Month: September 2021

While you are wearing braces, please avoid eating hard foods, sticky foods and foods high in sugar. Hard foods can break or damage the wires and brackets, and sticky foods can get caught between the wires and brackets. Minimize the amount of sugary foods you eat; the sugar can cause tooth decay and other related problems.

You know how important it is to brush and floss properly when you’re wearing braces — but what’s the best way to do that? Let’s start with the basic brushing tools: Either a soft-bristle brush or a bi-level brush (one that has shorter bristles in the middle and longer bristles at the edges) can be effective. Used carefully, an electric toothbrush can work just as well. But be sure the electric brush is set to a moderate power level, and don’t let its vibrations cause the back of the brush to hit the braces!

You should brush with a fluoride toothpaste at least two times per day (preferably after meals), for at least two minutes each time. Remember to brush all the tooth surfaces: the outside, the inside, and the chewing surfaces as well. Be especially careful to clean the areas between wires and teeth, and between brackets and gums — that’s where food particles can easily become trapped.

Here’s a suggested brushing technique: Beginning at the outside surfaces, place the tips of the bristles flat against your teeth, and use small circular motions to gently polish them clean. For areas between braces and gums, tilt the brush toward the gum line (down for the bottom teeth, up for the top) while keeping up the circular motions. Next, move on to the chewing surfaces of upper and lower teeth, using a firm back-and-forth motion. Finally, finish up by carefully brushing the inside surfaces of the teeth the same way you did the outside surfaces.

Summer is winding down and a new school year has started. Many of our patients are going back to school with braces on for the first time this week. At EMBRACE ORTHODONTICS, our team has prepared a few helpful tips that will make caring for your braces at school a breeze!

• Follow the 2×2 brushing rule: brush your teeth for 2 minutes, 2 times per day. It’s also a good idea to keep an extra toothbrush in your back pack to brush after lunch for extra clean teeth. Remember, clean teeth make for faster appointments and healthier teeth.
• Keep bottled water in your back pack. Drinking water keeps your mouth clean, helps fight cavities and promotes overall good oral health.
• Keep a bag of elastics in your backpack and locker. Elastics are key to moving teeth during treatment and not wearing them can prolong your treatment time.
• Check the school lunch menu online every weekend to plan ahead for meals. Pack healthy snacks like yogurt, smoothies and hard boiled eggs. Avoid foods that are hard, crunchy or chewy to prevent bending wires or knocking off brackets. Remember, damage to your braces can increase the time of your treatment.

Are you considering braces for yourself or a family member? The end of the year is a great time to get braces or to plan for them in the new year.

The end of the year may leave you thinking of ways to spend unused portions of your flexible spending account (FSA). Since FSA balances are a ‘use it or lose it’ commodity, we encourage families to make the most of them before December 31st. If orthodontic treatment or braces is on your mind, this is a great way to take advantage of your FSA balance.

The end of the year is also a great time to plan for orthodontics treatment by exploring all of your health and dental options during open enrollment. Make an appointment for a free evaluation and treatment plan including exact costs in order to plan accurately for next year.