Medical News

September 27, 2004 — After a lifetime of crooked teeth, Lynn Schneider got braces at age 41. The California mother of two felt self-conscious about her new metal mouth and wished to commiserate with other adult orthodontic patients. The web was the perfect vehicle, except for one thing: there were no websites specifically for adults in braces! But she didn?t let that stop her; she created the site herself.

The former technical writer began to write a braces blog. Over time, she added content, and soon the site took on a life of its own, with thousands of readers. ?I just wanted to help others and connect with people,? Schneider says. ?People were hungry for frank, honest information about orthodontics. It was astounding,? she says. Each month, she added more and more information. Eventually the site outgrew its blog format and blossomed into a bona fide website called ArchWired.

Since its inception two years ago, ArchWired.com, has secured its niche as the premiere portal for consumer-oriented orthodontic information, with a growing global readership. Each month, ArchWired provides news and information to readers around the world who range in age from 18 to 70. Popular topics include: choosing ceramic versus metal brackets, the impact of braces on dating, braces and pregnancy, and dealing with curry stained ligatures.

?These are not the sort of issues that kids and teens worry about,? Schneider says. ?Adults face coworkers and clients. They have kids, do business travel, have lunch with clients, and go job hunting. For them, two years with a mouth full of metal has a far-reaching impact on their family lives, self-esteem, and careers.? In addition, there is the financial impact. ?Adults are obviously paying for this themselves, so they want to ensure that they?re doing the right thing,? she says.

Some of the site?s content comes from the readers themselves. ?People love to connect with each other and read each other?s stories,? Schneider says. ArchWired includes several suites of pages devoted to reader stories, such as My First Day in Braces, Tales of Woe, Braces Removal Stories, and a reader Photo Gallery. ?Many of our readers have gotten to know each other on the site?s Metal Mouth Message Board. They help and support each other; it?s really touching,? she says. Each month, Schneider updates the site with news, information, features, and reader stories. ?Getting braces is a very emotional subject for adults. It?s a life-changing event for many of these people. Readers constantly send me emails saying how grateful they are that ArchWired exists; how much it helped them muster up the courage to take charge of their appearance and improve their dental health.?

ArchWired does have some professional input, from Richard DePaul, DDS, of Cincinnati, Ohio. Dr. DePaul (whose moniker on Metal Mouth Message Board is DrRick) often answers technical questions. ?Dr. DePaul found the site while surfing the web, and drops in daily to help people,? Schneider says, ?He has been an enormous asset.? In addition, Schneider sometimes consults with her own orthodontist, Adrian Vogt, DDS. Schneider welcomes input from all dental professionals who wish to participate in the site by writing articles or answering Forum questions. There is no charge or commitment for participation. ?The more professional input, the better the information,? Schneider says. ?I like to think of ArchWired as a vital global community.?

The popularity of the site was one inspiration for Schneider?s other venture; a dental hygiene kit she created called DentaKit. The product is sold online at www.dentakit.com. ?I needed a portable hygiene kit, but couldn’t find one that really met my needs, ” Schneider says. She created DentaKit to fill that void. The product is a big hit with adults, and DentaKits have been sold to hundreds of customers as far away as Italy and Japan.

For more information about ArchWired, visit www.archwired.com and www.dentakit.com.

September 27, 2004 — After a lifetime of crooked teeth, Lynn Schneider got braces at age 41. The California mother of two felt self-conscious about her new metal mouth and wished to commiserate with other adult orthodontic patients. The web was the perfect vehicle, except for one thing: there were no websites specifically for adults in braces! But she didn?t let that stop her; she created the site herself.

The former technical writer began to write a braces blog. Over time, she added content, and soon the site took on a life of its own, with thousands of readers. ?I just wanted to help others and connect with people,? Schneider says. ?People were hungry for frank, honest information about orthodontics. It was astounding,? she says. Each month, she added more and more information. Eventually the site outgrew its blog format and blossomed into a bona fide website called ArchWired.

Since its inception two years ago, ArchWired.com, has secured its niche as the premiere portal for consumer-oriented orthodontic information, with a growing global readership. Each month, ArchWired provides news and information to readers around the world who range in age from 18 to 70. Popular topics include: choosing ceramic versus metal brackets, the impact of braces on dating, braces and pregnancy, and dealing with curry stained ligatures.

?These are not the sort of issues that kids and teens worry about,? Schneider says. ?Adults face coworkers and clients. They have kids, do business travel, have lunch with clients, and go job hunting. For them, two years with a mouth full of metal has a far-reaching impact on their family lives, self-esteem, and careers.? In addition, there is the financial impact. ?Adults are obviously paying for this themselves, so they want to ensure that they?re doing the right thing,? she says.

Some of the site?s content comes from the readers themselves. ?People love to connect with each other and read each other?s stories,? Schneider says. ArchWired includes several suites of pages devoted to reader stories, such as My First Day in Braces, Tales of Woe, Braces Removal Stories, and a reader Photo Gallery. ?Many of our readers have gotten to know each other on the site?s Metal Mouth Message Board. They help and support each other; it?s really touching,? she says. Each month, Schneider updates the site with news, information, features, and reader stories. ?Getting braces is a very emotional subject for adults. It?s a life-changing event for many of these people. Readers constantly send me emails saying how grateful they are that ArchWired exists; how much it helped them muster up the courage to take charge of their appearance and improve their dental health.?

ArchWired does have some professional input, from Richard DePaul, DDS, of Cincinnati, Ohio. Dr. DePaul (whose moniker on Metal Mouth Message Board is DrRick) often answers technical questions. ?Dr. DePaul found the site while surfing the web, and drops in daily to help people,? Schneider says, ?He has been an enormous asset.? In addition, Schneider sometimes consults with her own orthodontist, Adrian Vogt, DDS. Schneider welcomes input from all dental professionals who wish to participate in the site by writing articles or answering Forum questions. There is no charge or commitment for participation. ?The more professional input, the better the information,? Schneider says. ?I like to think of ArchWired as a vital global community.?

The popularity of the site was one inspiration for Schneider?s other venture; a dental hygiene kit she created called DentaKit. The product is sold online at www.dentakit.com. ?I needed a portable hygiene kit, but couldn’t find one that really met my needs, ” Schneider says. She created DentaKit to fill that void. The product is a big hit with adults, and DentaKits have been sold to hundreds of customers as far away as Italy and Japan.

For more information about ArchWired, visit www.archwired.com and www.dentakit.com.