Holiday Food Drive at The Braces Place

It is getting to be that time of year....the weather is getting cooler, football is on TV, and festive decorations are going up.  During the holidays season, we like to take time to give thanks for all the blessings we received throughout the year and we look forward to holiday cheer!  

We also want to make sure others have a reason to celebrate as well, so please partner with us this holiday season and lets help those in the community that are in need.  

Join in our FOOD DRIVE and bring in non-perishable food items to our office.  For each item you bring, you will be entered to WIN 4 FREE MOVIE TICKETS!!

Plus, The Braces Place will match your donation!!  So help us reach the goal of 1,000 cans of food by December 20th to donate to the Families helping Families program!!  

Halloween Candy and Braces

We hope you are having a very happy October!  Its time to carve pumpkins and think of the perfect Halloween costume.  Everyone loves to Trick-or-Treat and if you have braces you don't have to miss out on the fun!

Here are some candies choices that are more braces friendly:

1) 3 Musketeers
2) Reeses Peanut Butter Cups
3) Milky Way
4) Mounds
5) Classic Hersheys Bars
6) Nestle Crunch
7) Kit Kats

These candies are more braces friendly because they are softer and less sticky than some of the other popular candies.  Remember, braces are fragile, and strong forces from hard foods will break them off. Damaged appliances will extend treatment time. Extended treatment time will increase the risk of cavities and stains on your teeth.

The type of candy you want to avoid with braces are the hard, sticky, or gooey candies. These include (but are not limited to): Skittles, M&Ms, Starburst, Caramels, Tootsie Rolls/Pops, Smarties, Laffy Taffy, Butterfingers, Dots, Heath Bars, Mr. Good Bars, Babe Ruth, Charleston Chew....and many others!!

Remember, almost all candy has lots of sugar. Sugar helps cause cavities, so it is important to brush your teeth after eating any candy. 

We hope you have a fun and safe Halloween!! 

-The Braces Place

What is the deal with rubber bands and elastics?

Rubber bands, or elastics, can be an integral aspect of orthodontic care, so if Dr. Garrison or Pennella has prescribed elastics as a part of your treatment, it’s important to follow the directions fully. Elastics help to align your bite or cause teeth to move in different directions and straighten more quickly. We will instruct you how to hook one end to an upper bracket and the other end to a lower bracket so the rubber band goes vertically or diagonally from one bracket to another. The tension of the rubber band produces pressure on the bracket, which causes the teeth to move and straighten. This tension is also sufficient to correct an overbite or an under bite in the jaw.

If rubber bands are a part of your treatment plan, there are a few things to keep in mind. With rubber bands, you won’t be able to open your mouth fully, so they will have to be removed when you eat and reapplied after meal time. Many times, rubber bands are only needed at night, so you won’t need to worry about eating with them. Also, if you try to open your mouth too wide, your rubber bands might snap – so be careful!
Failure to wear your elastics full time or as instructed can lengthen your treatment time and may make it more difficult to achieve an optimal result. But don’t worry; your time in elastics will be well worth it when you see your beautiful, new smile.

Welcome to The Braces Place Blog!!

The Blog is currently under construction, but we are excited to offer The Braces Place Blog as a way to give you more information about orthodontics, invisalign, and about what is going on in the office.

Be sure to check back soon!

- The Braces Place