Dr. Hilliard and team want to know: What are your plans for Memorial Day weekend?

Memorial Day weekend, a day when Drs. Hilliard and Dietrich and most Americans reflect and honor the men and women who have served to protect America and ensure our freedom, is only a day away.

Memorial Day is also the unofficial start of summer, and for many of the folks in Lakeland and our patients, getting out of town for three days after being cooped up in the classroom or the office is sweet relief. At Hilliard Orthodontics, we know Memorial Day weekend is ripe for travel. After all, it’s almost time for vacations, adventures and great memories.

What about you? Whether you are headed to a barbecue, a camping trip, or just hitting the great open roads of Florida, we’d like to hear all about it!

Our entire team wish you a safe and relaxing Memorial Day weekend!

Fun fact Friday with Hilliard Orthodontics!

At Hilliard Orthodontics, we know people love fun facts - LOVE THEM. The American Association of Orthodontists, or AAO, has come up with some fun facts about orthodontics that Dr. Keith Hilliard and our team at Hilliard Orthodontics thought you might enjoy.

• There are nearly 4 million people in orthodontic treatment throughout the United States. Three out of four are younger than 18.

• 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.

Share your experience at Hilliard Orthodontics with the world!

At Dr. Hilliard’s office, your orthodontic treatment is about much more than straightening your teeth with braces. You expect great results and we get them because each patient’s treatment is individually planned to meet their needs. We offer a variety of the most advanced options in orthodontics today for both adults and children. This includes affordable metal and clear braces, retainers and so much more.

Whether you've visited Hilliard Orthodontics for a week, months or even years, we'd love to hear your feedback about how our office is faring! There are lots of ways you can share your thoughts about our practice with the rest of the world, but we encourage you to head to our Google Local page and write a review there.

After all, reviews help Drs. Hilliard and Dietrich create more beautiful smiles in Lakeland and surrounding communities.

You may write a review here.

Thank you and enjoy your weekend! We look forward to reading your reviews!

Hilliard Orthodontics, supporting National Physical Fitness and Sports Month!

You might not know this, but May is designated as America's Physical Fitness and Sports Month? In 1983, President Reagan encouraged Americans to incorporate more activity into our lives, and the reminder is even more important in this day and age as kids are distracted more and more by television, social networking and video games. Kids living an active lifestyle can improve their health, productivity and overall well-being, and best of all? It doesn’t have to take a lot of time!

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has provided these public health guidelines for your reference. The guidelines call for children and teens to exercise for at least one hour each day of moderate intensity physical activity (such as playing sports or brisk walking) or one hour and 15 minutes of vigorous activity (jogging, dancing and jumping rope).

At Hilliard Orthodontics, we always encourage our patients to stay fit by exercising or participating in sports. However, we want to remind you to always wear a mouth guard or other forms of facial protection when playing sports. To learn more about how often your child should exercise, we recommend you check out this series of helpful articles about kids and exercise, courtesy of our friends at KidsHealth.org.

And Happy Mother's Day to all the moms who come to our office! Enjoy your day on Sunday!

Hilliard Orthodontics want to know: Do you know where your retainers are?

If you recently completed treatment with Dr. Hilliard, our professional team would like to congratulate you on a job well-done! Now that your braces have been removed, Dr. Hilliard will provide—or has provided you—with retainers. After braces are removed, teeth can shift out of position if they are not stabilized.

Retainers provide that stabilization. They are designed to hold teeth in their corrected, ideal positions until the bones and gums adapt to the treatment changes. Wearing retainers exactly as instructed is the best insurance that the treatment improvements last for a lifetime.

If you have additional questions about retainers or your treatment here at Hilliard Orthodontics, please give us a call at 863-393-9917 or take a look at this helpful article about retainers from KidsHealth.org. Our staff would love to hear from you!

This Earth Day, did you make a difference? From Dr. Hilliard

At Hilliard Orthodontics, we support Earth Day, which is designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for our environment and ecosystem. Earth Day marks its 40th anniversary today. Whether lending a helping hand to plant trees or getting out to volunteer in various projects in Lakeland, today was our opportunity to get involved in making our year-round impact in the community. Did you make a difference today? Were you involved in any cool projects? How long have you participated in helping our community and planet?

If you’d like to join the millions of people around the world who are making small but important changes to help sustain our ecosystem, try these helpful environmental tips, courtesy of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA.

We hope you had a great Earth Day!!

Dr. Hilliard presents: Mr. Bean goes to the dentist

How do you feel about a treat today? Here's a little classic dental humor for you to enjoy, from the bumbling yet lovable British spy, Mr. Bean. Our staff at the office of Keith Hilliard loved it, and know you'll get a laugh as well. Enjoy "Mr. Bean Goes to the Dentist”!

If you have any other suggestions you think we should share with other patients, please let us know! Have a safe and terrific weekend!