Orthodontic Fun Facts, from Hershey and Heyman Orthodontics

Everyone loves fun facts. Fun, fun, fun! The American Association of Orthodontists, or AAO, has come up with some fun facts about orthodontics that our team at Hershey & Heymann Orthodontics thought you might enjoy.

• There are nearly 4 million people in orthodontic treatment throughout the United States.

• The first mechanical treatment for correcting irregular teeth was suggested by Gaius Plinius Secundus (A.D 23-79).

• The American Association of Orthodontists is comprised of more than 12,000 members in the United States, Canada and abroad.

• The time required to complete orthodontic treatment ranges from 12 to 36 months depending on the nature and severity of the problem.

• Of the 160,000 dentists in the United States and Canada, 8,000 are practicing orthodontists.

• The cement that attaches the braces to the teeth is now made with a special fluoride-releasing substance.

• Wires activated by body heat used in today's braces originally were developed by NASA for use in the space program.

• In addition to alleviating or preventing physical health problems, orthodontics can boost self-esteem as treatment aligns teeth, jaws and lips.

• Famous orthodontic patients include: Dr. Joyce Brothers, Hale Irwin, Cher, Diana Ross, Phyllis Diller, Chelsea Clinton, Whoopi Goldberg, Daisy Fuentes and Brandi.

Give our Durham or Chapel Hill office a call if you need to schedule your next visit with Dr. Barbara Hershey or Dr. Gavin Heymann

Season’s Greetings from Hershey & Heymann Orthodontics

'Tis the season of comfort and joy, and as the team at Hershey & Heymann Orthodontics reflects on the year that was, we’d like to ask you, our wonderful patients:

What do you love about the holidays this year?

Being with your loved ones?
Decorating the tree?
Catching up with old friends?
Opening presents by the fireplace?

You can share your thoughts by commenting on this post or by going to our Facebook page. Happy Holidays everyone!!

--The team at Hershey and Heymann Orthodontics

Staying connected with Hershey & Heymann Orthodontics

At Hershey & Heymann Orthodontics, we embrace technology, whether it’s through the innovative treatments we offer, our high-tech web site or our Facebook fan page. As you can probably tell, we love connecting with our patients online, whether it’s by sharing news on our blog or communicating ideas on our fan page. For social media to work, we understand that conversation is vital, and that’s why we invite you to join in and tell us what’s on your mind. Although social networks are hugely popular these days, we know they’re unpredictable and ever-changing.

While Drs. Hershey and Heymann and our staff take a little time to research how to best use social media, we thought we’d ask you, our loyal patients: How would you like us to use our social networks? What would you like us to share on our blog? Please post your thoughts or give us a call!

Cold and Flu Season is Here - Replace Your Toothbrush!

Fall is upon us, and with it comes the dreaded cold and flu season. After recovering from your cold, Dr. Hershey and Dr. Heymann will tell you one of the most important steps you can take to avoid becoming reinfected is replacing your toothbrush!

Germs are known to linger on the bristles, and you risk prolonging your sickness by continuing to use the same toothbrush. Be smart - keep a spare, just in case! To protect your toothbrush from bacteria all year long, consider the following tips:

• Wash your hands before and after brushing
• Allow the brush to air dry after each use, harmful bacteria dies after being exposed to oxygen
• Store the toothbrush in an upright position to allow water to drain and dry faster
• Replace your toothbrush every 3-4 months. Worn bristles are less effective in properly cleaning your teeth, and can actually be damaging to teeth if used too long!

We hope these tips help! Feel free to call us at Hershey & Heymann Orthodontics if you have any questions or ask us on Facebook.

Top ten tips for keeping your BRACES sparklin’ clean

Keeping your teeth clean is more important than ever when you have braces. Food bits have more spots than usual to hide in your mouth, so you must be diligent in order to avoid bad breath, swollen gums, discolored teeth and cavities. If you remove plaque regularly during treatment, you'll experience better results and shorter treatment time. Dr. Hershey and Dr. Heymann would like to help you keep plaque at bay with these top ten tips:

1. One tooth at a time. When you brush, take time with each individual tooth – at least 10 seconds each – and pay careful attention to the spots where your teeth touch your braces.
2. It’s all about the angles. Brush the tops of your teeth and braces with your brush angled down toward where they meet. Brush the bottoms of your teeth and braces with your brush angled up.
3. The tooth, the whole tooth, nothing but the tooth. While the front surface of your teeth may seem like the most logical to clean, it’s equally important to clean the inner surface of your teeth (tongue side) as well as the chewing surface. And be sure to clean along your gum line – a key spot for plaque buildup.
4. Step 1: eat, step 2: clean. While you’re in treatment, it’s important to brush after every meal. Bits of food can easily get caught between braces and teeth, and these food bits interact with bacteria in your mouth to cause decay. The longer food is in contact with your teeth, the greater opportunity for plaque to form. If you are eating somewhere that you can’t brush, thoroughly rinse your mouth with water.
5. Like a Boy Scout, always be prepared. The easiest way to be sure you can brush after every meal is to get in the habit of taking a toothbrush, toothpaste and floss with you wherever you go. Designate a special container just for your teeth-cleaning tools and keep it in your purse, backpack, or laptop case.
6. Remove the moving parts. If you have elastic bands or headgear, remove these parts before you brush or floss.
7. Fluoride is your friend. Fluoride helps prevent cavities. Be sure to brush with fluoride toothpaste, and rinse with fluoride mouthwash.
8. Pointy brushes reach tiny places. Interproximal brushes (sometimes called proxa brushes or interdental brushes) are cone-shaped and come in very handy for reaching spots around your braces that standard brushes can’t.
9. Find the floss for you. Regular floss works for some patients, but others find it easier to work with a floss threader, which helps you get the floss into tight places. Other patients like an all-in-one product called Superfloss, which comes with a stiff end for easy threading, a spongy section for cleaning wide spaces, and regular floss for narrow spaces.
10. Make time for the pros. It’s your job to take care of the everyday cleaning. But make sure to visit your dentist regularly while in treatment, to get the deep, thorough cleaning that only a professional can provide. If you need help finding the right Dentist for you, feel free to contact our office - we’d love to help!

We hope these tips help! Feel free to call Hershey & Heymann Orthodontics with any additional questions or you can always comment on our Facebook page.

Meet Our Orthodontists

Dr. Barbara Hershey's passion for orthodontics brought her to the University of North Carolina to receive her masters of public health and her masters of orthodontics, after completing her BS and her DDS at the University of Minnesota. After years of professional training, she opened her practices in Durham and Chapel Hill when she fell in love with the area and decided to make Chapel Hill her home. She knew then these were the communities she wanted to be a part of and serve.

Dr. Hershey enjoys building lifelong relationships with patients of all ages knowing that she excels at providing them fantastic smiles while creating a sound and healthy bite. When Dr. Hershey isnt creating spectacular smiles, she enjoys spending time with her daughter, Ali, and her son, Trip. She also enjoys cooking, gardening, and reading medical journals.


Dr. Gavin Heymann was born and raised in the Chapel Hill / Durham area. He graduated from Chapel Hill High School and then pursued his undergraduate education at UNC Chapel Hill, where he earned a BS in Biology. He then attended the UNC School of Dentistry where he graduated at the top of his class in 2005. He remained at UNC for his specialty training in orthodontics, where he received the Andrew McArthur Brooks fellowship, and earned a master's in science and an orthodontic certificate from one of the most well respected orthodontic programs in the world. Dr. Heymann joined Dr. Hershey in practice in August of 2008, and aspires to continue the tradition of excellence in service to patients and exceptional clinical quality with the latest technology that Dr. Hershey has been providing for three decades.

Dr. Heymanns favorite part of his job is the opportunity to meet so many different people and form relationships with them during the course of their treatment. Outside of the office Dr. Heymann enjoys spending time with his family and friends. Dr. Heymann met his lovely wife, Anne, while they both were in college at UNC, and they enjoy skiing, hiking, traveling, and cheering for the Tar Heels. Their beautiful daughter, Helen, was born in September of 2009. The Heymanns love the Chapel Hill and Durham communities and are active in their church, Christ United Methodist in Chapel Hill, as well as other civic organizations.