ask us about the Invisalign Palatal Expander if you come for a consultation, it just might be the perfect fit for your child's Phase I treatment!

October is National Orthodontic Health Month and Halloween is right around the corner! We have compiled a list of treats you can still have with braces on. We want to make sure your braces stay in tact, but we also want your teeth to stay healthy as well. Candy and sweets are okay in moderation, just make sure to brush and floss very well after!

Good Treats:

• Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
• Kit Kats
• 3 Musketeers
• Plain M&M’s
• Oreo’s & Soft Cookies
• Plain Hershey Bars & Hershey Kisses
• Peppermint Patties
• Pixy Stix

Candy to trade off to your friends/family:

• Taffy
• Bubblegum
• Chewy candies (Tootsie Rolls, Sugar Daddies, Sugar Babies)
• Caramel or candy apples
• Snickers, Mounds, Almond Joys, Twix
• Popcorn and popcorn balls
• Hard candies (Nerds, Jolly Ranchers, Lollipops)
• Jelly candies (Dots, Swedish Fish, Any kind of Gummies)

Have a Happy and Safe Halloween!

Dr. Kennell was one of only 20 US orthodontists recently invited to attend the Invisalign Study Club at Align Technology's Treatment Operations Center in San Jose, Costa Rica.

All Invisalign scans taken at Kennell Orthodontics are sent to the 63,000 sq. ft. Treatment Operations Center in San Jose. Here, the 3,000 member operations team processes thousands of scans from all over the region using Align's sophisticated, internally developed computer-modeling program, which allows the teeth to move individually. Treatment plans are then created according to Dr. Kennell's exact specifications. Once the treatment plan (also called a ClinCheck) is approved by Dr. Kennell, the digital plan is forwarded to either Mexico, China, or Poland for fabrication of the aligners.

While at Align's facility, Dr. Kennell attended special Invisalign lectures about new Invisalign features & products, current research findings, and tips on improving the ClinCheck process.

During this time, Dr. Kennell also had the opportunity to meet one-on-one with his personal Invisalign CAD designer and overseeing doctor. Over 1 hour was spent modifying Dr. Kennell's personalized Invisalign prescription (IPP) to give his patients the best result possible with Invisalign.

The day wouldn't be complete without a photo in Align's "Pura Vida" lounge!