Things You Should Never Use Your Braces For
When you get your braces, Dr. Eckler, Dr. Leung and Dr. Black and our staff will also give you a list of foods you should not eat and things you should not do. Pay particular attention to these items to keep your teeth and braces safe. Charms belong on bracelets. While you can decorate your braces with colored bands, hanging a charm off them is a bad idea. If you bite down on the charm, you could damage your braces or your teeth. You could also swallow your jewelry. Never use your teeth as a bottle opener. This is just as important when you are wearing braces. While braces straighten your teeth, your teeth are moving in the process. That makes them weaker, and the metal in the braces does not make them invincible. Invest in a bottle opener; you can buy one for a few dollars, which is much less expensive than having to replace your braces. Contrary to what you might think, your braces are not designed to work as a radio. There are tales of people who have picked up radio signals from dental fillings or braces. While this is remotely possible, attaching an antenna to your mouth is just not a good idea. You will get better quality music from a radio. On the other hand, you can still kiss someone while wearing braces. In fact, even if both of you wear braces, the chances of your getting locked together are almost negligible. However, to avoid cutting your partner’s lips, kiss with caution. If you have any questions about taking care of your braces, please ask Dr. Eckler, Dr. Leung and Dr. Black and our staff. We want you to get the best results from your treatment without needless delays.
When Your Smile Isn’t Aging as Gracefully as You Are
You might have been one of the lucky few born with perfectly straight teeth and a healthy bite. You might have spent months in orthodontic treatment as a teenager to achieve perfectly straight teeth and a healthy bite. But now that you’re growing older, you might be unhappily surprised to discover that your smile isn’t aging as gracefully as you are. What’s changed? That’s a trick question, because our bodies never stop changing, growing, and adapting. And these constant adjustments include the changes taking place in your teeth and mouth. You might begin to notice subtle differences in your smile when you’re in your thirties or forties. After young adulthood, several factors come into play which can cause shifting teeth and a misaligned bite: Teeth naturally shift. Shifting can be a result of the normal changes time brings. The periodontal ligaments which attach our teeth firmly to the jawbone lose some of their strength; the jawbones which hold our teeth in place lose some of their density and begin to narrow. Our teeth also have a natural tendency to move toward the front of the mouth, a phenomenon called “mesial drift.” Add all of these elements together, and your once straight teeth start to crowd together and even overlap—especially the front bottom teeth. Stressful habits stress your teeth. If you habitually grind or clench your teeth, you’re putting pressure on them. Just like the gentle pressure of braces and aligners can shift teeth into alignment, the more uncontrolled force of grinding can push teeth out of alignment. Losing a tooth affects surrounding teeth. Nature abhors a vacuum, and so does your smile. If you lose a tooth, your other teeth will automatically start to drift into the space left open by the missing tooth. A neglected retainer is gathering dust in a drawer somewhere. You might have spent time as a teenager in orthodontic treatment, with a beautiful smile to show for all your hard work. And, back in the day, your orthodontist no doubt let you know that you needed to keep wearing your retainer at night once your treatment was completed. If that’s one healthy habit you abandoned as you got older, don’t be surprised if your teeth start to migrate back to their old, less-than-perfect positions. Between normal biological changes and the wear and tear of daily life, you might find one day that your smile isn’t that same beaming smile you’re used to seeing in the mirror. And it’s not just an aesthetic concern. Crooked teeth are harder to clean, and built-up plaque means more decay and gum disease. Shifting teeth can cause malocclusions, or bite problems, which can bring you jaw pain, headaches, and chipped or cracked teeth. If your smile has changed over time, it’s time to give Dr. Eckler, Dr. Leung and Dr. Black a call. There are many discreet options which can return your smile to you, including: Clear aligners—comfortable, removable, and often unnoticeable. Traditional braces—brackets are smaller than ever, and you can choose ceramic brackets which are color-matched to blend in with your enamel. Lingual braces—these braces are attached to the inside of the teeth, for complete invisibility. And what if you’ve never been as confident in your smile as you wanted to be? There’s good news here as well—it’s never too late to see an orthodontist. Make an appointment at our Mississauga and Brampton, ON office to discover how you can make sure your smile looks just as young as you feel!
Avoid Brushing After Every Single Meal!
Here is some surprising yet worthwhile advice you might be hearing for the first time: Brushing after a meal can be incredibly bad for your teeth if you do it after eating certain foods. Enamel is an extremely hard mineral on the exterior of each of your teeth. It’s actually the hardest substance in the human body: It’s even stronger than your bones! Its only weakness is that acids in the food we eat can easily destroy enamel. Healthy teeth thrive in an environment that has the proper pH balance. That ensures your mouth doesn’t start the process of demineralization. That’s what happens when alkaline turns into acid, which attacks and softens the enamel on the surface of your teeth. Pores and fissures form, and that’s when the harmful bacteria go to work. Our mouth’s pH level fluctuates depending on what we eat throughout the day. Examples of the most common highly acidic foods include citrus fruits, soda, and sugary foods. Highly acidic foods tip the balance of pH in your mouth from a healthy alkaline to a dangerous acid. Can brushing your teeth immediately after a meal lead to even more damage? The answer is yes! Eating highly acidic foods causes your teeth to be more susceptible. If you brush your teeth when they have been weakened by acids, even more destruction can happen to your enamel. Your toothbrush’s bristles will actually wear away some of your enamel. So it’s healthier to wait at least an hour after eating or snacking to brush. Good preventive measures to take instead of brushing after you eat include: Rinsing or drinking water Chewing sugarless gum Consuming dairy or non-acidic foods to conclude your meal These practices help produce saliva, which in turn restores a healthy pH level in your mouth and coats the teeth with minerals they need. Once you’ve allowed time for your mouth to be restored to a healthy pH level, you may brush your teeth as you normally would. Keep in mind that acidic foods can weaken the enamel on your teeth and take the right measures to prevent spiking pH levels. Most important, don’t forget to wait to brush at least one hour after you eat! Still have questions? Call our Mississauga and Brampton, ON office and schedule an appointment with Dr. Eckler, Dr. Leung and Dr. Black.
The Holidays are Quickly Approaching
Happy November! We are in the home stretch and the holiday season quickly approaching. With Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa all coming up we anticipate this time being incredibly busy. But despite all that is going on in the world, we are looking forward to spending time with family. Family dinners with games, good food, small gatherings, and quality time are all on the agenda for the following weeks to come. While there are still COVID restrictions in our area, we plan on being careful and limiting too many gatherings. Some of the best memories come from the holiday season. With sleigh rides, playing in the snow, tobogganing, skating, and warming up with hot chocolate. The holidays are really one of the most magical times of the year. There are many holiday rituals that are important in our family. Decorating the home, preparing extravagant holiday recipes, homemade gifts, and playing all of our favorite board games are some of the many things we love to do during this time. What are some of the traditions that you have with your family during the holiday season? Speaking of extravagant recipes, cooking (well eating) is the best part of the holidays. Turkey and cranberries, stuffing, potatoes, and especially dessert – like the Waterloo Apple Crunch. What are some of your favourite holiday recipes? With the holiday season just in our reach, appointments are filling up so please book your appointment well in advance. You can always call our office or use the Appointment form on our website. We wish our team, our patients, and our extended dental families & colleagues all the best for the holiday season!
Why is orthodontic treatment important?
The goal of orthodontic treatment at Smile Solutions, which may include the use of braces, retainers, and aligners, is to straighten your teeth. Treatment often starts in the pre-teen or teenage years, but adults may also need orthodontic treatment. The treatment can feel like a chore that lasts for several months or a couple of years, but it can fix important problems. These include: Crowded teeth spaced too close together Gaps between your teeth Crooked teeth Overbite or underbite Upper and lower teeth that do not meet Straight Teeth are More Attractive You are more likely to be proud of your smile when your teeth are straight and evenly spaced. Pride in your appearance can give you more confidence and encourage you to try new things. This can be particularly important for adolescents. In addition, people often judge others based on first impressions. A smile that shows straight teeth is more attractive. Better Oral Health is Easier Brushing and flossing your teeth are two basic components of an oral health routine to protect your teeth from conditions such as tooth decay, gingivitis, and plaque build-up. As Dr. Eckler, Dr. Leung and Dr. Black and our staff know, caring for your mouth is easier when your teeth are straight. The Canadian Dental Association says the following conditions are less likely to occur if you have the proper orthodontic treatment. Dental caries Gum disease or gingivitis Tooth loss Impaired speech Worn tooth enamel Orthodontic Treatment Improves Nutrition Poorly aligned teeth can reduce your ability to chew properly or make certain foods more difficult to eat. Many of these more challenging foods are healthy, and avoiding them can cause you to limit your diet to softer, often less-nutritious foods, such as ice cream and canned soup. Straighter teeth and a better ability to chew let you eat crunchy foods, such as apples and carrots; stringy foods, such as asparagus and chicken; and chewy foods, such as raisins.