With the holidays just around the corner, we decided to have a little fun with one of the oldest and well-known Christmas poems around, the classic "Twas the Night Before Christmas". Legend says that the original version of the poem was written by Clement Clarke Moore on Christmas Eve in 1822 during a sleigh ride home from Greenwich Village after buying a turkey for his family.
Our orthodontic version, on the other hand, was inspired by our love of the holidays and our desire to keep things fun for our patients. We hope you enjoy it. Happy Holidays from all of us at Bel Air Orthodontics!
The busy holiday season is just around the corner, and so are the social activities and parties that go with it. It's also a time when Bel Air Orthodontics is busy replacing broken or lost retainers. Why you ask? There a number of factors, but it comes down to the fact that your retainer is spending too much time out of your mouth! Holiday fun brings a change in your daily routine, more meals with family and friends, and that usually means more opportunities to lose, break or forget your retainer.
Your retainer is an important part of your orthodontic treatment, so follow these tips to keep your retainer and your smile looking great:
Never Wrap It In A Napkin - While a retainer on the table might not be the most appetizing sight, hiding it in a napkin is a quick and sure way to accidentally send your retainer into the trash can!
Keep It Away From Fido – It’s a fact, dogs love the smell and taste of saliva on retainers and they’ll go to impressive lengths to get their canines on them. Never leave your retainers on a night stand, counter, or table where they can jump up and snag the appliance. Remember, dogs like to chew on things . . . this includes retainers!
Don’t Be Random – While spontaneity is a good thing in life, it’s a bad thing when it comes to storing your retainer. If you put your retainer in random places, you’re bound to eventually forget where it is. Instead, create designated spots to keep your retainer. Whether it’s the same spot in your purse or backpack, a special drawer in your bedroom, or a cabinet in the kitchen, you’ll always know where it is.
Don't Put It In Your Pocket - Your retainer is more fragile than you think. Placing it in your pocket or purse often leads to loss or breakage. Just imagine the look on your Mom’s face when she discovers that she tossed that pair of jeans or jacket in the washer and dryer without knowing the retainer is tuck away in the pocket. Let’s just say that story doesn’t end well.
Clean It With Luke Warm – NOT HOT WATER - While keeping your retainer clean and bright is important, never use hot water to clean it or boil it to sterilize. Heat will distort and damage your retainers. Instead, soak your retainers in a denture cleaning product like Efferdent once a week to keep them clean.
Label Your Retainer Case – If you do happen to misplace your retainer, your chances of having someone return it are much greater if your name, phone number and/or email address are on the case.
Don’t Forget To Wear It – If you are wearing your retainer when you’re supposed to, you’re much less likely to lose it. Make wearing your retainer as prescribed your new healthy habit!
Always Keep Your Retainer In Its Case When Not In Your Mouth – This is Dr. Godwin’s number one rule! Your case is designed to keep your retainer safe when it’s not in your mouth, so remember to use it.
If you do happen to have a retainer mishap over the holidays, make sure you contact us as soon as possible so that we can schedule an appointment to make a replacement appliance. Remember, every day that your retainer is not being worn, tooth movement is occurring. So don’t delay, call us today if you have any questions about your retainer wear and care. We hope you have a wonderful holiday season!
Halloween is a fun time of year, but before you head out to trick-or-treat, Dr. Godwin would like to offer a few tips for keeping your braces healthy and happy. While Halloween treats are tempting, it's important to remember that many can cause havoc for trick-or-treaters with braces. Treats that are sticky, chewy, hard or crunchy can potentially cause damage to braces, clear aligners, and other orthodontic appliances. In addition to patient discomfort, a broken bracket or loose wire may prolong treatment and require additional appointments.
The team at Bel Air Orthodontics knows how hard it is to avoid all Halloween treats, so we encourage you to enjoy braces-friendly alternatives rather than feel that you are missing out on all the fun. Dr. Godwin recommends that a few sweets can be okay occasionally, provided that you remember to brush and floss after eating. Check out our frighteningly-good Halloween recipes and braces-friendly tips below so that you can enjoy the holiday and still be on pace to achieve your healthy, beautiful smiles.
Braces-Friendly Treats
In general, orthodontic patients should look for foods that are soft and easy to chew. Soft, melt-in-your-mouth chocolates, peanut butter cups, milk shakes, gelatin, ice cream treats, and most soft cookies and cakes are good examples of braces-friendly treats.
Treats to Avoid
Patients undergoing orthodontic treatment should avoid treats that are sticky, hard, chewy or crunchy, such as caramel, nuts (including candies that contain nuts), licorice, jellybeans or taffy, hard pretzels, bubblegum, candy corn, and popcorn.
Here Comes The Good Stuff!
Now that you know the do's and don'ts, here are some fantastic recipes courtesy of the American Association of Orthodontists and The Braces Cookbooks, perfect not only for patients with braces, but everyone looking for a yummy homemade treat! That way no one will feel left out this Halloween, and your party will be a monster success. To scare up your own Halloween party, try these recipes that are easy on your orthodontic hardware:
Downloadable recipes courtesy of the American Association of Orthodontists:
Every October, the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) takes the spotlight during National Orthodontic Health Month. It’s a time when orthodontists reach out to patients and their community to increase public awareness about the benefits of orthodontic care.
As part of that effort, Bel Air Orthodontics is spreading the AAO’s message about the benefits of early orthodontic evaluation. Even though most people think of pre-teens and teens when they think of orthodontics, there are good reasons why all children should get an orthodontic evaluation much sooner. The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that every child get an orthodontic screening no later than age seven.
Why is age seven considered the optimal time for screening?
By this age, most children have a mix of baby teeth and adult teeth making it an ideal time for evaluation. With early screening, Dr. Godwin can spot subtle problems with emerging teeth and jaw growth. While many young patients may not be ready to start treatment, early evaluation allows us to choose the optimal time to begin treatment and provides a greater opportunity for an effective treatment outcome.
What are the potential advantages of early interceptive treatment?
Early treatment allows Dr. Godwin to:
Correct and guide the growth of your child’s jaw to help the permanent teeth come in straight
Regulate the width of the upper and lower arches
Create more space for crowded teeth
Avoid the need for permanent tooth extractions later in life
Correct thumb-sucking and help improve minor speech problems
Problems to Watch for in Growing Children
If you notice any of the following in your child, it’s time to schedule an orthodontic evaluation:
Early/late loss of baby teeth
Difficulty chewing or biting food
Mouth breathing
Finger or thumb sucking
Crowded, misplaced, or blocked teeth
Jaws that pop or make sounds when opening and closing
Teeth that come together abnormally, or do not come together at all
Jaws and teeth that are not proportionate to the rest of the face
Crowded front teeth around age 7 or 8
Additional information on early treatment is available at the AAO’s website. To view and/or download their handout entitled “Problems to Watch for in Growing Children” click on this link 2020PTWF_Growing_Children-reduced 1MB.
Orthodontics does more than create beautiful smile – it creates a healthier you. If you have questions about your child’s dental development, contact Bel Air Orthodontics at 410-838-2244 to schedule an evaluation.
