Our Blog

Wow - what a beautiful day for a fall 5K! The sun was shining and the weather was perfect for the kids fun and 5K. Belle Aire PTA is always planning an awesome event with a great atmosphere. There is music bumping, unique raffle prizes, and tons of games for the kiddos : )

It is awesome to see so many families and local businesses supporting our Downers Grove community. We truly enjoy participating and sponsoring the school events throughout all of DG District 58. At Zach Frazier Orthodontics, we sincerely believe in giving back to the community, and we will continue this mission moving forward as your hometown orthodontist.

Keep smiling : )
Dr. Zach

On Friday, October 4th Whittier PTA hosted its first Color Run at the elementary school. The event kicked off with some pre-race dance performances by local DG District 58 kids. After that - it was race time! As we all ran around the school, no white t-shirt was spared from the colors. I cannot believe how fast these kids run - they are quick : )

It was great to see so many local vendors sponsor the event, and it is always fun to see so many of our smiles out there having fun. We are very proud to support Whittier PTA throughout the year at various events, and we are extremely dedicated to supporting all of our DG District 58 kiddos. As Downers Grove's hometown orthodontist, I look forward to many more events to come in the future!

Great running, everyone!
- Dr. Zach

It was a rainy day in Downers Grove, but the Lester PTA Running of the Leopards was still game-on! The 10th Annual Fun Run had a great crowd, and it was so much fun to see so many kids and parents participating. Despite the weather, there were still so many people that were out along the course to cheer on all the racers, showing how strong the Lester community supports one another. It was amazing : )

Our office is proud to support all of the Downers Grove District 58 Elementary schools, and we look forward to many more this school year. We are proud to be Downers Grove's hometown orthodontist providing braces and Invisalign® treatment to kids, teens and adults.

Great to see everyone!
Dr. Zach

Teeth genetics are weird. There is so much variation in size, shape, and color teeth. There is also a lot of variation when it comes to timing of when baby teeth are lost. We are all so different from one another, with a few exceptions: our teeth are very much like those of our parents and siblings.

Teeth abnormalities are pretty common in the general public, and many people are affected by them. For example, approximately 30% of people are missing at least one tooth. This is most commonly a wisdom tooth. Also, approximately 2-3% of the population has an impacted canine, where the canine is stuck in the bone and does not want to come in. It is more common on the left side than the right side (how weird!) and it is more common in girls than boys (sorry ladies!).

As a parent, it is important to keep this in mind. Are you missing an adult tooth, or was your brother or sister missing a tooth? Do you still have a baby tooth in your mouth? Do you remember having braces to fix an impacted canine? Your kids will be more at risk for similar problems. Impacted canine teeth can damage other adult teeth, and missing teeth can be a dental problem in the future if not addressed early.

So what do you do? It's simple - get a screening early. I recommend having an orthodontic  screening at age 8 to evaluate for these conditions early. We take a panoramic x-ray that looks at all of the developing teeth so that we can see if any of these problems may occur. Most orthodontists do not charge for this screening, and it basically informational to help you understand your child's current or future needs.

Is it OK to have a screening even if you didn't have these problems? Yes - definitely! You may not know that grandma or great-uncle was missing 4 adult teeth. Additionally, we are screening for more than just missing teeth. We look for crowding issues, spacing issues, overbites, underbites, cross bites, and much more.

At the end of the day, please do not lose sleep over any of these issues. Genetics is out of your control, but we are here to help however we can. We can correct impacted teeth, missing teeth, and bite issues in many different ways with braces and Invisalign®. Feel free to reach out with any question : )

Take care and love your smile!
Dr. Zach