Every year, the entire Braces For Pretty Faces team is proactive in educating parents and patients of the potential problems that can occur if orthodontic patients don’t watch what they eat during this fun time of year.

October is National Orthodontic Health Month. Braces For Pretty Faces supports the American Association of Orthodontics in their efforts to make patients aware of foods they need to avoid, especially with Halloween goodies.

Watch this video put out by the American Association of Orthodontics with Halloween Brace Tips

Dont worry… you still can have a few treats, just orthodontic friendly treats. Click here to download a Do’s and Don’ts Treat List offered by the AAO. As a reminder, print it off and post in on your refrigerator for all to see.

Follow the list and save a few candies you can eat and give away the treats that will harm your braces. A few sweets can be OK occasionally, whether wearing braces or not, as long as you brush and floss after eating.

The team at Braces For Pretty Faces wants everyone to enjoy the holiday. However, we also want you to protect the investment you and your family has made in helping us create a beautiful smile that lasts a lifetime.

Click here to find Brace Friendly Recipes offered by the AAO.

Click Here for Tips for Trick – or -Treaters.

Do you think we are being unreasonable asking patients to give up treats that damage their braces? Please leave your comments below. Now is the time to vent….

Why everyone should wear a mouth guard while playing contact sports. This could be you if you don't.

A mouth guard protects not only teeth, but your lips and cheeks while wearing braces. A mouth guard is your best protection against serious sports injuries. The next time you’re in for a visit at Braces For Pretty Faces Orthodontics, we encourage you to ask us for a mouth guard! A mouth guard is your insurance policy to safeguard your long term dental health. Sports injuries can require major dental expense throughout your life. It only takes a second to pop one in to prevent loss or damage to teeth. Even though they may be uncomfortable to wear and tough to talk with, it is nothing compared to the discomfort you would experience in an accident… so make sure you play it safe.

The American Association of Orthodontics created this video with Mia Hamm, Olympic Soccer Star! See what she has to say about wearing a mouth guard.

We hope this is a safe and productive school year for all our students! Let us know if you have any questions about sports safety while wearing braces. Leave a comment below. We would love to hear from you..

Fortunately, most problems with your braces don't qualify as true emergencies. Let's talk about a few things you can do while you are away to avoid the inconvenience and expense of trying to find an orthodontist in an unfamiliar area. Here are some helpful hints on what to do if you have a problem with your braces.

Take a mini emergency kit with you – Include orthodontic wax, nail clippers or small pair of wire cutters, tweezers, a pencil with an eraser, and our phone number if you need guidance.

Watch this video on how to handle emergencies before you leave so you aren’t scrambling for help and unprepared.

Irritation of your lips or cheeks – apply wax to the area causing the irritation. Follow the instructions on the package. If you don’t have wax or run out, sugarless gum works well. If any sores develop, go to a local drug store and buy topical anesthetics like Orabase or Orajel to temporarily numb the area till you return and we can fix the problem.

Poking or protruding wire – Occasionally, the arch wire extends in the back or may come right out of the bracket when chewing gum, hard candy, and sticky foods. Use a pencil eraser or something soft to push the wire flat against your teeth. Add wax or sugarless gum to the end of the wire if needed to prevent irritation. If the main wire breaks, you can clip the wire with a pair of nail clippers, flush to the next anchored bracket – just remember to disinfect the clippers or wire cutters first with rubbing alcohol, if handy, or use the flame on a lighter to kill the germs. Once the wire is clipped, make sure to avoid swallowing the clipped piece of wire.

Loose band- If a band around one of your back teeth comes loose, don’t worry about it unless it is causing problems while your eat. Worst-case scenario, clip the main wire with nail clippers flush to the next bracket and remove the loose band. Apply wax or sugarless gum if needed to avoid irritation from the cut wire. We can repair when you return.

Loose bracket – Hard foods are the main cause of loose brackets. During the summer, we all tend to be more lax with our normal routines. However, out of town is not the time to take a chance breaking a bracket by not following the restricted diet. If a bracket does come loose from a tooth, remove the bracket with a pair of disinfected tweezers if you can and continue on your merry way. Don’t forget to contact us when you return so we can schedule an appt to replace the bracket. It is difficult to repair an emergency during your regular appointment when there isn't sufficient time scheduled to repair.

Loose ligature wire or elastic – If a small elastic ligature (the piece that attaches the archwire to the bracket) comes partially or all the way off your braces, use a pair of disinfected tweezers to put it back into place. If a ligature is lost, don’t worry about it. Call us when you return.

True emergencies
If you experience a true emergency where you are so uncomfortable you can’t wait till you get back, contact the local dental society for an orthodontist recommendation. You can also search on your cell phone for an orthodontist nearest you. Most orthodontists provide and emergency contact number when out of the office and will help an out of town patient with a problem they cannot easily attend to on their own. A local emergency room is always a last resort.

Also, don’t hesitate to give us a call to ask us for guidance if you don’t know what to do. Our goal at Braces For Pretty Faces is to provide you with a terrific smile, and – just as important – to be sure you are comfortable and safe throughout the course of your treatment, even when you are away.

Do you have any out of town orthodontic emergency experiences you would like to share with us? Leave a comment below.

Watch this video created by the AAO about the importance of wearing mouth guards and protective gear when playing contact sports.

The damage caused by a ball, puck or elbow to the face can be devastating for a child – often resulting in serious injury and a lifetime of dental health issues. In fact, sports-related injuries are the leading cause of emergency room visits in 12- to 17-year-olds according to the Centers for Disease Control. By teaming up with the National Alliance of Youth Sports (NAYS) to promote facial protection and sport safety, the AAO hopes that "Play It Safe" will become a mantra for youth sports.

Unfortunately, many parents, kids and coaches don´t realize the damage a ball or on-field collision can do until it´s too late. As professionals in the field of dentistry, our goal is helping patients achieve a healthy, beautiful smile, the last thing we want to see is a smile ruined by a preventable injury. Extensive dental care is then required to repair the injury and many patients will experience needless discomfort, aggravation, loss of time, and incur an unnecessary financial investment throughout their lives to maintain the dental work required to repair the injury. So please “Play It Safe” and wear a mouth guard.

During orthodontic treatment, it is especially important for patients to wear a mouth guard to prevent injury from braces that can easily cut lips and cheeks when hit. If you need one, contact our office. The time to start wearing one is now!!

How do you feel about the importance of wearing mouth guards? Do you make it mandatory for your children? Please comment below.

Patients of all ages are self conscious when they first get their braces. It takes a few days to adjust both physically and emotionally to the look and feel of the appliances. Support and understanding from family and friends goes a long way the first few weeks to help patients adapt both physically and emotionally, especially with adolescents and teens already insecure with most aspects of their lives.

Some orthodontic patients need more time than others to adapt. At Braces For Pretty Faces Orthodontics, we understand each patient is different. If your child goes with the flow under most circumstances, than wearing braces will be a piece of cake. But if you have a child or adult that does not adapt well to everyday trials and tribulations in life, “brace” yourself for a few rough days ahead.

Here are few tips to smooth out the wrinkles or ruffled the feathers of patients finding it more difficult to adjust:

Be sympathetic the first few days. Even though the actual placement of the braces is not uncomfortable, once the teeth start moving initially, teeth do become tender. The discomfort will stop in a few days, but fear of the unknown can make it worse. Every patient’s tolerance level is different… keep that in mind.

Take Advil or Tylenol to the setup appointment and dispense immediately before leaving the office. These analgesics work better if administered before the discomfort sets in for best results, rather than later.

Plan a brace friendly meal for lunch or dinner ahead of time. Not only does the patient need to adjust to a new diet, you may have to adjust yourself when planning meals. There are many nutritious foods available that don’t require a lot of chewing or won’t damage the braces. Stay away from salads the first few days. Not only do they collect in the braces, lettuce is difficult to chew once the teeth start moving. Macaroni and Cheese, homemade soups, protein shakes with lots of fruit, and yogurt will provide the calories needed for good nutrition. Who says you can’t have scrambled eggs and pancakes for dinner?

Ask the doctor or one of the staff about prescribing Tylenol or Advil in school during the first week, if needed. Better safe than sorry is a good motto to follow. Dispensing any over-the-counter medication requires a prescription in the nurse’s office. Having Tylenol available anytime during the day in school will help take off the edge of discomfort if needed.

Feel free to share your own tips on how to best handle the first few days wearing braces. Write a comment below to share with others.

No matter what your religious beliefs, the holidays are a time for everyone to come together and celebrate friendship, love, and family. Santa is a worldwide symbol of this holiday spirit.

Watch our recommended Holiday video release for 2010 – Shake Up Your Holiday Season and Enjoy!!

What’s your favorite part about the holidays? Who do you plan to Shake Up this year?

We’d love if you shared with us all the things you treasure about the holidays.

Watch Taylor’s acceptance speech on YouTube. He gives a nice shout-out to his orthodontist. The Teen Choice Award is positive proof how important a smile really is today. Why else would they be giving out an award for the best smile in the world!!!

A beautiful smile builds confidence and affects how you present yourself to everyone around you… whether it be at home, school, or out in the business world. At Braces for Pretty Faces we create beautiful healthy smiles for patients of all ages.

If you or someone you know or love can benefit from our orthodontic expertise, feel free to tell them about Braces for Pretty Faces and have them contact our office for a complimentary new patient exam.

The highest compliment you can pay to our team is recommending our practice to friends and family. We look forward to helping them achieve the smile they want and deserve.

Do you think a smile is important in how your feel about yourself? Please leave a comment below.

Braces for Pretty Faces

The event takes place on Sat June 12 and Sun June 13, 2010. Please come and visit our booth # 100 ! There will be face painting, balloons and a raffle! The event link and information is below. If you would like to join …us for the event or would like to help volunteer in our booth #100 Please give us a call ! For more information visit www.RelayForLife.org/AlmadenCA

The American Cancer Society Relay For Life is a life-changing event that gives everyone in communities across the globe a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease. At Relay, teams of people camp out at a local high school, park, or fairground and take turns walking or running around a track or path. Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event. Because cancer never sleeps, Relays are overnight events up to 24 hours in length.

Relay began in 1985 when Dr. Gordy Klatt, a colorectal surgeon in Tacoma, Washington, ran and walked around a track for 24 hours to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Since then, Relay has grown from a single man’s passion to fight cancer into the world’s largest movement to end the disease. Each year, more than 3.5 million people in 5,000 communities in the United States, along with additional communities in 19 other countries, gather to take part in this global phenomenon and raise much-needed funds and awareness to save lives from cancer. Thanks to Relay participants, we are creating a world with more birthdays a world where cancer can’t claim another year of anyone’s life.

Anyone can participate in Relay For Life. Friends, families, neighbors, classmates, sports teams, etc., can form their own teams. No matter who you are, there’s a place for you at Relay.

• Whitening
• Bonding
• Veneers
• Crowns

 Our society is very focused on appearance and often we look for the quick fix or instant gratification when looking to create a dental makeover to improve our smile.  At Braces For Pretty Faces, our goal is to educate parents and patients on the best options to attain an incredible smile while maintaining long term dental health. 

Braces, Invisalign, or Invisalign Teen are often the best option when looking to achieve a cosmetic result that will sustain itself over a lifetime.  It is also one of the least expensive alternatives over the long haul when you consider cosmetic procedures often need to be repeated and veneers and crowns must be replaced numerous times throughout life.

Obviously there are pros and cons to everything.  As an orthodontist, my priority is positioning of teeth and sometimes repositioning of jaws to create the best possible occlusion or bite possible for long term good dental health.  During the process, whether it is with Invisalign or braces, an enhanced smile is a benefit of treatment.  If you are going to invest in your smile, orthodontics today is a win… win… all the way around. 

Below is a video produced by the American Association of Orthodontics for YouTube discussing why orthodontic treatment is often the smarter choice, not cosmetic quick fixes, when looking for ways to improve your appearance over a lifetime.  A good bite or occlusion should be the foundation on which a beautiful smile is built for best results.

After watching this video, what are your thoughts on correcting your teeth with orthodontic treatment vs artificially altering their structure to enhance your smile?  Be honest… we can take it!