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ArchWired.com Provides Information, Support for Adults, Older Teens in Braces
Posted: July 17, 2006
After a lifetime of crooked teeth, Lynn Schneider got braces at age 41. The California mother of two felt self-conscious and longed to commiserate on the Web with other adult orthodontic patients. There was only one problem: no website existed for adults in braces.  Undaunted, she created one: ArchWired.com.
 
Since its inception four years ago, ArchWired.com, has secured its niche as the leading portal for consumer-oriented orthodontic information for adults and older teens, 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 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. “Most 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, which has thousands of worldwide members. They help and support each other,” she says.  ArchWired.com is updated monthly with relevant dental news, information, features, and reader stories. “Getting braces is a very emotional subject for adults,” Schneider says. “It’s a life-changing event for many of these people. Readers constantly send me emails relating how grateful they are that ArchWired exists; how much it helped them muster up the courage to take control of their appearance and their dental health.”
 
ArchWired does have some professional input, from Dr. Christopher Jernigan, DMD, of South Carolina; and Randall Markarian, DMD, MS, of Illinois.  In addition, Schneider sometimes consults with her own orthodontist, Adrian Vogt, DDS, MSD, of California. Schneider welcomes input from all dental professionals who wish to participate in the site by writing articles or answering Message Board questions. There is no cost or obligation for participation. “The more professional input, the better the information,” Schneider says. “That is what helps make ArchWired.com a unique interactive online community.”
 
The popularity of the site was one inspiration for Schneider’s other venture: a dental hygiene product she created called DentaKit Braces Survival Kit. The product is sold online directly to patients at www.dentakit.com. “I needed a portable hygiene kit and created The DentaKit to fill that void,” she says. In addition to carrying the signature DentaKit product, the site stocks a wide array of orthodontic supplies patients need; such as dental wax, orthodontic toothbrushes, threader floss, and interproximal brushes. DentaKit.com has thousands of satisfied customers in more than 24 countries.
 
For more information, visit www.archwired.com and www.dentakit.com.
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